Transcript Presentation

The American Revolutionary War
US/AZ History – Unit #3
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
 America’s most famous renaissance man; Franklin made important achievements
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as an author, printer, politician, scientist, inventor, and diplomat.
His inventions included the lighting rod, bifocal lenses, the Franklin stove, and the
odometer.
Born in Boston to a working class family, Franklin was apprenticed to a printer
from ages 12 to 17
At age 17 Franklin ran away to Philadelphia, where he later opened his own
printing shop and published Poor Richard’s Almanack, the highest selling book other
than the Bible in the colonies.
In 1776 Franklin was elected to the 2nd Continental Congress and was appointed
to the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Franklin’s greatest contribution to the war may have been as an ambassador to
France from 1776 to 1785. His diplomacy led the French to ally with the colonies
in 1778.
Stamp Act
 Issued in March, 1765
 Required colonists to pay a tax on almost all printed materials, including
newspapers, books, court documents, contracts and land deeds.
 The first time that Parliament imposed a direct tax within the colonies, the
Stamp Act marked a reversal of the former policy of Salutary Neglect.
 Almost all colonists in the Americas were angered by the Stamp Act, both
because of the money that they would lose and the fact that the colonies
themselves had no representation in Parliament.
 In response to the Stamp Act colonists living in all 13 British colonies took
action. In the Southern and Middle colonies colonial leaders wrote pamphlets
and gave speeches against the Stamp Act. In New England colonists went so far
as to tar and feather British officials who attempted to collect the taxes.
Closure Question #1: Explain why Parliament did not understand
the colonists’ argument “no taxation without representation.”
 The colonists angrily protested the Stamp Act, which was to take effect in
November of 1765. They claimed that it threatened their prosperity and
liberty. Colonial leaders questions Parliament’s right to tax the colonists
directly. They argued that the colonies had no representation in Parliament,
so Parliament had no right to tax them. Some colonists believed that if they
accepted this tax, Parliament would add ever more taxes, stripping away
their property and political rights. Many colonists thought that the stamp
act revealed a conspiracy by British officials to destroy American liberties.
 The colonists’ arguments puzzled the members of Parliament. After all, most
Britons paid taxes although they could not vote. Many large British cities
did not elect representatives to Parliament, which claimed to represent
everyone in the Empire. Parliament dismissed the colonial opposition as
selfish and narrow-minded. The Empire needed money, and Parliament had
the right to levy taxes anywhere in the Empire. Of course, Parliament’s
argument did not sway the colonists, who were appalled to discover that
the British were denying their right to tax themselves.
Patrick Henry (1736-1799)
 First generation American, born to a wealthy Scottish
family in Virginia
 Elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1765,
Henry verbally attacked the Stamp Act and King
George
 Henry’s most famous speech was given in Richmond,
Virginia in 1775. He said: “Is life so dear, or peace so
sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what
course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty
or give me death!”
 Along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, Patrick
Henry was one of the most influential advocates of the
American Revolution and Democracy.
John Adams (1735-1826)
 Born to a modest Puritan family, Adams graduated from
Harvard in 1755 and became one of the most successful lawyers
in Boston.
 Adams first became involved in politics in 1765 due to his
opposition of the Stamp Act. He was chosen as a delegate from
Massachusetts to the Second Continental Congress, and, along
with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, was on the
committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence in
1776.
 During the Revolutionary War Adams served as the Colonies
diplomat to England, though he would not be recognized
officially by King George until 1785.
 Adams served as Vice-President to George Washington from
1789 to 1797, then as the 2nd President of the United States
from 1797 to 1801.
Abigail Adams (1744-1818)
 Wife of John Adams, Abigail was outspoken in
her opposition to slavery and advocacy for
women’s rights.
 During the meeting of the Second Continental
Congress John and Abigail Adams carried on an
extensive written correspondence, in which
John repeated asked for Abigail’s opinions on
political matters.
 Abigail and John’s son, John Quincy Adams,
served as the 6th President of the United States.
Closure Question #2: Why did the colonists first accept and
then later reject indirect taxes such as duties on trade?
 The French and Indian War nearly doubled Britain’s national debt and greatly
expanded its colonial territories. Parliament needed to raise money both to
pay the debt and to protect the colonies. People in Britain paid far more taxes
than the colonists did. This imbalance seemed unfair, for the war had been
fought largely to profit the colonists. Parliament decided that the colonists
could and should pay more to help the Empire.
 In early 1764 Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which assigned customs
officers and created courts to collect duties and prosecute smugglers. In early
1765, Parliament passed another unpopular law, the Quartering Act. This act
required the colonies to provide housing and supplies for the British troops
stationed there after the French and Indian War. Colonists complained but
most went along with the changes because they accepted Parliament’s right to
regulate trade and provide for defense.
 Colonial protests drew upon the liberalism of the Enlightenment. Europe’s
leading liberal writers included Baron de Montesquieu of France and John
Locke of England. They argued that people had divinely granted natural
rights. Locke insisted that government existed for the good of the people.
Therefore, people had the right to protest any government that violated this
“social contract” by failing to protect their rights.
Sons of Liberty
 Associations of men in major cities throughout
the colonies who lead protests against British
