1. The Dark Hours
of the Revolution
Chapter 7, Section 3

2. Great Britain: Strengths
Had more money and resources.
Had a powerful military (well trained).
Had largest navy in the world.
Britain's military was the best in the world.
Their soldiers were well equipped, well disciplined, well paid, and well fed.
Had a winning tradition.
Around one in five Americans openly favored the Crown.
About half of the population hoping to avoid the conflict altogether. 
Most Indian tribes sided with Britain, who promised protection of tribal lands.

3. Great Britain: Weaknesses
Had to ship their supplies across the ocean
Military orders, troops, and supplies sometimes took months to reach their destinations.
Had to deal with hostile citizens in America.
British had an extremely difficult objective. (persuade the Americans to give up their claims of independence. As long as the war continued, the colonists' claim continued to gain validity.)
The geographic vastness of the colonies proved a hindrance to the British effort. (Not familiar with the geography of America.)
Over-confident.

4. Patriots: Strengths Many Americans supported the Revolution
Fighting for a cause they believed in. (fighting for their rights, their independence and their liberty.)
This cause is much more just than waging a war to deny independence.
Used hit and run tactics.
Spy network.

5. Patriots: Weaknesses
The colonial army was made up of poorly trained local militia.
Was fighting a very powerful country.
Tremendous difficulty raising enough funds to purchase basic supplies for their troops.
American military and political leaders were inexperienced.

6. 1. What was George Washington’s first task?
He had to organize and maintain more troops for the Continental Army. The army was ragtag, barely trained, half-starving and woefully unequipped. The group was also hardly united for too much of the war and led by generals often squabbling, undermining, or fighting with each other.
2. During the course of the war, more than 230,000 soldiers served in the Continental Army.

7. He banned blacks from fighting
3. Many African Americans fought in battles during the American Revolution. Name two.
Peter Salem Salem Poor
For information see -
4. George Washington had to make a decision whether or not to allow blacks to fight in the Continental Army. What did he decide?
He banned blacks from fighting
Why did he make that decision?
Southerners did not want blacks fighting because they were slave owners.

8. They started allowing free African Americans to fight – over 5,000 did
5. Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation was issued by the British. What did it say?
It promised freedom to any enslaved person who fought for Great Britain
6. What effects did Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation have on the Continental Army?
They started allowing free African Americans to fight – over 5,000 did

9. List the other groups of people that each side received help from:
GREAT BRITAIN
American Indians
Thayendangea and other Iroquois

10. PATRIOTS
Native Americans During the American War for Independence, many Native Americans sided with the Americans, but a majority supported the British. The crown promised to protect native lands from encroaching American settlers. Many Native Americans were partially assimilated into the American colonies.
Women
African Americans
Children

11. 8. Who was Thayendanegea, also known as Joseph Brant, and which side did he join?
He was the Mohawk leader and he persuaded many Iroquois to join the British
9. How did women help the Patriots in the Revolutionary War?
Ran farms and businesses, raised money for supplies, were spies, nurses or messengers

12. **Historians question this account.
10. What role did Molly Pitcher have in the war? Read about her in the second paragraph and look at the picture at the top of the page.
She brought water to the Patriots during the battle and when her husband was wounded, she took his place loading cannons.
**Historians question this account.

13. St. John’s, Canada Who won? Patriots
11. Patriot troops went to British-controlled Canada which was known as the “fourteenth colony.” Write down if the Patriots or the British won at the battles listed below.
St. John’s, Canada Who won? Patriots
Quebec Who won? British

14. George Washington was moving his troops to New York
George Washington was moving his troops to New York. The Patriots had seen British ships nearing New York Bay. British General William Howe drove the Continental Army off of Long Island (which is in New York.)

15. The British force was larger and better equipped and Washington tried hard to save his outnumbered army. In a series of battles, Howe forced the Continental Army to keep retreating (backing away).

16. The Redcoats (British) captured many Patriots as well as valuable supplies. After several months they pushed Washington out of New York.

17. Let's take a moment to reflect on the enormous cost, in lives and treasure, that it took us to earn our independence.
•8.37 years was how long the war lasted.
•80,000 militia and Continental Army soldiers served at the height of the war.
•56,000 British soldiers fought at the height of the war
•30,000 German mercenaries known as Hessians fought for Britain during the war.
•55,000 Americans served as privateers during the war
•25,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died during the war
•8,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died from wounds inflicted during battle
•17,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died from disease during the war
•25,000 Revolutionary Soldiers were estimated to have been wounded or maimed
•1 in 20 able bodied white free males living in America died during the war

18. •24,000 British Soldiers were killed during the war
•100,000 Loyalist fled to Canada, the Bahamas and England during the war
•45% of colonists fully supported the war
•20% of colonists were outright loyal to Britain
•3 million is the estimated population of America in 1776
•1 million is the estimated population of London alone during the same period
•$8 is the monthly salary of a teenage drummer in the Continental Army