Ch 7 Lesson 1-2 – Student Notes
Student Name: _________________________________________________
Class: ________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________ Period: _________________
“In Trenton when the sun was set, The Hessians at their quarters met; And while the brilliant candles shine, They pass along
the sparkling wine: For Christmas day had come and gone, The joyful hours were nearly flown; With a merry laugh our
country’s foe Enjoy the minutes as they flow, And many a soldier sang with glee, Of blue-eyed maids in Germany. On
Pennsylvania’s wintry shore, The chilling blast howled loud and sore; When lulled the winds, there echoed then, The heavy
tramp of armed men. Columbia’s sons haste to the strife, To strike for liberty and life. George Washington was at their head! A
gallant band, and nobly led: Then wheeling down, rank pressing rank, They eager crowd the river’s bank: Dark Delaware’s
wide, wasteful wave Washed wild and high, a watery grave; The rushing ice with crash and roar, Dashed madly past the
stormy shore: Quick to the boats the soldiers leap, To breast the waves and cross the deep; They brave the storm and blast of
heaven, Dash through the ice though madly driven; Each sturdy oar is strongly plied, To gain the river’s distant side; The
helmsmen strive with eager eye, To pierce the gloom, and white shore spy; And soon they see the snow clad banks, Soon reach
the shore with joy and thanks.” —from The Battle of Trenton, by Henry K. How
On December 25,1776, George Washington lead 2,400 troops across the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack on
British troops stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. After crossing the river, they would march 9 miles to the battle site.
What does this tell you about the determination of the American soldiers?
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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:


Mercenary
Inflation
This information can be found on pages 191 - 207 in your textbook
 In April 1776, John Adams predicted, “We shall have a long… and bloody war to go
through.” England seemed to have many things in their favor:
o As the war began, the British had the strongest navy in the world as well as a welltrained army. In comparison, the Americans began the war with no army and a
weak navy.
o In addition, not all Americans were in favor of war. 1 in5 Americans were
considered Loyalists and there were even a few pacifists (Quakers) in America.
 In some cases, the conflict was a family struggle. Benjamin Franklin’s son,
William Franklin, was a Loyalist who served as the Royal Governor of New
Jersey.
o Also, the British tried to recruit African-Americans to join their side. They offered
freedom to any African slaves that joined their army.
o The colonies had no formal government to raise taxes (to pay for the war) or to
recruit soldiers. Also, there were few colonists who were qualified to serve as
officers in the Continental Army.
 The Patriots did have some things in their favor:
o They had ‘home field advantage’, meaning the war was being fought on their
territory. The British had to sail across the ocean to get supplies and
reinforcements.
o The Patriots had a purer sense of motivation. Many of the people fighting for
Britain were Hessians, paid Mercenaries, who were only motivated by wealth.
o The Patriots also had the greatest military tactician, or strategist, of the war –
George Washington.
Categorize: ___What factors can be considered advantages?... Disadvantages? ____________
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o Most of the fighting was done by white men. There were a few exceptions:
 Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, AKA
Molly Pitcher, was the wife of a Patriot
soldier. She earned her nickname
carrying pitchers of water to weary
troops and even helped her husband
fire a cannon during the Battle of
Monmouth.
 Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts joined the Continental Army by disguising herself
as a man.
 Peter Salem was one of
approximately 5,000 African
American slaves who joined
the Patriot cause. Every
colony except South Carolina
had a regiment of enlisted
African soldiers. Salem fought at Concord and Bunker Hill and eventually was granted
freedom as a reward for his service.
 Wentworth Cheswell was an African slave from Massachusetts who, like Paul Revere,
made a midnight ride to warn citizens that the British were coming. He also fought for
the Continental Army in the battle of Saratoga.
Inference: ____How was the war effecting society? ___________________________________
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 During the summer of 1776, Britain sent 32,000 troops to New York. They were
commanded by General William Howe. This brought the total number of British troops
in the colonies to over 42,000. General Washington had only 20,000 colonial troops
under his command.
o The first major fight after
the signing of the
Declaration of
Independence was the
Battle of Long Island in
August, 1776. The British
defeated a badly outnumbered Continental Army. A British officer wrote in his
journal that many Patriot soldiers had no socks, shoes, jackets or blankets. New
York became a Loyalist stronghold after this battle.
o Even in defeat, the bravery of the
Patriots became famous. An
American soldier named Nathan
Hale disguised himself as a Dutch
schoolteacher so that he could spy
on the British army. He was caught
and hung as a punishment. His last
words were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Predicting: ___What effect will his death have on the war? _____________________________
 The winter of 1776-1777 was a difficult time for the Continental Army. They were short
on troops and supplies.
o The lone success for the Continental Army during that winter was the crossing of
the Delaware River to surprise the British soldiers in Trenton and Providence, New
Jersey.
o During this time, the British
had hoped to gain control of
the Hudson River, cutting the
New England colonies off
from the Middle Colonies.
o This plan depended on two
British Generals working
together. General Howe first decided to capture Philadelphia, and then try to
work north up the Hudson River. General John Burgoyne came south from
Canada, attempting to capture Fort Ticonderoga and then work south down the
Hudson River.
