Revolutionary War 1775 - 1783

#armyproblems Continental Army Many women helped Made up of poorly trained, undisciplined volunteers Congress was unable to supply the army Lacked blankets, shoes, food, weapons Many women helped Cooked Nursed sick & wounded Disguised as men to fight Managed husbands farms & Businesses

British Army Many weren’t enthusiastic about the war, it was difficult to recruit soldiers Britain had to hire mercenaries They were called “Hessians” because many came from the German region of Hesse

Trenton In the beginning of the war, Washington’s Continental Army forced the British to retreat from Boston He then moved into to New York City; The British arrived with a large army Washington was forced to retreat Washington needed to encourage his weary men

On Christmas, 1776 Washington’s troops rowed across the icy Delaware River for a surprise attack at Trenton, New Jersey The Americans captured or killed more than 900 Hessians Victory proved the American army was capable; attracted new recruits

On Christmas, 1776 Washington’s troops rowed across the icy Delaware River for a surprise attack at Trenton, New Jersey

The Americans captured or killed more than 900 Hessians Victory proved the American army was capable; attracted new recruits

Benjamin Franklin

Five Funny Franklin Facts Franklin designed a musical instrument that was used by Mozart and Beethoven: the glass armonica. One of his sons was a Loyalist. He could speak 5 languages: English, French, Latin, Italian, & Spanish. He was a fashion icon in France – at 70 years old! He’s a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Bonus: Franklin was a serious ladies man.

Benjamin Franklin Franklin was sent to Paris by Congress in the fall of 1776 His job was to persuade France to become an ally of the United States France had been secretly aiding the Americans They were still bitter about losing the French and Indian War France did not want to openly declare allegiance until they were convinced Americans could win

Saratoga British General John Burgoyne attempted to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies He was stopped on a ridge near Saratoga, New York and was forced to retreat The Continental Army surrounded Burgoyne’s army and fired on it day and night until they surrendered

The victory at Saratoga was a turning point It showed that Americans could win the war for independence Some of Great Britain’s European rivals decided to help

Help From Other Nations 1778 - After the American victory at Saratoga, France signed treaties of alliance with the Americans France is now at war with Britain Sent badly needed money, supplies, and troops 1779 - France persuaded Spain to join the fight Another rival of Britain Britain was now forced to spread military resources over many fronts

Valley Forge In the winter of 1777-1778 Washington’s army camped at Valley Forge after being forced to retreat from Philadelphia Despite severe hardships, the army stayed together under Washington’s leadership German officer Baron von Steuben trained the inexperienced soldiers The army emerged from Valley Forge as a much stronger fighting force

Hardships at Valley Forge Not enough food Many local farms were Loyalist and refused to sell food to the army Not enough warm clothing Many got frostbite which required amputations Diseases such as typhus and dysentery spread throughout the camp About a quarter died from malnutrition and disease!

War in the South The British decided to move the war to the South They believed most Southerners were Loyalists who would support their Army The Americans suffered their worst defeat of the war at the Battle of Charles Town in South Carolina They lost almost their entire Southern army

British general Lord Cornwallis discovered that there were actually more active Patriots than Loyalists in the South His army suffered many setbacks after the Battle of Charles Town

FUN FACT! Benedict Arnold - Arnold was an American general who secretly offered to turn over the fort at West Point to the British in exchange for money

- Before he could be convicted as a spy, Arnold escaped and fought for the British

Battle of Yorktown (1781) British General Cornwallis believed Southern rebels were relying on Virginia for supplies Cornwallis moved in and set up camp in Yorktown, Virginia

Battle of Yorktown (1781) Help!! • A French naval fleet, under the leadership of Admiral de Grasse, blocked the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, preventing Cornwallis from receiving supplies from the British navy Help!!

Battle of Yorktown (1781) Help!! I surrender! • George Washington, along with 6,000 French troops led by General Rochambeau, marched to Yorktown from New York • The U.S. and French troops cornered Cornwallis. He had no choice but to surrender Help!! I surrender!

Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781, by which over 7,000 British and Hessians became prisoners.

The Treaty of Paris September 3 1783 - The British recognized the U.S. as an independent nation - U.S. territory stretched from Canada to Florida and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River - Britain returned Florida to Spain - The U.S. promised to ask state legislatures to pay Loyalists for the property they lost in the war (However, most states paid the Loyalists nothing)

Legacy of the War Around 25,700 Americans died in the war 1,400 missing 8,200 wounded British Military suffered 10,000 deaths The war turned the colonies into states that would have to learn to cooperate with each other The newly independent nation was now tasked with creating a government for itself . . .