B A T T L E S , A D V A N T A G E S , D I S A D V A N T A G E S , A N D F O R E I G N A I D

THE FIGHT

BATTLE OF QUEBEC

• some forces from Siege of Boston sent through Maine to capture Quebec

• December 30-31, 1775, Blizzard Conditions

• General Montgomery, Benedict Arnold, & an inadequate force of ~1,675 Americans assaulted the fortified city

• Met with complete defeat• Colonists: Montgomery killed, 60 killed, 426

captured • British: 5 killed, 13 wounded

• Significance: Attempt to win Canada abandoned

BATTLE OF NEW YORK 1776

• Battle of Brooklyn• August 22 - British land on Long

Island, • Motive: New York City/control of

the Hudson would divide the colonies in 1/2.

• August 27 - British ultimately outflank Continental Army

• Howe failed to storm redoubts• August 29 - GW ordered a

brilliant retreat to Manhattan by boat

• Saved Army from Capture • Americans: 1,000 casualties• British loss of only 400 men.

BATTLE OF NEW YORK 1776

• Battle of Manhattan and White Plains• Sept. 13 - Howe tried to trap GW from escaping

Manhattan, but GW was able to move North to Harlem Heights.

• Sept 14 - brief skirmish at Harlem Heights - several hundred British badly mauled by a CT regiment

• Oct. 12 – Tried again to attack GW, but caught around Throgs Neck, GW escaped to White Plains

• Took Howe 10 days to arrive in White Plains. • October 28th, British victory in White Plains, close to

capturing army• Washington secretly withdrew to New Castle

• Significance: GW close to defeat, Soldiers: enlistments up, tired, under fed/supplied

BATTLE OF TRENTON

• Video The Crossing

BATTLE OF PRINCETON 1777

• See Handout

BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE (ROAD TO PHILLY)

• General Howe wanted to capture Philly by attacking North from Chesapeake

• Sept. 9th – outmaneuvered GW due to better knowledge of terrain

• GW and men not prepared, fought until dusk

• Significance: • Not an immediate moral loss• Straight road to Philly -> captured,• Congress abandoned Philly,• enlistments declined for time

being

ENCAMPMENT AT VALLEY FORGE

• Following British capture of Philly, GW selected camp located 18 miles northwest of the city, a good choice• Close enough to British to keep their raiding/foraging parties out of the interior PA• far enough away to halt the threat of British surprise attacks• Mountains in area made easily defensible

• Problems at Valley Forge:• Soldiers received irregular supplies of meat/bread, forced to look for food in

forests/farm fields too• No support from Congress (dispersed)• threats to his leadership - officers were unhappy  • Clothing destroyed/shortages  • Typhus, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia killed as many as 2,000

• "that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place... this Army must inevitably... starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can." ~GW

BATTLE OF SARATOGA

• Despite recent victories, British were still “winning” wanted to finish off Colonists

 • General Burgoyne concocted a plan to invade

New York from their base in Canada and meet troops from NYC near Albany to cut New England off

• Problems for British Plan:• Untamed terrain – slowed advanced from Canada

greatly• Americans attacked supply mission in VT, cost Britain

1000 men• Natives left British side • Main British Army not going to Join

• Despite this, Burgoyne refused to change his plans

• Americans took advantage of delays to establish positions along Hudson

• Late September - Early October 1777 – colonists and British fought near Albany, particularly in town of Saratoga

BATTLE OF SARATOGA CONT.

• Result: Burgoyne's army was broken. In mop-up operations 86 percent of Burgoyne's command was captured.

• Significance: • Saratoga gave France the confidence in the American cause - financial

and military assistance to follow• victory gave new life to the American cause at a critical time.

Americans had just suffered a major setback the Battle of the Brandywine along with news of the fall of Philadelphia to the British.

• US not divided in 1/2

British Strengths British WeaknessesStrong well trained army & navy Large distance from battles to

Britain

Strong Central Gov. with available funds

Troops unfamiliar with the Terrain

Support of Loyalists and Native Americans

Weak military leaders

Colonial Strengths Colonial Weaknesses

Familiar with home ground Many soldiers untrained and not disciplined

Leadership – GW and officers Shortages of food and ammunition

Inspiring Cause - Independence Inferior Navy

Help from foreign nations – France, Spain

No Central Gov to enforce wartime policies

Limited Funds

Reasons for French Interests in Colonial Fight

Defeated British would help restore some of France’s former prestige

Interested in ideas of Liberty

French Participation Early On - Secretly aided Colonists with firearms

and gun powder

After Saratoga – feared reconciliation and eventual take over of French West Indies

France provided them with guns, $, equipment, forces, and almost all of their navy

Britain could no longer easily blockade colonial coasts

France and Colonies signed Treaty of Alliance– Promised Colonists independence– Colonists wary of alliance with Catholic country

Other Support Spain and Holland entered

against Britain– Spain saw as opportunity

to regain after 1763– Spain’s money helped

secure colonial money

Other “neutral” countries in Europe who were sick of Britain’s dominance of sea created state of passive hostility

Britain struggling to hold on to other world possessions

BATTLE OF MONMOUTH

• Britain evacuating Philly, led by Sir Henry Clinton , marched toward Sandy Hook

• June 27th 1778 - GW ordered Charles Lee to advance attack the British rear he was surprised by arrival of British rear guard who were left behind to cover the rear

• Lee did not really sure what to do, retreated, did not tell GW

• GW arrived surprised to find his forces retreating disorderly

• He immediately rallied troops and battled British

• Cornwallis ultimately fell back, withdrew undetected at night, marched out to surprise of Americans the next morning

BATTLE OF MONMOUTH CONT.

• Result: • Washington proved he could fight against the regulars

w/out surprise• British able to continue to Sandy Hook• Both lost 350 men• Last battle of 2 main armies, fighting shifts to South

Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]

British Motives for Moving to South

Britain thought more Loyalists in South, overestimated.

Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving.

BATTLE OF SAVANNAH

• Despite leaving North open to attack by GW, send 8,500 troops to Savannah that arrive from NY at Tybee Island, GA – march with forces there to Savannah

• As British forces attack the locals flee in Late December 1778

• American forces of only 700 men, under General Robert Howe make feeble attempt to defend Little Continentals can do, orderly retreat, leaving Savannah to the British oppressors.

• Allies attempt to regain city with French allies, but ultimately fail and abandon attempt on Oct 9, 1779

• Losses: American casualties - 83 men, 450 captured, all artillery ; British 9 men KIA, 4 wounded.

• Significance:• British entered the South to look for loyalist support. Many believe that this was the

biggest mistake that Cornwallis had made as a General.

Problems with Britain’s “Southern Strategy”

The British won a #of victories, but cannot pacify the countryside, increased support for Patriots• Slaves• VA• Unable to live off land like Patriots• Loyalists feared Patriot reprisals• Guerilla Warfare• Burnt Towns along way

Good US General: Nathanial Greene• Used multiple small armies to

attack