The Struggle for Liberty

Topic 25

WAR 12/8/14

List 3 things you remember from last

class about the Declaration of Independence?

Should we take Canada?

General Richard Montgomery captured Quebec.

General Benedict Arnold waited for Montgomery’s help and attempted to capture Montreal during a blizzard and… EPIC FAIL!

Continental Army doesn’t focus on Canada after that.

Long Island (New York) – Aug 1776

After Washington forced the British out of Boston, he went to Long Island with 23,000 troops to wait for them.

British General Howe showed up with over 32,000 troops.

A series of battles has Washington’s forces retreating across NY’s Hudson River into New Jersey, then across the Delaware into Pennsylvania.

Loses a majority of his men and his supplies fighting and retreating.

New Jersey Battles

Trenton – Dec 25, 1776 Washington has to convince his

6,000 remaining troops to stay and fight.

Brit. General Howe left Trenton, NJ protected by the Hessians (German Mercenaries).

Washington crossed the Delaware and launched a surprise attack.

Over 900 Hessians taken prisoner. VICTORY!!!

Princeton – Jan 2, 1777 Brit. General Cornwallis came to try

and stop Washington in Princeton. Washington tricked them into

attacking the abandoned camp while the Colonial troops snuck up and attacked behind Brit. Lines.

Saratoga – October 1777

British were hungering for a win.

Plan was for Brit. General Burgoyne to attack from Canada and Brit. General Howe to come up the Hudson River.

The timing didn’t quite work out for the British.

Colonial Troops managed to surround Burgoyne, who was lost in the woods.

Benedict Arnold again a hero because he drove the Brits back toward Canada.

Turning point of the war!

French Alliance -- 1777

Ben Franklin goes to France to persuade King Louis XVI to aid America.

Battle of Saratoga convinced the French to officially help.

Treaty to aid the US signed in 1778.

Netherlands and Spain offered aid as well.

Help from Europe

Foreign Friends: Marquis de Lafayette –

Frenchman; served without pay, didn’t speak English, but was so passionate and skilled!

Baron Friedrich von Steuben – Prussian (German); worked with Washington on fine-tuning the Colonial Minutemen into real skilled and disciplined soldiers.

Bernardo de Galvez – Spanish; governor of Spanish Louisiana. Fought British troops in the western lands.

Valley Forge – Winter of 1777-78

Winter camp for Washington’s troops north of Philadelphia.

Lacked many basic supplies because the states were squabbling over funding the war.

No shirts, no shoes, lots of problems!

Damp, drafty and COLD. Over 2,000 of the

12,000 troops died of diseases and frostbite.

War at Sea French Navy helped the

Colonists immensely, helping us start the Marines and the Continental Navy.

John Paul Jones, scottish – helped take over many British supply ships. Is called the father of the American Navy.

Launched a capture of the British supply fort in Nassau, Bahamas.

Used fewer than 100 ships during the war, but ruined over 200 British ships.

War in the West

Both sides tried to use the Natives. British were more successful. Why?

George Rogers Clark led a series of attacks in the Appalachian Mountains against British trade towns.

Tricked the British into surrendering at Fort Sackville by using lots of flags and gunfire.

The War in the South British brutally ruined crops,

burned farms, killed animals and colonial soldiers, etc. as they headed south.

They even had control of Savannah and Charleston!

Guerrilla warfare became a key strategy for the outnumbered Colonials.

Cowpens , SC– Jan 1781 Patriot General Morgan divided

soldiers into two lines and told soldiers to attack twice, then retreat.

Brits followed retreating soldiers right into the second line!

Not looking so good…

Patriots were tired, outnumbered, and low on supplies and pay.

British controlled most of the south, Philadelphia and New York City.

Benedict Arnold became a traitor and opened up the Fort at West Point for the British!

Use PG. 126-134

You are to create a Patriot Recruitment Poster: Benefits in enlisting (5) What advantages the

Patriots have Why the war is being

fought Picture to make people

want to join the Continental Army

WAR 1/8/13

Why was the Battle of Cowpens so important? What happened there?

Explain in 5 sentences. Use your notes from

yesterday!

WIO

Predict:

How do you think relations between Great Britain and the Colonies

will be after the war?

Yorktown – Sept-Oct 1781

British General Cornwallis marches into Yorktown to try and communicate with British Naval Fleet.

Washington marched his troops down from New York and trapped Cornwallis on the Yorktown Peninsula.

Used Lafayette’s and the Comte de Rochambeau ‘s troops to surround Cornwallis!

French Fleet sitting in Chesapeake Bay preventing escape!

After weeks of fighting, Washington launches a major attack and the British surrender.

America Rocks!

The British Surrender!!

October 19, 1781 the British surrendered at Yorktown

Discuss – What would you have asked for as a Patriot? Loyalist? British Soldier?

Americans got nearly everything they requested in the peace talks, led by Ben Franklin.

USA from Atlantic to Mississippi; Great Lakes down to Florida (now Spanish again).

April 15, 1783 Treaty of Paris ratified.

WIO

The war is over! Now its time to decide how to punish

the losers (British) What are 6 things that you would

want from the British? List them and explain why!

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvBU_DS4350

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq49Nxr9j7w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzAyaPP95zw

Battle Maps! Review Battles from

yesterday. Break into four

groups. Draw out battle plans

for your assigned battle: Long Island (New York) Trenton Princeton Saratoga

Share maps. Use textbook pages

126-134