American Revolutionary War



The Revolutionary War—1775 & 1776

There were a lot of unhappy people in the England’s American colonies. Royalists want to find a way to turn back the clock to a time period where England was allowing the colonies to slide by without much interference from the mother country. Patriots were ready to be done with English rule preferring to become an independent country. We know now how that turned out, but it was not so obvious from the start.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

700 British Army regulars known as “redcoats” or “lobster backs”

Given secret orders to capture and destroy military supplies of the Massachusetts militia stored at Concord

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith

Seeking to capture rebellion leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock

Colonists knew what was going on, military intelligence?

Adams and Hancock had fled

Military supplies had been moved

William Dawes and Paul Revere were sent out to report that the British were embarking in boats from Boston bound for Cambridge and the road to Lexington.

They didn’t expect the British to go to Concord because they new the supplies had been moved

Dawes and Revere also sent to alert local militias

British operation was not well organized

Landed at midnight into waist-deep water

Started a march for Concord at 2 AM in wet, muddy shoes and soggy uniforms

Lexington

British arrived at sunrise on April 19, 1775

80 Lexington militiamen emerged from Buckman Tavern

Formed ranks on the village common

Minutemen were told by their captain to disperse and go home

British told them to lay down their arms and disperse

In the confusion, a shot was fired even though both officers had ordered their men to hold fire

The first shot of the war, or the shot heard ‘round the world

After some intermittent shots, British regulars began to fire volleys without orders to do so

Some Minutemen returned the fire while some retreated

Regulars then charged forward with bayonets.

The toll:

Minutemen—8 killed and 10 wounded

British—1 wounded

Concord

British destroyed some of the supplies

Battle at North Bridge

British march back to Boston

Attacked along the way

The toll:

British

73 killed

174 wounded

Patriots

49 killed

39 wounded

It’s a war, who has the best chance of winning?

Britain’s strengths

Military was the best in the world

100 years of victories

Soldiers

Well equipped

Well disciplined

Well paid

Well fed

British Navy dominated the seas

Much greater access to funds

Could hire mercenaries

Hired about 30,000 Hessians

British weaknesses

Fighting a war on another continent far from home

Orders, troops and supplies can take months to reach their destinations

Objective difficult

Persuade Colonists to give up their claims of independence

Geographic vastness of the colonies

A lot of area to conquer

No one target to take down, like a capital city

Armies needed to defend Britain elsewhere

Ireland

France

British government not well run at the time

British citizens divided about the war

British generals weren’t the best

Colonists’ strengths

Fighting for a grand cause

Rights

Independence

Liberty

While leaders were inexperienced, they were surprisingly competent and/or quick learners

George Washington and Benjamin Franklin are fine examples

Eventually received support and aid from France

Fighting defensively on their own soil

Colonists’ weaknesses

Badly organized for war

Almost fatally lacking in unity

Many Royalists still among the population

Fought almost the entire war before adopting a constitution, the Articles of Confederation in 1781

Sectional jealousy

Economic difficulties

Mercantilism had drained away gold and silver

Paper currency printed, but it depreciated quickly

Causing inflation

Shortage of military supplies, especially firearms

No gun factory in the colonies

Only 1 in 12 militia men reported for duty with their own musket

Other supplies also scarce

Uniforms, clothing and shoes

Just some military training

Made troops unreliable

Troops did not even know how to maintain a sanitary site

Made for a lot of sickness in the ranks

American profiteers undermined effort

Sold to British because they could pay in gold

Troops did not have access to resources

Siege of Boston begins

“Minutemen”, locally organized militia, converged on Boston hemming the British in there

Second Continental Congress

Convened on May 10, 1775

John Hancock elected president of Congress

Congress issued bills of credit

Way to pay the army

12 colonies promised to share in repaying the bills

John Adams proposed that Congress consider the forces in Boston a Continental Army

George Washington named Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

George Washington selected on June 15, 1775.

Accepted in a speech on June 16th

Requested that he receive no salary for his service

Asked that his expenses be paid at the conclusion of the war

He excelled as a leader you could trust

He was not a brilliant military tactician

Lost more battles than he won

Listened to those around him

Never gave up

Battle of Bunker Hill

Actually fought on Breed’s Hill

June 16, 1775, Colonel Prescott leads soldier to fortify the hill

General Gage directs regulars to take the hill

After a 3 hour battle Colonials overrun and British get the hill, but…

Colonial army had not been easily overwhelmed which surprised everyone a little bit

British had advanced expected the Colonials to just disperse. Not all of their muskets were even loaded

Shook British confidence in the invincibility of their armies

Colonists had killed over a thousand British troops

Increased their belief they could win

For the militaries there, they were learning that this was not going to be an easy or short war

