Lexington and Concord: April 19, 1775

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Lexington and Concord April 19, 1775
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Fighting the American Revolution
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Battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breeds Hill)
Dont fire until you see the whites of their
eyes!
British won, but they lost almost half their
men Colonists fought hard, showing the British
that this war will not be easy.
June 17, 1775
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Quebec and Ticonderoga (Winter of 1775)
Colonists are able to capture cannons, arms, and
ammunition at Fort Ticonderoga to help aid in
Colonial war effort.
every thing about this Army is infected with the
Pestilence The Clothes, The Blankets, the Air
the Ground they Walk on.
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Retreat from New York
32,000 British soldiers have battered the
colonists. British hired Hessians (from Germany)
as mercenaries. The British have captured NY,
and the colonists have retreated.
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Battle of Trenton
Washington escaped the British by crossing the
Delaware River Saw Hessians with supplies and
weapons (everything the colonists
need!) Surprise attack!! Christmas
morning Colonists defeated the Hessians!
"Many patriots who in the long struggle did less
for their country's freedom than Daniel Bray are
to-day more honored and sung, although he,
through many perils, gathered by night the fleet
of boats by which Washington crossed the icy
Delaware. Even had the battle of Trenton proved a
disaster for the Americans, instead of the
glorious victory it actually became, the
dangerous descent of the swiftly flowing river,
from the mouth of the Lehigh to Malta Island, a
journey of fifty miles through long wintry
nights, accomplished by Captain Bray and his
compatriots, should at least give his name a
place beside those of Paul Revere, Sergeant
Jasper and Molly Pitcher.
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(No Transcript)
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Battle of Princeton
Colonists win the battle
My Lord, if you trust those people tonight, you
will see nothing of them in the
morning! -Cornwallis does not heed advice -
Washington surrounds British and launches
surprise attack in the morning
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Battle of Saratoga (Summer 1777)turning point
of the war
Colonists have a major victory!! The French
decided to help the American colonists fight the
British as a result of this victory.
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Valley Forge (Winter 1777-78)
General Howe and the British lived comfortably in
Philadelphia as Colonial Army suffered at Valley
Forge. Inferior clothing, lack of food, and
disease plagued the encampment.
The Marquis de Lafayette wrote "The unfortunate
soldiers were in want of everything they had
neither coats nor hats, nor shirts, nor shoes.
Their feet and their legs froze until they were
black, and it was often necessary to amputate
them."
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Valley Forge continued

• Baron Friedrich von Steuben of Germany was hired
  to coach the Colonial militiamen.

Soldiers learned formations, techniques, and
discipline. Colonial militiamen enjoyed von
Steubens gruffness
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Turmoil during the War

• Congress was near bankrupt and colonial army did
  not get paid for months
• Morristown, NJ- 1,500 Colonial militiamen from
  Pennsylvania kill 3 officers and march on Philly
• Mutiny ends when soldiers are promised discharges
  or bounties for reenlistment
• Similar revolt takes place with soldiers from NJ,
  two leaders are executed.

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War in the South (1778-1781)

• Even more turmoil
• British tried to exploit tension between
  backwoods farmers and wealthy planters
• Encouraged slave revolts
• Loyalist militias joined British side
• Civil War breaks out in North and South
  Carolina and Georgia (Patriots vs. Loyalists)
• Francis Marion The Swamp Fox launches surprise
  raids against British in SC

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Surrender at Yorktown
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The World Turned Upside Down
?? If ponies rode men and grass ate cows, if
summer were spring and the other way around, then
all the world would be upside down. ? ?