This is the critical stage in an illness where two things can happen.

The individual either breaks the fever after a heightened stage

of illness or the individual gets progressively worse and does not
recover.
What would this stage
be like in a revolution?

Crisis Stage
Symptomatic
Stage

Incubation
Stage

Convalescence

In a revolution, this stage would be the make or break part of the

struggle. It may involve conflict where sides for and against
the revolution compete. This competition could take the form of
debate or full-scale war. Successful revolutions survive this stage.
Those that do not are usually considered failed rebellions.

The American
Revolution,
1775-1781
Where
was the
American
Revolution
fought?

Essential Question:
Question

What factors caused the British

to fail in what should have been
an easy campaign to subdue
the American rebels?
RQ 7A (202-217)

The Decision to Fight

For Independence

for Independence
TheDecision
Battle of Bunker
Hill (Breeds Hill)
that Americans
willing
demonstrated
In Lexington
early 1776,
both
Spain were
& France
The
& Concord
skirmish
toshipping
stand
upwar
to asupplies
pitched battle
began
to
colonists
st
was the 1 of a series of conflicts
Despite
growing
calls for
independence,
from
1775
to 1776
before
the
the congress issued the Olive Branch
American
for
independence:
Petition tocall
King
George
in July 1775
Fighting erupted around Boston,
King
George rejected
the
Olive
NY,Branch
Charlestown,
&
Quebec
Petition in August 1775
The 2nd Continental Congress
met to organize a war plan
King George declared the
colonists in open rebellion

With over
1,000 casualties,
the British
suffered
their
Battle
of Bunker
Hill (Breeds
Hill); June
17, 1775
greatest losses of the Revolution at Bunker Hill

A few more such victories would have shortly put

an end to British dominion in America
British General Henry Clinton

Decision for Independence

By

1776, the 2nd Continental

CongressChallenged
servedroyal
as an
informal
infallibility
national govt for the colonies
Persuaded ordinary people to sever ties
But with
& its
brute were
the England
majority
ofroyal
colonists
undecided about independence
Thomas Paines Common Sense
proved to be the key factor in
convincing Americans to support
colonial independence

On June 7, 1776
Richard Henry Lee of
VA introduced a
resolution to the
Continental Congress:
these
Bythat
1776,
United Colonies are, and
colonial
of right ought to be, free
and
independent
sentiment
had
States...
changed
After several
days of
debate, Congress
appointed a committee
to draft a declaration of
independence

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Committee to draft the Declaration:

Thomas Jefferson,
Jefferson Ben Franklin,
John Adams, Robert Livingston,
& Roger Sherman

Decision for Independence

On

July 2, 1776, the Continental

Congress voted for independence
On July 4, the Declaration of
Independence
The
Democratic was
idealssigned;
(republicanism)
Declarations purpose was to:
Natural rights & individual liberty
Justify the Americans desire to
separate from England
Articulate the principles on which
the new nation would be
established

Independence Hall at the

Second Continental Congress
The Declaration of Independence
was NOT signed like this!

The Decision for Independence

The

colonists were divided about

this decision for independence:
Supporters of independence
were called Patriots
Patriots or Whigs
Whigs
Colonists that opposed
independence were called
Loyalists
Loyalists or Tories
Tories
There were many neutral
neutral
colonists who were conflicted by
the prospect of independence

Patriots vs.
Loyalists
Where

are
the Loyalists?
Why are
Loyalists
near cities?
Why is the
backcountry
so contested?
Why are
Indians
loyalists?

Fighting the War

for Independence

The American
Revolution,
1775-1781
Where
was the
American
Revolution
fought?

Essential Question:
Question

What factors caused the British

to fail in what should have been
an easy campaign to subdue
the American rebels?
RQ 7A (202-217)

I. The Outbreak of Revolution

A.

The British entered the war

confident of a complete victory:
1. Their army was 400% larger; welltrained solders, experienced
officers, & Hessian mercenaries
2. Strong manufacturing base
means well equiped
3. The worlds most dominant navy

Revolutionary Armies- British Weaknesses

Distance between Britain and Colonies

Takes a long time to send or receive
reinforcements

British citizens remained unconvinced

of the vitality of winning the war

Weapons not as accurate

Poor Leadership
No idea how to defeat the rebels

To win, the English had to find & defeat the

Continental Army
Underestimated the colonial commitment to
independence

many leaders had never been to the

Colonies

Revolutionary Armies The Americans Strengths

Revolutionary Army knew
lay of the land

Used weapons appropriate

for landscape

Tomahawk vs. Bayonet

Wore pieces of different

uniforms

Guerilla warfare tactics

Expert Leadership

Revolutionary Armies American

Weaknesses
Continental Army constantly in
short supply of everything
Soldiers
Guns and Gun powder
Food
Continental Congress did not have
the authority to tax the newly
created states.

