AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The War
Begins
REMEMBER: After the meeting of the First
Continental Congress, the 13 Colonies are preparing
their people to fight against Britain – they are not
backing down from powerful King George III.
The 3,000 British soldiers in Boston notice the
increased amount of colonists getting ready for
battle. What are they going to do about this?
Lexington and Concord (April 18-19, 1775) – sparked the
beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
The British had
a plan…
The governor of
Massachusetts
was ordered to
arrest two leaders
of the Sons of
Liberty and
destroy any
weapons the
minutemen had.
On April 18, 1775
700 British troops marched
toward Lexington.
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
• Sons of Liberty found out about the British
plan and sent 3 messengers to warn the
people in Lexington and Concord.
– The 3 messengers were Paul Revere, William
Dawes, and Samuel Prescott.
– Dawes and Revere made it to Lexington and
warned Sam Adams and John Hancock.
– They were then persuaded to carry their
message on to Concord.
On the way to
Concord…
•Dawes was thrown
from his horse, and
had to walk the rest
of the way back to
Lexington.
•Revere was
captured by a
British patrol.
•Prescott was the
only one to make it
to Concord.
Draw a Picture of
the Midnight
Ride
The British began their march toward
Lexington and Concord. They were unaware
that Paul Revere had warned the colonists.
The British arrived in Lexington (on the town
green) and outnumbered the minutemen – 800 to
130(roughly).
A British major yelled “Throw down your arms! Ye villains,
ye rebels.” The militiamen had just been ordered by their
commander to put down their weapons when a shot rang
out. To this day, we don’t know which side fired first in
Lexington to start the war. It is famously known as “the shot
heard around the world.”
Who do you think fired the
first shot?
A.British Soldier
B.Colonist
C.Other (Bystander, hunter,
etc.
The fight at Lexington lasted only minutes, but when it
ended, eight (8) minutemen were killed and (10) were
wounded.
The British then continued their march to
Concord where they planned to seize ammunition
being stored there by the colonists.
When the British troops arrived in Concord, they
were surprised and outnumbered by the colonists.
After searching for hours, very few weapons were
found (colonists had moved them)
As the British were leaving Concord, militiamen
attacked British troops at the North Bridge, and 3
British soldiers were killed.
The March Back to Boston
• As British troops began their march back to
Boston…
• Almost 2000 militiamen descended upon
the British troops, following them back to
Boston, and firing at them from behind
trees, stone walls, houses, and sheds.
• Before long, British troops were
abandoning their weapons, clothing, and
equipment to retreat faster.
Draw a picture of the
Boston Troops
Retreating…
When the battle was over, 73 British soldiers were killed,
174 wounded and 26 were missing. For the colonists, 49
were killed, 40 wounded, and 5 were missing.
The First Continental Congress met in 1774 before the
official war began. This second group of colonial leaders
served as the colonies’ acting government and met on
June 14, 1775 and periodically after that until 1789.
Second Continental Congress – June 14, 1775
The colonies realized America needed an army in order
to have a chance to defeat Britain.
1. The colonies voted to
create a Continental
Army.
They also had to create new
money to pay for the American
Army
2. They asked
George Washington
to create and
lead the new
American Army.
Why do you think
George Washington
was chosen to lead
the Continental
Army?
It seemed like the war would be a huge mismatch.
British Army
Continental Army
• Lack of supplies, money, and weapons
• Lack of trained soldiers
• Lack of experience
• Only 4 boats – no real Navy
• Army not well organized
VS.
• Plenty of money, weapons and supplies
• Highly trained soldiers
• Lots of experience
• More than 250 naval ships
• World’s most powerful army
In the beginning of the
war, the British Army
was much stronger than
the American Army. As
a result, the British were
beating the Americans in
many major battles.
America versus Britain
MOMENTUM
AMERICA
BRITAIN
Battle of Bunker Hill
• First official battle - June 17, 1775, north of
Boston
• Battle is misnamed. Was actually fought
on Breed’s Hill
• British used cannons and charged the hill.
• As colonists were running out of gun
powder, the command was given “don’t
fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”
The colonists were finally forced to retreat.
• 200 British soldiers were killed; 140
colonists were killed.
