Transcript British

The Revolutionary War
Chapter 7
This painting was
first referred to as
“Yankee Doodle,”
however, later it
became known as
The Spirit of 76
Two Armies
Brainstorm the differences
and similarities you see
between the two armies in
the picture.
The British Soldier
a. Bearskin Hat
b. 70 lb Backpack
c. Red wool weave coat
d. Grenade match box
e. White cross belts
f. Leather cartridge box
g. White linen breeches
h. Black leather and linen
gaiters
i. Shoes that fit either foot
j. “Brown Bess”
musket/bayonet
The Patriot Soldier
a. Tricorn hat
b. Regimental feather
c. Homespun linen coat
d. British made canteen
e. British bayonet
f. Cartridge box
g. Tomahawk
h. Patched linen breeches
i. Linen gaiters
j. French hunting gun
The Patriots
•
•
•
•
Advantages
Owned their own
rifles
Good marksmen
Great commander
G. Washington
Knew the land—
defending their
own homes &
property
•
•
•
•
Disadvantages
Poorly trained,
unorganized army
Few cannon, little
gunpowder
Low on ALL
supplies
No Navy
The British
•
•
•
•
Advantages
Highly trained,
experienced
troops
Best Navy in the
world!!!
Some colonial
support
Well-supplied,
fed army
Disadvantages
• 3000 miles from
home—news and
supplies took
weeks/months to
arrive
• Didn’t know the
land—risked attacks
outside cities
• Poor decision-making
by leaders in Britain
• Low level of support
from citizens
Surprise Victory: Trenton
“Washington Crossing
the Delaware”
Actually, the whole army crossed
the Delaware River on Christmas
night, 1776, from Pennsylvania
to Trenton, New Jersey. There,
the Americans surprised a
drunken Hessian force that
celebrated the holiday a little too
much. The battle lasted about 45
minutes and resulted in 900
Hessian prisoners. The victories
resulted in an opportunity to gain
some badly needed guns and
ammunition.
The Hessians (British)
• Hessians were
mercenaries hired by
King George III to fight
the colonial rebels
• King George, of
German descent
himself, hired more
than 30,000 Hessians
to fight in various
battles
• Some Hessians found
the colonies to their
liking, switched sides,
and remained in the
United States at the
end of the war
A typical Hessian soldier
Turning Point: Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The turning point in the war
 By the end of the battle, the British suffered
more than 400 casualties, while the Americans
suffered only 150.
 Because of the number of casualties, as well
as dwindling supplies, the British were forced to
retreat, leaving wounded behind and dead
British soldiers unburied.
Major causes of British defeat
The British were ignorant of the
terrain and geography. In
addition to the forests, many of
the soldier’s families traveled
with the troops which slowed
them down and they only
averaged about 1 mile a day
 Lack of support of Indian allies.
The Native Americans that fought
with St. Leger grew weary of the
bloody battles and went home
 Stories circulated about the
British encouraging Native
Americans to kill American
women and children. This
angered and motivated the
American soldiers.
Turning Point: Saratoga
Read pg. 198-199
• Caused Europeans to think that Americans
might win their war for independence!
• Specifically, the victory convinced France
that America really did have a chance of
winning. Soon thereafter, French money
and supplies (and eventually, troops and
ships) were making their way to America.
Suffering: Valley Forge
Conditions at Valley Forge were harsh for the Continental
Army, but it had strategic value because it was close to
Philadelphia,
•Washington’s army camped at Valley Forge
in southeast Pennsylvania.
•The winter was harsh and cold
•They were short on food and supplies
•Some soldiers only had blankets and
many did not have shoes
•“The barefoot men left tracks of blood
on the frozen ground as they marched.”
•Look at “Camp Life in Winter” on page 202
•Many died of malnutrition, exposure to
the cold and diseases.
•The soldiers continued to peruse their
fight for freedom despite these conditions.
Actual campsites at Valley Forge!!!!!
Success: Yorktown
The surrender
Cornwallis
surrendered himself
and over 8000 men
as prisoners of war.
Yorktown was the
last major battle of
the Revolution.
The war officially
ended almost 2
years later with the
Treaty of Paris.
Cornwallis’ surrender
Washington
Cornwallis
British Surrender
Yorktown August-October, 1781
The Treaty of Paris 1783
This painting of the signing of the treaty, by artist Benjamin West, was
never finished because the British commissioners refused to pose.
The treaty between
the U.S. and Great
Britain was signed
on
September 3, 1783.
Britain also signed
separate treaties
with France and
Spain that were
known as the
Treaty of Versailles
of 1783.
Treaty provisions
 U.S. independence
 British evacuation of frontier forts
 U.S. territory boundaries extended from the
Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River,
and from the Great Lakes to Florida
 Fishing rights to U.S. fishermen off the
Canadian coast
 Restoration of Loyalist property
 Lawfully contracted debts were to be paid to
creditors on either side
 Exchange of prisoners of war
As a result of the Treaty of Paris, the United States not
only gained independence, but also gained substantial
geographic territory.
Legacy of the War?
Your homework is to find out:
Read Chapter 7
Section 4 (211-215)
and
Complete the assignment