The Revolutionary War

1
The Revolutionary War
2
The War

• First battle
• Lexington and Concord
• Called the shot heard round the world
• April 19, 1775

3
The War

• First Continental Army
• Led by George Washington
• Made of state militiamen
• Paid in script or land certificates

4
The War

• Major battles included
• Trenton
• Crossed the Delaware River Christmas night
• Surprised the Hessian mercenaries
• Provided the first big win of the war

5
The War

• Battles of Saratoga
• Win encouraged France and later, Spain, to enter
  the war because they now believed the Americans
  could win
• Had been enemies of England for centuries
• England now had to fight not only in the
  Americas but also in Europe

6
The War

• Foreign generals who helped the Americans
  included
• The Marquis de Lafayette who shared the hardships
  of his men
• Baron Von Steuben who trained the Continental Army

7
The War

• Yorktown
• Last battle of the war ended October 19,1781
• Americans trapped the British army led by
  Cornwallis against the Chesapeake Bay
• French prevented escape by sea

8
After the War

• Costs of War
• Many soldiers were left with disabilities
• Government had a hard time paying debt
• Many people who had not supported the war were
  left with nothing

9
After the War

• The Treaty of Paris
• Official end of the war
• Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin
• September 3, 1783
• Set the boundaries of the new Republic

10
After the War

• A new country based on the principles of freedom
  was formed
• The first government was based on the Articles of
  Confederation
• In 1786 the Articles were abandoned in favor of
  the Constitution