Transcript The American Revolution

End of the War
• EQ: How did the Americans finally
defeat the British, and earn their
independence?
Phase III: The Southern
Strategy [1780-1781]
Britain’s “Southern Strategy”
Britain thought that there were more
Loyalists in the South.
Southern resources were more
valuable/worth preserving.
The British win a number of small
victories, but cannot pacify the
countryside
New Orleans and Spain
• Spain offered U.S. ships safe port in
New Orleans
• Spanish Gov. Bernardo de Galvez
provided money and supplies to the
Continental Army in the South.
• Why did Spain decide to help after
Saratoga?
– Hint: End of the French and Indian War
result
• Spain wanted Florida back, which had
been taken after the F&I War.
Major Southern Battles
• Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC
captured
• Battle of Camden, SC
• Battle of King’s Mountain (border of
NC & SC)
• Battle of Guilford Courthouse, NC
• Battle of Cowpen’s (SC)
Battle at Cowpens (SC)
• Gen. Daniel Morgan had ½ of the
Southern Army under his command
• Sent a scout unit ahead to engage the
main British Army and then retreat.
– British chased the small unit in an
attempt to kill them, and ran into the
main American force, including cavalry.
• After the Southern campaign,
Cornwallis needed reinforcements
and fled to Virginia to meet the Royal
Navy
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Count de
Rochambeau
Admiral
De Grasse
•British General Lord Cornwallis moved
his troops to Virginia to set up camp and
wait for reinforcements.
•The time was right for Washington to set
the ultimate trap. James Armistead (a
slave) was a double spy and gave
Washington information
•Washington had over 16,000 American and
French soldiers ready to fight
•Cornwallis was not impressed, he opted to
board British ships and sail to New York
•Before he could leave, a fleet of French
battleships sailed into the
Bay…Cornwallis was now trapped.
Washington would lead a three week attack on the British
Trapped, Lord Cornwallis surrendered on Oct 17, 1781…the Americans had won
their INDEPENDENCE!
Maps
•Great Britain recognized the
United States as an
independent nation
•United States gained all land
east of the Mississippi River
from Canada to Florida
•U.S. agreed to ask the States to
return property seized from
loyalists…Most states refused,
especially MA (shocker).