The American Revolution (Part 2)

The American Revolution - Part 2

A brief summary of the war that led to the creation of the United States.

The American Revolution had already begun when the Second Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. Delegates from all 13 colonies attended the congress. New delegates included Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. The congress took control of the colonies’ new Continental Army. It put Washington in command of the army. The congress also started the process of creating money for the colonies and borrowing money to run the government. In addition to this, they also set up a postal service and created a navy. At first the congress still said that the colonists were fighting for their rights as British citizens. On July 2, 1776, however, the congress stated that the colonies should be independent states. The congress declared independence from Britain two days later.

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​The 2nd Continental Congress

Multiple Choice

True or False: The American Revolution was over when the 2nd Continental Congress met in 1775.

• True

• False

Open Ended

What were three important things that the 2nd Continental Congress did?

Multiple Choice

True or False: The 2nd Continental Congress immediately issued the Declaration of Independence when they met in May of 1775.

• True

• False

The Declaration of Independence

As war broke out, the governments of each colony formally declared their independence. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee made a motion for independence before the Second Continental Congress. Four days later, a committee was selected to write a document explaining the reasons for separating from Britain. Congress voted to ratify the Declaration of Independence that was drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson and prominently signed by John Hancock on July 4, 1776. The new country was called the United States of America.

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​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

​1776 – 1778: Defending Independence

The 2nd Continental Congress also prepared the Articles of Confederation, which created the first government of the new United States. However, the Articles of Confederation did not go into effect until 1781. After that, the Continental Congress became known as the Confederation Congress. The Confederation Congress had little real control over the states.

​The Articles of Confederation

Multiple Choice

What did the Articles of Confederation do?

• They were a peace agreement that ended the war between Britain and the colonies.

• They created the first government of the United States.

• They were a series of articles written to convince colonists to help fight Britain.

Open Ended

There were many weaknesses to the Articles of Confederation. Look over the list of weaknesses.

Which two do you think were most problematic when trying to fund and fight a war against England?

As the war continued, the Continental Army experienced challenges and hardships as well as a number of notable victories. After several defeats in New York, General Washington led the army across the icy Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 to attack Trenton. Before the battle, the troops listened to a passage from The Crisis, a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. They drew inspiration from his stirring prose that described the challenges ahead. Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

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​Drawing Inspiration From Prose

Multiple Choice

What is Thomas Paine saying in the pamphlet that George Washington read to the troops?

• That the colonists had put up a good fight but they should give up and stop fighting the British

• He understands that the times are difficult and people might want to quite fighting the war, but that the people who continue to deserve the thanks of all the colonists.

Open Ended

Examine the image of the Continental soldiers camp during the Revolutionary War. Do you think you would have been able to live and fight under these conditions? Why or why not?

Although the army faced severe hardships during the winter encampment, they became an effective fighting force through the training they received under the skillful direction of Baron Friedrich von Steuben. At the end of this horrific winter, France signed an alliance, negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, to aid the United States with money and militarily. The British would evacuate Philadelphia in June 1778.

Building Alliances

​A 19th-century copy of French artist Louis Charles-Auguste Couder’s painting Siege of Yorktown (1781), which features George Washington and French general Comte de Rochambeau.

Multiple Select

Although the winter at Valley Forge was difficult on the colonists, it helped them in two ways. What were these two ways?

• It gave them time to train as an army and become better soldiers

• The cold weather and snow killed a lot of the men

• Spain signed an alliance with the colonies during the winter and started providing money and resources to the army.

• France signed an alliance with the colonies during the winter and started providing money and resources to the army.

Early in the war, the British controlled Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. They had hoped that a strong number of people loyal to the King in the South would rally around the Crown. Despite losing battles, the Continental Army waged a successful guerrilla war against the British in Georgia and the Carolinas. Patriot victories at the Battles of King’s Mountain and Cowpens, led by Nathaniel Greene and the “Swamp Fox” Francis Marion, kept loyalists from joining British forces. This forced General Cornwallis to move north into North Carolina and finally Virginia.

Continentals Versus Loyalists

Open Ended

According to the reading, why did many colonists who were loyal to Britain choose to not join their army?

While the Continental Army was fighting on land, the fledgling Continental Navy was engaged at sea. Although mainly using privateers, the United States did have a few ships of its own. It was during a sea battle between his ship and a British warship that Captain John Paul Jones uttered his famous quote, ”I have not yet begun to fight,” when asked if he intended to surrender his ship. Along with the French Navy led by Comte de Grasse, naval forces helped to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.

Taking the Fight to Sea

Multiple Choice

What do you think the word fledgling means?

Use the sentence on the previous slide to help you figure it out.

• superior

• inexperienced

• expert

Multiple Choice

True or False: The French Navy was important to helping the colonies win the war. The French Navy helped fight the British Navy and prevent British troops by using Naval boats to escape.

• True

• False