• The British had the advantage of the strongest navy in the world, a well-trained army, and the help of mercenaries and Loyalists. They were also supported by the wealth of their empire.

• Despite having untrained soldiers and a shortage of weapons, the Patriots had the advantages of fighting on their own land, fighting for their personal freedom. They had an exceptional leader in General George Washington.

• In the summer of 1776, Great Britain sent over 32,000 troops. Later in the year, the British defeated the Patriots in the Battle of Long Island. After the Battle of Long Island, General Washington’s soldiers began deserting. The tide began to turn, however, when Washington won in Trenton and Princeton in 1776.

• The British had a battle plan for 1777: seize control of Albany, New York, and the Hudson River to cut off New England from the Middle Colonies. When the British captured Philadelphia, the Continental Congress had to flee to avoid being captured. When British General John Burgoyne surrendered at the Battle of Saratoga, the tide began to turn for the Americans.

• As many as 5,000 African Americans joined the Patriots. They fought for a variety of reasons. Peter Salem was an enslaved African American who fought for the Patriot cause. As a result, Salem won his freedom.

Section 2: The War Continues

• The British defeat at Saratoga was a turning point in the war. After the Patriot victory at Saratoga, France supported the Patriots and declared war on Great Britain. Spain also declared war on Great Britain.

• General Washington’s army struggled during the winter of 1778 at Valley Forge. Shortages of supplies caused soldiers to die and desert. Many were encouraged in the spring of 1778 by the alliance with France.

• Many foreigners helped in the War for Independence. Marquis de Lafayette became a trusted aide to General Washington, Friedrich von Steuben helped train the Continental Army, and Juan de Miralles persuaded Spain, Cuba, and Mexico to send money to the colonies.

• Life during the war was difficult for those at home as well. Women had to take care of families and run businesses or farms without help. Loyalists were often shunned by neighbors or subject to violence. Those that spied for the British faced arrest or even execution.

Section 3: Battlegrounds Shift

• The war affected Native Americans and most of them sided with the British. The British were less of a threat than the Americans, who took their land. Lieutenant George Rogers Clark of Virginia led a force of 175 men down the Ohio River to stop attacks of Native Americans.

• The war was also fought at sea, and the British stopped supplies and troops from reaching the Continental Army by forming blockades around harbors. Privateers were authorized by the Continental Congress to capture enemy ships and cargo. American Captain John Paul Jones successfully defeated the British warship Serapis in 1779.

• In 1778, British General Henry Clinton took Savannah, Georgia. Then, he took Charles Town, South Carolina, in the worst American defeat of the war.

• General Charles Cornwallis, who was left in command of British troops in the South, found he could not control the area they had won. The British faced hit-and-run attacks. Cornwallis gave up on the Carolinas but hoped to win Virginia, setting up in the coastal city of Yorktown.

Section 4: The Final Years

• In July 1780, French warships arrived with aid for the Continental Army, including thousands of soldiers. American and French forces trapped Cornwallis and his troops in Yorktown. The Americans and French led a relentless attack, and Cornwallis surrendered.

• The victory at Yorktown convinced the British that the war was too costly. The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783. The British promised to recognize the United States as an independent nation.

• Fighting on their own land, help from other countries, and determination and spirit helped Americans win the war. The American Revolution also inspired others to strive for liberty. Toussaint Louverture led enslaved Africans to freedom in present-day Haiti.

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