Battle of Yorktown



American RevolutionCausesHistory?>>?American Revolution?The road leading up to the American Revolution didn't happen overnight. It took several years and many events to push the colonists to a point where they wanted to fight for their independence. Below are some of the key causes of the American Revolution in the order they occurred.?The Founding of the Colonies?One thing to keep in mind is that many of the?American colonies?were first founded by people trying to escape religious persecution in England. As the British government became more involved in the affairs of colonies, people began to worry that they would once again lose their freedoms.?French and Indian War?The?French and Indian War?took place between the American colonies and New France. Both sides allied with various?Native American tribes. This war lasted from 1754 to 1763. British troops not only helped the colonists to fight the war, but were stationed in the colonies for protection after the war. These troops weren't free and Britain needed money to pay for the troops. The British Parliament decided to tax the American colonies to help pay for the troops.?Taxes, Laws, and More Taxes?Prior to 1764, the British government had pretty much left the colonists alone to govern themselves. In 1764, they began to impose new laws and taxes. They implemented a number of laws including the Sugar Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act, and the Stamp Act.?What was the Stamp Act??The Stamp Act was a tax put on the American colonies by the British in 1765. It said they had to pay a tax on all sorts of printed materials such as newspapers, magazines and legal documents. It was called the Stamp Act because the colonies were supposed to buy paper from Britain that had an official stamp on it that showed they had paid the tax.?Paying for the War?The?French and Indian War?was fought between the British American colonies and the French, who had allied with the American Indians. It lasted from 1754 to 1763. The American colonies eventually won the war, but only with the help of the British army. The British government felt that the colonies should share in the expense of the war and help to pay for the British troops in the Americas.?The Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax to help the British pay for the French and Indian War. The British felt they were well justified in charging this tax because the colonies were receiving the benefit of the British troops and needed to help pay for the expense. The colonists didn't feel the same.?No Representation?The colonists felt that the British government had no right to tax them because there were not any representatives of the colonies in the British Parliament. The colonies had no say in how much the taxes should be or what they should pay for. They didn't think this was fair. They called this "taxation without representation".The colonists were not happy with the new taxes. They said they should not have to pay British taxes because they had no representatives in the British Parliament. Their motto became "No Taxation Without Representation."?Protests in Boston?Many colonists began to protest against these new British taxes and laws. A group called the Sons of Liberty formed in 1765 in Boston and soon spread throughout the colonies. During one protest in Boston, a fight broke out and several colonists were shot and killed. This incident became known as the Boston Massacre.?In 1773, the British imposed a new tax on tea. Several patriots in Boston protested this act by boarding ships in Boston harbor and dumping their tea into the water. This protest became known as the Boston Tea Party.?Intolerable Acts?The British decided that the colonies needed to be punished for the Boston Tea Party. They issued a number of new laws that the colonists called the Intolerable Acts.?What were the Intolerable Acts??The Intolerable Acts were called the Coercive Acts in England. The Americans called them the Intolerable Acts. They were five laws that were passed by the British Parliament against the American Colonies in 1774.?How did they get their name??They were given the name "Intolerable Acts" by American Patriots who felt they simply could not "tolerate" such unfair laws.?Why did Britain impose these new acts??The British passed these acts as punishment for the Boston Tea Party.?The Five Acts?1. Boston Port Act?The act closed the port of Boston to all ships until the colonists paid for the tea they dumped into the harbor.?Many felt that this punishment was unfair because it punished all the citizens of Boston for a crime that only a few committed. Many of the other American colonies sent supplies to Boston.?2. Massachusetts Government Act?This act changed the government of the colony of Massachusetts. Many of the government officials that used to be elected by the people would now be appointed by the governor. 3. Quartering Act?The Quartering Act of 1774 expanded upon the original Quartering Act of 1765. It said that the colonies had to provide barracks for British soldiers. In the case where barracks weren't available, the soldiers could be housed in other buildings such as barns, hotels, and homes.?Results?The Intolerable Acts became a rallying cry for patriots in America. They felt these acts took away some of their basic freedoms. In many ways, these acts helped to unite the colonies and pushed them one step closer to revolution.?Boston Blockade?One of the Intolerable Acts was the Boston Port Act which shut down the port of Boston for trade. British ships blockaded Boston Harbor, punishing everyone who lived in Boston, both patriots and loyalists. This angered not only people in Boston, but also people in other colonies who were afraid the British would do the same thing