The American Revolution 1775-1781 Farmers and Shop Keepers defeat and Empire
Jan 12, 2016
The American Revolution
1775-1781
Farmers and Shop Keepers defeat and Empire
How did they Compare?
British Supporters were called Loyalists
The Continental Army was Formed
Initially many volunteered
An enlistment lasted 1 year
Pay was often delayed until the war was over
Leadership and Desire The British had better training
and equipment… but no desire. Whether the British won or lost
made little difference to many British Soldiers
They had to hire German mercenaries called Hessians to assist in the war
Some compare it to Vietnam for the British
The Colonists had both! Americans rallied behind
Washington Women supported the war
and in some cases even fought
To lose meant complete destruction of a way of life
Most Battles took place in the North
The American Victory at Saratoga was a turning point
Saratoga September 1777 Outmaneuvered by
American forces The British were cut off
from their supplies They surrendered to Gen.
Gates France now openly allied
with the United States
Valley Forge Washington’s Winter
Headquarters 1777-1778 Harsh conditions Little food, clothing, or shelter Some deserted Many questioned their ability
to defeat the British Tom Paine publishes The
Crisis
Cornwallis Surrenders October 19, 1781
What happened? Over 16,000 American and British Troops
converged on Cornwallis at Yorktown, Va. The French Navy Blocaded the harbor Cornwallis had 8,000 troops Bewildered and astonished, Cornwallis
surrendered The British still controlled New York and few
realized it was the end of the war
The American Revolution
What factors led to an American Victory? Why were the British soldiers indifferent? What were the terms of the Peace of Paris? How long did the war last? What would the next task be for the newly
independent nation?
The British Concede
Lord North Resigns Lord Rockingham favors
granting American Independence
Parliament withdraws its support for the war
King George was forced to accept defeat
Farmers and shop keepers had defeated and empire
The Treaty of Paris
September 3, 1783 The U.S. was a “free and sovereign” nation The U.S. gave up its’ claim to Canada The U.S. Boundaries: The Mississippi in the west,
The Great Lakes in the North, Florida in the South
And Now What…..?
All we need is a plan for government.
See the U.S. Constitution presentation for more details!