Olive Branch Petition

Adopted by the Continental Congress in July, 1775

Offered loyalty to the British Crown

Begged king to put an end to hostilities

King George III responded

Proclaimed the colonies in rebellion

Hired Hessians to crush the rebellion

Conquest of Canada

Objective was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec

Two different expeditions set out

One led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold

Captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York

Gain a needed supply of military equipment

Combined expeditions fight in the Battle of Quebec, December 1775

Attacked in a snowstorm

Disastrous defeat for the Americans

British sent troops that took over the area

Led by General John Burgoyne

Included Hessian mercenaries

Drove American forces into Fort Ticonderoga

Next year, Burgoyne set out to gain control of the Hudson River Valley

Common Sense

An influential pamphlet written by Thomas Paine

120,000 copies printed

Argued for independence from British rule

Written and reasoned in a style that common people understood

Proposed a complicated republic as a form of government

Each colony would hold elections for representatives to be sent to a Continental Conference

End of Siege of Boston

British troops bottled up in the city of Boston

A force led by Henry Knox goes to Ft. Ticonderoga

Moves cannon from there to Boston

Complex and hard work

Over 3 winter months

Moved 3 tons of cannons and other armaments

Used boats, horse- and ox-drawn sledges, manpower

Henry Knox Trail still exists

Places them on Dorchester Heights

Overlooking British positions in the harbor

British load up the their ships and leave on March 17th

11,000 people aboard

9,906 were British troops

Remainder were Royalists

Went to Halifax

Washington doesn’t know where the British are planning to strike next

Army marched to New York to defend that city

City fortified, but not the best plan

New York is too exposed to attack from sea

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Washington wanted to defend it because it’s important, but…

He has to spread his forces too thin to defend NY

He just shoulda let New York go

British war fleet arrives in New York Harbor

June, 1776

One day, they just start sailing in

By the time they’re done in July, there is a lot of military power

30 battleships with 1200 cannon

30,000 soldiers

10,000 sailors

300 supply ships

Navy under the command of Admiral Lord Richard Howe

Army under the command of General William Howe (Yes, they’re brothers)

Washington doesn’t know where they’ll attack

Fortifies the city

Blocks the rivers

Sank boats

Put cannon where they can fire on the ships

Soldiers had to work as engineers

Built defensive positions

Built and reinforced forts

Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson

Based on a Resolution put forth by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia

Passed on July 2, 1776

Approved by Congress on July 4, 1776

Battle of Long Island

British Admiral and General offer surrender terms

Not well done nor well received

British attack Continental Army

Clinton, one of Howe’s generals, had a pretty good plan to sneak around to the side and outflank the Americans.

Local Loyalists led forces around the Continental Army overnight

Attacked Continental Army from the side

Surprise!

British attacked along the entire front just enough to keep the armies in place

Worked pretty good, too

Washington had to defend so many places that his forces here were outnumbered 2 to 1

Army is outflanked and scatters

Retreats to Brooklyn Heights

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Americans cross the East River at night in small boats and escape

British Successes lead to the retreat from New York

The British start to have a run of successful actions where they take control of forts

After losing the Battle of Long Island, Washington realized he needed to abandon New York

Continental Congress was opposed at first, but didn’t give him clear orders

In mid-September, Washington began the retreat from the city of New York and Manhattan.

Under orders from the Continental Congress to do no damage to the city

Battle of Harlem Heights

After fighting, both sides fortified their positions

Large fire broke out in lower Manhattan

More than 500 buildings destroyed

Patriot sympathizers suspected of arson

Nathan Hale, a patriotic spy, captured on Long Island

Captured and hanged on September 22nd

Wasn’t a very good spy

His final words, “I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country.”

British forces try to get behind Washington by landing to the north of him

Washington retreats further north

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Battle of White Plains

Continental Army tried to hold the high ground

Chatterton Hill

British charge uphill several times

Repulsed by the Americans

Cavalry charge broke the rebels’ line

Bad weather prevented further attacks

Americans allowed to retreat

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Battle of Forts Washington & Lee

Fort Washington and Fort Lee had been built to prevent the British Navy from coming up the Hudson River

The British were under the command of General Howe

Attacked on Nov. 16th 1776

Attack came from 3 sides

Southern and western sides fell quickly

Northern attack held off longer

Hessians commanded by Johann Rall

Fort was surrounded from land and sea

Robert Magaw, Fort commander, surrendered

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The toll:

American:

59 killed

96 wounded

2,838 surrendered

Only 800 survived their captivity

Released in a prisoner exchange 1½ years later

British:

84 killed

374 wounded

Supplies captured

Three days later Fort Lee was abandoned

Washington continues a long, uncomfortable retreat

His army is greatly diminished

September 26, 1776

Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane sent to France seeking financial and military aid

New Jersey Campaign

Washington was driven out of New York

New York stayed under British control until the end of the war

After the fall of Forts Washington and Lee, the Continental Army crossed the Hudson R. and retreated across New Jersey towards Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Colonials stopped briefly in Newark, New Jersey

British troops started to catch up

Colonials moved on

Continental Army numbered less than 3,000 men

British had 8,000 troops in hot pursuit

Led by Generals Howe and Cornwallis

British heavy equipment and wagons bogged down in mud

Colonials weren’t burdened with anything heavy

Retreating Colonials burned bridges in their wake

Slowed the British army down

British moved into Princeton, New Jersey

Attacked the college there

Washington was only 12 miles away

Delaware River was in his way

The British could have caught the Continental Army there, but failed to push on.

