Ch 7 Lesson 3-4 – Student Notes
Student Name: _________________________________________________
Class: ________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________ Period: _________________
Above is a political cartoon that was printed in England in 1779. Write an interpretation.
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Students will know…
… the causes for the development of conflict between Britain and the colonies.
… the consequences of that conflict and how it motivated colonial leaders to act.
Key Words:


Blockade
Privateer
This information can be found on pages 208 - 219 in your textbook
 The Revolutionary War was of great interest to many Native American groups.
o A few tribes helped the Patriots.
o Most Indians helped the British. Many were angry at colonists for taking their
lands. There were many examples of the Native Americans fighting for the
British.
 The Revolutionary War also took place at sea.
o Great Britain’s strong Navy formed blockades, preventing supply ships from
entering or leaving American harbors.
o To break the blockades, Congress ordered 13 warships, but only 2 ever made it to
sea. They also authorized Privateers. Privateers are privately owned boats
outfitted with weapons and used to capture enemy ships and cargo. Around
2,000 privateers fought for the Patriots, manned mostly by fisherman from New
England.
Main Idea: ___What is the Main Idea of this page?____________________________________
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o The most famous American Naval Officer of the
war was John Paul Jones. He was very
successful raiding British ports.
 Near the coast of Great Britain in
September 1779, Jones’s ship, Bonhomme
Richard, fought the British ship Serapis.
After fighting for hours, the captain of the
Serapis asked whether Jones was ready to
surrender. Jones famously replied, “I have not yet begun to fight!”. After
several more hours of warfare, the Serapis surrendered to Jones.
 The war also took place in the southern colonies.
o Because of the Patriot victory at Saratoga, the British decided on a new strategy.
They knew there were many Loyalists in the southern colonies, and they thought
this would cause public opinion to sway in their favor. Also, they thought they
could use their strong Navy to control southern port cities.
Inference: __What does it mean when a leader decides to change strategies?______________
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o The first step in this new plan occurred when the British General Henry Clinton
sent 3,500 troops from New York to take Savannah Georgia. This gave the British
a foothold in the south.
o After two tries, the British captured Charles Town (modern Charleston) South
Carolina, marking the worst American defeat of the war.
o After that victory, Clinton returned to New York, leaving General Charles
Cornwallis in command of the British forces in the South.
o Although Cornwallis was successful against American troops in traditional battles,
he sustained many casualties by Patriots using guerrilla tactics.
 Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which a small group of
combatants such as armed civilians or irregulars use military tactics
including ambushes, sabotage, raids, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to
fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military.
Cause & Effect: ___What was the cause and effect of guerrilla warfare?___________________
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o In the spring of 1781, American troops had inflicted heavy losses to General
Cornwallis’s army in the Carolinas. Cornwallis decided to march North, to the
Virginia coast, to a place called Yorktown.
o Meanwhile, Washington was planning to attack the British army in New York,
which was under the command of General Henry Clinton.
 Washington changed his plans when he heard that Cornwallis was camped at Yorktown,
which was a peninsula.
He also heard that the
French navy was sailing
to Yorktown to help fight
the British.
 Washington’s army
marched 200 miles south
in 15 days. They met up
with other American troops, a group of French troop commanded by Comte de
Rochambeau. Together with the French navy, they trapped Cornwallis on the peninsula
and cut off any method of supply or escape.
o Soon the British ran low on supplies. Cornwallis realized that the situation was
hopeless. On October 19, 1781, he surrendered. Nearly 8,000 British were taken
as prisoners of war.
o Although the American victory at Yorktown wasn’t the end of all fighting, it
convinced the British that the war was too costly to continue fighting.
o The Americans and British sent delegates to Paris to work out a treaty. Benjamin
Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay represented the United States. The Treaty of
Paris was signed on September 3, 1783.
 By the treaty, Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent
nation. They promised to withdraw all troops from America.
 The U.S. agreed to pay British merchants what they owed, and to return
property that was taken from Loyalists.
 In December 1783, Washington resigned from his position as commander of the
Continental Army. By then, all British troops had left the U.S. and the American soldiers
were returning to their homes and lives.
“…Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire… and take my leave of all the employments of
public life…” -George Washington to the Continental Congress, December 4, 1783
Practice Questions:
1. Use each of the following words in a sentence about the Revolutionary War: blockade,
privateer.
To fight the British blockade, the Continental Congress authorized the use of privateers.
2. What factors led to the American victory at the Battle of Yorktown?
George Washington received word that the French navy had arrived to help the Americans.
He then marched south to Virginia and met up with American and French forces. They pinned
General Cornwallis on a peninsula and held the British army in a siege until they surrendered.
3. What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783?
The British recognized the independence of the United States and promised to withdraw all
troops.