rule.
 The Sons of Liberty were first formed to protest
the Stamp Act. As further taxes were enforced by
British Parliament the Sons of Liberty became
more forceful in their protests, pour hot tar and
feathers on tax collectors and carrying out the
Boston Tea Party.
 The most famous leader of the Sons of Liberty
was Samuel Adams, a Boston resident and cousin
of John Adams.
The Boston Massacre – March 5th, 1770
 In order to enforce the Stamp Act and keep rebels such as the Sons of Liberty
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from making any further attacks on representatives of the King, British troops
were sent to occupy Boston in 1768, further angering Colonists.
On the night of March 5th, 1770 a group of rowdy colonists gathered near the
Customs House in Boston, where tax money was held and which was guarded
by British troops.
The colonists shouted insults at the soldiers and pelted them with rocks and
snowballs. After several minutes of the barrage the soldiers responded by firing
into the crowd, killing 5 colonists.
The first man killed was Crispus Attucks, an African-American sailor.
New Englanders, led by Samuel Adams, called the incident the Boston
Massacre, portraying those killed as innocent bystanders and blaming the British
completely for the event.
Committees of Correspondence
 Groups organized by the local governments of the Thirteen
Colonies during the American Revolution for the purpose of
coordinating written communication between the colonies in
order to promote unity among the colonies.
 The Committees of Correspondence spread a colonial
interpretation of British actions between the colonies,
rallying support for the revolution throughout the colonies
when any one colony was mistreated by the British.
 The first committee was established by Samuel Adams in
Massachusetts following the Boston Massacre in order to
spread the story throughout the colonies.
Tea Act
 Passed by Parliament and approved by King George in 1773.
 Prior to the act colonists purchased the majority of their tea
from private shippers at a low cost.
 The act’s intended purpose was to increase profits for the
British East India Company.
 The Tea Act ordered all colonists to purchase their tea only
from the East India Company. Purchasing tea from any other
company was against the law.
 As the price of tea rose due to the EITC monopoly, colonists
responded with a boycott of British Tea, drinking instead tea
or tea substitutes produced in the colonies.
Boston Tea Party
 An act of direct action protest by the American colonists against the British
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government in response to the Tea Act.
Several East India Trading Company ships loaded with British Tea sailed into Boston
Harbor in November and early December.
The tea went unused as a result of the colonist’s boycott of, or refusal to buy, British
tea.
The Sons of Liberty in Boston, under the leadership of Samuel Adams, met on the
evening of December 16th, 1773 and painted their faces to look like Native
Americans.
The Sons of Liberty then boarded the British ships and began throwing cases of tea
into the harbor. In total 45 tons of tea was destroyed
The event caused outrage in Great Britain, influencing the King’s decision to use
greater military force in Boston against the Sons of Liberty.
Intolerable Acts
 Name given by colonists to a series of five laws passed by British Parliament in
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1774.
#1. The Boston Port Act – Closed Boston Harbor to all trade until the colonists
paid for all of the tea that was destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.
#2. The Massachusetts Government Act – Eliminated the semi-democratic
government in Massachusetts and replaced it with men who were appointed by
the King, not elected by the people.
#3. The Administration of Justice Act – Allowed the Governor of Massachusetts
(Who was appointed by the King) to move the trials of any British military
officer out of the colonies and back to England itself.
#4. The Quartering Act – Gave the British military the right to occupy private
households when housing was not provided for them by the colonies directly.
#5. The Quebec Act – Increased the boundaries of the province of Quebec,
taking land away from colonies in New England and increasing the land available
for French Canadian Catholics.
Question #3: How did the Intolerable Acts aid Patriot leaders?
 The Bostonians’ actions outraged Parliament and the Crown. To punish Boston,
Parliament passed the Coercive Acts. They closed the port to trade until the
inhabitants paid for the destroyed tea, including the tax. They also increased the
power of the governor at the expense of the elected assembly & town meetings.
To enforce these measures, the British sent warships & troops to Boston.
 The colonists were outraged. In addition to closing the port, the acts forced
colonists to house British troops & allowed British officials to be tried in Britain
for crimes committed in the colonies. In addition, the Quebec Act extended
Canada’s southern border, cutting off lands claimed by several colonies. The
horrified colonists called the legislation the Intolerable Acts, rejecting the idea
that the British could shut down trade & change colonial governments at will.
 Fortunately for Massachusetts, the other colonies also opposed the Coercive Acts
and viewed them as a threat to their freedom. In the fall of 1774, delegates from
every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the First
Continental Congress. Virginia’s delegates decided the fiery Patrick Henry, who
became famous for declaring “Give me liberty, or give me death.” He delighted
the New England delegates by declaring, “The distinction between Virginians,
Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a
Virginian, but an American.”
Closure Assignment #1
 Answer the following questions writing complete
sentences based on what you have learned from
Chapter 4, Section 1:
1. Explain why Parliament did not understand the
colonists’ argument “no taxation without
representation.”
2. Why did the colonists first accept and then later
reject indirect taxes such as duties on trade?
3. How did the Intolerable Acts aid Patriot
leaders?
Paul Revere (1734-1818)
 The son of a British Puritan mother and a French Huguenot father, in his early
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years Paul Revere was trained as a silversmith by his father.
After his father’s death in 1754, Paul took over the family business, gaining praise
