The Revolutionary War The War First battle Lexington

The Revolutionary War

The War • First battle • Lexington and Concord • Called the “shot heard ‘round the world” • April 19, 1775

The War • First Continental Army • Led by George Washington • Made of state militiamen • Paid in script or land certificates

The War • Major battles included: • Trenton • Crossed the Delaware River Christmas night • Surprised the Hessian mercenaries • Provided the first big win of the war

The War • Battles of Saratoga • Win encouraged France and later, Spain, to enter the war because they now believed the Americans could win • Had been enemies of England for centuries • England now had to fight not only in the Americas but also in Europe

The War • Foreign generals who helped the Americans included: • The Marquis de Lafayette who shared the hardships of his men • Baron Von Steuben who trained the Continental Army

The War • Yorktown • Last battle of the war ended October 19, 1781 • Americans trapped the British army led by Cornwallis against the Chesapeake Bay • French prevented escape by sea

After the War • Costs of War: • Many soldiers were left with disabilities • Government had a hard time paying debt • Many people who had not supported the war were left with nothing

After the War • The Treaty of Paris • Official end of the war • Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin • September 3, 1783 • Set the boundaries of the new Republic

After the War • A new country based on the principles of freedom was formed • The first government was based on the Articles of Confederation • In 1786 the Articles were abandoned in favor of the Constitution