BATTLES IN THE NORTH

The Declaration of Independence was signed in the summer of 1776. After the signing,
many things changed in America.
The thirteen original colonies joined
together to form the United States of
America. There were still many things
to be decided about government, taxes,
boundaries, and laws.
The Revolutionary War was
also different after the Declaration
of Independence was signed. The
Americans were not just !ghting for
their rights. They were !ghting for
total independence from Great Britain.
Great Britain, on the other hand, was
not simply trying to punish the colonists or teach them a lesson anymore. Great Britain was
trying to completely crush the United States.

THE WAR IN THE NORTH

During the fall of 1776, things did not go well for the Continental Army. Great
Britain had control of Canada. Just as the Americans feared, Great Britain used its position
in Canada to take over New York. The British Army had over 30,000 well trained men.
General Washington had just 20,000 men who were poorly trained and in need of weapons.
Washington’s men often went without food, pay, and proper clothing because the Continental
Army was so poor.
The British attacked Long Island and drove the Americans across the East River into
Manhattan. The British followed the Americans and took over the entire New York City area.
The battle took almost all of General Washington’s men. The British Army had control of the
New York Harbor. The harbor could be used as a port for British ships to bring supplies and
weapons to the British Army.

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VICTORY IN TRENTON
In December 1776, General Washington took his last 3,000 men across the Delaware
River and into Pennsylvania. The day after Christmas, Washington and his men attacked
German Hessian (HESH•un) troops who were celebrating Christmas in Trenton, New Jersey.
During the surprise attack, Washington’s men captured almost 1,000 Hessians and killed their
commander. The news of the victory at Trenton excited the citizens of the United States. As a
result, thousands of Americans volunteered to !ght in the war.

THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA

One of the biggest victories for the Continental Army !ghting in the North came in
the summer of 1777, during the Battle of Saratoga. The British planned to send troops from
Canada to capture New York’s Hudson River Valley. Capturing the Hudson River Valley
would cut the New England region off from the rest of the states. The United States would be
split into two parts, making it very weak. There would be no way to get soldiers or supplies
from New England. Great Britain hoped that this would defeat the American armies once and
for all.
General John Burgoyne (bur•GOIN) was the commander of the British forces in
Canada. General Burgoyne was not prepared for the American militia (muh•LIH•shuh).
When Burgoyne reached Saratoga, New York, his army of 9,000 men was outnumbered by
the American troops. After a bloody battle, General Burgoyne was forced to surrender. The
Americans took nearly 6,000 prisoners and a large supply of weapons.

CAPTURING THE AMERICAN CAPITAL

During the summer and fall of 1777, British troops led by General Lord Howe entered
Pennsylvania. They took over the American capital in Philadelphia. The Continental
Army tried to drive the British out of Pennsylvania. The British Army was too strong. The
Americans were forced to retreat to their winter camp in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

!" The Battle of Saratoga was actually two different battles known as the Battle
FAST of Freeman’s Farm and the Battle of Bemis Heights.
!" During the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, the British lost twice as many men as
FACTS the Americans.
!" During the Battle of Bemis Heights, the British lost four times as many men
as the Americans.

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THE WINTER AT VALLEY FORGE
The winter at Valley Forge was a very dif!cult time for General George Washington and
his 11,000 men. Bitter cold and little food or shelter took the
lives of over 2,000 soldiers. Many of Washington’s men
did not even have shoes. Most of their horses and
oxen died of starvation. The wagons with supplies
had to be pulled by barefoot soldiers.
General Washington wrote to Congress
asking for money and supplies.
Congress was not able to get the states
to help Washington’s army. The
states were keeping most of what
they had for their own militias. The only
good thing to come out of the terrible winter was that German of!cer
Friedrich von Steuben volunteered to train the American soldiers at Valley
Forge. When spring came, General Washington’s troops left Valley Forge well trained and
ready to !ght.

FRANCE ENTERS THE WAR

France had been carefully watching the Revolutionary War since it started. French
leaders had not forgotten what Great Britain had done to them during the French and Indian
War. France secretly gave the United States loans, gifts of money, and weapons. It was too
risky for France to openly help the Americans until they proved themselves in battle. The
victory in the Battle of Saratoga convinced France to enter the war.
In 1778, France and the United States signed treaties of alliance. In the spring of 1778,
the !rst French ships arrived in America. They were full of French soldiers and supplies. The
British became very concerned and made plans to take over New York. General Washington
and his newly trained troops kept that from happening. For the next three years, the British
made very little progress in the North.