Washington ordered Colonel Richard Humpton to gather all the boats along the river

Using 30-some boats, the Continental Army crossed the river

Hessians arrived just as the last boats were leaving

American cannons fired into them to protect the remaining boats

“These are the times that try men’s souls”

Thomas Paine

The state of the Continental Army in December of 1776

Pretty bad

Was down to less than 5,000 men fit for duty

Enlistments were scheduled to end at the end of the year/month

Spirits were low

String of battle losses

On the run

They were poorly supplied, especially for the winter weather

Philadelphia abandoned by Congress

Due to the approaching British armies

An amusing little story about General Richard Lee

Was in command of a portion of the Continental Army that had been left north of New York

Lee was ordered by Washington to march down and meet up with the rest of the army

He sent letters saying he couldn’t make it just yet

Traveled only as far as Morristown, New Jersey

He was hoping to get command of the Continental Army for himself instead of Washington

Dec. 12th he spent the night away from his army at an inn

As he sat at breakfast in his nightshirt, a company of British soldiers surrounded the inn and took him prisoner

Remained a British prisoner in New York until 1778

General Howe’s strategy

Established a chain of outposts in New Jersey

Enter winter quarters

Howe occupied the finest quarters in New York

General Washington’s strategy

There’s another good story to tell!

Washington retreats across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania

He has all boats destroyed or on his side of the river so the British cannot easily follow

British slow the pace of their attacks

Most British generals return to New York to winter leaving the Hessians in charge of New Jersey

Continental Congress at Philadelphia departs

Philadelphians depart concerned about the approaching British forces

Battle of Trenton

December 25-26, 1776

Morale in the army was low

Series of losses and retreats

Poorly clothed and supplied

Many re-enlistments were up on January 1, and many troops were headed home soon

Washington’s solution was a bold attack while he had the troops to do it

The Plan:

Cross the Delaware at 3 points

Converge on Trenton to surround troops there

British forces were Hessians

Had been ordered to construct defensive works

Not built

Hessian Commander, Colonel Rall had received messages of an attack

Ignored those messages

Possibly because he did not read English

Washington re-crosses the Delaware River at night

Another amazing feat of boating

Cold, dark night

River was running with flowing ice

Forces headed out in the afternoon

At about 11 PM a storm broke of heavy snow and sleet

So, Washington’s men didn’t reach the other shore until 3 AM

Other 2 forces failed to cross the Delaware

Washington split his forces on the way into town

1 group attacked Trenton from the northwest

Set up cannon at the ends of the streets that had a clear line of fire

Hessian regiments formed up and attacked

Cannon and soldiers in houses stop them

Hessians fell back to a field outside of town

Re-form and attack

Take some of the cannon

Colonials re-take and use the cannon on the Hessians

Colonel Rall mortally wounded in the fighting

This is the same Colonel Rall that had led the Hessians to victory in the assault on the north side of Fort Washington

2nd group attacked from the northeast cutting off retreat

By noon, Washington and his troops had returned across the Delaware

Took prisoners and supplies

The Toll:

Americans:

Killed – 2

Wounded – 5

British

Killed – 22

Wounded – 86

Captured – 906

Impact

Re-energized the colonists

Overturned psychological dominance British Army had achieved

Provided an important and enduring national image for the United States

Hence the painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware as depicted in Emmanuel Leutze’s picture

Future U.S. leaders were present at this battle

3 future Presidents

Washington, James Madison, James Monroe

3 future Chief Justices of the Supreme Court

John Marshall, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton

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George Washington Rallying the Troops

Battle of Princeton

Fought on January 3, 1777

Washington re-crossed the Delaware

Another amazing crossing in winter weather

Took up positions just outside Trenton

Cornwallis marches to Princeton

5,500 troops

Divides his force and sets out for Trenton

British attack 3 times

Driven back each time

Call off attacks

Night was falling, Cornwallis decides to finish the battle in the morning

Washington withdrew overnight

Left fires burning to make British think they were still there

Went to attack British at Princeton

Encountered them as they left to join Cornwallis

Surprised them

Ferocious fighting

British retreat

Victory at Princeton!

Another amusing little story:

About 200 British retreated to Princeton and barricaded themselves inside a large stone hall that belonged to Princeton University. Captain Alexander Hamilton and his artillery fired a shot at the building which glanced off the stone. The fired another shot which went into the building and allegedly decapitated a portrait of King George III. The British surrendered

Washington then withdrew his troops moving to Morristown, New Jersey, where they wintered

British could not easily attack there

Cornwallis and the British left southern New Jersey for the winter

Impact on the Revolutionary War struggle

Washington defeated British

With this victory, morale rose and more men began to enlist

British withdrew from southern New Jersey

Planning more military campaigns for next year

The toll:

American

Killed-25

Wounded-40

British

Killed-100

Wounded-70

Captured-280

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