Revolutionary War Notes

A Country Divided
2/5th - Patriots
Mostly in New
England and VA

A Country Divided
1/5thLoyalits=
Tories
Mostly in
NY and
South

Colonies Divided
Native
Americans
African
Americans
Have to decide
which side will
treat them best if
they win

Americans- Disadvantages
Had to start Army/Navy from Scratch
No formal government to make decisions
Scarce supplies: money, clothing, food,
guns, ammo

Americans-Advantages
Better leadership-Washington
Home Field Advantage
Tactics/Strategy-guerilla warfare
Foreign Aid- France as an ally
Motivated to save own land

British Disadvantages
Far away from Britain, sending orders,
getting news takes 2 months
Fought using old strategies-unwilling to
change
Has a worldwide empire to worry about

British Advantages
Best Army and Navy in the world
Also 30,000 hired mercenaries
Controlled major cities (NY and Boston)
Richest nation in the world
Strong and organized government

Early Strategies-American
Score early victories to show they were
for real
Drum up support-gain more patriots
Gain foreign allies-France, Spain

Early Strategies-British
Occupy major coastal cities-take
advantage of better Navy
Drum up Loyalist support
Crush the Continental Army before it has
a chance to gain momentum

War in the North

Patriots drive British from Boston, NYC
Britain gets serious about war, sends
huge amount of troops, ships, supplies
Britain kicks patriots out of NYC
Begins a year of defeats for Washington
and Continentals

Trenton
Dec. 25, 1776
Continentals are in bad shape after many
losses, casualties, few supplies
Most soldiers enlistments ending
If Washington does not take immediate
action the revolution is likely over

Trenton
Washingtons bold plan- cross Delaware
River on Christmas night
Surprise attack on German Hessians
Result: 30 Hessians killed, 918 Captured
Result: Only 4 Colonists killed
Result: Many guns, ammo captured
Result: Major morale boost for
Washington and Continental Army

Princeton
Jan. 3, 1777
Washington builds on success, attacks
1200 British and captures or kills 1/3
Only 40 Continental casualties

3 Reasons Trenton and

Princeton were major victories

1. Boosted Patriot morale

2. Britain left New Jersey- remains in
Patriot hands the rest of the war
3. Continental Army gains much needed
supplies and weapons

Saratoga
Oct. 17, 1777
Part of British Army went to Canada to
attack from the North
They were to meet up with main British
Army in NYC
The Continentals defeated the British in
several battles around Saratoga

Saratoga
British surrendered 5800 men, supplies
Is a major turning point in war towards a
Patriot victory
France sees success, becomes an ally,
sending troops and $$
Later Spain becomes ally also

Valley Forge
In late 1777, British force Continentals out
of Philadelphia
They set up a winter camp at Valley
Forge, PA
Awful conditions- few supplies, food,
improper clothing for winter
1/4 died from starvation, cold, disease

Ch. 7 Sec. 2 Reading Quiz

1. In 1778 and 1779, the Patriots signed a treaty

of Alliance with what two countries?
2. Name one hardship endured at Valley Forge.
3. What is a bayonet?
4. George Rogers Clark led the Patriots fighting
in what region of the colonies?
5. Describe the contributions of John Paul
Jones to the Patriot cause.
Extra Credit: What happened on New Years
Day 1778 at Valley Forge?

American Armed Forces

Continental Army
Inexperienced
1 year enlistment
Later for whole war
231,771 total

Militia
164,087 Total
3,6,9 month enlistment close to home
Designed to protect local resources

African Americans
Washington,
Continental
Congress
opposed
enlistment
5,000 troops

Women
Martha
Washington
Molly PitcherMary Hays
Usually had to
fight in
disguise

Spies
Worked for both sides
Often switched sides

Desertions
Common- 18.2% of all troops
Reasons:

Homesick
Money
Starvation
Punishment

Uniforms- Beginning
Farm clothes
Buckskins
Boots/shoes
scarce

Uniforms-Officers/Regulars

Weapons-smoothbore muskets
Flintlock firing mechanism

Muskets- range of 100 yards

Bullets- poured from hot lead

Cannons- inaccurate, heavy, usually

captured, tendency to explode

Rations

Scarce
Beef
Pork
Salt Fish
Bread
Rice
Beans
Milk

Army Pay
Washington- $500/month
Major Generals- $162/month
Privates- $6.67/month
Often didnt arrive on time or sometimes
at all- led to mutinies

Medical Care
Individual doctors-soldiers paid
Army Hospital
Lacked: medicine,
beds, blankets

American Navy
Built from scratch- few in numbers
Bounties- 1/2 of profits from British
warships
Helped greatly when France and Spain
join the fight

Privateers
A privately owned ship that a wartime
government gives permission to attack an
enemys merchant ships
1,000 in Revolutionary war
Captured 606 British ships
Claimed $18,000,000 in goods
Accomplished most American victories at
sea

British Armed Forces

Organization

Infantry, Cavalry,
Artillery
Grenadiers, Light
Artillery
Discipline Severe
Recruiting
Problems

Weapons
Tower musket
3 shots a minute
Inaccurate
Bayonets

Supplies

Knapsack
Clothing
Blanket
Provisions for 4 days
Share of Tent
60 rounds of gunpowder and bullets

Rations
Food from Britain
Inferior to Patriots
Delayed, slow deliveries
Often raided farms, homes to get food
and live off of the land
Supported by loyalists

Navy
Controlled seas
Kept most American ports closed
Hard to recruit experienced sailors

War in the South- W. vs. T.

Whigs: loyal to the Continental Congress

Tories: loyal to England- many in the South
Much violence between W. and T. in the South
British strategy- move war to the South where
there were more loyalists, slaves (Lord
Dunmores Proclamation), tire out Patriots
British Army was successful- captured
Savannah and Charlestown

Camden- S.C.

1780- Worst American

Defeat of war
British General
Cornwallis defeats
Patriot General Gates
British drew Patriots
into a European style
battle
1,000 Patriots killed
1,000 Captured

Swamp Fox- Altered Strategy

Francis Marion- led a small

band patriots on
horseback
Used guerrilla tactics
Cut British supply lines,
communications
Nathaniel Greene replaces
Gates
Americans lead British on
chase all through South,
wasting British time and
money

War on Frontier

George Rogers Clark24 yr old

Travels through PA, OH,
IN, IL
Recruits soldiers along
the way
Captures British forts at
Kaskaskea, Vincennes
Gave a huge amount of
land to the Americans

Final Battle Royal- Yorktown

Oct. 19, 1781
Cornwallis sets up a base on a peninsula
at Yorktown, VA
Patriots+French surround British by land
and sea- begin massive siege
Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British
troops- war effectively over
See animation from classzone.com

Casualties
Inaccurate records
25,000 Patriots/10,000 British killed
6000+ wounded
Does not count those dying from disease,
starvation, freezing

Financing the War

Huge problem for Americans
No money in treasury
No authority to tax
America left deeply in debt after war $27 million

Treaty of Paris- 1783

Britain acknowledges American
independence
Boundaries: W. to Mississippi, N. to
Canada, S. to Florida
Each side repays any war debts
British return captured slaves-reality

Fate of Loyalists
Approx. 80,000 left America
4,000 African Americans went to Canada
Many lost land, money, property