The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
The War was necessary to:
1. Establish and Promote American Unity – fight a
Common Enemy to bind the new country together
2. Expel the British from Colonial America and begin the
American Story
3. Jump start American Diplomacy –to attract official
recognition from other countries
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
• The Continental Army had around
217,000 troops
• A total of 25,000 Americans died
during the Revolutionary war. 8000
died in battle and 17,000 died of
sickness, and other causes
• SPYING – America had a network of
spies to get information about the
British
• The battle tactics used by the
Americans were generally
defensive
• The soldiers used many different
weapons including muskets, pistols,
rifles, knives, bayonets, tomahawks,
axes, swords, spears and cannon.
• PIRATES – Since there was no American
Navy, the USA hired private captains
(privateers) who fought the British Navy
• The first submarine attack took place in
New York Harbor in 1776. The
Connecticut inventor, David Bushnell,
called his submarine the “Turtle”
• Women FOUGHT in the Revolutionary
War – Molly Pitcher
1/3
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Spanish enters War as
an ally of the United
States
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Treaty of Paris Signed,
ending the War and
officially recognizing
the United States of
America
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Fighting the British – American tactics during the War
Conventional Tactics – Following the Rules
It’s all Fair in War – No rules!
• Guerilla Warfare Tactics
• Snipers
• Scavenging &
Raiding Parties
• Officer Killings
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
American Diplomacy & Foreign Aid During the War
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Nos bons amis –
les Français
Marquis de
Lafayette
The Siege of Yorktown
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Los Amigos de Espana
Supplies
Food
Guns
$$$$$
Spanish Forces help in the defense
of the Southern Colonies
1779-1781
Bernardo de Galvez and The Siege of Pensacola
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Onze vrienden de Nederlanders
The Dutch Gave us Guns, Money, Recognition
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Signing the Treaty of Paris
The Revolutionary War:1775 1783
Declares the intention of both parties to "forget all past misunderstandings and
differences" and "secure to both perpetual peace and harmony".
• Acknowledges the United States to be free, sovereign, and independent states,
• Establishes the boundaries between the United States and British North America;
• Recommends that state legislatures recognize the rightful owners of all
confiscated lands and "provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and
properties, which have been confiscated belonging Loyalists;
• Prisoners of war on both sides are to be released;
• All property of the British army (including slaves) now in the United was forfeited;
• Great Britain and the United States are each to be given perpetual access to the
Mississippi River