for his skill from Bostonians and becoming fairly wealthy.
Fought briefly alongside the British during the French and Indian War.
Joined the Sons of Liberty in Boston in 1765, made the most famous etching of the
Boston Massacre in 1770, and may have taken part in the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
On the evening of April 18th, 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes, after receiving
word of a British plan to confiscate a Colonial stockpile of guns and ammunition in
Lexington, rode from Boston to Lexington warning colonists and Samuel Adams
that “the British are coming!”
Lexington and Concord – April 19th, 1775
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The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War.
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General Thomas Gage, the commanding British officer in Boston, ordered a group of 700 soldiers
to confiscate a Colonial weapons arsenal in Concord, about 24 miles to the West, leaving Boston at
4:00 AM on April 19th, 1775.
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Having been warned by Revere and Dawes of the attack, a group of 75 Colonial militia men, known
as the minutemen, gathered on the town green of Lexington, just 15 miles to the West of Boston.
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At sunrise the British arrived at Lexington. From all accounts both the leaders of the British and
Colonial forces did not wish to fight. As the British commander shouted to the Colonists to move
out of the way a shot was fired. It is unknown whether the shot came from the colonists or the
British. Within a few minutes the Minutemen scattered, allowing the British to continue their march
towards Concord.
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When the British arrived at Concord they were met by a much larger group of Minutemen,
numbering about 400. Fighting began along the North Bridge on the outskirts of the town. Fearful
that more Minutemen were on the way the British began their retreat back to Boston.
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Minutemen followed the British all the way to Boston, using Indian-style guerrilla tactics. By day’s
end the colonist’s had suffered 95 casualties, while the British suffered approximately 275.
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By nightfall on April 19th Minutemen surrounded the city of Boston. Within the next few weeks
approximately 20,000 soldiers from Colonial militias laid siege to the town, bottling the entire
British army inside the town.
Second Continental Congress – 1775 to 1781
 Convention of delegates from all 13 colonies, first met in Philadelphia on May
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10th, 1775.
Congress managed the colonial war effort, acting as a form of national
government, even though they technically had no authority to do so.
As fighting continued between colonists and the British in New England,
Congress slowly moved towards Independence, officially approving the
Declaration of Independence on July 3rd, 1776, and signing it on the following
day, July 4th.
Congress raided armies, commissioned generals (including George
Washington), appointed diplomats and made formal treaties.
The Second Continental Congress officially came to an end in 1781, when the
Articles of Confederation were approved by each of the colonies.
Why did the Second Continental Congress send
the Olive Branch Petition to the King?
 In the aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord,
some radical members of the Continental Congress wanted
to declare American independence from Britain, but they
recognized that most of their constituents were not yet ready
to do so. Most colonists still hoped to remain within the
British Empire but without paying taxes to Parliament. In
July 1775, after three months of bloodshed, Congress sent an
“Olive Branch Petition” to King George III. The petition
reaffirmed the colonists’ allegiance to the king but not to
Parliament. The king rejected the petition and sent more
troops to Boston.
Battle of Bunker Hill/Breed’s Hill
 From April 19th to June 17th, 1775, the British army under the command of General
William Howe was trapped in Boston by Colonial militias who surrounded the town.
 To the north of Boston, across a narrow channel of water, lay Charlestown, a small town
occupied by the militias. In hopes of breaking the siege, General Gage planned an attack
to drive the militias from Charlestown and give his military the ability to attack those
carrying out the siege from behind.
 On the morning of June 17th, British ships carried 2,600 British soldiers across the
channel to Charlestown. The colonists, unprepared for the attack, abandoned the city
and took defensive positions behind a rail fence just to the northwest on Breed’s Hill.
 Determined to drive the colonists from the hill, Howe ordered his men to charge into
the colonial lines. The British were eventually successful in taking the hill and driving the
militia out; however the British suffered 1,073 casualties, while the Colonists only lost
441.
 The Battle of Breed’s Hill/Bunker Hill proved to the British that the colonists could
stand up to an attack from a trained British army.
Closure Question #2: Why did Loyalists oppose
independence from Britain?
 Although many Loyalists opposed Britain’s taxes,
they felt that Parliament and the Crown must be
obeyed as the legitimate government of the
Empire. The Loyalists feared that the resistance
would lead to a deadly and destructive war that
Britain seemed certain to win. They doubted that
the colonists could defeat an empire that had
recently crushed the combined powers of France
and Spain.
Ethan Allen (1738-1789)
 American Revolutionary, leader of the Green Mountain Boy’s militia in Vermont, and
critic of all organized religion.
 Born to a working-class family in Connecticut, Allen moved with his family to modern-
day Vermont in the early 1750’s. At the time the land of Vermont was disputed territory.
Officially the King had given the land to Loyalists in New York. Allen and many others
like him moved on to the land without permission, refusing to pay for the territory.
 When the colony of New York ordered that Allen and the other families in Vermont leave
the territory, Allen responded by organizing the Green Mountain Boys, a guerrilla-style
militia., in the early 1770’s.
 Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Allen and his men decided that it would
