A merican Revolution

American RevolutionTheBy: Olivia Lanza 7K

IntroductionThe American Revolution was also called the

American War of Independence. The war was between Great Britain and it’s 13 colonies in North America. Other countries did get involved in the war ( Germany, France and Spain). The war began in 1775 and lasted until 1783. The last battle was in 1781 but the treaty wasn’t signed until 1783. The resolution was that the 13 colonies gained their freedom from Great Britain. They all united and formed an independent nation.

Major Causes There were many causes of the war. They are: Colonists wanted freedom. They didn’t want

Great Britain to govern them. Colonies were paying the debt from the

French and Indian war. The British were taxing the colonists

(example: Tea Act, Stamp Act, Sugar Act, etc). The colonists felt that they should have

representation in the British government (Parliament)in making laws.

The Colonists have no say in government. They are being taxed and have to pay the war debt.

Side A: Americans Colonel William Prescott

William Prescott was born in Massachusetts on February 20, 1726. In 1774, he was appointed to command a group of

minute-men. On April 19, 1775 , Prescott and his men marched to Lexington. The British had retreated. Prescott then took 1,200 men to Breed’s Hill. They built defensive forts there. They were low on ammunition and had half the amount of men the British had. They were able to

push the British back twice. On the third attack, Prescott told his men not to attack until they “saw the whites of their eyes”. Prescott fought with his men. The British

were able to advance but Prescott and his men severely hurt the British. Prescott was seen as a great commander.

He was able to keep his men well-disciplined.

Side B: British General John Burgoyne

A significant person on the British side was General John Burgoyne. He was born in London, England, in 1722. He was appointed a Major General in the British Army in 1772. He persuaded the King to let him invade the colonies from Canada. On July 6, 1776, he captured Fort Ticonderoga, for the British. He was waiting for reinforcements to help him defeat the Colonists in Saratoga. He was forced to surrender to General Horatio Gates on October 17, 1777, in the Battle of Saratoga. This was a big turning point for the colonists. He returned to England. He wrote many plays. He died August 4, 1792. They buried him in Westminster Abbey.

Turning Point The Battle Of Saratoga (1777)

The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the war. There were really two battles at Saratoga. The first one was September 19, 1777. It was called Freemans Farm. The second Battle was October 7, 1777. The Americans captured the British army. The British lost more men than the Americans. This battle was a big victory for the United States. The victory lifted the patriots spirits at the time when they were suffering from defeats. The battle of Saratoga showed European countries that the Americans had a chance of winning. The French then decided to enter the war on the American’s side. This was a harmful loss for the British. It showed they could be beat.

Battle of

Saratoga

Life on the Home front Life on the home front was hard, especially for the

women. While the men were fighting, it was the women’s responsibility to take care of businesses, farms, live stocks, crops and households. The war was being fought around them. Some women had to defend their homes and land. Some helped the wounded soldiers and brought water, clothes, ammunition to them. Many women had to burry the dead. Some women even disguised as men and fought in the war. Many tents and huts were made to house soldiers. Women took care of clothing, supplies and comfort. There were also chaplains in the camps. They read gospels and prayed.

Many Indian groups were being forced off their land and had to move further West. Disease was being spread.

Resolution The Americans and the French attacked the British in Yorktown, Virginia. The British were outnumbered. General Charles Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington, October 19, 1781. This was the Battle of Yorktown. General Washington took the British army prisoners.

The British sent Richard Oswald to Paris to meet with the American Representatives to discuss the treaty. This was called the Treaty of Paris. It was on September 3, 1782, but wasn’t ratified until April 17, 1783.

The terms of the treaty were: The British would recognize the United States as an independent nation. The British would remove all of its troops from the United States. New Borders would be set in the United States. They would include land from

the Great Lakes to Florida, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.

The United States would let the British troops leave. The united States would pay all the debts it owed to Great Britain. The United States would not punish any loyalists that were still in America and

those that left the US could return.

Treaty of Paris

The Americans

win!

Major EffectsThere were many effects of the war. Some of them

lasted for many years. The effects were: The Treaty of Paris. A bad economy. Americans could not train with Britain or the West

Indies. They had a lot of war supplies and because they

weren’t needed it caused unemployment and inflation.

America was no longer protected in the seas when they traded with other countries.

Trade increased with other countries. America got new territory to expand and develop. In the North slaves were made free. The Declaration of Independence was created. This war inspired other countries to rebel for

independence.

Resources http://historyking.com/American-History/revolutionary-war/index.html

http://historyking.com/American-History/revolutionary-war/When-Did-The-Revolutionary-War-End.html

<http://historyking.com/images/Cause-And-Effect-Of-The-Revolutionary-War.jpg>

http://historyking.com/images/List-Of-Battles-Of-The-Revolutionary-War.jpg>

http://historyking.com/images/Major-Battles-Of-The-Revolutionary-War.jpg> Social Studies Text Book. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Saratoga http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/maps/saratogamap/ http://www.kidport.com/refLib/UsaHistory/AmericanRevolution/Saratoga.ht

m http://battle1777.saratoga.org/ http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/americanrevolutio1/p/yorktown.htm http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/peopledetail.aspx?people=20 http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/courageofwilliampres

cott3.htm http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/burgoyne.htm

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