Class presentation

1. Bell Ringer (REVIEW!)- Complete the “Revolutionary War
Leaders Section” of your note sheet using the names below:
 Friedrich von Steuben- Prussian born officer who trained Washington’s troops at Valley
Forge. Made the Continental Army a more efficient fighting force.
 George Rogers Clark- Led many attacks into the Northwest Territory. Won the battles of
Kaskaskia and Vincennes. Known as the “Conqueror of the Old Northwest.”
 Marquis de Lafayette- French aristocrat who became an officer for Washington.
Convinced the king of France to give supplies and aid to the Americans.
 Francis Marion- Used “hit and run” tactics to win battles in the South Carolina region.
Known as “The Swamp Fox.”
 Benedict Arnold- American military leader who attempted to turn West Point over to the
British. Infamous as being a traitor. Eventually joined the British army as a brigadier
general.
 George Washington- Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Had a tremendous
ability to command and inspire troops. Made great strategic decisions with little
resources.

2. Battles of the American Revolution
Essential Question: How
did certain events and
battles shape the
course of the war for
American
Independence?

3. "The Shot Heard 'Round the World"
(Lexington)
 The British government had no
intention of meeting the
demands of the First Continental
Congress
 Colonists began forming militia
units called "minutemen"
 British General Thomas Gage
learned that minutemen were
storing arms in Concord
 Paul Revere and William Dawes
warned the minutemen on their
famous "Midnight Ride."

4. "The Shot Heard 'Round the World"
(Lexington)
 In Lexington, 77
minutemen were waiting
on the British
 The British commander
ordered the minutemen to
leave. They refused.
 A shot was fired, then the
British opened fire and
killed eight colonists

5. Concord
 Concord, five miles from Lexington,
was the site of a larger battle
 400 minutemen, fought the British,
killing 3 of them
 Americans fired from behind trees
and fences (Why?)
 By the time the British reached
Boston, almost 300 had been killed
or wounded
 Early victory for the colonists
 What message did this send to the
British?

6. Make a Prediction:
 Find a partner who shares the same eye color as you
 Discuss the following:
 Who do you believe fired the shot heard round the world?
 Make a compelling argument

7. Checkpoint
 Colonial militiamen were called __________.
 Why were they called this?
 Why were the British trying to get to Concord?
 Who warned the colonists about the British?
 Where was the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" fired?
 What was the significance of the Battles of Lexington and
Concord?

8. Fort Ticonderoga
 Located in northern New
York
 The fort was at the
southern end of Lake
Champlain (why would this
be a desirable location?)
 This was the water route to
Canada
 The fort also had many
cannons

9. Fort Ticonderoga- Ethan Allen and
the Green Mountain Boys
 Ethan Allen, a blacksmith, led a group
of men from the Green Mountains of
Vermont to take Fort Ticonderoga
 This group was called "The Green
Mountain Boys"
 83 of the Green Mountain Boys
arrived early in the morning (only 42
British troops were there)
 The British surrendered almost
immediately
 Dozens of cannons were seized
 Washington would use these cannons
to drive the British out from Boston

10. From Fort Ticonderoga to Boston
What does this
painting indicate
about the Continental
Army?

11.  "I return’d to this place on the 15 & brought with me the Cannon being
nearly the time I conjectur’d it would take us to transport them to here, It is
not easy [to] conceive the difficulties we have had in getting them over
the Lake owing to the advanc’d Season of the Year & contrary winds, but
the danger is now past & three days ago it was very uncertain whether
we could have gotten them untill next spring, but now please God they
must go – I have had made forty two exceeding Strong Sleds & have
provided eighty Yoke of oxen to drag them as far as Springfield where I
shall get fresh Cattle to Carry them to Camp – the rout will be from here to
Kinderhook from thence into Great Barrington Massachusetts Bay & down
to Springfield There will scarcely be possibility of conveying them from
here to Albany or Kinderhook but on sleds the roads being very much
gullied, at present the sledding is tolerable to Saratoga about 26 miles;
beyond that there is none – I have sent for the Sleds & teams to come
here & expect to begin [to] move them to Saratoga on Wednesday or
Thursday next trusting that between this & then we shall have a fine fall of
snow which will enable us to proceed further & make the carriage easy –
if that should be the case I hope in 16 or 17 days time to be able to
present to your Excellency a noble train of artillery."- Henry Knox
Discuss this primary source with someone sitting near
you.
What does this source indicate about the Continental
Army?

12. Checkpoint
 Why did the colonists want to take Fort Ticonderoga?
 Who was the leader of the group that took the fort?
 What was the name of this group?
 Why was the surrender by the British at Fort Ticonderoga
unique?
 How did the siege of Fort Ticonderoga affect the later
stages of the war?

13. Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill)
 Americans surrounding Boston were farmers
and workers, not trained soldiers (why would
this be a disadvantage?)
 British general, William Howe, decided to
attack straight up Breed's Hill
 300 British troops were killed in the first
attempt up the hill
 The British tried two more times
 The British finally succeeded in taking Bunker
Hill because the Americans ran out of
ammo.
 This was a moral victory and a confidence
boost for the colonies
 This sent a message to the British that the war
would not be quick or easy

14. "Don't fire until you see the whites of
their eyes!"
 Legend has William
Prescott or Israel Putnam as
the person who said this
 Why is he saying this?
 Why shouldn't they open
fire right away?
 Discuss this with someone
who has the same color
shirt as you.

