Revolutionary War Post 1776

Even after the American colonies declared their independence from Britain, the Revolutionary war was still not over. Morale and unity of the newly named United States of America needed to be uplifted, which occurred after the battles of Trenton and Princeton. The British had gained control of New York and were headed for New Jersey, so Washington devised a plan for his men to cross the icy Delaware River and set attack on the British in Trenton on December 26, 1776. General Washington divided his army of 2,400 men and they attacked and the British soon surrendered at the Battle of Trenton. Because of the larger number of reinforcements that he knew would be sent, Washing withdrew his men back across the Delaware and made plans to attack Princeton. On Janruary 3, 1777, the army attacked the British near Princeton, named the Battle of Princeton, where they quickly surrendered, leading to an American victory. Below is an image of Washington's men crossing the Delaware River in pursuit of taking over the British. The conditions were obviously harsh because of the time of year but Washington's men crossed the icy river.

(Image from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Washington's_Delaware_crossing)

A large turning point in the Revolutionary War came in upstate New York at the Battle of Saratoga. The British wanted to gain all control of New York so a group of British troops led by General Burgoyne were going to meet two other groups, one moving north from New York City and another coming from the Mohawk River Valley. Burgoyne's troops were slowed down by American troops, causing them to grow low on supplies and eventually lower the numbers of the troops. General Howe's group that was moving north towards New York City were stopped by Washington's Continental Army, preventing them from joining forces with Burgoyne's troops as well. The 2 battles of Saratoga, occurring on September 17 and October 7, the British were defeated. On October 17, 1977, Burgoyne surrendered. The Battle of Saratoga is so important in the Revolutionary War because the French were persuaded to support America in the Franco-American Alliance of 1778 with the much needed military aid. This also caused Spain and the Netherlands to follow in France's lead.

There were smaller battles in between, but the last major battle of the Revolutionary War was the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. Washington got word that British General Cornwallis' army was encamped near Yorktown, Virginia so he devised a plan. On September 5, the Battle of Chesapeake occurred when the American troops forced the British to retreat from the Bay. Back In Yorktown in early October 1781, and the French and Americans set up their first siege and eventually overtook the British and on October 17, 1781. Small battles were still fought until 1783, when the war came to an official close in September. The United States, France, and Spain negotiated the Treaty of Paris, which recognized the United States as a new and independent country. British forces left in 1783, leaving the American government in full control of their new nation.

(Image from http://library.thinkquest.org/11683/yorktown.html)

Annotated Sources

There are many great resources for teachers to use for the Revolutionary War. There is so much information so important for them to grasp the important events from the Revolutionary War and how that shaped the United States today.

* This source is good for an overview of information. For older grades the source can be used to split up groups and each have a particular event of battle from the Revolutionary War. This gives an outline of these major events so students can easily use this source for information in their own research. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/the-road-to-independence/

* Kidport Reference Library is also a good source for students to visualize the timeline of events from the American Revolution. Again, there are a lot of dates and key events so students can visualize it here. At the end of their Unit, they could make there own timeline from the important events that occurred and make connections to why they made such an impact with what the United States has become today. http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/UsaHistory/AmericanRevolution/AmerRevolution.htm#Timeline

*With this site student can see the actual letters that were sent during the Revolutionary War. Students can read the letters sent from soldiers and important people of the time period either during the war or after. Students can take on the perspectives of these people. http://www.clements.umich.edu/exhibits/online/spies/index-gallery.html

*Visuals and interactives are also important in teaching any type of social studies, but especially wars that shaped who we are as a country today. The following site gives factual information to students in fun and creative ways through pictures and games. http://www.neok12.com/American-Revolution.htm

Questions for Students The following are questions that could be used as an assessment after the unit.

Q: In 1775 what was the first major battle of the Revolution and what did this show the British Army?

A: Battle of Bunker Hill; proved that the Patriots could take the British Army

Q: Washington's Army crossed the Delaware River and captured Hessian camp?

A: Battle of Trenton

Q: What military conflict is known for the "shot heard round the world?"

A: Battle of Lexington and Concord

Q: What was the purpose of the Olive Branch Petition?

A: It was an offer of peace sent to King George III by the Second Continental Congress