US History I Honors Unit 3

British Advantage

- Ammunition

- Navy

- Experienced, disciplined army

- Money + King’s support

- Established government

- Hessians

British Disadvantage

- Long journey - can’t supply troops or communication

- Smaller army

- Formal tactics

- Difficulty with transport

- No foreign help (everyone hates them)

- Divided leaders

American Advantage

- Know terrain

- Spirit, Unity

- Grooved Barrels

- Their own supplies

- Have a cause

- Only have to drive the British away, not win a war

American Disadvantage

- Less men - Fighting a huge empire - No government - Depend on states for $ and troops - No discipline or uniforms - Lack powder, supplies

British Strategy

Isolate the colonies with their superior navy

Divide and conquer:

1. Early focus on New England (source of resistance)

2. Cut off the middle colonies (Hudson River) from New England

3. Take advantage of Southern loyalists

Phase 1

Early Focus on the source of Resistance (New England)

Phase 2

Cutting off the middle colonies along the Hudson from New England

Phase 3

Taking advantage of Southern Loyalists

American Strategy

Outlast the British

Battle of Long Island

• General Howe replaces Gage 

The British look for a base of operation that has a port → New York City

Washington establishes rows of men, but the British surround and destroy the forces

• Cannons are slipped behind Patriot lines and they are essentially surrounded

• Terrible failure for Washington → he has to abandon New York and escape thanks to a storm

The world’s first submarine, the turtle, failed to sink any ships

Nathan Hale

 Teacher/spy who was arrested and executed

“I regret that I have but one life to give for my country”

Battle of Trenton

• Washington’s army is chased into New Jersey. The enlistment terms for many of the men were ending, and Washington desperately needed a victory to keep his army intact.

• Hessians were camped in this city in New Jersey celebrating Christmas

• On Christmas morning, Washington crossed the Delaware and attacked the Hessians

• He won thanks to the element of surprise

• Henry Knox brings cannons across the water.

• 100 Hessian casualties, 200 are captured

• Minimal American casualties

Washington also pledges his personal riches to pay the army salary

Most members reenlisted.

Battle of Princeton

• “A fine fox chase”

• General Cornwallis captured Trenton and the heights above the town, with Washington being pinned against the river.

• Washington sneaks behind Cornwallis and attacks

• He didn’t challenge/give chase due to a tired and small army

  • Learned from his mistakes

• Raise spirits of army

Fabian Strategy

Do not risk the entire army if you fear you cannot win. Washington was learning from his close call at the Battle of Long Island.

Washington splits his army into pieces so that if one is wiped out, part of it can still fight

Bennington

British were ordered to capture weapons (similar to Concord)

John Stark and colonial troops moved silently through the forest and surrounded and won

Vermont

Part of the three towns in the vicinity of Philadelphia

Brandywine

Washington’s forces were split and flanked by the British. Washington, however, left an escape route and ran away very well. However, the Colonists suffered 1,200 casualties, twice as many as the British. This led to them spreading false reports about their victory

Vermont

Part of the three towns in the vicinity of Philadelphia

Germantown

This was a near victory for Washington. Due to fog, Americans ended up firing on each other and Washington’s extremely detailed plan failed, resulting in many American casualties

Vermont

Part of the three towns in the vicinity of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

The battles of Bennington, Brandywine, and Germantown determined who got this key city that was almost like America’s capital

Saratoga

• This battle is the turning point of the War

• Main generals: Phillip Schuyler, Horatio Gates, Benedict Arnold

• Lord North announces that he will repeal the Tea Act, but the news does not reach the colonies in time

• The battle is devastating to the British, Burgoyne surrenders

• British lose due to arrogance and miscommunication

• This leads to the Franco-American Alliance. The U.S. gain troops and navy

Mifflin Maneuver

George Washington facing scrunity/rumors in his own army after he loses Philadelphia and Horatio Gates wins at Saratoga

Conway Cabal

Congress questioning Washington’s judgement after Horatio Gates is successful at Saratoga and his loss of Philadelphia

Valley Forge

Washington and his troops faced a brutal winter in this location

• Between Philadelphia and York- line of defense between the British and the Continental Congress

• Washington promised to “share in the hardships” of his army and slept in a tent

• Wives came to help with clothes + supplies during the severe winter

• No basic needs

• Inefficient and Corrupt Leadership

Marquis de Lafayette

This Frenchman joins Washington at Valley Forge

Baron Von Stueben

This Prussian trains the troops at Valley Forge and combines American creativity with Prussian discipline

Cherry Valley Massacre

Nov 11,12 1778. Native Americans attack New Jersey frontier and caused severe damage and killed many colonists

• Washington punished and burned settlements

  • This however, failed, because it infuriated the Natives even more and made them rely more on the British

Bonhomme Richard

Former French worship → the only ship in the American Navy.

• Captained by John Paul Jones. August 1779

• Raided towns, cities on the British coast

• Sets them into a panic despite low damage

• King sends the Serapis captained by Pierson→ Huge ship with cannons

• “I have not yet begun to fight” - Jones

  • Pierson Surrenders after a costly battle to both sides

Savannah

After replacing Gates, Clinton captures this key Southern port city. The French navy tries to take it back, but escapes to the West Indies after a bloody battle

Charleston

The worst defeat of the war for the Patriots, where 5,400 of them surrender

May 1780

Virginia Patriots cannot arrive in time due to being outpaced by Tarleton’s legion.

The British now hold two major Southern Ports

Waxhaw Massacre

Patriots are slaughtered by a cruel British general, “Bloody Tarleton”, after trying to surrender.

South Carolina

Nathanael Greene

• Rhode Island Quaker that was kicked out for his support of the war

• Most trusted advisor of Washington

  • Later becomes Quartermaster General

Benedict Arnold

Although this man won a good victory at Saratoga along with Phillip Schyuler and Horatio Gates, he is later revealed as a British Sympathizer.

• Very arrogant, vain, expensive → charged with using government funding for his own use

• His associates and wife were supporters of the British

• He contacted the British and offered them information for money → Treason

• Escaped beyond British lines after the West Point documents were discovered

King’s Mountain

In this battle:

• Colonial Mountain men defeated British

• Shattered Cornwallis’ flank

• Was seen as revenge for Tarleton’s Legion

North/South Carolina

Cowpens

At this battle in South Carolina, Tarleton’s legion is overwhelmed by colonists and surrenders

Surrender at Yorktown

October 1781

• 7,500 British vs 8,500 Colonists + the return of the French fleet

• The French navy fought on the coast → only battle on land + sea

• Seal off British + lay siege

• Cornwallis fails to escape due to a storm

• 13 day siege before surrender

• Cornwallis refuses to show up at surrender ceremony and sends O’Hara instead, who tries to surrender to the French, but then gets pointed towards Washington

Newburgh Conspiracy

• Washington = American Cincinnatus

• The Continental Army had not been paid → threatened to do a coup

• Washington heard of petitions of threats and a scheduled meeting for the officers

• In response, he schedules his own meeting with the officers

• Prepared a speech about his honor/reputation in the army

• Said that coup is an assault on integrity and is against the revolution

• Incompatible with dictatorial power

• His place in history was amplified by surrendering his power

• March 16- meeting with 500 officers

• “Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles” → shows weakness and shows that he is gray and blind because of the war-- humbles him

• Washington walks away from power and goes back to Mount Vernon