An American Victory THE WAR HEATS UP: The British defeat the Patriots at New York City in March of 1776

An American Victory: The Battle of Trenton: –The British felt the war was almost won so General Howe prepared to celebrate Christmas in New York; as a precaution he stationed some 1,400 Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey, to keep a close watch of the Patriots –Washington ignored the customary holiday halt in fighting on Christmas and attacked the British crossing the ice-choked Delaware River –Washington and the Patriots surprised the Hessian Camp at daybreak – at the Battle of Trenton, the Hessians soon surrendered

An American Victory: The Battle of Trenton: –General Charles Cornwallis, the British field commander, prepared to counterattack the Patriots –Was not a clear-cut victory for the Patriots but their fighting greatly raised the MORAL of the Patriots

An American Victory: British disaster at Saratoga: –British General “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne devised a plan: three separate British forces would converge at Albany, New York. The British did not realize – or ignored – that their lines of attack crossed many lakes, swamps, hills, and forests in areas filled with Patriots. –Burgoyne and the British clash with the Patriots and General Horatio Gates in the Battle of Saratoga and the British surrendered

An American Victory: European Powers Provide Aid: Encourage by Patriot victories the French – who had been secretly aiding the Patriots – agreed to sign a formal alliance with the United States French aid provided Americans with gold, naval support, supplies, and troops France also declared war on Great Britain Spain and the Netherlands also joined the Patriots in their cause

An American Victory: FIGHTING IN THE WEST AND SOUTH –Patriots had better luck in the west than in the south George Rogers Clark led a group of 175 soldiers on a military expedition to secure the Illinois country. With the help of local French settlers, Clark and his force captured the posts of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes over the summer British are doing good in the South where they had strong Loyalist support. Patriots used guerrilla warfare – wearing down the enemy in hit-and-run battles

THE PATRIOTS EMERGE VICTORIOUS –The British surrendered their weapons at the Battle of Yorktown – October 19, 1781 –General Cornwallis (English General) surrendered. –The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, It granted the United States Independence and the land from the Atlantic coast westward to the Mississippi River and from the Great Lakes to Florida –The Treaty declared that Americans should pay and debts owed to the British