Battles of The Revolutionary War

The British

The British were….

• Well trained

• Well equipped

• Well supported by the Royal Navy.

British forces

The British army had…

50,000 soldiers and 30,000 mercenaries (hired soldiers from other countries)

400 British ships in the New York Harbor

The Colonists had…

• No more than 20,000 troops at any

one time.

• Shortages of supplies (guns, gunpowder, food, uniforms)

The Revolutionary War

In face of such overwhelming force, the colonial troops should have been easily defeated.

British Victories

The American troops were far from home and very cold.

During a fierce snow blizzard, the Americans attacked Quebec City, but suffered a crushing defeat.

The Patriots hopes of taking Canada soon faded.

British Victories

In July 1776, General Washington had moved his troops to New York.

Led by General Howe, the British drove the Continental Army out of New York

The Patriots Gain New Hope

After his victory in New York, Howe thought the war would be over soon.

He let his troops rest in New York and left New Jersey in the hands of the Hessians.

The Battle of Trenton• Washington quietly crossed the Delaware

on Christmas night. Early on December 26th, he attacked the sleeping Hessians, and took 900 prisoners.

Battle of Princeton

A few days later, Washington had his troops keep their campfires burning for the British to see. They then surprised the British and defeated them in Princeton.

Turning Point at Saratoga

• British General Howe decided to attack Philadelphia. The two sides met at the Battle of Brandywine Creek.

• The British won a convincing victory!

Saratoga

• By the time British General Burgoyne reached Saratoga, New York, the area was surrounded by Colonial forces.

• The Battle of Saratoga, New York, was the turning point of the war.

Saratoga

• After the great victory at Saratoga, France decided to enter the war on the side of the Americans to fight against the British.

Turning Point

Spain also entered the war against Britain.

• The American cause no longer looked hopeless.

Winter at Valley Forge

• In December of 1777, Washington settled his troops at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Valley Forge

• They suffered shortages of food and clothing. More than one fifth of the soldiers died from disease and malnutrition.

The War in the South

After the American victory in Saratoga, the British focused their attention on the southern colonies.

The British strategy of freeing slaves who joined them worked well in the South.

The War in the South

• The British captured the port city of Savannah.

• As the British marched through the South, they destroyed property, burned crops and killed farm animals.

The War in the South

• The Patriots switched to guerrilla warfare-swift, hit-and-run surprise attacks.

Victory at Yorktown

• After repeated guerrilla attacks from the militias in the south, General Cornwallis moved his army to Yorktown, Virginia to rest.

Victory at Yorktown

• As Cornwallis settled in Yorktown, France sent nearly 8,000 troops and 29 war ships to join General Washington.

• Washington secretly moved his army south.

Victory at Yorktown

• The Americans and French surrounded Yorktown on land with more than 16,000 troops.

• Meanwhile, the French navy sealed off the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay.

Victory at Yorktown

When Cornwallis realized that the British navy would not come to his rescue, he agreed to surrender.

Yorktown

• Cornwallis did not take part in the ceremony, saying he was ill.

• In reality, he could not bear to surrender publicly to an army he looked down on as a “contemptible and undisciplined mob”