1. The British Change Strategies
• After three years of fighting in the
north, the British change their
strategy to focus on the southern
states.
• Why do you think the British
change strategies?
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2. Because…….
1. The British were winning battles in the
north and capturing cities, but they could
not control the rural areas and did not have
enough troops to control large areas.
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The British
head south

3. And…….
2. The British believe that there are more
loyalists in the south and that the loyalists
will assist them in controlling large areas.
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Loyalists seeking
help from the
British.

4. And also….
3. The British also wanted to be closer to
other colonies in the West Indies, including
Jamaica, so they could move troops and
supplies easier.
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5. Oh, and because…..
4. The British also believed that African
American slaves would join their side
because they promised freedom to any
slave who joined them.
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6. Sorry, One More
5. The southern states
produce around 60% of
America’s wealth by
exporting cotton, tobacco,
and sugar.
In order to destroy
America’s economy,
British forces move south
to disrupt the export of
tobacco, sugar, and
cotton.
Who grows the export
crops of tobacco, sugar
and cotton?
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7. Will The British Strategy Be
Successful?
• In December of 1778 British forces
capture the city of Savannah,
Georgia, an important sea port.
• One year later, British General
Henry Clinton attacks Charles
Town (Charleston), South Carolina
and forces 5000 American soldiers
to surrender.
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8. The American Response
• Congress sends General Horatio Gates and
Baron de Kalb, south to confront the British
at Camden, South Carolina.
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Baron de
Kalb
Horatio
Gates

9. American Strategy
• Gates sends a local militia,
led by Francis Marion (The
Swamp Fox), to destroy
British boats on the Santee
River outside of Camden so
that the British cannot
communicate between
Camden and Charles Town.
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Francis Marion,
The Swamp Fox

10. The Swamp Fox
(Francis Marion)
• Francis Marion, The
Swamp Fox, is the leader
of a patriot Militia in
South Carolina.
• Marion’s militia is made
up of men, boys, and
some African American
slaves and freemen.
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Marion’s militia was
skilled in Guerilla
Warfare tactics

11. The Swamp Fox
• Marion’s militia successfully
uses guerilla warfare
against the British.
• His forces attack the British
quickly and then retreat using
their local knowledge of the
swamps along the coast of
South Carolina.
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Guerilla Warfare
allows small forces
to fight larger
forces.

12. Battle of Camden
• Horatio Gates and his army are easily
overtaken by General Cornwallis’ forces.
• Gates is forced to retreat and Baron de Kalb
is killed near Camden.
• American morale falls to a new low point.
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The Death of
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13. British Dominate the South
• By 1780 the British have seized control
of all major southern cities and sea
ports. (Savannah, Charles Town, and
Camden)
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14. After Camden
• After the retreat of Horatio
Gates and the American
loss at Camden, South
Carolina, George
Washington places
Nathanael Greene, a
Quaker, in command of
the southern army.
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Nathaniel Greene was
a Quaker.

15. Nathanael Greene
• Nathanael Greene was a
Quaker, a Christian religious
sect of pacifists (people that
do not believe in violence).
• Greene is excommunicated
from his church because he
believed in armed fighting
against the British.
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16. Greene’s Strategy
• Greene knew that the
Americans couldn’t fight
the British face-to-face, so
he encouraged guerilla
warfare and moved his
army frequently so that the
British had to chase him.
• In 1780 Greene wins two
battles at Cowpens and
Kings Mountain, South
Carolina.
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17. War Becoming Unpopular In Britain
• By 1781 the war had become unpopular in Britain
because of the huge cost in money, resources, and
soldiers.
• Some members of the British Parliament start to
think about giving independence to the American
colonies.
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The British
Parliament

18. Cornwallis is on the Move
• British General Cornwallis moves his army
north to Virginia. He establishes a base near
Yorktown, on a peninsula in Chesapeake
Bay.
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Why would Cornwallis
establish a base in
Yorktown?

19. Think Like George Washington
• If you were General Washington, facing
General Clinton in New York, how would
you respond to Cornwallis’ move north?
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What would you do?

