CHAPTER 7 • SECTION 2
France and Spain Enter the War After hearing of the American victory at
Saratoga, King Louis XVI of France publicly recognized U.S. independence.
In 1778, France signed two treaties of alliance with the United States. By
doing so, France went to war with Britain. As part of its new alliance, France
promised to send badly needed funds, supplies, and troops to America.
In 1779, France persuaded its ally Spain to help the Americans, too. Spain
was also Britain’s rival. The Spanish governor of Louisiana, General Bernardo
de Gálvez, acted quickly. He captured the British strongholds of Natchez and
Baton Rouge in the lower Mississippi Valley. From there, his small army went
on to take Mobile and, in 1781, Pensacola, in West Florida. These victories
prevented the British from attacking the United States from the southwest.
However, like France, Spain wanted more than just to help the United States.
Gálvez’s victories helped extend Spain’s empire.
By entering the war against Britain, France and Spain forced the British to
fight a number of enemies on land and sea. For instance, the British expected
to have to fight the French in the West Indies, so they sent troops there. And
thousands of British troops were busy fighting Gálvez in the west. The British
now had to spread their military resources over many fronts.
ANALYZE Political Cartoons
Point out that what began as a revolution of
the American Colonies under Great Britain
soon involved several European countries.
Each had to take sides in the war.
• Why do you think 18th-century political
cartoons depicted a Native American
as a symbol for America? (The identities
of other Americans were linked to other
countries, while Native Americans were
identified as belonging to the American
land.)
CRITICAL THINKING ANSWERS
ANALYZE Political Cartoons
1. Analyze Point of View Possible
Answer: Britain was not reacting to the
changes occurring in the war.
This cartoon was published in London in 1779, a year after France had formed an alliance with
the United States. In political cartoons, sometimes a nation is represented by a figure wearing
clothes associated with that nation. For example, in 18th-century cartoons, a Native American
symbolized America. Here, figures representing different nations surround a sleeping figure
representing Great Britain.
2. Make Inferences Holland earned
money from trade with the Americans
as a result of the war with Britain.
3. Synthesize Britain stands idle and
oblivious as it loses strength, money,
and power.
France is on
the attack.
America steals the
cap of liberty.
Scotland defends
Britain.
Teacher-Tested Activities
Holland (whose
merchants were
trading with the
Americans) picks
Britain’s pocket.
Britain sleeps
through the war.
Meg Robbins, Wilbraham Middle School,
Wilbraham, Massachusetts
To draw out prior knowledge and connect
to the Essential Question, I write a large
encircled REVOLUTION on the board or chart
paper. I place six markers (or chalks) below it.
• I establish ground rules: 1) We must be
silent for 5 minutes, communicating only by
writing and drawing. 2) We remain standing
(or near the board) until the activity is done.
• Next, I tell my students: Look hard at this
word. What meanings do parts of the word
have? Where have you seen this word used?
How? They should (silently) come up with as
many connections as they can.
• The first person who has a connection
picks up a marker, draws a line from the
word, and writes or draws the comment. If
a student wants to respond to a comment,
they draw a line from it to a new comment.
Skillbuilder
Handbook,
page R18.
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Analyze Point of View Why would the cartoonist have shown Britain as sleeping?
2. Make Inferences Why is Holland shown picking Britain’s pocket?
3. Synthesize What is the basic meaning of the cartoon?
206 Chapter 7
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
Struggling Readers
Gifted & Talented
Design a Magazine Cover
Create an Advertisement
Have students design a magazine cover
announcing that France and Spain have
joined the war in America.
Have students work in pairs to design
a print or radio advertisement from the
perspective of the French or Spanish
monarch. The purpose of the ad is to
persuade the people of their country to
join the Revolutionary War on the side
of the Americans. Students should use
information from their textbooks to help
convince their audience to take up arms
and join the war.
• When the 5 minutes are up, I ask students
to share what they see. Are there any
themes? Does anything surprise them?
• Students should write brief headlines
summarizing the reasons why these
countries entered the war.
• Students then discuss: How is fighting a
revolution different than other wars? What
advantages might each side have?
• Remind students to include a cover
image and to come up with a
magazine title.
