Revolutionary War Outline

Revolutionary War Outline

(Everything in parenthesis is information you need to research and fill in the blank)

I.  Revolutionary War 1775-1778

A.  13 Colonies vs Great Britain

1.  (List the 13 colonies)VA,MA,NH,NJ,NY,MD,RI,CN,DE,NC,SC,PA,GA

B.  Continental Congress:

1.  (What is the Continental Congress)

a.  The First Continental Congress was a body of representatives appointed by the legislatures of twelve North American colonies of Great Britain in 1774.

2.  (What is the Continental Army)

a.  (George Washington)

2/22/1732 – 12/14/1799

Youth – worked as surveyor of rural lands

Experience – command French and Indian War – 1754-1763

Commander in Chief of Continental Army

Presided over Constitutional Convention, drafted the US Constitution 1787

Elected as Pres – 2 terms – 1789-97

b.  (Patriots)

  1. also known as Revolutionaries, Americans, Rebels, North American colonist who rebelled against British Monarchy to establish the USA

c.  (Germany)

  1. British hired 30,000 soldiers from Germany

d.  (Blacks)

  1. British offered freedom to any blacks who deserted and fought for Britain. About 1,000 did
  2. Did not get freedom at end
  3. When shortage in Continental Army, Washington lifted ban on black enlistment.
  4. Several all black units in RI and MA (5,000 in all served)

e.  (Native Americans)

  1. Most opposed War – their lands being threatened by expansion.
  2. 13,000 fought for British –
  3. Iroquois Confederacy – 1,500

C.  Battles

1.  (Boston, MA)

Stamp Act of 1765/Townsend Acts of 1767 Taxation w/o representation by British to colonist

Led to Boston Massacre/Boston Tea Party

2.  Concord, MA
a.  (Lieutenant General Thomas Gage)
  1. Commander in Chief British Forces in North America
  2. 4/18/1775 Sent 700 men to seize munitions stored at Concord.

b.  (Paul Revere)

  1. Alerted the countryside
  2. “One if by land, two if by sea” – Newman/Pulling held lanterns in Old North Church
  3. Revere and William Dawes alerted the countryside of British arriving by Charles River.
  4. Did not yell “The British are coming” but rather “The redcoats are coming”

c.  (Minutemen)

  1. members of the militia of American Colonies

3.  (Lexington and Concord)

a.  Lexington –

  1. Shot heard around the world
  2. Capt John Parker led 75 Lexington Militiamen
  3. "Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here."
  4. Maj. John Pitcairn (British)
  5. Led British into Lexington
  6. told militia: "Disperse you rebels; damn you, throw down your arms and disperse!"
  7. Parker told his troops to do it, some did, some didn’t

iv.  Someone fired a shot and battle began

b.  British ordered to seize weapons hidden in Concord

  1. Colonist alerted and had moved and secured weapons
  2. Old North Bridge
  3. Militia in a T behind bridge
  4. British coming across bridge
  5. British officer fired
  6. Militia held to orders didn’t fire unitl 50yrds from bridge
  7. British outnumbers and out maneuvered - colonist won

4.  (Bunker Hill)

a.  Bloodiest battle of Rev War

  1. Gen Israel Putnam – Revol forces
  2. Putnam or Col William Prescott – said
  3. Don’t shoot til you see the whites of their eyes – protocol of how and when to shoot
  4. Maj Gen William Howe - Bristish

b.  most fighting took place at Breed’s Hill

c.  British casualties 226 dead, 828 wounded

d.  Rev forces – 140 dead, 30 captured, 380 wounded

5.  New York and New Jersey

a.  Gen Howe withdrew from Boston focused on NYC

  1. Wash. Read new Declaration of American Indep. To his men.
  2. Winter – Wash fewer than 5,000 men, later after enlisted expired only 1,400 left

b.  (“These are the times that try men’s souls”)

  1. Thomas Paine wrote w/Wash in retreat

c.  (General Lord Cornwallis)

  1. Chased Wash and troops through NJ across the Delaware

d.  (Washington crosses the Delaware)

  1. Wash crosses Delaware at night 12/25/1776 captured 1,000 men.
  2. Wash out maneuvered Conrwallis at Princeton

6.  (Surrender at Saratoga)

  1. Gen John Burgoyne led British forces
  2. Led 10,000 men in NY
  3. Second column of 2,000 led by Barry St.Leger Mohawk River valley
  4. Benedict Arnold led American Militiamen turned around St. Leger
  5. Burgoyne now only 6,000
  6. Gen Horatio Gates led 8,000 Americans
  7. Burgoyne surrendered to Gates on Oct. 17, 1777

b.  (Joseph Brant)

  1. Fought for the British under St.Leger
  2. North American Indian - Mohawk

7.  (Valley Forge)

a.  Wash and army camped at VF for 6 months during winter of 1777

b.  2,500 out of 10,000 died fromm disease and exposure

c.  Am forces trained by Baron Von Steuben – Prussian organization and tactics

d.  France joined war due to British Surrender at Saratoga

  1. French navy now in war on US side

II.  Revolutionary War 1888-1783

A.  The International War

1.  France, Spain both join as Allies of US as did Netherlands

B.  (France – Treaty of Alliance)

1.  Feb. 6, 1778 France vow to support US

C.  (Continental Navy)

1.  Continental Congress authorized Continental Navy 10/1775

a.  Mostly used for commerce raiding

2.  (John Paul Jones)

a.  first American naval hero

b.  captured HMS Drake – first victory for American navy

D.  (Battle of Camden)

1.  Gates suffers worst loss, set stage for Cornwallis to invade Carolinas

E.  (General Lafayette)

1.  Hero in France and US

2.  escaped Cornwallis in VA, moved his forces to Yorktown, VA

F.  (Yorktown, VA)

1.  final battle of the war

2.  Cornwallis surrendered

a.  Supplies cut off by French navy defeating British navy

b.  Wash moved combined forces French/American to NY then to Yorktown in Oct. 1781

G.  (Treaty of Paris)

1.  Signed on 9/3/1783

a.  British agreed to give all land between Appalachian Mts. To Mississippi River to Americans (w/out consulting Indians)

2.  US congress ratified 1/14/1784

3.  British troops left 11/24/1783

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