Battles of the Revolutionary War

John Adams, Benedict Arnold, Guerilla Warfare- Reminders! John Adams- worked as a lawyer in Boston, he actually was a lawyer during the Boston Tea Party trials, member of the Continental Congress, and later became President. Benedict Arnold- Patriot British (He was a traitor!) He was originally part of the Sons of Liberty, fought for the Continental Army, was a hero, then became upset and switched to the British side. Guerilla Warfare- is a form of irregular warfare in which a small group of combatants such as armed civilians or irregulars use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military.

Hessians The British Army relied on mercenaries. Mercenaries are hired soldiers. They were called Hessians. The mercenaries were referred to as Hessians by the Americans after the region in Germany which most of the hired soldiers came from.

Continental Congress After signing the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress served as the national government. However, they didn’t yet have the power to raise money through taxes or have a military draft to grow the army. So in some ways, it was almost like 13 separate wars against Great Britain. We refer to the American cause also as the Patriot cause.

Patriots versus Loyalists Motivate to fight against injustices Wanted freedom and better rights Colonists/Americans who believed in the fight for independence. Loyalists: At least one in five Americans was thought to be a “Loyalist” or a “Tory.” May have been as high in 1 in 3. Loyal to England- for work, ancestry, etc. Thought revolution would lead to chaos.

Battle of Bunker Hill The American forces learned the British were planning on taking over the hills around Boston to gain a strategic advantage. The place was two hills, Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill located in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The Americans secretly moved troops to these hills and set up fortifications overnight. The British found out what happened and attacked. British Commander William Howe led three charges at the Americans. The Americans fought back the first two attempts, but ran out of ammunition and had to retreat. The British suffered many casualties compared to the Americans = so the British won, but the Americans were able to hurt the British army.

British Strategy In early 1777, the British began a three part battle plan. The goal was to seize Albany, New York, and gain control of the Hudson River. If they controlled the Hudson, they would cut off New England from the Middle Colonies. With the colonies divided, there was no way the Americans could win.

Battle of Saratoga British General Burgoyne was attempting to follow the British Strategy. Burgoyne was making his way to Albany, but needed more supplies and was forced to move/retreat to Saratoga, New York. General Burgoyne and his soldiers were alone… British reinforcements had been stopped or slowed in other areas of the colonies- and the Continental Army knew it! Burgoyne attacked the Patriots, but the Patriots held strong and the Burgoyne surrendered. The Continental Army had just won an enormous victory to help change the course of the war. The victory boosted American morale (spirits) and we thought we could win! *Just as importantly, this victory convinced France and Spain to join the colonists! France in February 1778. Spain in 1779.*

Ben Franklin gets help Franklin had been in France trying to convince the French to become our ally in the war. When news of victory at Saratoga and Burgoyne’s surrender reached France, the French decided to become allies with the Americans. Spain soon followed.

Winter at Valley Forge Even thought France had agreed to help out the Patriot cause, news still traveled slowly in 1778. By this time the British had captured the city of Philadelphia. They spent the winter here in relative comfort. Camped outside the city about 20 miles away was General Washington and a large portion of the Continental Army. The troops suffered through a terrible winter. They lacked decent food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Many soldiers became sick, some died, but eventually spring came. For General Washington, his greatest challenge was keeping the army together and keeping spirits up.

Marquis de Lafayette One leader in the fight for independence was Lafayette. He heard about the ideas of the colonists and came from France to help fight the British. He worked his way up in the army and became one of General Washington’s most trusted aides/advisors. He helped the army by becoming a leader in battle and was able to train troops and calvary.

Battle of King’s Mountain With losses at Saratoga and other places in the middle and northern colonies, the British attempted to turn the war in their favor in the South. There were many Loyalists in the South and the British thought this would help. The strategy worked at first. The turning point however was the Battle of King’s Mountain. Many Americans living in the mountainous regions of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina felt threatened by the British and formed a local militia. They surprised the British on King’s Mountain and were able to severely hurt the British forces. This was significant because it proved that the colonists in the South would not support the British.

Battle of Yorktown After several years of fighting, the Americans finally had the British on their heels. In 1781, the British Army under General Charles Cornwallis was retreating to Yorktown. At this time, Continental Army forces were moving from the south and north (and the French Navy) moved towards Yorktown as well. The British Army was surrounded at Yorktown. They were trapped on a peninsula by American and French forces. After 11 days of siege, the British surrendered. The British knew the war was basically over.