8.1 Declaring Independence (pt. 1) pp. 214-217

Objective: List some advantages and disadvantages of both the Continental and British armies.

A. The Continental Army (Tree Map) Continental (American) Army Advantages Disadvantages They knew the countryside Lacked discipline and training Motivated by the cause of freedom Low enlistment rates George Washington’s leadership Irregular pay Shortages of food and clothing Textbook page 215

B. The British Army (Tree Map) Advantages Disadvantages 50,000 well-trained soldiers Far from home—long supply lines The world’s most powerful navy Unfamiliar with the territory Hessians—hired German soldiers Fighting an army hiding in the wilderness Textbook page 215

The Opposing Armies

C. The Green Mountain Boys (pp. 215-216) The colonists besieging the British redcoats in Boston had no true siege weapons like cannons. In May 1775, Ethan Allen led the Green Mountain Boys in an attack on Fort Ticonderoga, a British outpost along New York’s Lake Champlain. The victory gave the rebels a valuable supply of ammunition and 50 cannons. They later tied the cannons to sleds and dragged them by oxen about 200 miles to Boston.

D. Preparing for Battle (p. 216) After the battles at Lexington and Concord, militia from all parts of New England began to surround Boston. British General Thomas Gage aimed to drive them away. But before he could, colonial troops marched to Breed’s Hill and nearby Bunker Hill, where they dug trenches and prepared to defend their position.

E. The Battle of Bunker Hill (pp. 216-217) To preserve their ammunition, American commanders gave the order, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” Americans soon ran out of gunpowder and were forced to retreat. Although the misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill was a military victory for the British, it was a moral victory for the Americans because an untrained militia had stood up to the British army.

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 the 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?