Covers the key events of the second half of 1776 and the first half of 1777: the Battle of Long Island, the publication of Thomas Paine's "American Crisis," the Battle of Trenton, and the Battle of Princeton.

1. A SURVEY OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
Unit 1: Colonialism and Nationhood
Part 17: The War of Independence (IV)

2. GEORGE
WASHINGTON
• Washington led the Continental
Army to the site of present-day
Brooklyn on Long Island, just
outside New York City.
• He had great difficulty
controlling his ragtag troops,
since so many of them were
simply farmers or laborers with
no formal military training.
• His objective was to prevent the
British Army from conquering
New York City.

3. WILLIAM HOWE
• Commander-in-Chief of the
British forces in North America.
• Took control of all British forces
in North America in May 1775.
• Howe’s strategic objective was
to capture both New York City
and Philadelphia. He wanted to
use them as bases from which
to split apart the union and
disband, imprison, or kill its
Continental Congress.
• His objective was not to
destroy the Continental Army.

4. THE HESSIANS
• Frederick II of the German state
of Hesse allowed the British
Army to hire some of the
soldiers in his private army.
• The Hessians fought for the
British as mercenaries. They
were paid by Frederick II, who
was paid by the British. They
had no personal stake in the
wars they fought.
• About thirty thousand Hessian
mercenaries fought alongside
the British Army in the War of
Independence.

5. THE BATTLE OF
LONG ISLAND
• On August 27, 1776, ten
thousand American troops were
defeated by thirty thousand
British troops and Hessian
mercenaries at Long Island.
• The British forces had enough
men to break apart, surround
the Americans, and perform a
pincer manoeuvre.
• The Americans broke ranks and
fled, mostly crossing the
Hudson River into New Jersey.

6. THE BATTLE OF
LONG ISLAND
• The British victory at Long
Island meant that William Howe
could now attempt to capture
New York City.
• It also meant that the British
Army could send forces north
up the Hudson River to break
the union of the colonies in half.
• British ships occupying the
Hudson could effectively sever
the New England colonies from
all the others.

7. DEMORALIZATION
• On September 11, 1776, Howe
met with representatives from
the Continental Congress to
discuss terms of surrender.
John Adams and Benjamin
Franklin were among the
representatives and did not
accept the terms.
• On September 30, 1776, Howe
issued a declaration offering
pardon to any American
deserters who surrendered
before October 31. This would
demoralize the colonies and
deplete the human resources
they needed to grow their army.

8. DEMORALIZATION
• Washington fled through the
wilderness of New Jersey with a
small group of loyal soldiers. On
October 28, his men were
attacked and defeated by Howe
at the Battle of White Plains.
• On November 16, Howe’s men
captured Fort Washington in
New York City. They arrested
three thousand soldiers in the
Continental Army and seized the
weapons stockpiled there.
• These losses prompted many of
Washington’s men to desert him.

9. THOMAS PAINE’S
AMERICAN CRISIS
• In late 1776, Thomas Paine
began publishing a new series
of pamphlets. The first one was
read aloud to Washington’s
men on December 23, in order
to boost their morale.
• Following on from John
Winthrop, Paine cast the
debate over independence in
religious terms.
• He also expanded the scope of
the war, arguing that its
outcome would be of
momentous global significance.

10. THE BATTLE OF
TRENTON
• On Christmas night, 1776,
Washington led his men across
the frozen Delaware River to
launch a surprise attack on
Hessian troops stationed at
Trenton, New Jersey.
• On December 26, his men
attacked the Hessians and
defeated them.
• The victory emboldened
Washington’s men and marked
a turnaround in the fortunes of
the Continental Army.

11. THE BATTLE OF
PRINCETON
• On January 3, 1777,
Washington’s men built on their
victory at Trenton with a second
one at the Battle of Princeton.
• They fought off a British attack,
circled around the British
troops, and launched an
offensive against a nearby
British garrison.
• The outcome of the battle
increased enlistment in the
Continental Army.

12. AFTERMATH
• By the end of the winter of
1777, Washington had taken
control of much of New Jersey.
• The British were shocked at the
speed and success of the
American opposition. For the
summer of 1777, they devised
two military campaigns.
• The Saratoga Campaign was
intended to sever New England
from the other colonies.
• The Philadelphia Campaign was
intended to capture
Philadelphia and destroy the
Continental Congress.

13. A SURVEY OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
Unit 1: Colonialism and Nationhood
Part 17: The War of Independence (IV)