6.1
Who were Peter Salem & Lemuel Haynes?
Peter Salem & Lemuel Haynes were African Americans who fought on the side of the patriots during the American Revolution.
EXTRA NOTE: They believed that a nation fighting for freedom would offer a better situation than they currently had in the British-ruled colonies. However, some sided with the British once they began promising freedom for enslaved people who fought on their side.
Where did the Patriot forces endure a winter of terrible suffering?
Valley Forge - Location where the Patriot forces endured a winter of terrible suffering
When was the Battle of Trenton?
Christmas 1776
What did they call mercenaries hired from Germany to fight for the British in the American colonies who fought for the money they earned?
Hessians
Who was the German military veteran put in charge of drilling patriot forces at Valley Forge; he taught men who had never fought in a war before how to be disciplined and made them a more effective fighting force?
Friedrich von Steuben
Location in modern-day Indiana where George Rogers Clark forced Henry Hamilton’s surrender. This strengthened the American position in the West.
Who was the Patriot who disguised himself as a teacher to spy on the British that was captured and hanged?
Nathan Hale
What is another name for a loyalist?
AND
Where was loyalist strength strongest and weakest?
Another name for a loyalist is a Torie
Loyalist strength was strongest in the Carolinas and Georgia and weakest in New England.
Who was the French nobleman who became Washington’s trusted aide; he bought a ship and set sail to America to join the battle for freedom hoping America’s fight would help France?
Marquis de Lafayette - French nobleman who became Washington’s trusted aide; he bought a ship and set sail to America to join the battle for freedom. He hoped America’s fight would help France.
What is a privateer?
Privateer- merchant war ships; privately owned ships outfitted w/ weapons.
What happened in Yorktown?
Yorktown - Location in Virginia where the French Navy and Washington’s troops worked together to surround and defeat Cornwallis’ troops. This essentially wins the war for the Patriots. The French played “Yankee Doodle” as the British handed over their weapons. The British band responded with a children’s tune called “The World Turned Upside Down.” Indeed it had. The fighting wasn’t over, but the Patriot victory convinced the British the war was too costly to pursue.
During which battle (fought on Christmas) did the Patriots find victory when Washington surprised the British troops by crossing the icy Delaware River at night and attacking at daybreak? They captured 900 Hessians.
Battle of Trenton
Washington read the quote “These are the times that try men’s souls” - by Thomas Paine to inspire his troops through the cold and harsh winter.
Who was Margaret Corbin?
Margaret Corbin - Patriot fighter who accompanied her husband into battle and took his place when he died.
By the end of the war, all of the states had enlisted African-Americans fighting for the Patriot cause except which state?
South Carolina
Where did the Patriots suffer their worst defeat of the war and thousands of Americans were taken prisoner?
Charles Town - Location in South Carolina where the Patriots suffered their worst defeat of the war. Thousands of Americans were taken prisoner.
Who was Francis Marion?
Francis Marion - Guerilla leader of a small but expert force in SC. Marion would stage surprise attacks, sabotage communications and supply lines, and rescue American prisoners. He earned the nickname “the Swamp Fox” because of his sly tactics in the swamps of the South. One British colonel grumbled that “the devil himself” couldn’t catch Marion.
What is guerrilla warfare?
Guerrilla warfare - “Hit and Run” tactics in warfare. This strategy was utilized by Patriot fighters and caught the British troops off guard.
What were the Patriots’ advantages and disadvantages in the war? (3 for each)
Advantages
Fighting on their own land
Better knowledge of the battlefield and travel routes
Fighting for a cause
They are fighting for their freedom while Britain is fighting for money
Great leadership
The founding fathers, especially George Washington, made key decisions that would be a big advantage for the Patriots.
Disadvantages
Far fewer soldiers were available than the British
Smaller population than Great Britain; British hired many mercenaries
Lack of agreement among colonists
Tories/Loyalists made up about 1/5th of colonists; others were neutral or opposed conflict due to faith (Quakers)
Lack of a professional army and navy
Not well trained or experienced, short enlistment periods, shortage of weapons/ammunition while the British were extremely well trained and had the strongest navy in the world.
How did financing the war lead to inflation?
To pay for the war, Congress and the states printed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of paper money. These bills quickly lost their value, however, because the amount of bills in circulation grew faster than the supply of gold and silver backing them. This situation led to inflation, which means that it took more and more money to buy the same amount of goods. Eventually, Congress stopped issuing the paper money because no one would use it, but the Americans had no other way to finance their war for independence.
What foreign countries helped the Patriots win the war? Why did each country help?
France
-Signed a trade agreement and an alliance with Congress. Declared war on Britain and sent money, equipment, and troops to aid the Americans.
-The French did this because they had recently lost their North American colonies to the British and wanted to help them lose theirs.
Spain
-Declared war on Britain. Sent money, rifles, and other supplies to American Armies in Virginia and the Ohio River Valley. They also captured forts in the Mississippi Valley.
-The Spanish wanted to help because the British were the only other big European competitor in North America after the Seven Years’ War.
Netherlands
-Went to war with Britain in Europe and loaned money to the Americans.
-The Dutch aided the Patriots because Britain forced them to make a choice. They had to either stop trading with the French and colonists or go to war with the British. They chose to go to war.
What was George Washington’s secret strategy for the siege of Yorktown?
Once he learned the second fleet commanded by Admiral Francois de Grasse was heading to Chesapeake Bay instead of New York, Washington developed a secret strategy to surround Yorktown, VA, with colonial forces and force Cornwallis’s surrender.
Washington wanted Clinton to think the Patriots still planned to attack New York. He hoped to keep Clinton from sending aid to Cornwallis, the British commander at Yorktown.
Washington and Rochambeau (now off his ship) took their armies south. Most of the soldiers did not know where they were marching. Washington and his men marched 200 miles in 15 days (13 miles a day—in secrecy!)
Wayne’s armies from the western territories marched to Virginia.
Marquis de Lafayette’s troops were keeping Cornwallis’s troops on the Yorktown peninsula.
Cornwallis couldn’t escape by sea due to de Grasse’s ships in Yorktown.