HOW DID THEY DO IT? HOW WERE A BUNCH OF MERCHANTS, FARMERS, AND CRAFTSMEN ABLE TO DEFEAT THE LARGEST, MOST EXPERIENCED, WELL-TRAINED, AND WELL- EQUIPPED ARMY IN THE WORLD? American Revolutionary War

1. Leadership 2. Foreign Aid 3. Knowledge of the land 4. Motivation Four Reasons

ADVANCEMENT BASED ON CONNECTIONS, NOT ABILITY WE ARE THE BEST ! Leadership: British Side

British Obstacles Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne Travel slowly Live in style / Party Don’t rush – enjoy ! This will be a piece of cake, no worry.

The British Plan Cut off the New England colonies from the other colonies – divide and conquor

British Plan: Let’s meet in Albany St. Leger was to come from the west to join with Howe and Burgoyne, but he retreated. Burgoyne was capture Ft. Ticonderoga and head south. Howe was to come north and join St. Leger and Burgoyne, but he decided to follow General Washington instead.

Colonial Leadership Benedict Arnold Ticonderoga 177 Ft. Stanwick Saratoga John Paul Jones The War At Sea George Rogers Clark The War on the Frontier Nathaniel Greene War in the South

General Washington New York Trenton, New Jersey  Troops commitment would end on December 31  Hessian troops stationed in Trenton  Gained confidence, supplies, new recruits Princeton, New Jersey Valley Forge

Foreign Aid France Franklin asked Louis XVI in 1776 Saratoga convinced France colonists had chance Supplies, ammunition, soldiers, ships * Spain Louisiana to Pensacola, Florida Baron Von Steuben Prussian Military Officer Basic Military Drills / Sanitation * Marquis de Lafayette Brought his own ship and men Served in Continental Army without pay “Like a son to Washington”

Knowledge of Land Frances Marion Swamp Fox Guerilla Tactics Burgoyne’s Miscalculation 20 Miles from Ft. Ticonderoga to Hudson River Map made journey look easy Took 3 weeks Control of Interior British could control cities on coast Had little knowledge of interior

Motivation *Continental Army Soldiers fighting for their own land fighting for dream and liberty & self-government Had everything to gain and nothing to lose British Soldiers Far away from home & family Would return home after war Just doing a job

Yorktown: The last battle Washington Lafayette French Admiral DeGrasse French General Rochambeau British General Cornwallis Ground troops + French Navy = Siege

Treaty of Paris 1783 All British land south of Great Lakes & St. Lawrence * Spanish claims along Gulf and Florida * All land east of the Mississippi Spanish have land to west Great Britain keeps Canada Northwest claimed by Spain, Britain, Russia

Conditions US independent country Identified boundaries US fishing rights off Canada’s Atlantic coast Each side will repay debts owed from before war British will return any captured slaves US Congress will recommend that property taken from Loyalists be returned