The Revolution Begins Objective: 1.Describe the actions taken by the First Continental Congress. 2.Evaluate how the fighting at Lexington and Concord.

American Revolution

CHAPTER 6 SECTION 1

The Revolution BeginsObjective:

1. Describe the actions taken by the First Continental Congress.

2. Evaluate how the fighting at Lexington and Concord affected the colonies with Great Britain.

3. Analyze the accomplishes of the Second Continental Congress.

4. Explain the ways that geography influenced the early battles of the war.

John Dickinson/ Patrick Henry

Declaration of Rights

I. The First Continental Congress

A. A Meeting in Philadelphia1. The First Continental Congress met in

September1774.2. Included 56 delegates, from every colony except

Georgia.

B. Debates1. John Dickinson called for peace with Britain2. Patrick Henry argued that war was inevitable3. Delegates decided to continue to boycott British goods and warn

colonial militias to prepare.4. Sent Declaration of Rights to King George III listing freedoms

they demanded.5. Agreed to meet in May 1775 if king did not support their

demands.

Important Questions

What were the results of the First Continental Congress?

-Continue the boycott -prepare the militias -send a list of demands to King George III

Minutemen/ Militia

Thomas Gage

Paul Revere’s Ride

Lexington and Concord

II. The “Shot Heard round the World”

A. High Tensions1. Boston militias called themselves minutemen

because they could fight on a minute’s notice.2. British general Thomas Gage decided to take the militia’s

weapons, which were stored in the town of Concord.3. On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and another man raced on

horses to warn minutemen of the British troop movements

B. Bloodshed1. Minutemen gathered at Lexington, near Concord.2. Shots were exchange, and the British continued march to

Concord.3. Colonists had hidden the weapons, so few were found.4. As the British returned to Boston, colonists killed many

Redcoats, the colonists’ name for the soldiers.

Important Questions

What events led to the beginning of the fighting between colonists and British soldiers?

-Gage wanted to seize militia weapons at Concord: Paul Revere warned minutemen who assembled in Lexington: Shot were exchanged.

Second Continental Congress

Continental Army

George Washington

Olive Branch Petition

III. The Second Continental CongressA. The Meeting

1. Delegates to the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in May 1775.

2. Decided not to break away from Britain.3. Created a Continental Army to defend the

colonies.4. Selected George Washington as

commander.

B. A Peace Offering1. Sent Olive Branch Petition, a peace offer to King

George III2. King George III rejected the proposal.

Important Questions

Why did the delegates send the Olive Branch Petition to King George III?

-to make it clear that even though they were forming an army, they still desired peace.

Battle of Bunker Hill

IV. Early BattlesA. Minutemen held Boston under siege- a

situation in which soldiers surround a city or fort.

B. Colonial forces gathered on Breeds Hill and Bunker Hill to fend off the British.

C. Defeated by the British at Battle of Bunker Hill

Important Questions

What effect do you think the victory at the Battle of Bunker Hill had on colonials attitudes?

-it made colonists confident that they could win in their struggle against the British.

CHAPTER 6 SECTION 2Declaring

IndependenceObjective:1. Evaluate the influence of Thomas Paine’s

Common Sense.2. Identify the main ideas in the Declaration

of Independence.3. Explain Americans to the Independence.

I. Paine's Common SenseA. Biography

1. a self-educated British Quaker 2. Wrote Common Sense3. Paine wrote as a common person speaking to common

peopleB. His Ideas

1. He said that the people, not kings and queens, should make the laws

2. demand their independence 3. Influenced colonists’

Important Questions

1) What did Common Sense become popular with the colonists?

-Written in a style that common people could understand.

2) What arguments did Paine make in his pamphlet?

-The people, not Kings and Queens, should make laws; and the colonies should demand their independence from Great Britain.

II. Declaring IndependenceA. The Committee

1. Second Continental Congress created a committee to write a document declaring the colonies’ independence

2. The committee: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman.

B. Three Main Idea’s of the Declaration of Independence.

1.all men possess unalienable rights. 

2. King George III had violated the colonists’ rights.

3. The right to break away from Britain

C. July 4, 1776 approved Declaration of Independence, creating USA

Important Questions

1) Why do you think Loyalists fled the colonies?

-Their views were very unpopular with the colonists who supported independence.

III. Choosing Sides

A. Colonists who chose to fight for independence became known as Patriots

B. Loyalists1. Those who remained loyal to Great Britain were

called Loyalists or Tories.2. More than 100,000 Loyalists fled the colonies

during the Revolution

IV. Other Reactions to the Independence

A. Women1. Many women were Patriots.2. The Declaration failed to mention women at all. 3. Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, asked her

husband to protect the rights of women.B. African Americans

1. The Declaration did not recognize the rights of enslaved African Americans.

2. The Revolution raised questions about whether slavery should exist in a land that valued liberty.

3. The conflict over slavery continued long after the Revolutionary War had ended.

4. The issue of slavery remained unsolved

Important Questions

4. Why did the American Revolution raise questions about slavery in the United States?

- Colonists accusing Britain of violating their rights had to face the reality that African Americans in the United States were denied their unalienable rights.