be in their best interest to join the Patriots. As a result Ethan Allen led his men in an
attack on the British held Fort Ticonderoga on May 10th, 1775.
 After the victory at Fort Ticonderoga, Ethan Allen led a small group of men north to
attack British forces in Canada. There he was captured. Ethan Allen remained a prisoner
of war until 1778.
 Ethan Allen is considered the founding father of Vermont
Battle of Fort Ticonderoga – May 10th, 1775
 During the French and Indian War the British gained control
of the small fort on Lake Champlain in Northeastern New
York. Colonial leaders in New England saw Ticonderoga as a
prime target for attack because of its location (directly
between British Canada and the colonies) and its stockpile of
weapons (specifically cannons)
 In the early morning of May 10th, 1775 a group of men led
by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold surprised the small
group of British soldiers, taking all 50 as prisoners.
 The canons from Fort Ticonderoga were moved under the
direction of Colonel Henry Knox to aid in the siege of
Boston in early 1776.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
 Radical author and patriot, his pamphlet “Common Sense”,
published in 1776, was read throughout the colonies and
was a key cause of the American Revolution.
 Born and raised in Thetford, England, Paine did not come
to America until 1774.
 After the American Revolution Paine moved to Paris,
where he became a key figure in the French Revolution,
and remained in France through the beginning of
Napoleon’s reign.
 Returned to the United States at the invitation of President
Thomas Jefferson in 1802 and died in New York City in
1809.
Common Sense (1776)
 Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was the most
widely read pamphlet in the colonies, selling
over 500,000 copies in 1776 alone.
 In the pamphlet Paine argued that the concept of
Monarchy was introduced into the world by the
devil, and that it should be destroyed.
 Paine also argued that because of their diversity
the colonies could not be claimed to be British,
and that it was silly for a small island to attempt
to control an entire continent.
 Paine argued that Great Britain controlled the
colonies for purely selfish reasons, having no real
concern for the colonists themselves
Closure Question #3: Why did Thomas Paine argue
so forcefully for independence?
 In simple but forceful and direct language, Pain proposed a
radical course of action for the colonists: Independence from
Britain, republican state governments, and a union of the new
states. Paine denounced the king and aristocrats of Britain as
frauds and parasites. He wanted the common people to elect all
of their government, not just a third of it. Paine depicted the
king, rather than Parliament, as the greatest enemy of American
liberty. He hated the rigid class structure of Britain for
smothering the hopes of common people without a noble title or
money. A republic, he argued, would provide opportunities to
reward merit rather than inherited privilege. Freed from the
empire, Americans could trade with the entire world.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 Representative from Virginia at the 2nd Continental Congress and the
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main author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Born to a wealthy, land-owning family in Virginia, Jefferson graduated from the
College of William & Mary in 1762 and became a successful lawyer in Virginia.
Jefferson married Martha Skelton, a widow, in 1772. Together they had five
children, all daughters, Martha died in 1782 and Jefferson never remarried.
Elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1769, Jefferson was chosen to
represent Virginia in the Continental Congress in 1775.
Served as the Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781, but his failure to stop
British invasion of the state angered many Virginians and he was not re-elected.
Jefferson served as the U.S. diplomat to France from 1785-1789, then served as
the first Secretary of State during George Washington’s Presidency.
Elected as the 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809), Jefferson was
most famous for making the Louisiana Purchase.
Recent DNA testing has suggested that Jefferson fathered some illegitimate
children with Sally Hemmings, a slave on the Jefferson plantation in Virginia.
Declaration of Independence
 Written statement adopted by the 2nd Continental
Congress on July 4th 1776 which announced that the 13
American Colonies were no longer a part of the British
Empire but were their own separate nation.
 Following the Battle of Bunker Hill King George III issued a Proclamation of
Rebellion, announcing his personal belief that all of England’s American
colonies were in open rebellion and that he would consider allowing foreign
countries to help him stop the rebellion. This statement by the King led many
colonists who before opposed independence to change their minds.
 The Declaration had two basic messages: 1. That the colonies had a right to
leave the British Empire and 2. That their leaving the Empire was justified by
the wrongful actions of King George III and British Parliament
Patriots
 The name that the colonists
who fought in and/or
supported the American
Revolution gave themselves.
 The term itself dates back to
the early 1600’s and was used
by British colonists who
demanded colonial rights and
resisted the control of the
colonies by the King and
Parliament.
Loyalists/Tories
 The terms used during the
American Revolution to
describe colonists who
remained loyal to the King of
England.
 At the beginning of the
American Revolution in 1775
it is estimated that 40% of all
people living in the colonies
were loyal to the King.
Phyllis Wheatley (1753-1784)
 The first published African American poet and creator of African American literature.
 At the age of 7, Wheatley was kidnapped from her homeland in Gambia, Africa and was
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brought to America on board the slave ship “Phillis”, from which she received her
name.
Upon arrival in the new world she was purchased by a wealthy Boston merchant, John
Wheatley, who unlike most slave owners encouraged his slaves to gain an education.
Phiylis was tutored by Nathaniel Wheatley and achieved high levels of knowledge in
English, Latin, history, geography, and Christian religion.
Her book, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” was published in 1773.
