2. • British Army and Navy
most powerful in world
• Also well-equipped with
weapons
• Highly trained and
disciplined for war on
land or high seas
• Most Indian tribes sided
with Britain, who
promised protection of
tribal lands.
Strengths of the military:
3. • The British fought a war far
from home. Military orders,
troops, and supplies
sometimes took months to
reach their destinations
• British gear weighed about
100 pounds
Weaknesses of the
military:
4. • Knowledge of the
land
• Guerilla warfare
tactics
• Strong belief in their
fight for freedom and
liberty
• The alliance with the
French gave
Americans courage
Strengths of the
military:
5. • The Americans had
tremendous difficulty raising
enough funds to purchase
basic supplies for their
troops, including shoes and
blankets.
• About half of the population
in the colonies stayed
neutral and hoped to avoid
the conflict
Weaknesses of the
military:
6. Battle of Trenton—1776
• Surprise attack the day after Christmas
• Washington crossed the Delaware
• Approximately 1000 German soldiers
fighting for the British captured
• British were
forced out of
New Jersey
7. Battle of Saratoga – 1777
• The turning
point of the war
• The biggest
American
victory at the
time
• Approximately
5,000 British
surrender to
Washington
8. Battle of Saratoga – 1777
• After the American victory
France changed its policies.
• Feb. 1778 France and
American formed an alliance
• France declared war on Britain
the next month
• Spain also declared war in
1779 to help the colonies
9. • The Marquis de
Lafayette: French
military officer who
helped the
American colonists
• Huge percentage of
American
gunpowder came
from France
:
10. Valley Forge – 1777-1778
• American Army out of food and clothing
• Valley Forge briefly a refuge
• Supplies ran
out and
many died
• Low point
for American
Army
11. Battle of Yorktown—1781
• French blockade aided this final battle
• Officially ended the American Revolution
12. • Peace talks began in Paris,
France in 1782.
• Benjamin Franklin, John
Adams, and John Jay
represented the new Unite
States.
• A treaty was agreed upon on
November 30, 1783. The
Treaty recognized the
independence of the new
nation.
The Treaty of Paris 1783
