1. Independence and a New Nation 1775-1783 HCC chapter 6

3. The war went poorly for Washington and the Continental Army for the first few years. Many of his troops deserted and went home He did manage a surprise attack on Trenton and Princeton. The war itself was defensive. Second to Vietnam, it was the longest war America has fought Washington accepted black troops after the British offered slaves freedom for enlistment in the British army 5,000 blacks enlisted in the Continental Army Some slaves gained freedom by serving in place of their owner However, siding was the British was a better deal for the slaves at the time

4. Benedict Arnold leads forces to Quebec Benedict Arnold

5. British troops led by William Howe William Howe

6. Continentals driven off of Long Island Retreat to Manhattan Island

7. Washington continued to retreat in a series of battles Many Patriots captured or killed Washington pushed into New Jersey

9. Americans received intelligence that the British were planning to move their troops to a series of hills over- looking Boston harbor. The British intent was to lay siege on Boston The Americans decided to build fortifications ahead of the British. However, they built them on the wrong hill June 17 1775, the battle began The British won after suffering a large number of casualties 800 wounded and 226 killed Many notable officers were killed After Bunker Hill, many moderate colonists skeptical of the Continental Army became Whigs

10. Mercenaries— hired foreign soldiers

11. Hessian Mercenaries http://www.ushistory.org/washi ngtoncrossing/history/hessian. htm

12. Washington’s first task: organize & raise an army 230K in Continental Army, 145K in local militias Few had combat experience Southerners objected to African Americans serving Washington banned blacks from serving

13. Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation— offered freedom to any slave who fought for the British Ban lifted 5,000 blacks served. John Murray aka Lord Dunmore

14. October 1777 The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point in the war for the Continentals British General Burgoyne lost 1,000 men in two battles Left him outnumbered 3 to 1 He also lost many of his effective leaders 17 October 1777 Burgoyne was surrounded by Continentals and surrendered to Continental General Horatio Gates News of Burgoyne’s surrender reached France King Louis XVI decided to negotiate with the Americans at this point This resulted in the French entering the war, assisting the Americans.

16. In the winter of 1777-1778, the Continental Army trained at Valley Forge, west of Philadelphia Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a skilled Prussian drill master tirelessly trained the soldiers Transformed them into a professional army However, a great deal of Continentals died due to malnourishment and no clothing Diseases such as typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, and pneumonia killed troops also.

18. Thayendanega aka Joseph Brant—Mohawk leader who persuaded the Iroquois to support the British Thayendanega aka Jospeh Brant

19. After the Continental victory at Saratoga and the subsequent training at Valley Forge, the French realized that the Americans were serious about defeating the British. The French and Continetials signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance The Treaty of Alliance “confirmed their defensive alliance forever” Spain was also allied with the French, but did not support the Americans. Spain viewed the Americans as a potential threat to their empire as they still had holdings in North America.

20. The loss of trading markets hurt numerous colonial merchants and adversely affected the colonial economy Congress struggled to pay for the war In 1779, Continental paper money was useless Poor colonists were angry because much of the burden of the war fell on their backs The wealthy would either send a slave or a replacement to the army. It became a “poor man’s war” Riots broke out that threatened the wealthy Many of the Native Americans viewed the Revolutionary War as a “Civil War” between the colonists and British Due to the similarity in culture between both warring parties Native Americans typically sided with the British as they felt the British were stronger and would easily defeat the Americans.

21. After 1778, the English turned their attention to securing the Southern colonies They took Savannah and Charleston In August 1780, they defeated the Continentals at Camden As a result, Washington sent Gen. Nathanael Green to the South as Commander of Southern Forces Greene’s use of guerilla hit-and-run tactics successfully pushed British Gen. Cornwallis into a corner in Yorktown, Virginia

24. American and French troops surrounded General Cornwallis in Yorktown, Virginia Cornwallis attempted to acquire supplies from the Chesapeake Bay, but the French Navy blockaded the bay The Continental Army surrounded the town shortly afterwards Cornwallis was forced to surrender to Washington and the Continental Army on October 19, 1781

26. Signed on September 3, 1783 Stated that the United States would acquire territory to the Mississippi River Somewhere in the agreement, Spain acquired New Orleans The American delegation was made up of: John Adams Benjamin Franklin John Jay They played the French against the English in the peace talks Most Native Americans were furious after the treaty They had allied with the losing side