206 • Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7 • SECTION 2
Foreign Officers Arrive European military officers from France,
Poland, and the German states came to Washington’s aid. One of
these was the Marquis de Lafayette (laf•eye•EHT), a 19-year-old
French aristocrat who volunteered to serve in Washington’s army.
He wanted a military career, and he believed in the American
cause. Soon after Lafayette arrived in June 1777, he was given
the command of an army division and quickly gained Washington’s confidence. Lafayette won his men’s respect and love
by sharing their hardships. Called “the soldier’s friend,” he
used his own money to buy warm clothing for his ragged
troops. Washington regarded him as a son.
Lafayette fought in many battles and also persuaded
the French king to send a 6,000-man army to America. He
became a hero in both France and the United States. Later he
took part in France’s own revolution.
Along with Lafayette came the Baron de Kalb, a German
officer who had served in the French army. He became one of
Washington’s generals with a reputation for bravery.
More About . . .
Lafayette and Washington
Imagine having George Washington as
one of your closest friends. As volunteers
who entered the war for the cause and
not for the pay, Lafayette and Washington
became fast friends. In a letter to Congress
regarding a young and enthusiastic
Lafayette, Washington wrote, “. . . he is
sensible, discreet in his manners, has made
great proficiency in our language, and from
the dispositions he discovered at the battle
of Brandywine possesses a large share
of bravery and military ardor.” Lafayette
named his first son George Washington
Lafayette in honor of his friend.
MAIN IDEAS & DETAILS Tell why France and Spain entered the war.
See margin.
Winter at Valley Forge
KEY QUESTION How did Valley Forge transform the American army?
Help from France and Spain came when the Americans desperately needed
it. As you have read, in late 1777 Britain’s General Howe had forced Washington to retreat from Philadelphia. In the winter of 1777–1778, Washington
and his army camped at Valley Forge in southeast Pennsylvania.
Marquis de Lafayette
Teach
Because Britain
Hardship at Valley Forge On the march to Valley Forge, Washington’s Answer:
had been their enemy for
army lacked supplies. Many soldiers had only blankets to cover themselves.
They also lacked shoes. The barefoot men left tracks of blood on the frozen
ground as they marched.
The soldiers’ condition did not improve at camp. Over the winter, the
soldiers at Valley Forge grew weak from not having enough food or warm
clothing. Roughly a quarter of them died from malnutrition, exposure, or
diseases such as smallpox and typhoid fever. Because of this suffering, the
name Valley Forge came to stand for the great hardships that Americans
endured in the Revolutionary War.
Washington appealed to Congress for supplies, but it was slow in responding. Luckily, private citizens sometimes helped the soldiers. On New Year’s
Day 1778, a group of Philadelphia women drove ten teams of oxen into
camp. The oxen were pulling wagons full of supplies and 2,000 shirts. The
women had the oxen killed to provide food for the troops.
many years and joining
the American cause
would force Britain to
spread its resources over
several fronts.
Patriotism Unites the Army Despite the hardships, American soldiers
desert,
showed amazing endurance. Under such circumstances, soldiers often desert
or leave military duty without permission. Soldiers did desert, but Lieutenant
Winter at Valley Forge
Roleplay Your Answer
• Why do you think more soldiers did not desert
the army after suffering such hardships?
(Possible Answer: We believed in the cause, so
we wanted to stay and fight.)
• What positive difference did Baron von
Steuben make at Valley Forge? (I trained the
inexperienced American soldiers into a better
fighting force.)
• Main Ideas and Details What has Valley
Forge come to symbolize in American history?
(the hardships that we endured in our fight for
independence)
The American Revolution 207
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
English Learners
Inclusion
Vocabulary: MultipleMeaning Words
Scenes at Valley Forge
Examine the vocabulary term desert in
the last paragraph on p. 207 of the pupil
edition. Explain that this is a homonym.
Have students write the meaning of
desert as it is used in the lesson and use
a dictionary to find another meaning
for it. You might also mention the word
dessert, which has a different meaning
and spelling but the same pronunciation
as the term desert.
Have students who have difficulty
writing descriptions use drawing
paper and pencils or markers to sketch
vignettes—detailed, close-up scenes—
from Valley Forge. Scenes should reflect
an image described in their textbooks,
for example, oxen pulling wagons with
supplies or soldiers in bare feet. Display
the completed scenes and have students
describe details orally.
Teacher’s Edition • 207