Unit 6American

Revolution

I. Declaring IndependenceA. Paine’s Common Sense convinced many colonists they need their own gov’t.B. Declaration of Independence was the best propaganda for war

C. Choosing Sides 1. Americans•Patriots (40% of population)•Yankees•Minutemen & local militias•Continentals

2. British•British Redcoats•Hessian mercenaries•Loyalists (20-30%)

3. Others groups, not mentioned in Declaration:

•Women (Abigail Adams tried to get women included, Molly Pitcher and Deborah Sampson fought, others helped in any way they could)•African Americans fought for both sides (British promised them freedom)•Native Americans mostly helped British

II. Struggle for Liberty A. Strengths and Weaknesses

1. Americans• Homeland advantage• Cause they believed in• European allies • Poorly trained and equipped• Small navy

2. British•Well-trained, well-equipped•Large Navy•Had to cross ocean•Used Mercenaries

B. Defeats and Victories 1. Canada: Americans failed to

invade & make it our 14th colony

2. Lost New York City (right after Dec. was signed)

3. Won New Jersey •Won at Trenton &

Princeton•Paine’s The Crisis convinced soldiers

to re-enlist4. Big win at Saratoga * Turning Point

C. Help from Europe1. Individuals: LaFayette &

Von Steuben2. B. Franklin (& Saratoga)

convinced France to send Rochambeau and army,

DeGrasse and navy3. Galvez (Spanish governor of

Louisiana)

D. Winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778)

1. Brutal winter conditions, little food,

few supplies (some even barefoot)

•2,000 died of disease and starvation

2. Von Steuben turned army into well- trained soldiers

E. War at Sea and in the west 1. Americans started

Marines, built warships and adapted merchant

vessels, then seized British supply fort in Bahamas

2. John Paul Jones (I have not yet

begun to fight!) used donated French ship

(Bonhomme Richard) to defeat British

warship (Serapis)

3. George Rogers Clark volunteered to raise an army to attack British forts in Ohio River Valley

• Fort Kaskaskia• Led to American claims west to

Mississippi River

III. Independence A. War in the South

1. British took the war to Georgia

(more Loyalists there) 2. Gates screwed up in the

Carolinas 3. Swamp Fox Marion used

guerilla tactics to successfully disrupt

British supply lines

B. Yorktown, VA 17811. British Cornwallis took

troops to Yorktown peninsula hoping for help from navy

2. Washington got Rochambeau and French army to trap British from the

west3. French navy trapped

British from east,

effectively ending war

C. Treaty of Paris, 1783 1. Britain recognized United

States as an independent country

2. Set borders (Mississippi River to west, St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes to north, Florida to Spain)

TIMELINE1776

1777

1778

1779

1780

1781

1782

1783

Declaration of Independence Signed

Trenton, men re-enlistSaratoga, France and Spain enter warWinter at Valley Forge

Yorktown

Treaty of Paris

Battle Chart Directions: 1. Find the next 2 blank pages (across from each

other) in your notebook 2. Copy the “Battles” (off to the right) down the

entire length of the page (about 4 or 5 lines for each battle)

3. Make 6 headings at the top of the 2 pages, 3 on one page, 3 on the next page:

State, Date, Am. Leader

and 3 headings to the right of the foldBr. Leader, Winner,

Importance

Battles

Lexington & Concord

Bunker Hill

Quebec, Canada

Long Island,New York

Trenton

Saratoga

Yorktown

Battles Am. Leader

Br.Leader

Winner Importance

Lexington & ConcordMass., April 1775

Parker Gage & Pitcairn

Am. “Shot Heard Round the World” started the war

Bunker HillMass., June 1775

Prescott Howe

Br. Showed world Br. were not invincible (could be beat)

Quebec, CanadaQuebec, Sept., 1775

Montgomery & Arnold (Morgan)

Carleton

Br.

Am. failed to make Canada a 14th colony

Battles Am. Leader

Br. Leader

Winner Importance

Long Island, New YorkNY, August 1776

GW

Howe

Br. Br. force Am to evacuate NY (Nathan Hale dies as Am. spy)

TrentonNJ, Dec. 1776

GW Rall (Hessian)

Am. Am. soldiers re-enlist

Battles Am. Leader

Br. Leader

Winner Importance

SaratogaNY, Sept. 1777

Gates Arnold

Burgoyne Am. * Turning Point: Fr. and Sp. ally with Am.

YorktownVA, Oct. 1781

GWLaFayetteDe Grasse

Cornwallis Am.

Ended the revolution

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