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Retreated from Boston
The Brithish retreated from Boston moving the thater of war to the Middle states -
Sailed into New York harbor
Two brothers, General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe, joined forces on Staten Island and sailed into New York harbor in the summer of 1776 with the largest British expeditionary force ever assembled, 32,000 soldiers including thousand of German mercenaries. -
Battle ended
The battle ended with an American retreat following heavy losses. -
Explaing the withdrwal
Michael Graham, a continental Army volunteer, described the chaotic withdrawal. -
Secrets
Still bitter from their defeat by the Brtish in the French and Indian War, the French had secretly sent weapons to the Partriouts. -
Pushing the army
By late fall, the British had pushed Washingtons army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. The majority of his men had either deserted him or had been killed or captured. Fewer then 8,000 men were left and their enlistment were due to end December 31st. -
The battle of Trenton
In the face of a fierce storm George Washington led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the ice-chocked Delaware River. -
The battle of Trenton
By 8 o`clock the men had marched nine miles through sleet and snow to the objective- Trenton, New Jerseym held by a garrison Hessian. In a suprise attack, the Americans killed 30 of the enemy and took 918 captives and six Hessian cannons. -
Another victory
The americans were rallied by another astonishing victory eight days later against 1,200 British stationed at Princeton. Encouraged by these victories, Washington marched his army into winter camp near Morristown, in northern Newjersey. -
Campaign
General Howe began his campaign to seize the American capital at Philadelphia. -
Saratoga
Massed American troops finally surrounded Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he surrendered his battered army to General Gates. -
Valley Forge
Site of the Conteinental Armys camp during the winter of 1777-1778 -
Winter camp
During the Winter at Valley Forger soldiers suffered from exposure and frostbite, and suregons like Albigense Waldo worked constantly but often unsuccesfully to save arms and limbs from amputation. -
Change
In the midst of the frozen winter at Valley Forge American troops began an amazing transformation. Friedrich von Steuben a prussian captain and talented drillmaster, volunteered his services to General Washingtopn and went to work "to make regular soliders out of country bumpkins." -
Changing strategy
After their devastating defeat at Saratoga, the Brithish changed their military strategy. In the summer of 1778 they began to shift their operations to the South. There, the British hoped to rally Loyalist support, reclaim their former colonies in the region, and then slowly fight their way back north. -
Success for British
At the end of 1778 a British expedition easily took Savannah, Georgia -
Lafayette and the French
Marquis de Lafayette a brave, idealistic 20 year old French aristocrat, offered his assistance to Washington. He joined the staff and bore the misery of Valley Forge, lobbied for French reinforcements and led a command in Virginia in the last years of war. -
Commanding Georgia
By the spring a royal governor once agian commanded Georgia. -
Newport Rhode Islam
French army of 6,000 had landed in Newport, Rhode Island, after the British left the city to focus on the South. -
Newport Rhode Island
French army of 6,000 had landed in Newport, Rhode Island, after the British left the city to focus on the South. -
Sailing South
General Henry Clinton, who had replaced Howe in New York, along with the ambitious general Charles Cornwallis sailed south with 8,500 men -
Greatest victory
In their greatest victory of the war, the British captured Charles Town, South Carolina, in May 1780 and marched 5,500 American soliders off as prisoners of war. Clinton then left for New York, leaving Cornwalls to command the British forces in the South and to conquer South and North Carolina -
British forts
The British established forts across the state -
Forces meeting
Morgan and his men led the British on a grueling chase through rough countryside. When the forces met in January 1781 at Cowpens, South Carolina, the British expected the outnumbered Americans to flee; but the Continental Army fought back, and forced the redcoats to surrender. -
Cornwallis attacks
Angered by the defeat at cowpeas, Cornwalls attacked Greene at Guilford Court House, North Carolina. Cornwalls won the battle bt it cost him nearly a fourth of his troops- 93 were killed, over 400 were wounded and 26 were missing. -
Needing help
Greene had weakened the British, but he worried about the fight for the South. On April 3, 1781 he wrote a letter to Lafayette, asking for help. -
Superintendent of finance
The congess appointed a rich Philadelphia merchant named Robert morris as superintendent of finance. -
Paid
Due to the efforts of Morris and Salomon troops were finally paid in specie, or gold coin. -
Whithdraw
Cornwallis finally raised the white flag when is men were outnumber by more then two to one -
White flag
Cornwallis finally raised the white flag when is men were outnumber by more then two to one -
British surrender
Colonel William Fontaine of the Virginia militia stood with the American and French armies lining a road near Yorktown, Virginia in the afternoon to witness the formal British surrender. -
British surrender
Washington, the French generals, and their troops assembled to accept the British surrender. After General Charles O'Hara representing Cornwallis, handed over his sword, the British troops laid down their arms. -
Treaty of Paris
The delegates signed the Treaty of Paris, which confirmed U.S independence and set the boundaries of the new nation.
