Section 3: Turning Points of the War

1. Section 3: Turning Points of the War

2. Objectives • Explain the advantages the British held at the start of the war, and the mistakes they made by underestimating the Patriots. • Describe the frontier war. • Evaluate the major military turning points of the war.

3. Terms and People • William Howe – British general whose mistakes resulted in many British deaths at Bunker Hill • mercenary – soldier for hire • Battle of Trenton – surprisevictory by General Washington in December 1776 • Charles Cornwallis – British general defeated at Princeton and later forced to surrender at Yorktown • Battle of Princeton – 1777 Patriot victory that came on the heels of Trenton

4. Terms and People (continued) • Saratoga –American victory in New York (1777) that led to alliance with France • Marquis de Lafayette – French nobleman who assisted Washington • Benjamin Franklin – ambassador to France who persuaded the French to aid the Americans • Valley Forge – Pennsylvania camp where Washington’s army spent the harsh winter of 1777-1778 • Monmouth – defeat of British troops after their evacuation of Philadelphia in June 1778

5. What factors helped the Patriots win the war? The Patriots needed to overcome a powerful empire The Colonists were:20% Loyalists plus 20% slaves plus many who remained neutral

6. The odds were against the Patriots. • Britain− • Well-organized government. • British troops were well trained and had better supplies. • Colonists− • Continental Congress just starting out and had no money. • Continental soldiers were cold, hungry, and poorly equipped.

7. British commanders made major mistakes. • British generals didn’t take Patriots seriously. • The British battle tactics were bad for fighting in America. • Hessian mercenaries angered colonists.

8. Battle of Bunker Hill: Fought to show British military power. The Redcoats suffered heavy casualties. In early 1776, cannons at Fort Ticonderoga were dragged to Boston to fire on the British. They soon evacuated.

9. British General Howe’s 3 goals: Defeat the Continental Army on battlefield. • Capture the seaports to block trade. Capture the capital of Philadelphia. The Patriots kept fighting even with setbacks. Why do you think it is a problem to capture the colonists’ seaports and capital?

10. George Washington didn’t win many battles but he kept the Continental Army intact. He only fought when conditions were favorable.

11. The colonists endured despite hard times. • Inflation • Shortages of goods caused by British blockade. • Washington’s troops spent the cold winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge. There was diseaseand hunger; many had no shoes or coats. • Where is Valley Forge?

12. Thomas Paine’sThe American Crisisessays provided inspiration. The Continental Army kept the British occupied, allowing local militia to eliminate Loyalists in the countryside.

13. Women during the war… • Wives and daughters made blankets, clothing, and shoes for soldiers. • Some wives cooked, washed clothes, and maintained the camp. • In battle, Mary Hayes, known as “Molly Pitcher,” helped with the fighting.

14. Forced out of Boston in 1776, the British took New York and forced Washington to retreat across New Jersey.

15. Washington counterattacked with a surprise Christmas night raid on the Hessian mercenaries in the Battle of Trenton. Heavy British casualties on GeneralCharles Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.

16. In October 1777, British General John Burgoyne invaded the Hudson Valley from Canada. He fell into a trap at Saratoga. Thanks to Benedict Arnold, the Patriots won. France decided to form an alliance and send troops.

17. Britain’s European enemies sent assistance. • Ben Franklin persuaded France to send supplies, troops, and a navy. • French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette volunteered to help Washington.

18. Baron Von Steuben, a German, volunteered to train and drill Washington’s men • The Spanish in New Orleans kept the British from entering the Mississippi River

19. In 1779, the British and the Iroquois attacked outposts in northern New York. • Colonists burned 40 Iroquois villages to break the power of the Iroquois Confederacy.

20. In the Northwest, Colonel George Rogers Clark and French allies captured key British posts. • Americans were in control of the Ohio River Valley when the war ended.

21. Fighting on the western frontier impacted relations with Native Americans. • Native Americans sided with the British and attacked colonists all along the frontier. • Settlers ignored truces and killed neutral Indians. • Hostilities continued long after the war ended.

22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ssy3kzCAYk (American Revolution Documentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUiSBXQHCw (American Revolution Crash Course)

23. Section 3 Assessment • How was George Washington an effective general? (Pg. 118) • In what ways did Britain have an advantage over the colonists? (Pg. 118-119) • What role did the Native Americans play in the war effort? (Pg. 122) • How did European allies help the colonists during the war? (Pg. 120)

24. He led colonists through major hardships, only fought when conditions were favorable • They were better trained and better equipped • Hostile tensions resulted from the Native Americans siding with the British and a fight over land in the frontier • They provided them with well-trained troops and supplies