Fighting Begins in the North

1. Fighting Begins in the North Chapter 6.1

2. Overview • Describe how Congress struggeled between peace and war with Britian. • List the advantages each side had as it entered the war. • Explain how the Continental Army gained control of Boston.

3. Olive Branch Peition • Second Continental Congress met in Philadephia in May 1775 • Most delegates wanted to avoid war, but fighting spread • Olive Branch Petition • Declare their loyalty to King • Repeal of Intolerable Rights • King enraged, sends 20,000 troops • John and Sam Adams believed war would come

4. Ethan Allen takes Fort Ticonderoga • Vermont, Ethan Allen leads Green Mountain Boys to take British Fort Ticonderoga in New York • Captures cannons that are moved to Boston • Allen success controls route to Canada

5. Washington Selected as Commander • The Second Continental Congress selects George Washington to lead the Army. • He arrives in Boston to train the troops. • The next few years will be a challenge.

6. Challenges for both sides • Partiots: • poorly organized and untrained • Few heavy guns and no navy • Advantage: fight from home, knew the land • British: • Best trained army and navy • Some colonist (loyalist) support • Wealthy and former officials (more in Middle and South Colonies), faced hard times, move to Canada • Disadvantage: Far from home

7. Bunker Hill • June 1775, Colonel Willaim Prescott and 1200 militia defend Bunker Hill. Move to Breed’s Hill • Overlooks Boston, allows Patriots to fire on British ships and city • 2400 Redcoats under General William Howe attack twice with many casualties, third takes hill • First major battle of Revolution

8. British leave Boston • Washington builds an army with 16,000 troops • January 1776, guns arrive from New York and placed to fire on Boston harbor • March 1776, British leave for Halifax, Canada