CH 6 SECTION 3 Dark Hours For the

RevolutionObjectives:Objectives:1. What were the Patriots' advantages and disadvantages at the beginning of the Revolutionary War?

2. How did different groups contribute to the war effort?

3. What problems did the Patriots face in Canada and New York?

I. Comparing Strengths and Weaknesses

A. .1. . 2. .

B. . 1. .2. .3. .

I. Comparing Strengths and Weaknesses

A. Great Britain’s Advantages.1. More Money and resources than the colonies. 2. Well-trained army and largest navy in the world:

colonies had poorly-trained militias and no navy at all.

B. Colonies Advantages. 1. Many Americans supported the revolutionary

cause.2. Fighting on home ground: Britain had to ship

supplies across the Atlantic.3. Fighting for a cause in which they believed :

Britain’s army included some mercenaries, or hired soldiers, not dedicated to the British cause.

Important Questions

What military advantages did the British have over the colonists?

Well trained army, largest navy in the world

What advantages did the colonists have over the British?

Many Americans strongly supported the revolution, and they were fighting on home ground for a cause in which they believed.

II. Call to Arms A. .

1. .2. .

B. .1. .2. . 3. .

II. Call to Arms A. American Soldiers

1. More than 230,000 soldiers served in the Continental Army.

2. 145,000 Americans joined local militias.

B. African Americans at War.1. southerners did not want the American forces to

include black soldiers. Washington soon banned African Americans from serving in the army.

2. 1775 Lord Dunmore's Proclamation promised freedom to any slave who fought for the British.

3. Continental Army began allowing free African Americans to enlist, and eventually some 5,000 joined

Important QuestionsWhy did the Continental Army decide to

allow free African Americans to enlist?- In response to Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation,

which offered freedom to any African American who fought for the British.

III. Other Sources of Help

A. . 1. . 2. .

B. .1. .2. .3. .4. .

III. Other Sources of Help

A. A. American Indian. 1. Mohawk leader Thayendanegea (Joseph

Brant) persuaded many of the Iroquois to support the British.

2. Patriots worked hard just to keep American Indians neutral.

B. Women1. Ran farms and businesses while men served as soldiers.2. Raised money for supplies or joining sewing groups to

make uniforms3. served as messengers, nurses, or spies .4. Mary Ludwig Hays earned the nickname Molly

Pitcher by bringing water to thirsty Patriot troops. Took husband place loading cannons.

Important QuestionsIn what ways did women serve the patriot

cause?- Running farms and business- Raising money for supplies- Sewing uniforms- Working as messengers, nurses, or spies- Serving in battle

IV. British Victories

A. Canada1. Patriot troops took St. John’s, Canada

and Montreal.2. British won a major victory when the Patriots

attacked Quebec.

B. New York1. British General William Howe drove the

Continental Army off of Long Island.2. After several months they pushed Washington

out of New York.

IV. British Victories

A. .1. .2. .

B. .1. .2. .

Important QuestionsWhat victories did the British enjoy in the

early years of the war?- They defeated the Patriots at Quebec- Drove the Continental Army out of New York

SECTION 4THE PATRIOTS GAIN NEW HOPE

Objectives:

1. What were Washington’s strategies at Trenton and Princeton?

2. Why was the Battle of Saratoga a turning point in the war?

3. How did foreign nations and individuals aid the Patriots?

4. How did the Patriots carry out the naval war?.

Battle of Trenton

I. Victory in New Jersey

A. Trenton1. Howe sent Hessians to New Jersey

2. On Christmas night in 1776, Washington and 2,400 soldiers silently crossed the icy Delaware River.

3. Washington led a surprise attack the next morning.

4. Patriots won the Battle of Trenton in less than an hour.

B. Princeton1. Washington marched northeast to Princeton, New Jersey.

2. The hard-fought Battle of Princeton ended in another victory for the Patriots.

John Burgoyne/ St Leger/ William Howe

Horatio Gates/Benedict Arnold

II. Turning Point at Saratoga

A. British Strategy for New England1. General John Buroyne was to attack Fort Ticonderoga and then

march south.2. A second force was to march east from Lake Ontario.3. General Howe’s troops were to march north from New York City.4. All three forces were to meet at Albany, New York.

