The Struggle for Liberty Patriot Forces faced many obstacles in the war against Britain

Vocabulary and Key People Key Terms : Mercenaries Battle of Trenton Battles of Saratoga Key People: Marquis de Lafayette Baron Friedrich von Steuben Bernardo de Galvez John Paul Jones George Rogers Clark

In the Army Now  George Washington became Commander in Chief of the Continental Army and raised an army of about 230,000 Soldiers  Most Soldiers were young with some being 16 years old or younger  Enlistment in the army meant low pay, harsh living conditions and a BIG chance at dying…but also the chance at fighting for freedom  Due to the rules of Enlisting in the Revolutionary Army Washington never had an Army of more than 17,000 Troops who were also under supplied for war 

All Hands on Deck  George Washington originally banned African Americans from fighting in the war, but as slaves joined the British Army he would allow free Africans to join his army  Women Played a BIG role in the Revolutionary War  Raised Money for Supplies  Made Clothes for troops  Served as messengers, Nurses, and spies  Some women even fought in the war, like Deborah Sampson

A Tale of TWO Armies Colonial Soldiers Strengths  Fighting for a Bigger Cause  Foreign Help  Better Leadership  Home Field Advantage Weaknesses  Untrained, Poorly Equipped Soldiers  Little to no navy  Less Soldiers British Soldiers Strengths  Well Trained, Better Equipped Soldiers  Large Powerful navy  More Soldiers and Mercenaries Weaknesses  Had to travel across ocean to fight  Mercenaries had nothing to fight for  Did NOT know the Land

OH CANADA…  While most favored a defensive war, patriots decided to invade Canada  Troops Led by General Richard Montgomery captured Montreal but failed to capture Quebec  Montgomery and Benedict Arnold Launched an attack in a New Years Eve Blizzard but were defeated and forced to retreat from Canada

The City that Never Sleeps  George Washington moved his troops to New York and were forced off Long Island By William Howe’s troops  Howe Kept destroying Washington’s Army until they were forced to retreat to New jersey  Washington’s Army lost many valuablke supplies and men  Nathan Hale would be Captured and hanged for fighting for his country

Crisis Point  Washington had only 6000 men when he retreated to New Jersey and the soldiers term was up on December 31 st  Thinking the Continental Army would be easily defeated Howe left the German Mercenaries (Hessians) to fight  Washington would receive 2000 fresh troops as he arrived in Pennsylvania but the morale was low  Thomas Paine would write The American Crisis to try to rally support for the war

Merry Christmas to All  Washington needed to win a quick and important battle so he planned a Christmas Attack on the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey  On the Christmas Attacks, Washington led his 2400 man Army across the Delaware River  Washington’s under supplied army Killed, and took prisoner, over 900 Hessians and Gained Much needed Supplies  Washington would Launch a SECOND surprise Attack on Princeton on January 2 nd leading to a second victory  After the Victory at Princeton Washington’s Army Gained confidence, supplies, and more recruits to fight

Operation Hudson River  Britain developed a strategy to cut New England off from the Colonies by controlling the Hudson River and meeting his 2 Generals to hold the Area  General Howe had decided to attack George Washington at Philadelphia and would not make it to Albany  Howe Did not capture Washington after TWO battles (Brandywine and Germantown) but controlled Philadelphia  As General John Burgoyne Made his Way to Albany the Patriots were obstructing his route to delay his arrival

That’s HOWE its done  Burgoyne took 4 weeks to travel the last 25 miles of his trip and found nobody had reached Albany  Looking for Supplies Burgoyne's troops were defeated by New England at the Battle of Bennington  As Burgoyne Pushed Towards New York they encountered General Horatio Gates who had fortified the route with Earthen walls to Help them fight Britain  While Gates held off the British, Benedict Arnold fought the British at Freeman’s farm  After Several Attacks, Benedict Arnold finally Forced Burgoyne to retreat from Freeman’s Farm

Always a Goat  As Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga, the Continental Army continued night and Day attacks leading to Burgoyne's Surrender  After the Battle of Saratoga, Benedict Arnold would Sympathize with the loyalists and become a traitor to the Patriots  The Battle of Saratoga made Great Britain, and the rest of Europe, realize that America may win its independence

A Little help from our Friends  Marquis de Lafayette would join the war and give over $200,000 and much needed supplies to the Continental Army  Baron Friedrich von Steuben would Join the Continental Army and help Washington train the Army to be able to better fight in battle  After The Victory at Saratoga, the French agreed to send more supplies and troops to help fight the war  Spain, with the help of Bernardo de Galvez, would help the Continental army capture British ports from Louisiana to Florida

The Fort of Southern Parma  General Washington and his troops set up camp at Valley Forge with little supplies, little food, and were badly beaten from previous battles  With congress slow to help, citizens, mostly women, would help the soldiers supplying them with food, clothes, and supplies  Many of the troops at Valley Forge would need amputations, would starve, get sick, and over 2000 men would die  While British Soldiers lived luxuriously in Philadelphia, temptation for American soldiers to desert the army was high but many stayed for the love of their country and for Washington

In The Navy  The Colonial Army Began to build a Navy to fight in the war, but would start by using Merchant Vessels  The Fleet would not attack British Ships, but would attack supply forts capturing Nassau before focusing on supply ships in the West Indes  John Paul Jones Would lead a Naval Patrol against a British Convoy protecting supply ships ramming into the ships to damage them  Jones would Defeat the British Ships and sail home on the British ship (Serapis) he had just overtaken  The American Navy would use 100 ships to destroy over 200 British Ships

How the Midwest Was won  George Rogers Clark would lead an army (the Over Mountain Men) in the frontier to capture the British posts on the western frontier  Clark made his way down to Kaskaskia, gathering troops, and was able to capture the fort with little fighting  Clark was also able to capture Fort Sackville from the British and defeated Henry Hamilton after traveling through icy, flooded swamps  Hamilton was not willing to Give up the fort, but Clark used deception to trick Britain into thinking he had a large army  Clark would also execute many Native Americans who had scalped the American troops to force a surrender

This has been another World Famous Mr. Green PowerPoint Presentation Its time to end this war!!