8.7 Victory at Yorktown pp. 238-241

Objectives: Analyze how France helped to end the Revolutionary War. List the terms of the Treaty of Paris.

Review 1. List three advantages of the Continental Army. 2. List three disadvantages of the Continental Army. 3. List three advantages of the British Army. 4. Define Hessians— 5. List three disadvantages of the British Army. 6. Who was the leader of the Green Mountain Boys? 7. Where did Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys capture a valuable supply of ammunition and 50 cannons? 8. What famous order did an American officer at Bunker Hill give his soldiers and why? 9. On what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill actually fought?

Review: 10. Who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense? 11. Who introduced a resolution on June 7, 1776, to declare independence from Great Britain? 12. Who was the chief author of the Declaration of Independence? 13. On what day did the Continental Congress officially approve the Declaration of Independence? 14. Who signed the document in large, bold letters? 15. What 3 basic rights are listed in the second section of the Declaration? 16. Define Loyalists— 17. Define Patriots—

Review: 18. Define blockade— 19. Who was Nathan Hale and what were his famous last words? 20. In his pamphlet The American Crisis, Thomas Paine wrote “These are the times that ___________ __________ ___________.” 21. What is the subject of this famous image (see page 213)? 22. Where did Washington’s troops defeat an army of Hessians on December 26, 1776?

Review: 23. What 1777 battle is generally considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War? 24. Which European nation pledged to provide military assistance to America with the signing of the Treaty of Alliance in 1778? 25. Where did Washington’s army spend the harsh winter of 1777-1778? 26. Identify four foreign officers who helped train American forces. 27. Who led an American force to victory at Vincennes in 1779? 28. Define privateers-- 29. Who became known as the “Father of the American Navy?”

Review: 30. To which region did the British turn their attention in 1778? 31. Which trusted American general was caught spying for the British? 32. What type of military tactics did American forces in the South devise? 33. Which American guerrilla leader was known as the “Swamp Fox?”

Review: 34. Why did many African Americans decide to join the British forces? 35. Which African American was commended by the Continental Congress for his bravery and valor at Bunker Hill? 36. Who took her husband’s place operating a cannon after he fell wounded in battle?

A. Cornwallis Moves his Army (p. 238) Following the Patriots’ hit-and-run attacks in the South, British General Charles Cornwallis led his 7,500 troops north to Yorktown, Virginia. Yorktown was on a peninsula formed by the James River and Chesapeake Bay. Cornwallis thought this would be an excellent location—he could receive supplies from British ships and the site would provide a safe haven for his army.

B. The Final Battle (pp. 238-239) But on August 29, 1781, the commander of the French fleet, Admiral de Grasse, anchored his ships in Chesapeake Bay and prevented Cornwallis from getting supplies. At the same time, Washington’s army and 5,000 French troops led by General Jean de Rochambeau cut off the peninsula by land. With every route of escape by land and by sea blocked, the British had no alternative but to surrender.

C. Surrender at Yorktown (p. 239) On October 19, 1781, British and American troops met outside of Yorktown, along the river. As the 7,000 British soldiers turned over their weapons to the Americans, the British band played a sad tune titled “The World Turn’d Upside Down.” Washington’s ragtag army had beaten King George’s mighty forces.

D. Treaty of Paris (p. 240) In signing the Treaty of Paris (1783) Britain acknowledged the independence of the United States. The boundary of the U.S. would extend from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Mississippi River in the west, and from Canada in the north to Florida in the south. The Americans agreed to do their best to pay Loyalists for property lost during the war.

E. Washington’s Farewell (p. 240) George Washington’s unwavering dedication, discipline, and superior judgment helped to win the American Revolution. After a tearful farewell, Washington returned to his home at Mount Vernon, where he planned to live quietly with his family. But he knew there would be great challenges ahead for the young and promising country.

Washington’s Dentures

Review: 37. Where were the British forced to surrender in 1781? 38. Who commanded the British army at Yorktown? 39. What song did the British band play during the surrender ceremony? 40. What treaty officially ended the war and required the British to recognize the United States as an independent nation?