The Road to Independence

1. The Road to Independence

2. Americans vs British Advantages Disadvantages Better trained troops Better supplied Best navy on Earth (compared to small, almost nonexistent American Navy) • American troops were fighting for a cause • fighting on their own territory • terrain and climate were not great for European style fighting • troops did not have to be shipped in from 3,000 miles away (like British)

3. The 1st major battle of the war, Battle of Bunker Hill, although technically a loss for the Americans, the battle motivated the colonists • It also proved to the British that American rebels would not be easy to beat!

4. In addition to the Blockade, King George III paid for Hessian troops from Germany to help fight the American colonists • The Hessians were mercenaries (soldiers paid to fight) But their fee was paid to the Prince of the German province from which they came, not to the troops directly

5. After several months of losing, Washington realized that his men desperately needed a victory • General Howe had ordered his officers to set up camp for the winter with the intension of fighting again in the Spring

6. Crossing the Delaware • On Christmas night, Washington secretly led 2,400 of his most experienced troops across the icy Delaware River toward Trenton, NJ. • The plan was to attack the Hessian held fort in Trenton

7. The Hessians did not take their American enemies very seriously and never expected an attack in blizzard-like conditions.

8. Battle of Trenton • Washington told his men to fix bayonets and they attacked from all directions • The battle went remarkably well for the Americans, killing or wounding 106 Hessians • Americans suffering no casualties during the battle, but two men did freeze to death while crossing the Delaware.

9. The almost 1,500 strong Hessian regiment surrendered • They lost their commanding officer during the battle • The Battle of Trenton reinvigorated American spirits and revived the Revolution

10. The British quickly sent General Cornwallis to trap and attack Washington • Washington expected the attack and set up a decoy, leaving a few men in his camp to keep the fire burning • When Cornwallis and his troops arrived near the area, they spotted the fires and decided to attack the next morning • Of course, Washington and his men had slipped behind Cornwallis

11. Battle of Princeton • Some of Washington’s men ran into Cornwallis’ rear guard just outside of Princeton and heavy fighting broke out • Washington rode to the scene to rally his men as they waited for reinforcements • The British began to flee and Washington wisely decided not to pursue them

12. Battle of Princeton • Washington decided to advance into Princeton and take the town • His troops battled a few soldiers remaining in Princeton and won easily • Washington knew that Cornwallis would return and it would be impossible to defend Princeton • He decided to move his men to Morristown, NJ where they would spend the rest of the winter • The Battles of Trenton and Princeton served as tremendous morale boosters for Washington’s soldiers

13. Battle of Saratoga • Two battles eighteen days apart: the Battle of Freeman's Farmon September 19 and the Battle of Bemis Heightson October 7

14. General John Burgoyne • British officer who won the Battle of Freeman’s Farm but suffered a 44% casualty rate • But the battle was not over… Burgoyne set up on Bemis Heights • Burgoyne was outnumbered 11,000 to 5,000 • Burgoyne realized that he needed to surrender • The battle of Saratoga was a huge victory for Americans! • This decisive American victory resulted in the surrender of an entire British army of 9,000 men • The result was that many nations in the world recognized the American fight for independence as a possibility

15. Since 1776, Benjamin Franklin had been in France trying to sway the French King to help the Americans (acted as the US Ambassador to France) • But King Louis XVI needed proof that the Americans could win… Saratoga was his proof! • In 1778, King Louis XVI made France the first nation to ally itself with the United States, promising military aid

16. Valley Forge • Washington set up camp for the Winter of 1777-78 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania • American troops slept in shabby quarters, they had little clothing, some had no shoes • When the colonists heard of the suffering, they sent clothing, food, ammunition and other necessities

17. Washington also received help in other ways as well… • Even before Valley Forge, a young French nobleman named Marquis de Lafayette came to American to assist Washington • With him, he brought professional French soldiers to train Washington’s troops

18. Cornwallis and Yorktown • Cornwallis was ordered to set up at a place called Old Point Comfort • Instead, Cornwallis thought Yorktown, which jets into the Chesapeake Bay would be more suitable • The area was a very poor choice!

19. Cornwallis and Yorktown French Admiral Comte de Grasse, came to the Americans aid by West Indies, defeating the British Navy in the Chesapeake bay and cutting off Cornwallis’ supply route (and escape route)

20. Cornwallis Surrenders @ Yorktown • While the British were bombarded by the sea, American and French forces on land would dig trenches • Alexander Hamilton attacked the British with a force that secured an area which completely cut Cornwallis off • Cornwallis determined, after many weeks, that he was not going to be rescued

21. Cornwallis Surrenders @ Yorktown • On October 17, 1781, Cornwallis sent a junior officer to surrender to Washington • Although there was some fighting (particularly in the frontier) after the Battle of Yorktown, the American Revolution was essentially ended

22. Treaty of Paris 1783 • After intense negotiations, in Paris, led by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, the Treaty of Paris was finally ratified by the Congress on April 15, 1783… 8 years to the month from the opening shots of the war at the Battles of Lexington & Concord

23. Treaty of Paris 1783 • The Treaty of Paris of 1783 did the following: • Britain recognized the United States of American as an independent nation • Border ran from Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River • Florida was returned to Spain • Americans agreed to ask state legislatures to pay Loyalists for property they had lost during the war (most legislatures refused to act)