American Revolution Course PDF

AMERICAN REVOLUTION Course This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA- LEARNING INTENTIONS Explore the Explore key role of events of George the War of Washington Independen...

AMERICAN REVOLUTION Course This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA- LEARNING INTENTIONS Explore the Explore key role of events of George the War of Washington Independen during the ce war. KEY TERMS First continental Congress Valley Forge Intolerable acts Battle of Yorktown Militia Treaty of Paris Minutemen George Washington Battle of Lexington Battle of Concord Battle of Bunker Hill Declaration of Independence THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS The Continental Congress served as The Congress also passed the Articles the government of the 13 American of Association, which called on the colonies, and later the United States, colonies to stop importing goods from 1774 to 1789. from the British Isles beginning on The First Continental Congress, December 1, 1774, if the Intolerable comprised of delegates from the Acts were not repealed. colonies, met in 1774 in reaction to the Should Britain fail to redress the Intolerable Acts, a series of measures colonists’ grievances in a timely imposed by the British government manner, the Congress declared, then after the colonies resisted new taxes. it would reconvene on May 10, 1775, After much discussion, the Congress and the colonies would cease to issued a Declaration of Rights, export goods to Britain on September affirming its loyalty to the British Crown 10, 1775. After proclaiming these but disputing the British Parliament’s measures, the First Continental right to tax it without representation in Congress disbanded on October 26, the parliament. 1774.  The British army in Boston had met with armed resistance on the morning of April 19, 1775, when it marched out to the towns of Lexington and Concord to seize a cache of weapons held by colonial Patriots who had ceased to recognize the authority of the royal government of Massachusetts. The colonists drove the British expedition back to Boston and laid siege to the THE BATTLE OF town. The Revolutionary War had LEXINGTON AND begun. CONCORD GENERAL GAGE PAUL REVERE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS In 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened after the Revolutionary War had already begun. In 1776, it took the momentous step of declaring America’s independence from Britain. Five years later, the Congress ratified the first national constitution, the Articles of Confederation, under which the country would be governed until 1789, when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.  DECLARATIO N OF INDEPENDEN CE Full transcript https://www.archives.gov/founding-doc s/declaration-transcript Facts about the Declaration https://www.archives.gov/founding-doc s/signers-gallery Add your name https://www.archives.gov/founding-doc s/join-the-signers GEORGE WASHINGTON https://www.mountvernon.org/g eorge-washington/george-washi ngton-key-facts/ Key Facts Read textbook and add any new facts from this website. GEORGE WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (HAMILTON 5 MIN) THE CONTINENTAL ARMY On June 14, 1775, the Continental Army was created. 2. Each state was designated a specific quota to fill a line in the army. 3. As young as 16 years old and $6.25 a month. 4. A standard uniform: At the start of the conflict, soldiers wore an array of clothing, including what they had worn from home. In 1779, George Washington ordered that Continental soldiers serving in the infantry would be issued blue coats.  The Continental Army 20,000 men Part-time soldiers, many only serving for short periods Poorly trained and equipped: a variety of guns and other weapons, even makeshift ones from farm tools Problems of indiscipline and disease Congress was slow to pay the army The soldiers had local knowledge and could use this against the British CONTINUED… historians believe that the Continental army had approximately 230,000 soldiers soldiers of multiple ethnicities, served altogether over the 8 including African Americans and years of the war. Native Americans. The total number of American At one time, nearly 10% of casualties stands at Washington's army consisted of approximately 24,000. 8,000 Black soldiers. killed in action. This would be the last time, until 16,000 died of illnesses or the Korean War, that the United starvation. States Army had integrated units.  25,000 men suffered wounds men of multiple European nations during the war. served in the ranks throughout the entire war. The British Army Strengths: 80,000 men Professional, full-time soldiers Well trained and equipped with the best weapons of the time Large navy for supplies Weaknesses: Fighting in an unfamiliar country Treated all Americans as enemies and punished civilians, increasing support for the rebels Thousands of miles from home THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE After fighting broke out in 1775, there were a number of major battles between the two sides: Washington lost his first battle, at Bunker Hill, but inflicted heavy casualties on the British. The Continental Army won the Battle of Boston and captured cannons and rifles which were needed for the war.  THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE After Washington was defeated at New York in 1776, he gained two small victories at Princeton and Trenton. In 1777, the British General Howe’s army of 18,000 men captured Philadelphia, America’s largest city and the home of the Continental Congress. This was a huge blow: many people began to doubt that America could win and they questioned Washington’s leadership. TURNING POINT: SARATOGA AND THE ENTRY OF THE FRENCH The month after the loss of Philadelphia, the American General Gates defeated a British army of 8,000 men at Saratoga. This victory reassured the American people and some of Britain’s European rivals became interested. France, Spain and the Netherlands joined the war against Britain in 1778. TURNING POINT: SARATOGA AND THE ENTRY OF THE FRENCH French help was particularly key to the colonies’ eventual victory. They sent 6,000 troops and weapons and used their fleet to disrupt British supplies. In addition, more troops had to stay behind in Britain in case of a French attack there.  TURNING POINT: VALLEY FORGE After his defeat at Philadelphia, Washington regrouped at a remote base called Valley Forge with his 11,000 men during the winter of 1777–1778. This was one of the harshest winters of the century. The men endured great hardship and hunger in the freezing cold. Disease was rife in the camp and by the end of February, 3,000 men had died and hundreds more had deserted (abandoned the army). TURNING POINT: VALLEY FORGE However, the army that emerged from Valley Forge at winter’s end had been transformed. Washington had won the undying loyalty of his men by refusing to abandon them and sharing in their terrible conditions. During the winter, the professional Prussian soldier Baron Von Steuben had drilled the soldiers until they were as well trained and disciplined as any European army. VALLEY FORGE: TURNING POINT SIEGE OF YORKTOWN The battle took place in Yorktown Virginia from September 28th of 1781 through October 19th 1781. The battle pitted General George Washington, aided by French General de Rochambeau, against British General Lord Cornwallis. The Americans had a fighting force of approximately 8,800 who were aided by 7,800 French soldiers against a British force of about 6,000. The defeat of the British at Yorktown prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the American Revolution and give the colonist their freedom. BATTLE OF YORKTOWN (4 MIN) WOMEN OF THE WAR Molly Pitcher was a patriot who carried pitchers of water to soldiers and helped with cannon duty during the American Revolution's Battle of Monmouth. BETSY ROSS Late in May 1776, three members from the Continental Congress called upon Betsy Ross and asked her to sew the first flag. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, seeking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." WASHINGTON’S LATER LIFE After the victory in the war, Washington retired to his Mount Vernon estate. He was soon called back to serve the people as the president of the Constitutional Convention. This was called in 1787 to write a constitution for their new country, the United States of America. US CONSTITUTION See classroom copy WASHINGTON’S LATER LIFE After the victory in the war, Washington retired to his Mount Vernon estate. He was soon called back to serve the people as the president of the Constitutional Convention. This was called in 1787 to write a constitution for their new country, the United States of America. WASHINGTON’S LATER LIFE Washington was elected the first president of the US in 1789 and was re- elected in 1792. He worked to set up the new American government and surrounded himself with the best men of his age to work with him, including Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. He retired to Mount Vernon, where in 1799 he died from pneumonia. WASHINGTON’S LATER LIFE The capital of the US was named ‘Washington’ in honour of the man many Americans consider ‘the father of the nation’. ` The Washington Monument AMERICAN REVOLUTION SUMMARY (15)