 The plan ran trouble on both ends. General Howe didn’t capture
Philadelphia until late fall. By then, he didn’t want to move his troops north
during the winter. General Burgoyne captured Fort Ticonderoga but ran
short on supplies and was soon defeated by American troops.
 This American victory occurred at the Battle of Saratoga, and it represented
the turning point of the war.
 The Battle of Saratoga gave the Americans some political leverage with other European
countries.
o Benjamin Franklin spent most of 1777 in France, trying to persuade them to help
the colonists. When news of the victory at Saratoga got to them in February
1778, the French decided to declare war on England. They sent money,
equipment and troops to aid the Americans.
o Spain also decided to help the colonists. They declared war on Great Britain in
1779. They fought the British in western territory that is now Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. This kept many British soldiers away from the
colonies.
 Meanwhile, the winter
immediately following the Battle
of Saratoga was brutal. General
Howe’s troop enjoyed a warm,
comfy stay in Philadelphia, while
Washington’s troop camped out
at Valley Forge – about 20 miles
northwest of Philadelphia.
o They lacked food, clothing, shelter and medicine. Snowstorms and damaged
roads slowed the delivery of supplies.
Head Quarters, Valley Forge, February 16, 1778
Dear Sir: It is with great reluctance, I trouble you on a subject, which does not fall within your province; but it is a subject that
occasions me more distress, than I have felt, since the commencement of the war; and which loudly demands the most zealous
exertions of every person of weight and authority, who is interested in the success of our affairs. I mean the present dreadful
situation of the army for want of provisions, and the miserable prospects before us, with respect to futurity. It is more
alarming than you will probably conceive, for, to form a just idea, it were necessary to be on the spot. For some days past, there
has been little less, than a famine in camp. A part of the army has been a week, without any kind of flesh, and the rest for three
or four days. Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery,
that they have not been ere this excited by their sufferings, to a general mutiny or dispersion.
– George Washington, letter to George Clinton (Feb. 16, 1778)
o Of the 12,000 American soldiers who spent the winter at Valley Forge, 3,000 died
of starvation and exposure. Another 1,000 deserted. The ones that remained
grew tougher, stronger and more disciplined because of the experience.
Cause & Effect: _____... Winter at Valley Forge…_____________________________________
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 The economy of the colonies suffered during the war. Because the Continental
Congress had no power to tax the colonists, there was little money available to fight the
war.
o Foreign countries sent money and aid to the colonists.
o Wealthy Patriots gave large amounts of money to the war effort.
o Congress also decided to print large amounts of paper money, even though there
wasn’t enough gold and silver to back them. This lead to Inflation. The colonists
soon realized that their paper money was worthless.
 The ideals of liberty and freedom that caused the American Revolution spread to other
people in our society.
o Abigail Adams was the wife of John
Adams. In 1776, she wrote her husband
a letter while he was serving in the
Continental Congress:
“If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and
will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or representation…”
o In 1778, Governor William Livingston of New Jersey promoted freedom for all
enslaved people in America. He said slavery was…
“…utterly inconsistent with the principles of Christianity and humanity…”
o The Pennsylvania legislature in 1780 adopted a plan that would eventually free
enslaved people. This was the first legislature in the world to take such action
against slavery. Other northern states soon adopted similar plans.
Practice Questions:
1. How did the two sides in the American Revolution differ?
The British had a larger population, a far better trained army, great wealth, but they were
fighting far from home, and often used hired soldiers. The American force was smaller, ill
equipped, and mostly untrained, but they were fighting on their own land and they were
fighting for freedom.
2. The Pennsylvania legislature was the first to take action against slavery. Other northern
states soon followed suit. Why do you think southern states were more resistant to
ending slavery?
Southern economy depended on agriculture, which required lots of manpower.
3. What key factors led to the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga?
The British plan of bringing multiple armies together and capture the Hudson River valley did
not work because one army was delayed in Philadelphia while the other army was defeated by
the Green Mountain Boys.
4. Who were the key European allies of the Patriots?
The French sent financial and military support. Spain declared war on Britain, distracting them
from fighting the Americans.