The money earned from the sale of the book allowed Phyllis to purchase her slavery.
In 1776 Phyllis met George Washington, who honored her for skill as a poet and her
support of the revolution.
After a failed marriage to a free black grocer named John Peters and the death of her
three children, Phyllis Wheatley died of an unknown disease in 1784 and was buried in
an unmarked grave.
Closure Assignment #2
 Answer the following questions based on what
you have learned from Chapter 4, Section 2:
1. Why did the Second Continental Congress send
the Olive Branch Petition to the King?
2. Why did Loyalists oppose independence from
Britain?
3. Why did Thomas Paine argue so forcefully for
independence?
Closure Question #1: In what ways did the British
misunderstand the conflict with the colonies?
 Lord William Howe, commander of British troops in Boston during the
Battle of Bunker Hill, continued to pursue a misguided strategy. The
British thought that they were fighting a traditional European war. They
believed that the Patriots would surrender if Howe could defeat the
Continental Army and capture the major seaports, including
Philadelphia, the Patriot capital. In fact, the British accomplished these
goals but still lost the war.
 The British never fully understood that they were fighting a different
type of war, a revolutionary war. The Patriots understood that it was a
struggle to win the hearts and minds of the civilian population. Instead
of surrendering after setbacks, the Patriots kept on fighting. Thomas
Paine wrote an inspiring series of essays, The American Crisis, which
George Washington read to encourage his troops. Meanwhile, the
British further angered colonists when they hired German mercenaries,
or soldiers who fought for hire. These “Hessians”, as they were called,
had a particularly brutal reputation.
Battle of Brooklyn Heights – August 27, 1776
 The first major battle of the American Revolutionary War following the
Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire war, and the first
battle that an army representing the United States ever fought in. The
Continental Army was defeated, but not destroyed.
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Following a year long siege of Boston (Spring 1775 to Spring 1776) the British abandoned the city and sailed their
troops to Canada to rest and resupply. British troops have never attempted to take Boston or New England since.
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After establishing control of Boston, newly appointed General George Washington moved most of the colonial
army to New York, expecting this to be the next place of a British attack because of the high number of loyalists
there and its strategic importance at the center of the colonies.
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Washington arrived in New York in July of 1776 with an army of 10,000 and immediately set to work building
defenses.
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The British arrived in New York Harbor on August 22nd, 1776 with two new factors on their side: First, 88 war
frigates from the British Royal Navy completely controlled the ocean and rivers surrounding New York. Second,
an army of 10,000 German mercenaries, known as Hessians, joined 24,000 British troops, helping the British
outnumber Washington’s Army 3 to 1.
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Outgunned and outnumbered, the colonists suffered 2,905 casualties while the British lost only 367 men. The
Continental Army might have been completely destroyed were it not for a nighttime evacuation from Long Island
across the Hudson River.
Closure Question #2: How were the Patriots able to continue fighting despite
losing most of the battles?
Battle of Trenton –
December 26th, 1776
 Following their defeat in New York, George Washington led his
battered troops across the Delaware River into New Jersey to
camp for the winter. The majority of soldiers in the Continental
Army had enlisted for only one year and would officially complete
their service on January 1st, 1777.
 In an attempt to strike back at the British and improve morale
among his troops General Washington organized a surprise attack
on Hessian troops stationed at Trenton, back across the Delaware.
 The battle was small compared to the defeat at Brooklyn Heights,
but the Continental Army captured 1,000 Hessians and the news
of victory inspired many soldiers to re-enlist in the Continental
Army.
Sybil Ludington (1761-1839)
 Known as the girl Paul Revere, on the evening of April 26, 1777 Sybil
made a 40 mile ride through the countryside of eastern New York to
warn patriots of the British attack at Danbury, Connecticut.
 As the oldest of 12 children, Sybil was often responsible to care for her younger brothers
and sisters.
 Sybil’s father, Colonel Henry Ludington, was the commander of the local patriot militia
in Fredericksburgh, New York.
 At 9:00 PM on April 26th, 1777 word reached the Ludington home of the British attack
at Danbury. Sybil was only 16 years old when she completed her midnight ride.
 400 Patriot soldiers answered Sybil’s call to arms, and though they arrived too late to
save Danbury they did join other Patriots in the Battle of Ridgefiled, fought on April 27th
and 28th, at the end of which the Patriots achieved a tactical victory and drove the British
out of Connecticut.
 After the war, in 1784, Sybil married a lawyer and settled down in New York, raising
one son (Henry) and living to the age of 78.
Battle of Saratoga
September 19th and October 7th, 1777
 Decisive American victory in October 1777 which led to the
surrender of an entire British-Canadian army of 9,000 soldiers
and led France to make an alliance with the Americans to fight
the British.
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In June of 1777 an army of over 7,500 British, Canadian, Hessian, and Native American soldiers under the command of
General John Burgoyne left Quebec, heading south into northern New York.
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Burgoyne’s army succeeded in re-taking Fort Ticonderoga from American forces on July 6th; however, they did not capture the
small American army, allowing them to escape south and advise General Washington of the British invasion.
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In response to news of the British invasion General Washington made the risky decision to send 1,000 Continental soldiers
north to stop the invasion under the command of Benedict Arnold.