The Mecklenburg Resolves
On May 20, 1775, the people of
Mecklenburg County declared
themselves free of British
authority.
The Halifax Resolves
On April 12, 1776, the NC state
legislature authorized delegates to
discuss and pursue independence
during the Second Continental
Congress
The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge
(February 27th 1776)
The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge (February
27th 1776)
•This was the first battle to take place in North
Carolina.
•The Loyalists and the British planned a
meeting in Wilmington to take control of the
southern colonies.
•The Patriots planned to prevent the meeting.
They removed planks from the bridge over
Moore's Creek and greased them with soap
and animal fat, causing the horses to slip.
•During the ensuing chaos, 50 Loyalists were
killed or wounded. Only 1 Patriot was killed.
Draw a picture of
the Battle at
Moore’s Creek
Bridge
During a meeting
of the Second
Continental
Congress,
delegates asked
Thomas Jefferson,
just 33 years old
at the time,
to write the
Declaration of
Independence.
Once Jefferson finished writing his draft, he took it
back to the entire group(Second Continental
Congress) for approval.
The colonial representatives debated whether
to include slaves in this new Declaration of
freedom.
The southern colonies wanted to keep slavery legal.
Others wanted to see it eliminated.
This resulted in uncomfortable compromises.
Some other interesting and “fun”
facts about the Declaration of
Independence…
We celebrate Independence Day
on July 4th every year because
that’s when the Declaration of
Independence was signed.
A.True
B.False
False!
• The official Declaration of Independence
was NOT signed on July 4th, but it was
adopted by the Second Continental
Congress on July 4th.
• Most delegates actually signed the
document on August 2nd!
More than one copy of the
Declaration of
Independence still exists
today.
A.True
B.False
True!
• After the Declaration was adopted, 200
copies were printed by Philadelphia printer,
John Dunlap.
• These copies were known as Dunlap
broadsides, and they were distributed
among the colonies and colonial troops.
• Of the 200 copies believed to be made, only
26 are known to have survived.
– They are in museums and libraries.
– Three are privately owned.
There is something written
on the back of the original
Declaration of
Independence.
A.True
B.False
True!
• On the back of the original Declaration of
Independence, there is a message written
upside down across the bottom
• The message reads “Original Declaration of
Independence dated 4th July, 1776.”
• No one knows who wrote this or when, but
because it was frequently rolled up for
transport, it is believed to be a label.
Battle of Saratoga (Sept.-Oct. 1777)
The turning point of the American Revolution.
During the Battle of Saratoga, Patriot General Benedict
Arnold employed the fighting style of guerilla warfare
tactics, which lead America to victory.
At the Battle of Saratoga, the Americans captured
6,000 British troops.
America versus Britain
MOMENTUM
AMERICA
BRITAIN
America sent Benjamin Franklin to France to
convince King Louis XVI to provide help.
As a result of the victory at Saratoga, other
European nations (primarily France) decided to
help America.
Why do you think France
& Spain were willing to
help the colonists in their
fight for Independence?
The Americans and British started fighting throughout the
Southern Colonies. The Americans were now stronger,
and started to win more major battles.
America versus Britain
MOMENTUM
AMERICA
BRITAIN
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse
(March 17th, 1781)
The Continental Army and the British army fought at
Guilford Courthouse (where Greensboro is today).
They fought viciously for one and one half hours.
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse
(March 17th, 1781)
•Early in the battle, many of the North Carolina
militiamen panicked and ran away.
•Patriot General Nathanael Greene, however, had a
second line of more experienced troops from Virginia
who stood their ground.
•At one point, the fighting became the fiercest of the
entire War for Independence.
•Although British General Cornwallis defeated the
colonial army at this battle, the British army suffered
huge losses. Eventually, the British marched north to
Virginia.
The Battle of Yorktown (Oct. 19, 1781)
After losing several
battles in the Southern
Colonies, British
General Cornwallis
followed orders and
led his troops to settle
in a town in Virginia
called Yorktown.
Patriot General George Washington and Patriot General
Marquis de Lafayette had the British surrounded, and the
French and Americans began the attack on Yorktown.
British General Cornwallis surrendered,
effectively ending the war.
Now what? The Patriots got
their Independence from
Britain. What are some of
the things they need to do
now?