American revo hn us history
The Continental Army used a system of
"alarm and muster" to spread information about troop movements.
Colonists remaining loyal to the British crown were known as
'loyalists'.
Abigail Adams
, the wife of John Adams, undertook a lengthy correspondence with her husband - writing support for the Independence movement and helping to recruit for the cause.
In 1776, the population of the
13 American colonies was estimated at 2.4 million. 85% of the white population was of British descent, with 9% of German origin and 4% Dutch.
The American Revolution was a struggle between 13
American colonies and Great Britain.
Surrender of General Burgoyne at
Battle of Saratoga
The 13 colonies were
Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.
Boston Massacre (1770):
Four colonists protesting against custom laws were shot by British troops.
The American Commander in Chief was
George Washington.
These riders included people like silversmith,
Paul Revere, who became a hero after warning of British troop movements.
The Battle of Saratoga -
Sep 19 to October 7, 1777 - was a major turning point in the war, with nearly 6,000 British troops surrendering.
The British military commander at the start of Revolution was
Sir William Howe, though he was later replaced due to failures in the British war effort.
Compared to the ratio of the population,
The War of Independence was the second-deadliest American conflict after the Civil War.
British soldiers were known
as 'redcoats' or 'devils.'
The American Revolutionary War lasted for eight years -
between April 1775 to September 1783.
The American colonies wished to attain independence and
create a new sovereign nation - the United States.
Tea Act (1773)
designed to help the East India Company unpopular in America.
American colonies also had
difficulties raising troops due to the economic need to stay on a farm. 90% of the American population worked on farms.
During the war, the majority of people living in the American colonies were '
fence sitters' not taking either side.
Betsy Ross
is credited with making the first American flag. Presenting the new flag to George Washington in 1776.
In 1779, Spain secretly
joined the war as an ally of France and America, hoping to capture Gibraltar and British colonies in the Caribbean.
French generals like Marquis de Lafayette
offered military advice to the new Continental Army.
Due to the German connection of British King George III,
one-third of British troops were German soldiers. (They became known as Hessian)
The Stamp Act (1765)
required a tax on official documents to help raise revenue for Great Britain after the expensive British-French war of 1763. The tax was unpopular and created resentment against British rule from London.
King George III led British
resistance to American independence.
Molly Pitcher
served as water carrier to Patriot troops during battles. After the death of husband in battle, she took his place firing the artillery gun.
The American army was known as the Continental Army after
the Continental Congress of 13 states.
Battle of Yorktown -
the final major battle of the Revolutionary War from September 28 to October 19, 1781. George Washington's army defeated the British army under Lord Cornwallis.
Martha Washington
the wife of George Washington toured camps with her husband and became the first 'First Lady' of the United States.
During the war American forces
travelled to Quebec, hoping to spark an uprising against the British in Canada, but it failed.
The British Prime Minister
was Lord North (a Tory)
Benjamin Franklin
was a major influence in encouraging the French King to supply troops, money and support to the American colonists.
The Sons of Liberty
was a secret society of people from the American colonies who wanted to protect the rights of colonists.
The British army was
weakened by needing to also fight in the Caribbean.
The American colonists supporting independence
were named Patriots.