Who Else Fought: The Revolutionary War

WHO ELSE FOUGHT BESIDES THE AMERICANS AND

BRITISH?

The Revolutionary War

Americans and British

⚫ American government did

not yet exist

⚫ No money

⚫ American army made up

of citizen soldiers – who
were poorly trained

⚫ No navy

⚫ Fighting on their home

turf

⚫ British government strongest in

the world

⚫ Lots of money

⚫ Many officers

⚫ British Navy ruled the seas

⚫ Fighting 3000 miles from home

–had to ship supplies and men

⚫ Fight over large geographic

area

⚫ Many British soldiers would not

fight because they had family
and friends in America

Multiple Choice

1. What were some of the disadvantages that the Americans faced during the Revolutionary War?

• They had no navy and no money.

• They had a strong government and many officers.

• They fought on their home turf and had a strong navy.

• They had a small army and no geographic advantage.
  

African Americans

⚫ African Americans wondered how independence

would affect them.

⚫ Are “all men created equal”?

⚫ Will slavery end?

⚫ Should they join the revolution?

⚫ Early on black militiamen fought at Bunker Hill.

⚫ However, Washington banned blacks from the

Continental army.

African Americans

⚫ Even after Washington

banned them, so the the
army would not become
a haven for runaway
slaves, it was thought
that around 5000 African
Americans joined the
Continental Army.

⚫ The British recruited African

Americans and promised
them freedom when the
British won the war.

⚫ As the war went on – many

Americans questioned their
stance on slavery.

⚫ By the war’s end many

northern colonies had taken
steps to end slavery.

Multiple Choice

Why did some African Americans join the British army during the Revolutionary War?

• They were promised freedom if the British won

• They were paid more by the British.

• They were not allowed to join the Continental army.

• They believed in the British cause more than the American cause.

Battle of Cowpens

African American
soldiers fighting for the
Continental army in
South Carolina.

Native Americans

⚫ Most Native American tribes east of the Mississippi

tried to stay neutral.

⚫ They did not know which side they wanted to win.

⚫ Many tribes feared their land would be taken if the

colonials won and, therefore fought with the British.

Multiple Choice

What role did Native Americans play in the Revolutionary War?

• Most tribes fought with the Americans.

• Most tribes tried to stay neutral.

• Most tribes fought with the British.

• Most tribes were not involved in the war.
  

Women’s roles

⚫ Women served in many roles throughout the war.

⚫ Women like Betsy Ross, Patience Lovell Wright,

Molly Pitcher, and Catherine Schuyler helped the
war effort.

⚫ They did everything from spying and fighting to

sewing and cooking.

Multiple Choice

What were some of the roles that women played during the Revolutionary War?

• They served as nurses.

• They served as cooks.

• They served as spies.

• All of the above.

Patience
Wright

An American
born sculptor
specializing in
wax figures.

She smuggled
secret
information
about the war in
her wax figures.

Betsy Ross
Created the
first flag of
the United
States.

Catherine Van
Rensselaer
Schuyler

Catherine was the wife
of General Schuyler of
the Continental Army.

Legend has it that she
set fire to her wheat
fields to prevent them
from being used by the
oncoming British
army.

Mary Ludwig Hays aka Molly Pitcher

⚫ Molly served the army by bringing water to the

soldiers on the battlefield during the battle of
Monmouth.

⚫ That is how she got the name ‘Molly Pitcher’

⚫ When her husband was injured she stepped up and

began loading the cannon.

⚫ She served at the cannon for the remainder of the

battle.

Hessians

⚫ Germany was divided into

300 tiny countries at the
time and King George hired
many of them to fight for
Britain.

⚫ The most came from

Hesse-Cassal – hence
Hessians.

⚫ They were well trained and

numbered around 30,000.

French

⚫ Without the French the Americans might not have

won the war.

⚫ The French helped finance the war.

⚫ They also sent troops to help the Continental army.

⚫ In the process of helping the Americans King Louis

bankrupted France – leading to revolts by the
French people.

⚫ This is known as the French Revolution.

Multiple Choice

How did the French help the Americans during the Revolutionary War?

• They sent troops to fight for the Americans.

• They provided financial support.

• They provided military supplies.

• All of the above.

Multiple Choice

Who were the Hessians?

• German soldiers hired by the Americans.

• German soldiers hired by the British.

• French soldiers hired by the British.

• Spanish soldiers hired by the Americans.

Spanish

⚫ Provided a lot of support

for the Americans.

⚫ The Spanish wanted to

defeat Britain for past
wars like the Seven Years
War.

Surrender of
Cornwallis at
Yorktown

The British
surrender to
combined French
and American
forces on Oct. 19,
1781, shown here in
John Trumbull’s
“Surrender of
Cornwallis at
Yorktown,”
essentially ended
the war.

Multiple Choice

What event essentially ended the Revolutionary War?

• The Battle of Bunker Hill.

• The surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

• The signing of the Declaration of Independence.

• The Treaty of Paris.