• Strengths of the Colonists

  • Strong leader in George Washington

  • They were familiar with the land

  • Guerrilla warfare tactics

  • French alliance

• Weaknesses of the Colonists

  • Little money

  • Few people to serve

  • Very small army and a weak navy

• Strengths of the British

  • Well trained soldiers (it was their job)

  • World's most powerful navy

  • Very rich and had lots of money compared to the colonists

• Weaknesses of the British

  • Not as familiar with the land as the colonists were

  • Older style of fighting with facing the enemy

• The original plan was to go to Bunker Hill to give the Colonists a vantage point to protect Charleston. Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen captured a major British fort (Fort Ticonderoga) with many military supplies in 1775. (This helped defend Bunker Hill) Colonial forces had quietly dug in at Breed's Hill, a point overlooking North Boston.

• The Patriots realized that could not plan an offense attack so they retreated back to Bunker Hill. 2,400 Redcoats cross the Boston Harbor and go uphill to fight the Patriots.

• "Do not fire until you see the white in their eyes" - they wanted every shot to count and wanted the British to climb the hillside.

• The British soldiers were exhausted from climbing the hill, the British retreated twice, but returned for a third time. The Patriots had to retreat due to a lack of ammunition. The Patriots lost, but they PROVED they could take on the Redcoats.

• For the British, the battle was a TRAGIC victory. More than 1,000 British soldiers and about 400 American patriots were killed or wounded. Bunker Hill was the bloodiest battle of the Revolutionary War.

Boston was the key city in the early days of the war.

• Another factor that influenced colonists' thinking was a pamphlet titled Common Sense written by Thomas Paine.

• It was one of the most influential political tracts in history. Paine built a case for American separation from Britain.

• On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution to the Continental Congress. On July 2, Lee's resolution come up for a vote.

• The document written primarily by Thomas Jefferson continued to be polished over the following two days. On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of independence laid the foundation of core values that the American government would be built on.

• Nathan Hale was a school teacher who volunteered to spy on the British. The Colonists are losing terribly to the British and George Washington needed to do something.

• On Christmas night 1776, Washington and his men crossed the icy Delaware River. They surprised the Hessians (elite trained German British soldiers) at Trenton the next morning and captured more than 900 men. The Battle of Trenton was a win for the Patriots.

America wins the Battle of Saratoga. October 17, 1777 is the day when the British surrendered Saratoga. The victory gave Americans a renewed hope, and it officially brought France into the war on the American side. This was the turning point of the war.

September 3, 1783 ended the eight year war with Britain by signing the Treaty of Paris. Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams were chosen as the American negotiators. The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris, France.

RESULTS OF THE WAR:

• America became independent from Britain

• America's population continued to grow rapidly

• The brought changes to traditional ways of life

• Some Americans began to view slavery differently

• The war of Independence changed American Religion