20. French Support
• Washington is joined in New York by French
General Jean Rochambeau and his army of
6000 French and 1000 Hessian mercenaries.
• A fleet French Navy ships arrive to block
Chesapeake Bay and cut British supply lines
and prevent Cornwallis from escaping by ship.
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The arrival of
Rochambeau
French fleet
led by Admiral
de Grasse

21. Washington’s Move
• When George Washington hears of
Cornwallis’ base in Yorktown, he and
Rochambeau move their armies south to trap
Cornwallis on the peninsula.
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22. The Siege of Yorktown
• Washington and Rochambeau use superior
artillery to attack Cornwallis’ army at Yorktown.
• French ships fight to block British ships from
bringing supplies and reinforcements to
Yorktown.
• The French Navy also bombards Yorktown
heavily
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23. Cornwallis Surrenders
• After days of
bombardment, British
General Cornwallis
surrenders at Yorktown
on October 19, 1781.
• Cornwallis is so
ashamed he sends his
assistant to deliver his
sword to Washington,
Washington refuses and
has his assistant accept
the sword.
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The Surrender of
Cornwallis

24. After Cornwallis’ Surrender
• British Prime Minister Lord North is forced
to resign his position back in England.
• Small battles continue, but the largest
British force has surrendered, the war is
nearly over.
America wins!

25. How did America win the war?
• Foreign Aid: Thanks France and Spain.
• Knowledge of the land (Home Court
Advantage)
• Motivation: soldiers and citizens fighting for
their own freedom and independence.
• Good Leadership: British leaders were
overconfident. American leaders made
mistakes and made changes to their
strategy.

26. 1783 Treaty of Paris
• What did the 1783 Treaty of Paris do for America?
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27. The Treaty of Paris
In 1783 Britain and America sign a peace
treaty in Paris, France.
1. United States granted independence
2. Borders drawn (See map on page 213)
3. Fishing Rights given to America
4. Each side would repay debts (never
happens)
5. Property seized would be returned (also
never really happens); slaves, forts, military
equipment.

28. The Signing of the Treaty of Paris
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American diplomats who signed the 1783 Treaty of Paris:
(From left) John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry
Laurens, and William Temple Franklin.
•Why is
Benjamin
West’s
painting of the
Treaty of
Paris
unfinished?

29. War, Then Peace
• In November 1783, two years after the
American victory at Yorktown, the last
British soldiers left New York.
What is next for the new country?
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30. The Cost of the American
Revolution
• 26,000 Americans died, 10,000 British
• 8000 Americans seriously wounded
• America’s debt reached $27 million
• 80,000 Loyalists leave; most go to Canada
• Many American soldiers go unpaid

31. Republicanism, an American Value.
• Republicanism is the belief that
government should represent the people,
not a monarch.
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Who was able to
participate in
American
republicanism?

32. American Values Tested
After the War
• In 1780 the state of Massachusetts passed a
new state constitution with ideas similar to
those in the Declaration of Independence.
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33. What are America’s Values?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed
with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness.
-Declaration of Independence, 1776

34. Elizabeth Freeman
• Elizabeth Freeman was a
slave to a Massachusetts
lawyer and his family.
• After hearing the new
Massachusetts state
constitution read publicly
she approached a local
lawyer for help suing for
her freedom.
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What is the
significance of
Elizabeth Freeman’s
last name?

35. Elizabeth Freeman
• In August of 1781, Freeman was
granted her freedom by a jury.
• She was the first case of a slave using
a state constitution to sue for freedom.
• Her case led Massachusetts to become
the first state to outlaw slavery.
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A jury is a group
of citizens that
decide court
cases.

36. How are America’s Values
Changing?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness.
-Declaration of Independence, 1776
Anytime while I was a slave, if one minute’s freedom had been
offered to me, and I had been told I must die at the end of that
minute, I would have taken it just to stand on God’s earth a
freewoman.
-Elizabeth Freeman (Former Massachusetts Slave)