to them.?Growing Unity Among the Colonies?The increased laws punishing the colonies did little to control the colonies as the British had hoped, but actually had the opposite effect. The laws caused the colonies to become more united against the British. Many colonies sent supplies to help Boston during the blockade. Also, more and more colonists throughout the Americas joined up with the Sons of Liberty.?First Continental Congress?In 1774, twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress as a direct response to the Intolerable Acts. They sent a petition to King George III to repeal the Intolerable Acts. They never got a response. They also established a boycott of British goods.?The War Begins?In 1775, British soldiers in Massachusetts were ordered to disarm the American rebels and to arrest their leaders. The Revolutionary War began on April 19,1775 when fighting broke out between the two sides at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.?The Battles of Lexington and Concord signaled the start of the American Revolutionary war on April 19, 1775. The British Army set out from Boston to capture rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington as well as to destroy the Americans store of weapons and ammunition in Concord. The colonists were warned however, by riders including Paul Revere, that the British Army was approaching. Sam Adams and John Hancock were able to escape and the local militia was able to hide much of their ammunition and weapons.?Battle of Lexington Engravingby UnknownBattle of Lexington?The Battle of Lexington was a very small fight. You could hardly call it a battle, but it's important because it's where the Revolutionary War started. When the British arrived, there were only around 80 American militiamen in the town. They were led by Captain John Parker. They were up against a much larger British force led by Major John Pitcairn. Neither side expected to actually fight, but in the midst of the confusion a gunshot went off forcing the British to attack. Some of the colonists were killed and the rest fled.?The gunshot was the first shot of the American Revolution and the start of the war. It was called the "shot heard around the world" by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem Concord Hymn. No one is actually sure who fired the first shot or if it was an American or British soldier.?Battle of Concord?After the Americans fled from Lexington, the British marched to the city of Concord. When they first got to Concord, they met little resistance and began to search the town for the militia's hidden stash of weapons and munitions. The Americans had retreated to the outskirts of Concord and observed the British from other side of the North Bridge. As the Americans waited, more and more local militiamen arrived making their forces stronger and stronger.?The Americans decided to cross the North Bridge back into Concord. They defeated the British troops at the North Bridge, giving the Americans renewed confidence. Soon the British commander, Colonel Francis Smith, realized that the American militia resistance was rapidly growing and it was time to retreat.?The British Retreat?Once the British decided to retreat, they began the long march back to the city of Boston. The Americans continued to gain forces and continued to attack and harass the British during their retreat. By the time the British reached Boston they had lost 73 men and 174 were wounded. The Americans lost 49 men and 41 were wounded.?Battle of Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, just a few months after the start of the American Revolutionary War.Battle of Bunker Hill?by PyleBoston was being besieged by thousands of American militia. The British were trying to keep control of the city and control its valuable seaport. The British decided to take two hills, Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, in order to gain a tactical advantage. The American forces heard about it and went to defend the hills.?What happened at the battle??The American forces learned that the British were planning on taking over the hills around Boston in order to gain a tactical advantage. As a result of this information, the Americans secretly moved their troops onto Bunker and Breed's Hill, two unoccupied hills just outside of Boston in Charlestown, Massachusetts. They built up fortifications during the night and prepared for battle.?The next day, when the British realized what had happened, the British attacked. Their commander William Howe led three charges up Breed's Hill. The Americans fought back the first two charges, but started to run out of ammunition and had to retreat at the third charge. The British gained the hill, but their costs were great. Around 226 British were killed and 800 wounded while the Americans did not suffer nearly as many casualties.?Battle of Long Island, New YorkThe Battle of Long Island was the largest battle of the Revolutionary War. It was also the first major battle that occurred after the Declaration of Independence.?When and where did it take place??The battle took place in the southwest portion of Long Island,?New York. This area is called Brooklyn today and the battle is often referred to as the Battle of Brooklyn. The battle took place early in the Revolutionary War on August 27, 1776.?Who were the commanders??The Americans were under the overall command of General George Washington. Other important commanders included Israel Putnam, William Alexander, and John Sullivan.?The primary commander for the British was General William Howe. Other generals included Charles Cornwallis, Henry Clinton, and James Grant.??Battle of Long Island?by Domenick D'AndreaBefore the Battle?When the British were finally forced out of Boston in March of 1776, George