Campaigns of the American Revolution

CAMPAIGNS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1.  Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill (p. 81)

·  Occurred on June 17, 1775

·  Moving at night, the colonists had secured both Breed's and Bunker Hill overlooking Boston Harbor.

·  Redcoats attacked by crossing Boston Harbor in boats and fighting uphill.

·  Colonists were told, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes."

·  British retreated twice before defeating the colonists on the third try.

·  Colonists were forced to retreat when they ran out of ammunition.

·  British won the battle but suffered more than 1,000 casualties, more than twice the number of casualties for the colonists.

·  Moral victory for the colonists because they were able to withstand British firepower and fight them.

2.  New York (p. 92)

·  The battle took place in late June 1776.

·  General William Howe led the British.

·  General George Washington led the Continental Army.

·  Washington's 23,000 troops were outnumbered by 32,000 redcoats

·  Continental Army was forced to abandon Long Island

·  Continental Army suffered 1,000 casualties compare to 400 for the British

·  British drove the patriots from Manhattan, eventually pushing them back all the way to New Jersey

·  For the British General Howe, it was revenge for his defeat at the hands of the patriots in Boston

·  Series of battles which lasted several months

·  Results were disastrous for Washington's army - many patriots were captured as well as valuable supplies

·  British victory

3.  Trenton and Princeton (p. 92-93)

·  Howe left Trenton to be protected by soldiers from Germany known as Hessians.

·  The Hessians were hired soldiers or mercenaries, who fought for pay not loyalty

·  Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776

·  Many American soldiers were without shoes walking through a snow storm

·  Washington attacked the Hessians at Trenton on December 26

·  The Hessians were asleep when the Patriots attacked

·  More than 900 Hessians were captured

·  Important Patriot victory

·  Washington marched on to Princeton

·  Used trick plan

·  Patriots left their campfires burning and circled around the city, surrounding the Redcoats.

·  Washington and his troops attacked the British in the morning, fighting a hard, quick battle

·  Drove the British out of Princeton

·  American victory

·  These victories boosted the colonists' spirits at the end of 1776 encouraging new soldiers to enlist and others to re-enlist. This saved the Continental Army and the Revolution.

4.  Saratoga (p. 94-95)

·  British led by General John Burgoyne

·  Greatest American victory up to this point

·  Turning point of the war.

·  It became clear that the British were losing the war.

·  France came into the war as an American ally. France gave the Americans money, soldiers, supplies, and the French navy.

·  British General Howe was delayed in reaching Burgoyne by Patriot tactics

·  Burgoyne was isolated and outnumbered when he clashed with the Patriots at Saratoga.

·  Burgoyne was thoroughly defeated

·  Burgoyne surrendered to General Horatio Gates on October 17, 1777

5.  Valley Forge (p.96)

·  Camp for Washington's Continental Army during the winter of 1777-1778.

·  Soldiers were poorly clothed (some had no shoes or shirts), had inadequate shelter, and little food.

·  During that winter, 2000 troops died from malnutrition and disease.

·  Soldiers stayed despite the terrible conditions and trained

·  In February of 1778, Prussian officer Frederick von Steuben arrived to drill and train the army

·  Baron von Steuben changed the Continental Army from a disorganized group to a finely tuned force

6.  The Naval War (p.97)

·  The Continental Navy and marines were not established until 1775

·  Continental Navy fleet very small: only 8 ships in 1776

·  Continental ships attacked and sunk hundreds of individual British ships

·  John Paul Jones famous naval hero; known for being brave and clever

·  Jones is most famous for the saying, "I have not yet begun to fight." when asked to surrender by a British captain because his ship had become so badly damaged

·  Jones continued the battle for two more hours and defeated the British.

·  American Victory

7.  Yorktown (p.100)

·  Early 1781, the patriots are low on morale.

·  Benedict Arnold, an American officer, turns traitor

·  British hold the South, Philadelphia, and New York City

·  Under Nathaniel Greene, the Continental Army begins harassing British General Cornwallis in the Carolinas. Cornwallis decides to move his men to Yorktown, VA.

·  Washington sees he has a chance to trap Cornwallis and plans an attack with French troops under Comte de Rochambeau.

·  Patriots surround Cornwallis at Yorktown with 16,000 soldiers.

·  French naval fleet blockades Chesapeake Bay keeping British fleet out

·  Cornwallis is under siege for several weeks while Washington prepares to attack

·  On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrenders with 8,000 British soldiers.

·  The last major battle of the American Revolution

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