As a result of unfamiliarity with the land the General Burgoyne’s army moved very slowly through the New York wilderness,
giving Generals Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates time to recruit local colonists, increasing the total number of American
soldiers to over 7,0000.

In an unfamiliar territory, without hope of being saved by allies, outnumbered by the Americans , and after two failed attempts
to break through the American lines, General Burgoyne surrendered his entire army on October 17th, 1777.

Washington’s decision to send a portion of his army to fight against Burgoyne weakened his own main army, making him unable
to stop the British invasion and capture of Philadelphia on September 26th, 1777; however, the American victory at Saratoga
brought the French into the war on the side of the colonies, eventually leading to American victory.
Benedict Arnold (1741-1801)
 Aside from George Washington, Benedict Arnold was the most
famous and popular military leader in the colonies from 1776 to
1780. In 1780 he became a traitor, joining the British army. To this
day the name of Benedict Arnold is synonymous with becoming a
traitor.

Benedict Arnold led American forces to victory in 1776 in the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga and was the key leader in the victory at the
Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

During the victory at Saratoga Arnold personally led several American charges. In the process he received a sever gunshot wound to
his leg, which left him bedridden until 1779.

In spite of his previous success, the Continental Congress passed Arnold over for promotion. Adding insult to injury, Congress
ordered an investigation of Arnold’s personal accounts as a result of debts he had accrued, and rumors spread that Arnold was
stealing money meant to be used by the Continental Army.

Angered by lack of respect for his accomplishments and the charges of theft, Arnold began secretly communicating with British
officials. In 1780 General Washington gave Arnold command of the U.S. base at West Point near New York City.

In July of 1780 British Major John Andre’ was captured by American forces. In his boot they found a letter from Arnold in which
Arnold promised to give control of West Point to the British in exchange for a commanding position in the British Army.

After learning of Andre’s capture, Arnold narrowly escaped being captured himself by General Washington’s forces. He was made a
Brigadier General in the British Army and fought against the Americans from 1780 to 1782.

After the end of the war Arnold moved with his second wife and family to London, where he died in 1801.
Valley Forge
 Located in Pennsylvania 22 miles northwest of
Philadelphia, Valley Forge was the site of the camp of the
American Continental Army on the winter of 1777-1778.
This was a time of great suffering, but also of retraining.

Though the Americans had achieved an important victory at Saratoga and made an official alliance
with the French in January of 1778, the end of 1777 saw the British army living comfortably in the
Continental Capital of Philadelphia, while due to a lack of money the Continental Army of 12,000
soldiers made their camp in a frozen wilderness, having inadequate food, clothing and shelter.

During this time in a letter to the Continental Congress General Washington wrote, “"that unless
some great and capital change suddenly takes place ... this Army must inevitably ... Starve, dissolve,
or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can."

The experience of the Continental Soldiers who stayed with Washington at Valley Forge would unite
them in their resolve to continue the fight. During this same time the troops received military
training from several skilled European soldiers, the most important being Baron Friedrich von
Steuben.
Closure Question #2: How were the Patriots able to continue fighting despite
losing most of the battles?
Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804)

The illegitimate son of a French Huguenot mother and a Scottish father, Hamilton was born in Charlestown
in the West Indies.

Because he was born out of wedlock, the British Church of England refused to admit him as a member or
allow him to receive a church education. Hamilton instead was educated as a young man in a private Jewish
school on the island.

At the age of 13, after the death of his mother, Hamilton became a clerk in a small shipping company on St.
Croix in the Virgin Islands. Seeking to further his education, at age 17 Hamilton moved to New Jersey and
eventually attended King’s College (modern Columbia University)
 In 1775, at the age of 20, Hamilton left his studies to join a New York volunteer
militia. His intelligence and popularity led him to be elected captain of his unit,
and he fought in the Battle of Brooklyn Heights and the Battle of Trenton.
 In 1777 Washington invited Hamilton to join his personal staff, and he served as
Washington’s personal representative to the Continental Congress until the end of
the war in 1781, becoming close friends with the Marquis de Lafayette.
 After the war, Hamilton was elected to represent the state of New York in the
Constitutional Convention, where in 1787 he wrote the first draft of the American
Constitution.

Hamilton served as the first Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington, and likely would have
run for president himself in 1804. He died in a duel with then Vice President Aaron Burr which was caused
by political disagreement between the two.
Joseph Brandt (1743-1807)
 Mohawk leader and British military officer during the
American Revolution.

Named Thayendenegea at birth, Brandt’s parents were Christian converts and he was baptized in the
Anglican Church at Fort Henry in present-day Ohio, at which time he was given his English name.

Brandt fought with the British in the French and Indian War at the age of 15. For his bravery in fighting in
that war he was given a silver medal. In 1775 Brandt traveled to London, where he was greeted as a
celebrity and met King George III personally.

