Fighting the American Revolution “A World Turned Upside Down”

Jump Start If you were George Washington (general of the Continental army) What type of men would you want in your army? What things (supplies) would you need to be successful? What type of support (groups of people, other countries, etc) would you need?

Patriots ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Were fighting for their land and believed cause  VERY determined Had George Washington as their leader Other foreign countries gave them supplies and soldiers Lack of experience in fighting Lack of supplies Outnumbered Weak navy

Redcoats ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Generals had a wide range of experience Understood strategy Well-trained and highly disciplined Well supplied Took weeks or months to get needed supplies and reinforcements Difficult to adapt to “hit and run” warfare

Loyalists vs. Patriots Essential Questions: Who types of people were Loyalists? What types of people were Patriots? What did Loyalists and Patriots believe?

Loyalists Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Great Britain About 15%-20% of the colonial population Many Loyalists fled the country at the start of the revolution Many were older, wealthy merchants Active in the Church of England The national church

Patriots Patriots came from many different backgrounds Believed since the colonists were not directly represented in Parliament, taxes were illegal Most were highly educated and wealthy Also had the support of ordinary men and women (farmers, mechanics, homemakers, and shopkeepers) These middle and lower classes didn’t like their economic situation Largely due to British taxation

The Arguments Loyalists Patriots People have rights government can’t take away, like property A strong unified British Empire is good for all Loyalists Patriots Colonists are British subjects and should obey British law Taxation takes away property (i.e. – money and goods) Taxes are due to French & Indian War which was fought to protect colonies Colonists don’t have voice in Parliament, so they can’t tax colonies (No taxation without representation) American colonies would be weak without Britain There’s no way colonies could ever be represented – Parliament’s too far Colonies profit from trade with England Many colonists fought in the French & Indian War (we’ve done our part) Colonies are too far away from England to have representation in Parliament, its just not practical British personnel are causing violence, riots, and death (Boston Massacre & Boston Tea Party)

The Early War When the war began, both sides adopted the same strategy Win in one big battle Neither side was able to accomplish this The Patriots suffered some big losses that hurt their morale Washington decided to go on the defensive Hoped to tire out the British

New British Strategy British were ordered to capture New York Central location Coast line for supplies From New York, they would go north and take Massachusetts  the heart of the rebellion

The Battle of Saratoga, Aug- Oct 1777 British are beaten back by colonial forces British surrender Saratoga is important because: it is a major defeat for the British Shows that the colonists have a chance to win France becomes an ally of the colonies Considered a turning point in the war

Help From Abroad France was angry over losing to Britain in the French & Indian War Spain dislikes the British, hopes for more land By helping the colonies, the British were busy fighting three enemies instead of just one Also forced them to fight naval battles Redcoats had to spread their resources

Europeans Help Washington Marquis de Lafayette Baron von Steuben French nobleman who volunteered to serve under Washington used his own money to buy soldiers clothes fought in many battles persuaded French king to send 6,000 men army to America Prussian (modern day Germany) general Helped Washington train and discipline troops at Valley Forge

Winter at Valley Forge Fighting stopped during the winter months of 1777-1778 Temperatures were anywhere from 6-12 degrees F Washington’s army camped in southeast Pennsylvania Lacked EVERYTHING! ¼ died from malnutrition or disease Showed amazing endurance stayed for love of country respected Washington too much to desert Sorry guys…my bad! I want my mommie! This sucks.

The Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 British General Cornwallis set up his base camp on Yorktown peninsula French fleet blocks the bay British cannot receive supplies or retreat Washington trapped him by land Bombarded the Redcoats with cannon fire With nowhere to go, Cornwallis surrendered PATRIOTS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Treaty of Paris, 1783 Terms of the treaty: Colonies are independent British must remove all troops New boundary from Atlantic to Mississippi Northern and southern border were Canada and Florida Loyalist would have rights and property protected Each side repays its debts Captured slaves must be returned to owners

What Goes in a Treaty? The class will be divided into 3 groups: Patriots, Loyalists, and British. In your groups, you will work on creating a rough draft of the Treaty of Paris. Since each group represents different interests and opinions, your drafts should try to benefit YOUR individual group as much as possible (BUT keep in mind who is the winner and how that affects your group’s power). When each group is finished, we will come together as a class to negotiate the final treaty. The questions that need to be answered are: 1. What is the new status of the colonies? 2. What will happen to British troops and forts? 3. What will the new boundary lines be? 4. What happens to Loyalist property that was confiscated by Patriots? 5. What happens to the debt each side (Americans and British) owes each other? 6. What happens to the runaway slaves that fought for the Redcoats?

Welcome to HistorE-Harmony! If you received a “1” card, sit at a desk facing the chalk board. If you received a “2” card, sit at a desk facing the white board. Find your card from the front table. You have 5 minutes to complete/edit your information.