B. Howe defeated the Continental Army At the Battle of Brandywine Creek.

C. Saratoga1. Burgoyne’s troops reached Albany before other forces did2. As a result, Patriot forces outnumbered Burgonye’s and the

Patriots won the Battle of Saratoga.3. Victory raised colonial morale and increased foreign support for

the Revolution.

Important Questions

1. What effects did the America victory at Saratoga have?- Improved colonial morale- Increased foreign support for Patriots- Ended threat in New England- 1st Major victory and turning point

III. Foreign Allies

A. France and Spain1. Victory at Saratoga convinced France that the American

could win the war.2. In 1778 the Continental Congress approve an alliance

with France.3. Spain joined the war against Britain in 1779.4. Bernardo de Galvez, governor of Spanish Louisiana,

was a key Patriot ally.

B. Individuals1. Marquis de Lafayette of France fought with the Patriots

and gave them money.2. Officers from Poland provided military training and skill.

IV. Winter at Valley Forge

A. Continental army spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, Pa.

B. Hardships1. More them one fifth of the Continental Army

died of disease and malnutrition.2. Some soldiers became angry and frustrated

with the lack of supplies and pay. 3. Veteran Prussian officer Baron Friedrich von

Steubon drilled the Continental soldiers and helped turn them into well-trained group.

V. The War at Sea

A. Continental Navy.A. Created by Continental Congress in 1775B. Because of the navy’s small size, Patriot ships

attacked individuals British vessels instead of fighting large battles.

B. A successful Captain1. John Paul Jones, originally from Scotland,

captured many British supply ships..2. Won a major victory against the British

warship Serapis in 1779

Important Questions

How did Baron Fredrich Von Steubon aid the Continental Army- drilled soldiers into a well-trained fighting unit

What strategy did commanders in the Continental Navy use against the British

- because navy was small, attached individual ships rather than fighting large battles.

SECTION 5INDEPENDENCE

Objectives:

1. Explain the ways that geography affected the Patriot strategy in the west?

2. Describe how the war took place in the southern colonies?

3. Examine the events that finally ended the war?

I. The War in the WestA. Biography

1. George Rogers Clark was a Virginian who had explored the frontier.

2. Gathered soldiers from small towns, built an army, and attacked forts and towns.

B. Kaskasia1. British trading village located along the Mississippi River.2. Trading post enabled the British to maintain relations with

American Indians, control the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and supply British soldiers in Detroit.

3. Clark’s troops took Kaskaskia in a surprise attack.

C. More Success1. Clark convinced some American Indians to remain neutral2. Won the Battle of Vincennes in February 1779.3. Never captured Fort Detroit but weakened the British war

effort in the west.

Important Questions

Why was Kaskasia an important location in the war in the west?- Trading posts location enabled the British to maintain relations with American Indians, control the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and supply troops in Detroit

II. The War in the SouthA. British Strategy

1. Focused on the southern colonies after defeat in the Battle of Saratoga.

2. Freed slaves, who then assisted the British war effort.

B. British Victories1. Captured port cities of Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston,

South Carolina.2. Defeated Patriot forces led by Horatio Gates at Camden,

South Carolina.3. British victory at Camden destroyed the Patriots’ southern

army.

C. Patriots Fight Back1. Patriots switch to guerrilla warfare- swift hit and run attacks.2. Francis Marion, know as the Swamp Fox and a master of

guerrilla warfare, led a group of soldiers that attached British communications and supply lines.

Important Questions

How did the Patriots respond to the destruction of their southern army?- They turned to guerrilla warfare.

III. Victory at YorktownA. Difficult Times

1. By 1781 the Patriots had run low on money to pay soldiers and buy supplies.

2. Entry of foreign allies had not ended the war quickly, as the Patriots had hoped.

3. Patriots lost morale when Benedict Arnold, a gifted officer, turned traitor.4. British controlled most of the south.

B. Yorktown1. Lies on a peninsula in Virginia.2. British general Charles Cornwallis moved to Yorktown to attack a patriot

force.3. In New York, General George Washington and French general Comte de

Rochambeau planned a strategy to trap Cornwallis.

C. The Battle1. French fleet took control of the Chesapeake Bay, which prevented

Cornwallis from receiving reinforcements by sea.2. Combined American-French force, which was more than twice the size of

Cornwallis’s forces, surrounded Cornwallis and put his forces under siege.3. After several weeks, Battle of Yorktown ended with Cornwallis’s surrender.4. British defeated at Yorktown on October 20, 1781, marked the war’s end.

IV. Treaty of ParisA. Peace negotiations, which began

in June 1781, lasted more than two years.

B. Treaty of Paris of 1783 recognized the independence of the United States, set borders for the new nation, and resolves some trade and settlement issues.

Important Questions

How did the French assist the Americans at Yorktown?- They helped plan strategy, provided troops and fleet to help trap Cornwallis’s forces.