The Iroquois League, of which Brandt and the Mohawk were members, suffered loss of land and property
due to the American’s decision to ignore the Proclamation of 1763 and settle lands west of the Appalachians.
As a result, when the British asked Joseph Brandt and the Iroquois to fight against the Americans in the
Revolutionary War they were more than willing to do so.
 During the Revolutionary War both Joseph Brandt and his American enemies
used ruthless, scorched-earth tactics, destroying crops, homes, and livestock and
killing innocent women and children. For his participation in these attacks
Joseph Brandt was given the nickname of “Monster Brandt” by the Americans.

After the war, Brandt succeeded in negotiating with the British to set aside land for the Mohawks in the
province of Ontario, Canada. He died at his new home near Lake Ontario in 1807.
Friedrich von Steuben (1730-1794)

Born in Prussia (Modern Northern Germany) and educated by Jesuits, Steuben became a military officer in the
Prussian Army at the age of 17.

During the 7 Years War (The French and Indian War) in Europe Steuben fought for Prussia, who was allied with
England, against France and Russia.

After the war in 1764, like many who had fought for Prussia, Steuben lost his job because the Prussian Army was
reduced in size. For the next 12 years Steuben traveled throughout Europe in search of work as a professional
soldier and fell deeper and deeper into debt.
 Steuben was introduced to Benjamin Franklin in Paris in 1777, who
recommended him to George Washington to serve as an officer in the
Continental Army.
 Shortly after arriving in America in September 1777, Steuben traveled to
Valley Forge. With the help of Alexander Hamilton and Nathaniel Green
Steuben organized a training program for the Continental Army, improving
the fighting skills of the soldiers especially using the bayonet.
 Following the war Steuben wrote a book on military training and discipline
which was used by the Army of the United States until 1812.

After the war Steuben was granted United States citizenship and settled in Utica, New York.

Due to the fact that Steuben never married and had no children, and as a result of some accusations made by those
who served with Friedrich von Steuben, historians believe that he may have been a homosexual.
John Paul Jones (1747-1792)
 America’s first well-known naval hero, most famous for
taking the fight to the British, sinking British ships and
raiding towns in England.

Born in Scotland, Jones began sailing at the age of 13, working as an apprentice on The Friendship, a British trading ship.

From 1760 to 1768 Jones worked on various merchant and slave-trading ships. In 1768, angered by the cruelty of the slave
trade, Jones used what little money he had saved to purchase his own ship , The Betsy, which he captained for 18 months.

In 1770 Jones killed a member of his crew with a sword after an argument over wages. To escape trial in England Jones
escaped to Fredericksburg, Virginia.

In 1775, shortly after the battles of Lexington and Concord, Jones went to Philadelphia to offer his serves to the
Continental Congress.

After serving as an officer on board smaller ships, Jones was given command of The Ranger and given orders to sail for
Europe in June, 1777. Upon arrival on the English coast Jones conducted successful raids on Whitehaven, the coastal town
where Jones began his naval career in 1760, and St. Mary’s Isle.

Jones received a gift of a 42 gun ship, the Bonhomme Richard, from France in 1779. From 1779 to the end of the war in
1781, Jones continued to harass the British through acts of piracy, raiding coastal towns and sinking British merchant ships.

Following the war Jones remained in Europe, fighting as a mercenary for Russia from 1782 to 1788, then retiring to live in
Paris until his death.
Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834)
 French Military Officer who joined the American cause in 1777, serving as an aide to
General Washington. Noted for his bravery, the Marquis de Lafayette should be honored
as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

Born and raised in a noble family in France, Lafayette joined the Musketeers at the age of 14. At the age of 15 he was married to
Marie de Noailles, the daughter of another noble family who was only 13 years old at the time.

Lafayette first learned of the American Revolution in 1775 from the Duke of Gloucester, King George III’s brother, who was then
traveling through France delivering speeches in support of the British in an attempt to keep the French from joining the war.The
opposite affect was had on the 18 year old Lafayette. In 1777, against the objections of his father-in-law, his pregnant wife, and the
King of France, Lafayette secretly made his way to America.

Upon arrival in the Americas General George Washington, who did not know of Lafayette’s secret departure from France, appointed
Lafayette a member of his personal staff in the hopes that doing so would encourage the French to ally with the Americans.

From 1777 to 1779 Lafayette stayed with General Washington, fighting in ever major battle in which Washington was involved and
winning the respect of Washington and all other American officers.

After briefly returning to France in 1779 at the request of the Continental Congress in order to lead the recruitment of French
soldiers, Lafayette returned to the colonies in 1780 and played a commanding role in the Battle of Yorktown, stopping a British
attack on Richmond which was led by Benedict Arnold.

After the war Lafayette returned to France, where he opposed the French Revolution and the dictatorship of Napoleon. Lafayette
was imprisoned for a period of 5 years, but unlike many he was not executed, partially due to the diplomacy of James Madison from
the United States.
Closure Question #3: How important was French assistance to the Patriot’s
struggle? Explain your answer.
Closure Assignment #3
 Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 4, Section 3:
1.In what ways did the British misunderstand the conflict with
the colonies?
2. How were the Patriots able to continue fighting despite
losing most of the battles?
3. How important was French assistance to the Patriot’s
struggle? Explain your answer.
Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805)
 One of the leading British
generals in the American
Revolutionary War, led
British forces in their
defeat and capture at the
Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
Battle of Yorktown –
September 28th to October 19th, 1781
 A decisive victory by combined American and French forces which
surrounded and received the surrender of General Charles Cornwallis and
his army of 7,000 soldiers.

