2. Thesis
The American Revolution was like
no other war in American History,
and affected American citizens like
no other war has
3. The American Revolution
- The American Revolution was the 13 colonies revolting from power hungry
Great Britain
- Americans were outraged with British taxation on America. The colonies
felt there should be no taxation without representation.
- Protest and Battles from the American Revolution have made history in
America
- Brothers fought brothers, and America was under pressure like never
before
- Battles were fought in America, and citizens would often times join in
battle to defend their country
4. Brothers Fight Brothers
- The loyalist were American citizens who were loyal to Britain during the Revolutions
- “Partial Terry” was a loyalist who moved to Canada at the beginning of the war and fought for
the British.
- HE returned to Pennsylvania during the Battle of Wyoming where his family lived.
- Terry scalped his father, mother, brothers, and sisters to death
- When his final brother, Henry Pensell, dropped his weapon and begged for mercy Terry did the
unthinkable. He loaded his gun, aimed down sight at his brothers head, and executed him without
hesitation
- Terry was only one story of brother killing brother during the American Revolutionary War.
- Many other loyalist fought for Britain, and one fifth of the population considered themselves
loyalist
-This meant that many brothers went from family to enemy
5. Battle of Wyoming (Wyoming Massacre)
- Loyalists and Iroquois raiders arrived in Pennsylvania and slaughtered Patriots on July 3rd 1778
- As the troops arrived they killed three unarmed men
- The town found out about the arrival of British forced and received a surrender demand
- The demand was sent to Wintermute’s fort that the arms and supplies be turned over and no arms shall be
gathered until the war is over.
- However, on July 3rd Patriot forces were gathering and war broke out
- The militia went to burn the British camp
- British soldiers laid flat and when the militia came into close range they stood up and opened fire
- 340 Patriots were killed and only 3 British soldiers were killed.
- Many British soldiers recall Indians torturing and scalping Patriot troops
- The number of casualties is how to the Battle of Wyoming was given the name Wyoming Massacre
6. In this painting by Alonzo Chappel you can see the Iroquois Indians and
the British slaughtering Patriot troops. The Patriots are defenses and
you can see them with there arms up surrendering . You can also see a
Native American fighter grabbing a troops skull preparing to scalp him
7. American Revolution War Strategies
American Strategy
◦ - America did not have an real strategy at the beginning of the war
◦ George Washington takes over with his Continental Army on July 3rd, 1775
and things begin to get more structured
◦ Many feel that George Washington was a great leader who knew which battles
to fight and others to avoid, and others feel he was just lucky
◦ Luck or no luck Washington found success using a run and gun strategy called
guerrilla warfare
◦ The Americans used the guerrilla warfare much like the Vietnamese had in
the Vietnam war to defeat the Americans. The Viet Cong knew the land and
would use quick attacks and then flee before they had to face the counter
attack. The Patriots did the same thing and would corner the British troops
and then flee before the stronger army could retaliate.
9. British American Revolutionary
Strategies
- The British initially wanted to contain the war to only Massachusetts and keep it
from spreading across the colonies
- There plan failed after facing a devastating loss at the Battle of Bunker Hill
- The British wanted to capture New York City after failing to take over Boston
- They successfully took control of NYC and started to strategies how they can take
over New England
- The British felt New England was the heart of the Rebellion and had three
different British armies simultaneously attack NYC, Montreal, and Fort Oswego.
- The army wanted to meet in Albany and take over the Hudson Riiver
10. British Strategy Continued…
- The British plan began to fail because British General, General Howe, made
a last decision to go to Philadelphia
- George Washington sent his military and Militia to fight Howe’s men and
found great success
- American troops killed Howe’s men with a ratio of 2:1
- Howe’s decision to take Philadelphia was a turning point in the war
- Britain began to see themselves on the defensive side of battles and started
to loss more and more battles
- Losing battles is fatal when you are in foreign lands and trying to take
control over cities
12. Lexington and Concord, April 1775
- The battles of Lexington and Concord showed the American and British troops their first
scene of combat
- The battles took place on April 19th, 1775, near the Massachusetts Bay
- The American troops were able to prepare for the British forces because Paul Revere had
warned them before hand
- Officer Pitcairn of the British side took the first shot at Lexington, but a huge brawl did not
follow
- The British officers called off the troops and only a few were killed in the entire battle
- There was a lot of confusion and many believe the first shot was an accident, but the
Patriots still decided to counter with an attack
13. Battle of Concord
- 250 Patriots marched toward Lexington where 750 British troops were waiting for war
- The men realized they were outnumbered and retreated
- The British searched for goods and destroyed anything in sight
- The British sent 75 men to advance up a road and they were met by the militia men
- The American soldiers sent British troops back to their lines and they quickly set up their
defenses
- The American troops saw British forces had grown when they came back.
