A Critical Time in the American Revolution

A Critical Time in the American Revolution

Review: 1775/early 1776

• Tensions increased between the colonists and the British, especially in the Boston area

• Fighting broke out between the colonists and the British at Lexington & Concord and at Bunker Hill- still the colonists attempted to make peace with the "Olive Branch Petition"

• Thomas Paine wrote "Common Sense" in January 1776 explaining why the colonists needed to declare independence.

• Colonists who wanted independence were known as Patriots-those who didn't were called Loyalists

Early in the fighting, the American Patriots were able to do better than expected.

Lexington & Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill were morale victories as they were able to keep the British from taking Boston

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys were able to take Ft. Ticonderoga

Benedict Arnold is able to surround and occupy the British in Quebec for 6 months before retreating.

Declaring independence

• In May 1776 , the Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Here, representatives from most of the colonies agree to support independence from Great Britain.

• A committee of five men- Ben Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson were assigned to write the Declaration

• The Declaration of Independence was formally approved on July 4th, 1776

Multiple Choice

When was the Declaration of Independence formally adopted?

• July 2, 1776

• July 4, 1775

• July 4, 1776

• August 2, 1776

The Declaration of Independence

• Thomas Jefferson used John Locke's ideas about natural rights in the declaration

• He also said it was the job of the government to protect the people- Locke's social contract

• Jefferson stated when the government doesn't protect the people, then they have the right to get rid of the government

• Finally, he listed all of the things the British government had done wrong concerning the colonies- a long list of grievances.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following thinkers influenced Thomas Jefferson's writing of the Declaration of Independence?

• George Washington

• Alexander Hamilton

• John Jay

• John Locke

• The British drive the Patriots out of New York during the Battle of Long Island

• The Patriots were forced to retreat through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania.

• This is the first major loss for the Patriots- many lose confidence in Washington's ability to lead the army.

• Philadelphia's threatened by the British - it's the Patriot's capitol.

Multiple Choice

Which battle was the first major loss for the Patriots in the American Revolution?

• Lexington and Concord

• Bunker HIll

• Long Island

• Ticonderoga

Patriot Successes

• Washington surprises the British & Hessians on the day after Christmas, 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey- they are able to capture almost 1,000 Hessian soldiers.

• Washington then tricked the British in order to escape at night.

• This was a morale boost for the Patriots

At the same time, British General Burgoyne planned a three pronged attack to cut off New England.

Each group was supposed to drive towards Albany, New York from different directions.

The plan had many different setbacks along the way and although the British were able to re-take Ft. Ticonderoga, the Americans under General Horatio Gates were able to force Burgoyne to surrender at Saratoga, New York in Sept. 177

Impact of Patriot wins

1) Many Hessian mercenaries actually joined the Patriot cause after Trenton.

2)Confidence in the Patriot cause was restored

3) After the Battle of Saratoga, the French agree to send troops to fight in the war to help the Patriots.

4) The British realize that this war is not going to be an easy war to win.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was a a result of the Patriot battle successes?

• Patriot morale was restored

• the French agree to help the Patriots against the British

• the British realize the war won't be an easy victory

• all of these

European help

The French, Spanish, and Dutch create an alliance with the Patriots in 1778 to send troops and weapons to help in the fight ( remember all of these countries were enemies to Great Britain at some point because of mercantilism)

Many volunteers from European countries came to help the Patriots as they supported the cause for independence, including Lafayette, von Steuben, and Kosciusko.

Multiple Choice

Why did France, the Netherlands, and Spain agree to help the Patriots and create an alliance with the Patriots?

• The Patriots were able to prove they could win a major battle at Saratoga so it is worth joining the fight

• The French, Spanish, and Dutch were competing against the British

• both of these

Valley Forge

• Most armies at the time stopped fighting during the heavy winter months. In the winter of 1777-1778, the British had captured Philadelphia, and the Washington and his men are forced to camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

• It was one of the worst winters ever on record.

• the Patriots had few supplies and little food during the winter, and were often sick and many died.

• Many Americans including Martha Washington sent supplies and food to the men

• Von Steuben trained the men and helped to improve conditions in the camp for the men

• By spring, the Patriots are ready to resume the fight

Multiple Choice

How did Patriot supporters help the army at Valley Forge?

• they didn't help at Valley Forge- they helped in Philadelphia

• they sent Native Americans to help them fight

• they sent supplies and food to the army at Valley Forge

• They decided to fire Washington as commander of the Army

Multiple Choice

Which of the following were countries that helped the Patriots against the British?

• France

• Spain

• the Netherlands

• all of these