1. From 13 Colonies to One Nation
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

2. Patriots
• Wanted independence
• Willing to fight for
freedom
Loyalists
 Wanted to remain part
of England
 Were willing to fight to
remain tied to England
THREE MAJOR AMERICAN
OPINIONS GOING INTO THE WAR
The Middle
 Had no real opinion
 Didn’t fight for either side
 Over time, this group shrank

3. The British began sending soldiers
over to enforce their rules.
Paul Revere and friends rode out in
the middle of the night to warn
everyone.
The first battles were in Lexington
and Concord, two towns in
Massachusetts. These battles actually
proceeded the Declaration of
Independence.
FIRST FIGHT

4. Things did not go well for the
Americans at first.
America lost important battles like
the largest battle of the war, the
Battle of Brooklyn Heights.
American prisoners were placed on
boats during the war. Many died
when in prisons.
THE WAR’S BEGINNING

5. Saratoga was a month long fight between the British and the Americans.
America was losing at first, but over time enough Americans arrived and the
Americans won the battle.
Considered the turning point of the war.
France agreed to help America after the battle.
BATTLE OF SARATOGA

6. The Marquis de Lafayette (French)
became one of Washington’s major
supporters
German states and Spain also sent
assistance to the colonies after the
Battle of Saratoga.
Other European countries wanted
the chance to help beat England,
which was the most powerful
country in the world at the time.
INTERNATIONAL AID

7. Surprisingly, more battles occurred in South Carolina than in any other
colonies.
Famous South Carolina Battles: Cowpens and King’s Mountain
Most of the fighting in South Carolina occurred between loyalists and
Patriots.
Francis Marion led his army in guerilla fighting with British soldiers.
BATTLE IN THE SOUTH

8. Americans learned to fight, and
specifically how to fight the British,
in the French-Indian War
Americans knew the land better than
the British
Americans had other countries
helping them
Americans were farmers and hunters
The British were trained soldiers.
The British had the best equipped
army
The British hired German
mercenaries to help them
America
Britain
ADVANTAGES OF EACH SIDE

9. The British, led by Lord Cornwallis, surrendered at
the Battle of Yorktown. A French fleet blocked
their escape from the town, while the American
and French soldiers beat them in the battle.
BATTLE OF YORKTOWN