From 1778 to 1780 the Revolutionary War was a stalemate. The British gained control of every major American city but were
unable to capture the Continental Army. Finally coming to grips with the fact that the colonists would not support a British
government in New England or the Middle Colonies, the British turned their attention to the South. While General Henry
Clinton maintained a British base in New York City and George Washington and the Continental Army camped nearby at West
Point, General Charles Cornwallis and the newly commissioned British officer, Benedict Arnold, sailed south, taking Charleston,
South Carolina.

From 1780 to 1781 Cornwallis’ army moved steadily North through the countryside, calling those Loyal to the King to join
them. However, the British also had established a policy of granting freedom to any African slave who joined the British army. As
a result of the invasion, many colonists who had been loyal to the King previously were turned to the Patriot cause.

In the summer of 1781 Cornwallis reached Yorktown, in the northern part of the state of Virginia. It was planned for Cornwallis
and his men to be picked up there by ships from the British Royal Navy. General Washington received word of Cornwallis’
encampment and, with the encouraged of French commanding General Rochambeau, led 19,300 soldiers south from New York
to Virginia, leaving a small group behind to defend West Point.

While the French and Americans surrounded the British camp, the French Navy kept the British Royal Navy from coming to
Cornwallis’ rescue in what is known as the Battle of Chesapeake Bay.

With no help for resupply or rescue, General Cornwallis surrendered his entire army on October 19th, 1781.
Closure Question #1: Why did the British lose the war?
Treaty of Paris of 1783
 Signed on September 3rd, 1783, the Treaty of
Paris officially ended the American
Revolutionary War, establishing the United
States of America as a free and independent
nation.

As a result of their defeat at Yorktown, and other colonial losses to
the French in the Caribbean and India, British Parliament and King
George III grudgingly opened peace talks with the representatives of
the United States in 1782.

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay signed the treaty on
behalf of the United States, while David Hartley, a minor member of
British Parliament, was sent to represent both Parliament and the
King.

Though a painting of the event had been arranged previously, on the
day the Treaty was signed Hartley refused to sit for the painting. As a
result, the only surviving image of the event is incomplete.
Closure Question #2: Summarize the terms of the Treaty of Paris.
James Madison (1751-1836)
 A native Virginian, along with Alexander
Hamilton, James Madison is considered one of
the principal authors of the United States
Constitution. Specifically, Madison is the
author of the Bill of Rights.

Madison was born to a wealthy, slave-owning, tobacco farming family in
Virginia.

Madison was a member of the Virginia state legislature during the
Revolutionary War, but did play a key role in the fighting. He was good friends
with Thomas Jefferson and the two shared many common ideas.

After the war Madison and Jefferson helped form what would become the
Democratic Party. Their main objective was to limit the power of the Federal
Government. Their chief rivals, the Federalists, led by John Adams and
Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central-government.

Madison served as secretary of state during Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency, and
was elected himself as President of the United States from 1809 to 18017.

James Madison was only 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed only 100 pounds,
making him the smallest and lightest President in American history.
Closure Question #3: Explain the effects of the
Revolution on minority groups and women.
 Women gained few political or legal rights as a result of the war, but they won respect
based on the new conception of women as “republican mothers.” Abigail Adams and
Judith Sargent Murray noted that the Republic needed virtuous citizens, who learned
their virtue from their mothers. This invited women to speak out on issues that affected
their ability to raise virtuous children. The Revolution inspired some women to seek a
larger voice in public affairs. In a famous letter of 1776, Abigail Adams asked her husband,
John, to “remember the Ladies” in drafting the new nation’s laws. In particular, she sought
legal protection for wives beaten by their husbands. Although John Adams respected his
wife, he dismissed her request. The law reserved legal and political rights to husbands.
Widows could vote in New Jersey but nowhere else.
 Slavery seemed inconsistent with the ideals of the Revolution, but in 1776, one of every
five Americans was of African ancestry, and a majority of African Americans were
enslaved. Most Americans – including some Patriot leaders – accepted slavery as natural.
British and Loyalist critics mocked the Patriots as hypocrites who spoke of liberty while
holding slaves. In 1778, the Patriot governor of New Jersey confessed that slavery was
“utterly inconsistent with the principles of Christianity and humanity; and in Americans,
who have idolized liberty, peculiarly odious and disgraceful.” The Revolution inspired
many slaves to demand freedom. In the northern states, some slaves petitioned
legislatures for emancipation and sued their owners in the courts. About 5,000 African
Americans joined Patriot militias, the Continental Army, or the small Continental Navy in
return for a promise of freedom. The Revolution led to emancipation in the North.
Closure Assignment #4
 Answer the following questions
based on what you have learned from
Chapter 4, Section 4:
1. Why did the British lose the war?
2. Summarize the terms of the Treaty
of Paris.
3. Explain the effects of the Revolution
on minority groups and women.