ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱ
• (Americans could not hope to win their independence entirely on their own. Foreign help was needed. Experienced soldiers from Germany and Poland served as officers in the Continental Army. The greatest help came from France. ) • When the news of American victory at Yorktown reached London, the English Parliament voted to end the war and peace negotiation(谈判) began in Paris 1782. The final peace treaty was signed and it went in effect in 1783. The peace treaty acknowledged the independence, freedom, and sovereignty(主权国 家) of the 13 states.
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September 19 and October 7, 1777, The Battle of Saratoga (turning point) • The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, 9 miles south of Saratoga, New York. Burgoyne‘s campaign to divide New England from the southern colonies had started well, but slowed due to logistical(后勤方面的) problems. He won a small tactical(战术的) victory in the September 19 Battle of Freeman’s Farm at the cost of significant casualties(伤亡). (His gains were erased when he again attacked the Americans in the October 7 and the Americans captured a portion of the British defenses. Burgoyne was therefore compelled to retreat, and his army was surrounded by the much larger American force at Saratoga, forcing him to surrender on October 17.)
April,19 ,1775:The First Armed Clash
The First Shot in Lexington
• 1. On the night of April 18, 1775, Britain sent around 2,000 soldiers from Boston to confiscate(没收，查抄) munitions(军需品，军火) that colonists were storing at Concord——26 miles northeast of Boston. • 2. Minutemen(民兵) were giving warning to people and ready to fight. • 3. On the morning of April 19, 1775, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington.
Sep.5,1774:First Continental Congress
• Background： British government passed a serious of acts to punish the Bostonians, which were called the Intolerable Acts. • Aim：1.To respond the Intolerable Acts, the colonies held the First Continental Congress. • 2. The colonies met to discuss their relationship with Britain，and how to assert(维护) their rights with the British government. They wanted to appear as united colonies in their reply to Britain. The purpose of the First Continental Congress was not to seek independence from Britain. • Action：Congress drew up the Declaration of Rights and Grievances(不平), but it was rejected by the English Parliament.
1777——1781：Final Victory
Yorktown Campaign(约克镇战役)
• In 1781, the English troops decided to concentrate their efforts on Virginia—the largest and most centrally located colony. George Washington, working closely with the French fleet(舰队), drew most of his forces to Virginia and laid siege(围攻). By October, the British troops were trapped(陷 入困境) between the James and the York rivers. French ships blocked escape by sea. The British army had no alternative but to surrender. At Yorktown, on October 19, 1781, the British general Cornwallis, together with his several thousand soldiers, surrendered to George Washington. The war ended in victory for the Americans.
May10, 1775:Second Continental Congress
• 1. The Congress appointed a committee to draft the formal declaration of independence. • 2.The Congress agreed to take steps to organize and equip an American army and appointed George Washington commander in chief of the American force (named the Continental Army). • 3.Congress also provided for asking help from other countries, especially France which was a rival of Britain. • All these steps were aimed at preparing for armed struggles to protect their liberties.
1775——1777：Military Struggle
• The colonies：
• Total population：about 3 million • Manufacturing industry： not developed • （England’ s colonial policy） • Navy: practically none at the start of the war • Financial situation：difficult to raise enough money
July 4,1776: The Declaration of Independence
• After three weeks of discussion, the committee worked out the famous document which was formally adopted on July 4, 1776, a day which has been celebrated as Independence Day or National Day of the United States. This time the delegates(代表) of the 13 colonies voted unanimously(意见一致地) to declare independence. • The Declaration of Independence inspired mass fervor(热情). More and more people came to believe that they were fighting for a just(合理的) cause and that to win the final victory, they had to be united.