American Revolution

1
American Revolution

• By M. Alcorn

2
Causes of Revolution

• Boston Tea Party protest against British taxes.
• French and Indian War A conflict between Great
  Britain and France with Native American Allies.
• Intolerable Acts laws that punished the
  colonists for Boston Tea Party (closing harbor)
• Proclamation of 1763 outlawed settlement west
  of Appalachian Mtns.
• Stamp Act law taxing printed paper.
• Townshend Act Taxes on imported goods.
• Quartering Act law ordering colonists to house
  soldiers.
• Boston Massacre 5 people killed and 6 wounded.

3
Vocabulary

• Parliament British government
• Repeal take back or cancel
• Traitor disloyal to your country
• Militia small army of ordinary citizens
• Bayonet blade on end of rifle
• Guerilla tactics hit and run, hiding, etc.
• Allies people or countries who fight on your
  side.
• Lobsterback a British soldier
• Liberty - freedom

4
Who are you?

• Loyalist loyal to Britain also known as Tory
• Patriot want freedom and independence
• Neutralist not taking sides

5
People

• Benedict Arnold traitor
• Ben Franklin inventor of lightning rod
• Deborah Sampson dressed like a man to fight in
  war
• George Washington Continental Army leader
• John Hancock known for his signature
• King George III ruler of Britain
• Mary Ludwig Hays nicknamed Molly Pitcher
• Paul Revere the British are coming!
• Sam Adams member of Sons of Liberty
• Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense
• Thomas Jefferson wrote Declaration of
  Independence

6
It Begins

• By 1775 every able-bodied man in every colonial
  town was required to join the militia. They were
  mostly farmers, crafts workers, business owners,
  and wealthy men.
• There were rumors that the British were going to
  arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock then march to
  Concord to capture weapons.

7
Midnight Ride

• On April 18th, a silversmith named Paul Revere
  learned that the British were leaving Boston and
  heading for Concord.
• He rode to Lexington to warn Adams and Hancock.
  The British are Coming!
• He was joined by William Dawes, a shoemaker, and
  Samuel Prescott, a doctor.
• The patrol took Reveres horse, but Dawes escaped
  into the woods. Prescott was the only one to
  reach Concord.

8
Lexington

• John Parker, the militia captain, said, Dont
  fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have
  war, let it begin here.
• Someone fired.
• 8 militia were killed, 10 were wounded.
• 1 British soldier was hurt.
• Known as The Shot Heard Round the World.

9
Concord

• The British only destroyed a cannon and a small
  amount of ammunition because the women of Concord
  hid them under straw in barns and in freshly
  plowed fields.
• On a bridge near Concord the militia forced the
  British to retreat.
• They hid behind trees and buildings and shot at
  the retreating British.
• More than 90 British soldiers were killed and 174
  were wounded.

10
Fort Ticonderoga

• This fort on Lake Champlain was one of the main
  supply posts for the British army.
• The Green Mountain boys from Kentucky were under
  the leadership of Ethan Allen.
• On May 10, 1775, the Green Mountain boys crept
  past the forts light defenses.
• Allen shouted, Come out of there, you old rat!
• Without any bloodshed, the Americans captured the
  fort.

11
Bunker Hill

• Whoever controlled the hills surrounding
  Charlestown would be able to fire cannons on
  Boston.
• The colonists worked through the night digging a
  fort.
• British ships fired cannons at the exhausted men.
• Colonial General Putnam ordered, Dont fire till
  you see the whites of their eyes.
• Colonists fought off 2 charges but had to retreat
  to nearby Bunker Hill on the 3rd due to lack of
  ammunition.
• British Colonel Pitcairn leaped upon a wall to
  declare victory and Peter Salem, a former slave,
  shot him.
• British lost 1,000 soldiers, colonists lost 400.
  WHAT A VICTORY?!??!?!
• Colonists proved their willingness to fight.

12
Declaration of Independence

• Purpose To explain to the world why the
  colonists had to separate from Britain.
• Approved on July 4, 1776.
• Unalienable rights are life, liberty, and pursuit
  of happiness.
• Thomas Jefferson wrote first draft.

13
Washington Crossing the Delaware

• Washington knew the British would not attack
  until the spring, so he planned a surprise
  attack.
• On December 25th Washington and his troops
  crossed the Delaware River to Trenton, New
  Jersey.
• 1,400 Hessians were successfully captured.
• http//www.metmuseum.org/explore/gw/el_gw.htm
• http//www.americanrevolution.org/delxone.html

14
Valley Forge

• Supplies were dangerously low.
• Troops ate firecakes, a thin bread of flour and
  water cooked over an open fire.
• Many soldiers went home.
• At least 2,500 died of disease.
• Martha Washington helped comfort and nurse the
  sick.
• 1/3 of the soldiers did not have shoes.
  Washington said, you might have tracked the
  armyby the blood of their feet.
• Friedrich von Steuben trained soldiers.

15
Yorktown

• British general Cornwallis asked his servant
  James Armistead to spy on the Americans, but he
  was already spying for the Americans. He gave
  false information to Cornwallis.
• Washington was able to trick Cornwallis and
  surround him at Yorktown.
• The French blocked the harbor.
• On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered.

16
British and Colonists

• British
• Large and professional
• Well trained and experienced
• Well-supplied
• Mercenaries, Native Americans, and loyalists
• Must capture cities - offense
• Fought face-to-face
• Hard to get supplies
• Didnt know land
• Little local support

• Colonists
• Hit and run tactics
• Fighting defensively
• Home field advantage
• Motivated defending home and rights
• Allies (France and Spain)
• Little money to pay soldiers or buy supplies
• Little knowledge or experience
• Small navy
• George Washington

17
Who won?

• The Colonists won!
• The Treaty of Paris was signed in November of
  1783 giving America its independence and land.
• The flag to the right was first used in 1777.

18
Yankee Doodle

• This song was first sung by the British to make
  fun of the Colonists, but the Colonists liked it
  so much they started singing it too!
• The song's origins were in a pre-Revolutionary
  War song originally sung by British military
  officers to mock the messy, unorganized colonial
  "Yankees" with whom they served in the French and
  Indian War. At the time, the most common meaning
  of the word doodle had the meaning of "simpleton"
  or "fool". From Wikipedia.com
• Yankee Doodle went to town,
• A-Riding on a pony
• He stuck a feather in his hat,
• And called it macaroni.
• Yankee Doodle, keep it up,
• Yankee Doodle dandy
• Mind the music and the step,
• And with the girls be handy!