Louis B. Vega
SOCIAL SCIENCE
8TH Grade
America’s
Dark Hour
-British left Boston with 4000 came back with
32,000/Supported by 400 navy
-Captured New York to split the colonies/fight, outmaneuvered
Washington’s army
-Battle of Long Island revealed that Washington was
inexperienced at managing
-British victory, Howe became a national hero, King George
knighted him Sir
-proceeded cautiously routed Washington’s army to the north
of the island
-New York was Loyalist and welcomed the British …should
have gone all out
-retreated to Philadelphia by Howe/Continental Congress
retreated to Baltimore
-exhausted and disheartened army crossed the Delaware River
into Pennsylvania
-sunshine patriots
(chocolate soldiers) : enthusiastic for independence when things go
well but cowards and shirkers when the future looks grim
-Hessians (German) troops were mercenaries: hired soldiers to
kill for money –hated
-Washington attacked Trenton on Christmas Night , crossed the
Delaware River
-captured 900/1400 by surprise attack @ Battle of Trenton/2nd
attack at Princeton NJ
-wintered after snow melted, then war resumed
1777: the Year of Decision
-British strategy, Clinton at New York w/ small army, Howe
with rest to Chesapeake Bay
-Burgoyne came from Canada towards New York
-two armies clashed at south of Philadelphia
-Howe again cleverly outmaneuvered Washington as in Long
Island divided/conquered
-American defeat, Howe occupied Philadelphia
-Washington in another surprise counter attacked at
Germantown, did better but lost
-Losses were discouraging, will to fight not broken
-English won most battles but lost the war, American army
still not totally distroyed
-wintered at Valley Forge, Penn.
The
Battle of Saratoga
-occupation of seaports due to navy-interior warfare was a
different matter
-Gen. Burgoyne:
upper class pleasure loving,own way,talented,wrote plays
fought with distinction during Seven Years War
ordinary soldiers loved him, treatment/did not adapt to
American condition
army brought wives, children and a mixed company Loyalists,
Mercenaries, Indians
-recaptured Fort Ticonderoga, slow advance/American militias
gathered along the way
-at Battle of Saratoga, Morgan and Benedict Arnold defeated
British, advance was stopped/the turning point of war
The
Alliance with France
-increase in confidence, discouraged British never to tax
-The French officially recognized the USA/Treaty of Alliance,
promise to protect,
-would weaken the Enemy;
through loans and war supplies/many French officers came to join:
Lafayette
-direct naval and armed confrontation against England
-Spain entered the war, Bernardo de Galvez, Gov. of Louisiana helped/feared
that the British might encourage rebellion in the Spanish colonies