15. Checkpoint
 How were American troops and British troops different?
 Why did the Americans lose the Battle of Bunker Hill?
 What message did the moral victory at Bunker Hill give to
the colonists?
 What message did the Battle of Bunker Hill send to the
British?

16. Battle of Trenton and Princeton
 On Christmas night of 1776,
Washington led 2,400 men
across the freezing
Delaware River in small
boats
 Soldiers were very poorly
equipped (some wrapped
their feet in rags since they
did not have shoes)
 On the far bank, they
walked several miles in the
snow

17. Battle of Trenton and Princeton
 On December 26,
Washington attacked
Trenton from two sides
 How would you evaluate
this strategy? Discuss with
someone sitting near you
and be ready to defend
your answer.
 This attack by Washington
came as a complete
surprise

18. Battle of Trenton and Princeton-
Hessians
 Hessians- German soldiers from
the region of Hesse
 They were among the thousands
of "mercenaries" who fought for
the British (what does
"mercenary" mean?)
 Mercenary- hired soldier
 Why do you think the British used
Hessian mercenaries?
 British troops were stretched thin
and Hessians were cheap and
effective.

19. Battle of Trenton and Princeton
 After winning at Trenton,
Washington quietly
withdrew and moved
toward Princeton
 The British were heavily
damaged and suffered a
loss at Princeton as well
 Victories at Trenton and
Princeton boosted morale
and gave the Americans
momentum

20. Checkpoint
 Why was Washington able to win at Trenton?
 Which side used Hessian mercenaries?
 Why were these mercenaries used?
 Why were these victories (Trenton and Princeton)
important?

21. Battle of Saratoga
 British General, John
Burgoyne had a plan to cut
off New England from the
rest of the states.
 British Plan:
 Burgoyne wanted to
attack Albany, NY from 3
directions
 General Howe was
ordered to attack from
the South but the king
ordered him to attack
Philadelphia, instead

22. Battle of Saratoga
 American general, Horatio Gates had
6,000 men ready to fight at the
village of Saratoga, NY
 His men quickly surrounded the British
and forced Burgoyne to surrender
after heavy casualties
 Results:
 Major turning point in the war
 Ended British threat to New
England
 Destroyed British hopes of an
easy victory
 Lifted Patriot spirits
 Convinced Europeans that
America had a second chance
of winning

23. Checkpoint
 What message did the Battle of Saratoga send to the
British?
 How did the victory at Saratoga affect the attitude of the
Patriots?

24. Valley Forge
 During the winter of 1777-1778,
Washington’s Continental army
camped in Valley Forge, PA
 11,000 were not sufficiently fed,
clothed, or housed
 Many lacked socks, shoes, and pants
 Food consisted of dry bread patties
and thin soup
 Women collected supplies and
Martha Washington went to Valley
Forge to tend to soldiers
 During this winter, troops trained with
Baron Von Steuben to strengthen
themselves for future battles

25. Checkpoint
 What kinds of hardships did the army face at Valley
Forge?
 How did Martha Washington help?
 What role did Baron Friedrich von Steuben play at Valley
Forge?

26. Battle of King’s Mountain
 The British had recently won at Camden,
SC
 They moved through the Carolinas in
September of 1780
 British warned locals that they should join
them or they would “hang their leaders,
and law their country waste…”
 The locals (mountain people), formed a
militia army
 At King’s Mountain, the militiamen killed
or captured 1,000 British or Loyalist troops
 This victory brought new support for
independence from Southerners

27. Checkpoint
 What was the significance of the Battle of King’s
Mountain?

28. Battle of Yorktown
 British General Charles Cornwallis led
his 7,500 troops to Yorktown near the
James River (ring a bell?)
 From here, he could receive supplies
from British ships in Chesapeake Bay
 French Admiral Francois de Grasse
blocked the entrance and prevented
the British from receiving supplies and
escaping
 Washington’s army along with 7,000
French troops came from New York to
Virginia
 Cornwallis was trapped and on
October 17, 1781, the British officially
surrendered

29. Checkpoint
 What other country helped the Americans win at
Yorktown?
 What strategy was used?
 Why was the victory at Yorktown significant?

30. Day 1 Summarizer
 3-2-1
 • 3 things you found out, 2 interesting things, and 1
question you still have.

31. Day 2 Summarizer
 Answer the following on a half of a sheet of paper:
 1. What were the first battles of the war?
 2. Which battle involved the British surrendering without a
fight?
 3. Which battles were “moral victories?”
 4. Which battle was the turning point?
 5. Which battle brought new support from Southerners?
 6. Which battle was the final major battle?

32. Bell Ringer- Day 2 (Use your own paper)
 Construct a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the
Continental Army with the British Army

33. Bell Ringer- Day 3
 Complete the table summarizing the significance of the major
battles and events of the American Revolution. Match each of the
battles or events below with their description on your table.
 Battle of Lexington
 Battle of Concord
 Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
 Bunker Hill
 Battles Trenton and Princeton
 Battle of Saratoga
 Valley Forge
 Battle of King’s Mountain
 Battle of Yorktown

34. Battles of the Revolution Extension
Activity (Choose ONE)
Illustrated Timeline: Construct an
illustrated timeline over the major
battles of the Revolution. Include
a short summary as well as a
drawing for each major event.
- Work with your assigned
partner
- One partner should construct
the drawings and one partner
should construct the
summaries
Revolutionary War Leader
Interview Podcast: Choose a
figure from one of the major
battles. Construct an 3-5 minute
interview about the battle.
- Work with your assigned
partner
- In addition to your recorded
podcast, you should turn in
your interview script.