Unit Five: The Revolutionary War The Darkest Hour

1777 While in winter encampment in New York, Howe developed a three pronged attack to defeat the Patriots: –1. George Clinton was to hold New York –2. Howe would sail up the Chesapeake to invade Philadelphia and take the S.C.C. –3. John “Gentlemen Johnny” Burgoyne was to march from Canada toward New York. (Burgoyne had also developed a three prong attack to cut off New England, but was not carried out.)

Howe’s Success General Howe sailed down the coastline and entered Chesapeake Bay landing 15,000 men at the northern end. At the Battle of Brandywine Howe outflanked Washington and forced him to retreat leaving Philadelphia completely unprotected. (S.C.C. moved to York, Penn.) The British took control of Philadelphia and Howe chose to encamp for the winter of there.

Washington’s Failure After the defeat at the Battle of Brandywine Washington looked to keep the ability to take back Philadelphia by controlling the town of Germantown. At the Battle of Germantown due to a heavy fog that caused mass confusion and an overly ambitious plan by Washington the British defeated Washington forcing him once again to retreat. The Battle of Germantown cutoff anymore major military aspirations in 1777 for Washington.

Howe vs. Washington

Burgoyne's Failure Burgoyne marched from Montreal with 8,000 men, but had a very large baggage train of supplies and families that slowed his progress. Burgoyne first retook Fort Ticonderoga then marched to Albany to meet up with General St. Leger coming down from the West. St. Leger was forced by General Arnold to return to Quebec, leaving Burgoyne by himself.

Burgoyne's Failure The Patriot forces led by Horatio Gates entrenched themselves outside Saratoga, NY at Freeman’s Farm. At the Battle of Saratoga General Horatio Gates, Daniel Morgan, and Benedict Arnold defeated Burgoyne's army capturing over 5,700 prisoners. The Battle of Saratoga proved to be the turning point of the war, because the victory got the French to enter the war by giving loans, soldiers, and Generals to help train the American soldiers.

Saratoga

Finally Help After the Battle of Saratoga Benjamin Franklin was able to form an alliance with King Louis XVI called the Treaty of Franco-American Alliance. The Alliance widen the war to a world conflict forcing the British to divert troops and soldiers from North America. The French also sent Marquis de Lafayette an accomplished general with a army and navy force to aid the Patriots. Other aid came from Prussia (soldiers), Spain (naval aid), Poland (engineers), and the Netherlands (smugglers).

Treasonous Traitor Benedict Arnold wanted to be given the position of Washington and always disliked Washington and the S.C.C. for this. After the Battle of Saratoga, Arnold was given command of the fort at West Point while his wounds healed. While at West Point in 1780, Arnold made secret plans to turn over the fort making him the first traitor of the new nation. ( he joined the British army and moved to Canada).

Valley Forge Ending the year of 1777 Washington was seen as a poor leader and talks were made to remove him as Commander in Chief. At Valley Forge the army struggled with little food, clothing, sickness, desertions, and housing (until they built them) making it Washington’s dark hour. When conditions improved the army was trained by a Prussian drill instructor, Baron Friedrich von Steuban, who made the Continental Army into a unified disciplined military unit.

Valley Forge

Hardships on the People As the Revolutionary War waged on the civilian population suffered greatly due to high inflation throughout the colonies. Due to the British blockade, many colonist became profiteers (selling scare items for high prices) and blockade runners (smugglers). The people also had to deal with their land, crops, and homes either being confiscated or burned to the ground by either side. Throughout the conflict the people were in constant fear of a battle happening on their own land, being killed, or women raped.

The Conflict Widens At the beginning of 1778 the Revolutionary War expanded and grew into a multi front war: Northern, Southern, Western, and Naval theatres. The War in the West was mostly fought between Indians (funded by the British) and the Colonists. Frontiersman George Rogers Clark raised an expedition financed by the Virginia Governor Patrick Henry into the Ohio and Illinois Country.

War in the Western Frontier Rogers and 175 men captured the outposts of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes in the summer of 1778 and built Fort Nelson (Louisville, Kentucky) to protect the area. By the start of 1779 after Rogers captured the main British general in the area, the British surrendered the area to the Patriots.

War in the Western Frontier In the Northwestern area of New York the Iroquois Confederacy led by Chief Joseph “Monster” Brant led raids in the Wyoming and Cherry Valleys. These attacks led to the Sullivan Expedition into the area where the army destroyed the winter crop stores forcing the Natives to flee to Canada for aid. Many other small skirmishes happened between colonial militias and Indians west of the Appalachians.

The Naval War The S.C.C. gave private citizens Letters of Marque giving merchants the authority to attack British merchant vessels. The S.C.C. also funded a small Continental navy, one ship the Bonhomme Richard captained by John Paul Jones carried out raids off the coast of Britain. In a famous naval battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the British HMS Serapis, when almost sunk and asked to surrender Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight”, then latch on to the British ship, boarded it, and forced the British to surrender.

The Naval War Lambert Wickes captained Reprisal attacking ships in the West Indies, along the English Channel, and was used to carry important founding fathers. John Berry the Father of the American Navy attacked British Men of War ships blockading the coastline. Most of the Naval war was carried out by the Spanish and French fleets in the Caribbean to capture their possessions. Attacks carried out by the Continental navy, privateers, French, and Spanish hurt British shipping and trade causing the people of England to turn against the war.

The Move South After the defeat at Saratoga General Howe resigned his commission and was replaced by Henry Clinton. Clinton was then instructed to open a front in the Southern colonies where it was thought more people were loyal to the crown. Clinton then moved from Philadelphia back to New York to better fortify it, but was attacked by Washington at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse which ended in a draw (this was the last major battle of the Northern campaign.)

Battle of Monmouth Courthouse