Chapter Seven:

The American Revolution

US History

Americans Divided

Estimates• 20-30% of Americans were

Loyalists• 40-45% of Americans were Patriots• The rest remained neutral, most

Americans did not support the Revolution

• Native Americans were split• Natives who fought with the British feared American

victory would take their land.• Natives who interacted with colonists sided with

Americans• African-Americans were also divided

• British governors offered freedom to slaves who fought for Britain• Then, Americans began to allow enslaved blacks to fight

45%

30%

25%

Colonists

Patriot Loyalist Neutral

Creating an Army

• June 1775, George Washington became the commander of the Continental Army.

At first, the army was made up of untrained and undisciplined volunteers: State Militias

After the creation of the Continental Army, men began to enlist

Congress struggled to supply the army- food, blankets, shoes guns and ammoWashington's main goal was to survive

Struggle for the Middle StatesWashington moved troops to New York.

In July 1776, the British arrived in NY with a large army along with 9,000 Hessian mercenaries.

Mercenary- a professional soldier hired to fight in a foreign country.

After months of fighting Washington and his men were forced to retreat through New Jersey into Pennsylvania

But Washington was successful in Trenton: a raid that captured or killed more than 900 Hessians & gained much needed supplies.

The victory led to more recruits for the Continental Army.

Britain’s Strategy

Britain wanted to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies.

Britain’s goal was to secure the Hudson River Valley

By controlling the Hudson, the American colonies would be split in two,

making it possible to cut off supplies between the colonies.

The Battle of Saratoga

Major turning point for the American Continental Army

Americans forced the British to retreat at Saratoga

Convinced European nations that America may win the war for independence

Help From AbroadAfter hearing of the American victory at Saratoga, King Louis XVI of

France signed two treaties of alliance with the United States.

This prevented the British from being able to focus their fighting on one front.

Now had to fight a number of enemies on land and sea.

Help from France

Valley Forge

Winter of 1777-1778 Washington and his army camped at Valley Forge in southeast Pennsylvania.

“The unfortunate soldiers were in want of everything; they had neither coats, nor hats, nor shirts, nor shoes; their feet and their legs froze till they grew black and it was often necessary to amputate them… The Army frequently passed whole days without food.”

-Marquis de Lafayette quoted in Valley Forge: Pinnacle of Courage

Roughly ¼ of soldiers died from malnutrition, exposure to the cold, or diseases.

A Naval HeroJohn Paul Jones won the most

famous sea battle.

He and his ships Patrolled the English coast.

Went to battle with the world’s greatest navy.

Angered the British, and inspired the Americans

John Paul Jones

The Swamp Fox and Guerilla FightingWar in the south

Guerilla fighters- are small band fighters who weaken the enemy with surprise raids and hit-and-run attacks

British turn their attention to the south.

The British win key battles at Charles Town, SC and Savannah, GA

Americans attempted to cut off British supply in Camden, SC

Implemented a new style of fighting…

The End of the War

1781- most of the fighting took place in Virginia.

British General Cornwallis set up his base at Yorktown.

A large French fleet arrived to block the Chesapeake bay, preventing the British from receiving supplies and escaping.

In the Battle of Yorktown, the American and French troops bombarded Yorktown with cannon fire, turning its buildings to rubble.

October 19, 1781 Cornwallis and his 8,000 men surrendered.

It was the last major battle of the war.

Why the Americans Won

1.Better Leadership- British were overconfident and made poor decisions. Washington learned from his mistakes.

2.Foreign Aid- Britain’s rivals, especially France, helped America. Foreign loans and military aid were essential to America’s victory

3.Knowledge of the Land- The Americans knew the land where the war took place.

4.Motivation- The Americans had more reason to fight. At stake were not only their lives but also their property and their dream of liberty.

The Treaty of Paris of

1783

1. The United States was independent.2. Its boundaries would be the Mississippi River on the west,

Canada on the north, and Spanish Florida on the south.3. The United States would receive the right to fish off Canada’s

Atlantic Coast.4. Each side would repay debts it owed the other.5. The British would return any enslaved persons they had

captured.6. Congress would recommend that the states return any

property they had seized from Loyalists.

Terms of the treaty:

The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the

American Revolutionary War.

Issues After the War

After declaring independence, Americans looked towards Republicanism :

Instead of a King, people would rule

Changes in laws that discriminated against religion.

African-Americans began to form their own institutions.

Richard Allen:Free African Society

African Methodist Episcopal Church

Now the United States needed a government that would protect citizens’ rights and economic freedom.

Social changes