CHAPTER 7 • SECTION 1
Teach
War in the Middle States
Think, Pair, Share
• Why did the British want to occupy the coastal
cities of the Middle Atlantic states? (to land
troops and supplies)
Britain. In addition, British soldiers signed up for life—which discouraged
enlistment. Because of these problems, Britain had to hire mercenaries. A
mercenary is a professional soldier hired to fight for a foreign country. The
British mercenaries were called “Hessians” (HEH•shunz) because many
came from the German region of Hesse.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS Describe why each side had trouble raising an army.
Answer: Washington had
trouble getting men to
enlist for longer than a
year. The British required
enlistment for life, which
many people wanted to
avoid.
War in the Middle States
KEY QUESTION How did Washington reverse a series of American defeats?
As Chapter 6 explains, Washington had forced the British to retreat from
Boston in March 1776. He then hurried his army to New York City, where
he expected the British to go next. One British goal was to occupy coastal
cities so that their navy could land troops and supplies. From these bases on
the coast, they could then launch their military campaigns.
• What course did the war take between July
and December of 1776? (Following several
defeats, Washington was victorious at Trenton
and Princeton.)
Patriot Retreat Washington’s hunch was correct. In July 1776, Britain’s
General William Howe arrived in New York with a large army. Then in
August, more soldiers arrived, including about 9,000 Hessian mercenaries.
At the Battle of Long Island the Americans were defeated.
For several months, the British and American armies fought to control
New York. Finally, the British forced Washington to retreat through New
Jersey. (See map below.) By December, when the American army crossed the
Delaware River into Pennsylvania, it was in terrible condition.
• Causes and Effects Why was the
Continental Army’s victory at Trenton so
important? (It proved that Washington was a
good leader and increased recruitment.)
GEOGRAPHY
War in the Middle States 1776–1777
CLASSZONE.COM
History
E
W
READING A MILITARY MAP Ask students
to suggest reasons why so much of the
fighting took place in this particular area.
(The British wanted to capture the cities of
New York and Philadelphia, and General
Washington was trying to prevent this.)
De
S
PENNSYLVANIA
Wa
40°N
Trenton,
Dec. 26, 1776
Philadelphia
DEL.
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Ho
0
75°W
0
History
Military maps show the movement of forces, where
battles occurred, and who won. When reading a
military map, use
• the scale to estimate distance
• the key to identify the winner of each battle
• the key to identify which colored arrow
represents each army.
1. Location In which states did much of the
fighting take place between 1776 and 1777?
Chesapeake
Bay
VIRGINIA
Connect Geography
READING A MILITARY MAP
Washington
1. Location New York, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania
British forces
British victory
RHODE
ISLAND
NEW
JERSEY
American forces
American victory
n
sh i n g t o
Long Island,
Aug. 27, 1776
Princeton,
Jan. 3, 1777
Brandywine,
Sept. 11, 1777
ANSWERS
2. Identify Problems and Solutions
Possible Answer: because the Americans
occupied New Jersey
Boston
CONN.
Morristown
Germantown,
Oct. 4, 1777
MARYLAND
MASS.
we
Connect Geography
R.
N
70°W
H u d s o n R.
NEW YORK
are
War in the Middle States
1776–1777
Click here to see the interactive map
@ ClassZone.com
law
GEOGRAPHY
50
50
100 miles
100 kilometers
2. Identify Problems and Solutions Why did
the British take the sea route to Pennsylvania?
198 Chapter 7
Presentation Options
Use the Power Presentations
DVD-ROM or the Animated Center @
ClassZone.com to project the map.
• Click through the animated map to display
troop movement.
• Narration provides battle details and
background information.
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
Inclusion
Pre-AP
Sequenced List of Battles
Analysis of Individual’s Role
To help students who have difficulty
sequencing the battles shown on this
map, list the following on the board.
Have students use the map and text to
list them in chronological order.
Write this statement on the board:
“Revolutions are the periods of history
when individuals count most.” (Norman
Mailer, Barbary Shore) Allow students
five minutes to discuss as a group what
they think the statement means. Then
have each student write two paragraphs
explaining if and how this statement
applies to the American Revolution.
a) Washington’s retreat through New
Jersey
b) Battle of Long Island
c) Washington rushes to protect New York
d) British and American armies fight for
New York state
198 • Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7 • SECTION 1
Political writer Thomas Paine witnessed the low spirits of the soldiers during
the retreat. To urge Americans to keep fighting, Paine published the first in
a series of pamphlets he called The American Crisis.
