Chapter 6 American Revolution

British Advantages Patriot Advantages Two Armies Face Off British Advantages Patriot Advantages Strongest Navy in the world Home land Well trained army Hessians – hired German soldiers; motivation was money Higher stakes – fighting for land vs. money (British) Wealthy George Washington Larger population – 8 million people (compared to 2.5 million living in America) Guerilla warfare tactics – ambush, hit-and-run Loyalists AKA TORIES – 1 in 5 were loyalists Strongest allegiance in Carolinas and Georgia Weakest in New England

Early Campaigns Battle of Long Island – August 1776 British defeated Patriots causing the Continental Army (Patriots) to flee to Pennsylvania Battle of Trenton and Princeton – GW was camped in PA across the Delaware River and led 2400 troops across the river on Christmas night 1776 defeating British KEY BATTLE because it uplifted spirits of Patriots

Early Campaigns British Captures Philadelphia – British General Howe captures Philly forcing Continental Congress to flee Battle of Saratoga – MAJOR WIN FOR PATRIOTS ❖Patriots stopped British General St. Leger at Fort Stanwix, NY led by Benedict Arnold ❖ British General John Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga after being defeated by the Green Mountain Boys and then attacked by American General Horatio Gates on October 7, 1777. ❖ Burgoyne surrenders on Oct. 17, 1777

Gaining Allies Ben Franklin – in France trying to get France to help America. Victory at Saratoga made France was to ally with America. 1778 – France declares war on Great Britain. Sends money, equipment, and troops 1779 – Spain declares war on GB. ❖ Spain did NOT form an alliance with America ❖ Spain fought in present day LA, MS, AL, and FL

Winter at Valley forge GW camped at Valley Forge – 20 miles west of Philadelphia Harsh Winter ❖ Sickness ❖ Death ❖ Lack of Supplies ❖ Lack of Clothing ❖ Officers Quit

Fighting in the South 1776 Patriot wins: Battle of Moore’s Creek near Wilmington, SC Saved the key port of Charles Town, SC from British British success in the South: 1778 – Controls Savannah, GA 1780 – Attacks Charles Town, capturing thousands of Americans British General Charles Cornwallis is now in command of British forces in the South hoping to gain support from Loyalists in the South

Fighting in the south Hit and run tactics – Patriots hidden in countryside; attack British then disappear Francis Marion aka “Swamp Fox” – from SC, smart and quick, hid in the swamps SPAIN’S HELP – Spanish governor of LA, Bernardo de Galvez shipped supplies and ammunition to American troops Drove British out of Gulf of Mexico

American success September 1780 - British win at Camden, SC, Patriots respond with win at King’s Mountain, NC 1781 – Patriots win at Cowpens, SC British General Cornwallis gives up on the Carolinas and retreats to Yorktown, Virginia p. 171 Peninsula was surrounded by water on all three sides, Patriots form a blockade, trapping British troops. Cornwallis surrenders on October 19.

War at Sea Powerful British Navy blockades – limited the delivery of supplies and troops to Patriot forces Privateers – privately owned merchant ships with weapons to break the blockade ❖ Congress sent 2000 ships/privateers ❖ Goal – to capture enemy merchant ships and cargo

Economic Problems Continental Army needs LARGE amounts of Money to defeat the British Continental Congress – prints hundreds of millions of dollars Inflation – when it takes more money to buy the same amounts of goods The value of money of decreased causing prices to increases BUT Congress stopped printing money due to inflation and decrease of the dollar.. NO WAY TO PAY FOR THE WAR!

Treaty of paris,1783 Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Jay – delegates for U.S. In the Treaty of Paris, on September 3,1783, Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation and promised to withdraw all troops from American territory. In 1783, George Washington ended a threat to the new nation by getting Congress to pay the salaries owed to Continental Army troops so that the soldiers would not revolt.

Why america won Spirit of the American people, determination Knew the land, knew where to attack, guerrilla warfare Help from other nations – France and Spain