Washington knew they would soon return. The most strategic port in the Americas was New York City and Washington correctly guessed that the British would attack there first. Washington marched his army from Boston to New York and ordered them to start preparing to defend the city.?Sure enough, a large British fleet arrived off the coast of New York in July. They set up camp on Staten Island across from New York. On August 22, the British began landing troops on Long Island. The Americans remained in their defensive positions and waited for the British to attack.?The Battle?The British first attacked in the early morning hours of August 27 sending in a small force at the center of the American defense. While the Americans focused on this smaller attack, the main force of the British army attacked from the east nearly surrounding the Americans.?Rather than losing his entire army to the British, Washington ordered the army to retreat to Brooklyn Heights. Many of them were killed.?Final Retreat?Instead of finishing off the Americans, the British leaders halted the attack. They didn't want to needlessly sacrifice British troops as they had at the Battle of Bunker Hill. They also figured that the Americans had no way to escape.?On the night of August 29, Washington made a desperate attempt to save his army. The weather was foggy and rainy making it hard to see. He ordered his men to stay silent and had them slowly make their way across the East River to Manhattan. When the British woke up the next morning, the Continental Army was gone.?Results?The Battle of Long Island was a decisive victory for the British. George Washington and the Continental Army were eventually forced to retreat all the way to Pennsylvania. The British remained in control of New York City for the rest of the Revolutionary War.Crossing the DelawareOn December 25, 1776?George Washington?and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River into?New Jersey?in a surprise attack on the British. They had a decisive victory that helped turn the war back to the American's favor.?Surprise!?It was the cold of winter. The wind was blowing and it was snowing. On one side of the Delaware River, George Washington and the Continental Army camped. On the other side, a British army of Hessian soldiers held the town of Trenton. It was also Christmas and, with an icy and dangerous river between the two armies, it did not look to be a day for fighting. The Hessian soldiers probably thought the last thing the American Army would do was attack in these terrible conditions. That's what made the attack so brilliant.?Washington Crossing the Delaware?by Emanuel LeutzeThe Battle of Trenton?When George Washington and the army arrived in Trenton, the Hessians were not prepared for such an attack force. They soon surrendered. The casualties were low on both sides with the Hessians suffering 22 deaths and 83 injuries and the Americans 2 deaths and five injuries. The Americans captured around 1000 Hessians.?Who were the Hessian Soldiers??The Hessian soldiers were German soldiers that the British hired to fight for them. They hired them through the German government. Around 30,000 German soldiers fought in the American Revolutionary War. They were called Hessians because a lot of them came from the area of Hesse-Kassel. Many of the Hessians stayed in America and settled there after the war was over.?Why was the Crossing of the Delaware so important??The American forces were going through a very tough time right before the crossing. They had been pushed back all the way from New York to Pennsylvania. Many of General Washington's men were injured or ready to leave the army. The number of troops were dwindling and winter was approaching. The army desperately needed a victory. The victory gave a huge boost in moral to the American soldiers.?Battle of Yorktown?Bataille de Yorktownby Auguste CouderThe Battle of Yorktown was the last great battle of the American Revolutionary War. It is where the British Army surrendered and the British government began to consider a peace treaty.?Build up to the Battle?General Nathanael Greene had taken over command of the American Continental Army in the South. Prior to General Greene's command, the war in the South had not been going very well, but Greene put in some new tactics that enabled American victories and caused the British Army to retreat to the East Coast.?At the same time that the British Army under General Charles Cornwallis was retreating to Yorktown,?General George Washington?was marching his army down from the north. The French Navy, having defeated the British Navy, started to move to the coast near Yorktown as well.?The Siege of Yorktown?The British Army was now surrounded at Yorktown. They were greatly outnumbered by the French and American troops. For eleven days the American forces bombarded the British. Finally Cornwallis sent out the white flag for surrender. He originally made a lot of demands to George Washington for his surrender, but Washington didn't agree. When the American troops started to prepare for another attack, Cornwallis agreed to Washington's terms and the battle was over.?Surrender?On October 19, 1781 General Cornwallis signed the British surrender. The document was called the Articles of Capitulation.?Surrender of CornwallisSource: U.S. Federal GovernmentBritish Done Fighting?Around 8,000 British troops surrendered in Yorktown. Although this wasn't all of the army, it was a big enough force to cause the British to start thinking they were going to lose the war. Losing this battle made them start to think about peace and that it wasn't worth the cost of the war to keep the colonies. This opened the door for the Treaty of Paris.? ................
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