PRIMARY SOURCE
“
More About . . .
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country;
but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and
woman.
”
Howe and Washington
The condition of the Patriot army was
so desperate at the end of 1776 that
Washington is reported to have told his
brother, “I think the game is pretty nearly
up.” If Howe had followed the Americans
across the Delaware River and attacked, the
British might have won the war within a few
weeks. Instead, Howe followed the military
custom of not fighting during winter. He and
his troops settled down around New York
City and into New Jersey and were taken
by surprise when Washington attacked
Trenton.
—Thomas Paine, The American Crisis
Washington needed something to encourage his weary men. He also knew
that he must attack the British quickly because most of his soldiers would
leave once their enlistments ended on December 31.
Victory at Trenton Late on December 25, 1776, Washington’s troops
rowed across the icy Delaware River to New Jersey. From there, they marched
in bitter, early-morning cold to Trenton (see map on page 198) to surprise
the Hessians, some of whom were sleeping after their Christmas celebration. The Americans captured or killed more than 900 Hessians and gained
needed supplies. Washington’s army won another victory at Princeton eight
days later before setting up winter camp at Morristown, New Jersey. These victories proved that the American general was better than many had thought.
The American army began to attract new recruits.
SUMMARIZE Explain how Washington reversed a series of defeats.
Britain’s Northern Strategy
KEY QUESTION What was Britain’s northern strategy?
Meanwhile, the British were pursuing a strategy
strategy—an overall plan of action—
to seize the Hudson River valley. They believed that New England was the
source of the rebellion. If they controlled the Hudson River valley, they
could cut off New England from the other states. The strategy called for three
armies to meet at Albany, New York.
• General John Burgoyne would lead a force south from Canada.
• Lt Colonel Barry St. Leger would come down the Mohawk valley.
• General Howe would follow the Hudson north from New York City.
Burgoyne left Canada in June 1777 with an army of British, Hessians, and
Iroquois. In July, they captured Fort Ticonderoga and continued south. (See
map on page 200.)
A Hessian mercenary
Answer: Washington
scored a major defeat of
the British at Trenton by
crossing the Delaware
River at night and
surprising his enemy
while they slept.
Burgoyne’s Slow March Called “Gentleman Johnny” by his soldiers, Burgoyne threw elaborate parties to celebrate victories. But his mood changed
as he marched deeper into hostile territory. Not only was the countryside
filled with rebel sympathizers, but the forests were swarming with militia
from New York and New England. The militia cut down trees to slow Burgoyne’s progress. They burned crops and drove off cattle, leaving no food
The American Revolution 199
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
CONNECT
to Language Arts
CONNECT
to Science
Paraphrase Paine’s Passage
Do’s/Don’ts: Cold Weather Health
The Paine quotation on this page may be
extremely difficult for struggling readers and
non-native speakers of English to comprehend.
Have students work in small groups to rephrase
the passage in simple prose. Then have each
group read its rewording aloud to the entire
class and discuss which version the class likes
best. Ask what they think made Paine’s original
text so influential.
Some students may be unaware of conditions
caused by exposure to cold, including frostbite
and hypothermia. Non-native English speakers
should find the words for these conditions in
their native languages. Have interested students
research how these conditions are caused, and
prepare a card of “do’s and don’ts” for how to
protect against exposure and how to care for
someone suffering from overexposure to cold.
Unit 3 Resource Book
• Interdisciplinary Projects, pp. 111–112
• American Literature, pp. 120–122
Teach
Britain’s Northern Strategy
Reader, Recorder, Reporter
• What was the British strategy in 1777? (to
seize the Hudson River valley and cut off New
England from the rest of the states)
• Why did Howe and St. Leger fail to follow
through with the planned strategy? (Howe
decided to invade Pennsylvania instead; St.
Leger was tricked into retreating.)
• Causes and Effects How did the actions
of Howe and St. Leger affect Burgoyne?
(Burgoyne was left with inadequate forces and
supplies and was defeated at Saratoga.)
More About . . .
Burgoyne’s March
Burgoyne traveled with more than
30 wagons full of supplies and personal
belongings. To cross 23 miles of swampy
New York wilderness with his wagon train,
Burgoyne’s men laid log roads. Progress
was slow—between a half-mile and a mile
a day. Patriot general Philip Schuyler sent
his troops to harass the British troops, who
also suffered from the heat, humidity, and
biting swarms of mosquitoes and black flies.
Teacher’s Edition • 199