- The Americans would stand their distance and use genius tactics to hold off the over
powering British forces
- The battles of Concord and Lexington boosted the confidence of American patriots and in
return helped lead to American Independence
15. Battle of Charleston
-June 1776
- This was not a major battle in terms of casualties
- Victory went to the American Patriots
- Many believe that this war cause the future battles to stay contained primarily to the North
- This was such a big victory because American troops were able to keep the British from
obtaining the seaport that is located in Charleston
16. Battle of Trenton
- The Battle took place on a cold day and many days the battles and violence lingered on for
a few days after
- Native Americans helped the British troops fight the Americans
- British forces were far too strong and destroyed the American will
- America was very devastated by this loss, and really used it to push them to fight harder in
future battles
- The surprise attack of Trenton New Jersey was organized and lead by George Washington
17. George Caleb Bingham Illustrates Washington crossing the
Delaware River to Trenton in his Washington Crossing the
Delaware
18. Battle of Saratoga
New York, October, 1777
- This Battle was a turning point for the American campaign
- The British troops were a little weaker than American troops, but the
battle went on
- 90 American troops died and 440 British troops died
- Saratoga was not the bloodiest, but it was a big deal because the French
decided to join in to help the American forces
- The victory ensured the French that victory over the British was possible
20. Leaders for the American Colonies
General George Washington: Washington was a famous General who went on to be the first
President of the United States. He wore his medals from the American Revolution with pride
during his presidency.
General Benedict Arnold: Was the colonial governor of Rhode Island. He was given
education, but not a very studios young man. He ran away at a young age and joined an
expedition against the French, but returned home. Arnold eventually turned himself into
British troops after one of his men was found with incriminating evidence. Benedict Arnold
returned to Europe
General Charles Lee: He was the most experienced military leader, and the best fight for
Commander in chief. However, he was born in England, and demanded to be paid for his
service, while Washington would fight for free! Lee did not respect Washington and during
the Battle of Monmouth he ordered a retreat after Washington ordered his men to advance.
22. Leaders for the British Forces
King George III: He was the King of Great Britain and was the main reason for the war. His
unfair taxing on the American colonies causes the war
Thomas Gage: British Army General who was sent to America to lead British troops in the
American Revolution. He lead at the Battle of the Bunker Hill and Battles of Lexington and
Concord
General John Burgoyne: Entered the British Army as a young man and moved up the ranks
over time. He was a promising leader and his troops respected him very much. He lost his
leadership title after his troops were defeated and he returned to Europe. He eventually
regained his rankings when his friends took office, but decided to live a more private life
following the American Revolution
24. Minute Men
Minute men were civilians who trained themselves to defend the colonies and fight off
British forces. The men of each town would train together and prepare for British invasions.
These men were self taught, and also used their own strategies and leadership skills to
combat the powerful Great Britain. The minute men formed a determined militia and fought
for what they believed in, and their legacy today still remains.
25. Weapons of the American Revolution
The musket was a popular rifle that was introduced during the American
Revolution. The bullets were a round slug and if you were stuck the injuries
were often fatal. The slug was so heavy it could take off limbs and the
injuries were hard to treat. Eventually the rifled barrel came into play, which
spun the slug and made it much more accurate
Cannons: Cannons were used to hold back forces, but they would also be
attached to Naval ships
The Navy used cannons to fight at the sea, and the American Revolution was
one of the first wars that the American Navy saw battles at sea
28. British troops during the American
Revolution would wear red. This is how
they got the nick name Red Coats
29. American Revolution Conclusion
The American Revolution was like no other war, because the wars were fought in the
colonies. The battles took places in popular cities, and often times American citizens
(minute men) would join in battle to defend their country. The American Revolution was
the most important war, because if we hadn’t been won we may still be part of Great Britain
today.