Military Leaders
American
George
Washington:
Commander of
Americans Forces

Nathanael Greene:
Top Strategist

Henry Knox:
Artillery Expert
Benedict Arnold:
Commander under
Washington

British Leaders
General Charles
Cornwallis

General John Burgoyne

Benedict Arnold

William Howe

All considered America

one of the worst places
to serve

Other Key Players

The Marquis de Lafayette:

Frenchman who
supported American
cause

France in General

Marquis de Lafayette

Differing Military Strategies

The Americans
Win

a war of attrition
England had long
supply lines
Colonials did not
have to win just
had to wear down
the British
Guerilla tactics
Make an alliance
with one of Britains
enemies

The British
Divide

& Conquer
Use Loyalists
Encourage slave
revolts
Seize property
Break the colonies in
half by dividing the
North & South
Blockade the ports
to prevent trade with
American allies

Building a Professional Army

Washingtons

task was to defend

As long as England did not defeat the
as much Army,
territory
as possible:
Continental
England
could not win
Relied on guerrilla tactics &
avoided all-out-war with Britain
Washingtons Continental Army
served as the symbol of the
republican cause

The Early Years: 1776-1777

The

initial battles of the revolution

went badly for Americans:
British General Howe forced
Washington to retreat at New
Colonial militias retaliated against
York
the Americans
on
thoseputting
who deserted
the patriot cause
the run
Gen Howe issued a general
pardon to all Americans who
swore an oath of allegiance to
George III; thousands did so

TheHowe
Earlycaptured
Years: 1776-1777
Captured
New York

Philadelphia
The British strategy remained
to
Washingtons army almost
fight ata Valley
major
& decisive battle;
starved
Forge

but Continental Army was elusive

Despite British victories & 1,000s
Took Trenton
Took Princeton
of colonial oaths of allegiance,
Washington kept fighting
Won small victories that renewed
American wartime morale

Fort TiconderogaMay 10, 1775

Key strategic
location in New
York

Ethan Allen
and about 125
Green
Mountain boys
attacked fort

Ticonderoga

The Fort was taken without firing a shot

British officers and women and children were captured

Cannons were taken from Ticonderoga to Boston

Used to stop British Blockade
of Boston
Henry Knox:
American Army top
artillery commander

Major hero of
American Revolution

Colonist Leaders

Ethan Allen Benedict Arnold

Fort Ticonderoga

New York

August 1776 General

Howe landed at Long
Island, NY with large British
army and navy
Outnumbered Americans
took 1,400 casualties, but
Washington led escape
back to PA British failed
to end war right there

British held New York

City for rest of the war

Importance of battle:
1.Revolutions D-Day British invaded America
2.Shows British strength overwhelming size,
better training
3.Shows British weakness lack of aggressive
leaders allowed Continental Army to survive

The American Crisis

Americas best propaganda writer, Thomas
Paine, published The American Crisis
urged Americans to keep fighting for
independence
THESEare the times that try men's souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine
patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the
service of their country; but he that
stands it now, deserves the love and
thanks of man and woman.

What do you think

Paine means by this?

Battle of Trenton
December 26,1776

On the night of December 25,

1776, George Washington crossed
the Delaware River
Washingtons troops marched
nine miles in the early morning
hours to reach Trenton at eight
o'clock.
The American troops surprised
the Hessian mercenary soldiers in
an early morning raid
captured nearly 1,000 men. There
were no American casualties.

The Battle of
Trenton Map

The
Turning
Point
of
the
Revolution:
Crossing
the
Delaware
in
route
to
a
surprise
Near
Starvation
at
Valley
Forge,
PA
in 1778
British Seizure & Burning of New York,
1776
attack
Trenton
Princeton,
1776
TheatBattle
of &
Saratoga,
1777

The
French
Alliance
A lot of these points were

AndEngland now has to worry

turning
pointremote)
of the
war!!
Since
negotiated
by1775,
none
other
the French
covertly
about
aThe
possible
(yet
than
Ben
Franklin
invasion
of England
by supplies
France
aided
Americans
with
But

after the victory at Saratoga:

Saratoga
France recognized America as a
new, independent republic
France promised to pressure
to agree
American
In England
1778, England
offered to
to remove
all
independence
wars
end
parliamentary
legislationafter
& vowed
never
to
impose
revenue
taxes
on
the
colonists
again
France relinquished all of its
The
Continental
Congress refused
the offer
claims
to territory
in America

The Final Campaign

By

1781, Washington pushed the

Redcoats towards Yorktown (VA)
where General Cornwallis was
caught between the Continental
Army & the French navy
On October 19, 1781 Cornwallis
surrendered; the English still
controlled NY & Charles Town
but the fighting virtually ended

American Victory at Yorktown

Cornwallis surrender was the
day
the world turned upside down

The Loyalist Dilemma

Loyalists

believed in liberty too,

but feared that independence
would breed anarchy in America
Loyalists were treated poorly:
The English never fully trusted
the Loyalists
Patriots seized their property;
imprisoned & executed others
More than 100,000 Loyalists left
America when the war ended

The Treaty of Paris,

1783

The Treaty of Paris (1783)

The

Treaty of Paris in 1783 was

negotiated with England by
Franklin, John Adams, John Jay
The terms included:
Full American independence
All territory east of Mississippi
River, between Canada & FL
The removal of the British army
from U.S. claims in America
Fishing rights in the Atlantic

North
America
after the
Treaty
of Paris,
1763

North
America
after the
Treaty
of Paris,
1783

Preserving Independence
After

176 years of British rule, the

American Revolution began the
construction of a new form of
government
But...will the new United States
be a government of the elite or a
government of the people?
people
HW: To what degree did 1776
bring about a social revolution?
revolution