!" In 1776, the Second Continental Congress sent 70 year old Benjamin Franklin
to France to ask King Louis XIV for supplies, money, and soldiers. France
FAST secretly sent supplies, but was not ready to enter the war.

FACTS !" A year later, in 1777, Benjamin Franklin returned to France and once again
requested France’s help. This time, France agreed to enter the war and help
the United States. Historians agree that without France’s soldiers and
money, the Americans would have lost the war.

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 Name ___________________________________

BATTLES IN THE NORTH

COMPREHENSION

Directions: Read each question carefully. Darken the circle for the correct answer.

1 Which of the following events 4 After reading about the Winter at

happened before the Declaration of Valley Forge, you learn that –
Independence was signed?
F the Continental Army had to share
A The thirteen original colonies became Valley Forge with the British Army
the United States of America. G it was too hot for the soldiers to train
B George Washington took control of H bitter cold, little food, and no money
the Continental Army. for supplies made the winter very
C Great Britain took control of the dif!cult
New York Harbor. J a British soldier volunteered to train
D The British attacked Long Island. the American soldiers

2 How did the Declaration of 5 Which of the following is an example

Independence change the way Great of a Secondary Source?
Britain felt about the colonists? A The autobiography of George
Washington.
F Great Britain felt sorry for the
colonists. B The original map of the Hudson
River Valley.
G Great Britain wanted to help the
colonists by sending money and C A piece of the !rst American "ag.
supplies to the United States. D An encyclopedia article about the
H Great Britain wanted to crush the Battle of Saratoga.
colonists and take control of the
United States. 6 Which battle convinced the French to
enter the Revolutionary War?
J Great Britain agreed that the colonists
should be independent and make F The Battle in Trenton.
their own rules.
G The Battle of Saratoga.
3 Which statement about George H The Battle of Canada.
Washington’s army is true?
J The Battle of Bunker Hill.
A They kept the British from taking
control of New York City.
B Lord Howe was put in charge of the
Continental Army.
C George Washington’s army had
more men in it than the British READING
Army.
D Washington’s men were poorly
trained.

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 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was one of 17
children. His father made candles and soap in Boston. At !rst, Ben’s father
hoped that his son would attend Harvard College and become a minister.
Unfortunately, Benjamin’s parents couldn’t afford to send him to college.
Mr. Franklin decided instead that Benjamin
would one day take over the candle
and soap shop. Ben, however,
hated making candles and soap.
He loved to read and invent
things.

BENJAMIN’S EXPERIMENTS
By the time Ben was ten,
he had already found an easier
way to swim by attaching paddles to
his hands and feet. By holding on to the
string of a kite as it "oated in the air, Benjamin
discovered he could easily glide through water
on his back.
At the age of 12, Ben went to work with his
brother who taught him about printing newspapers.
By 15, Benjamin Franklin was an expert printer.
Benjamin Franklin traveled to Pennsylvania
at the age of 17. He married Deborah Reed. By the
time he was 22, Ben owned his own printing and
publishing company. He published his own BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette.
Benjamin Franklin was probably most famous for his experiments with
electricity. In 1752, he "ew a homemade kite in a storm. Suddenly, a lightning
bolt zoomed down the kite string to a key. This produced a spark. Through this
dangerous experiment, Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity.

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THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
During the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin helped make many
important decisions. He strongly supported the colonists’ independence
from Great Britain. Benjamin was one of !ve committee
members chosen to write the statement of independence.
In 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the
Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin was 70
years old when he signed this important document.

TRAVELING TO FRANCE
After the Declaration of Independence was signed,
the United States sent Benjamin Franklin to France. He
asked the French leaders to help the United States win the
Revolutionary War. France was not interested in helping
until the United States proved it could win the war. France
hated Great Britain, but it was afraid of angering Great
Britain and causing another war between the two countries.
Benjamin Franklin was able to convince the French to secretly
send supplies to America.
In 1778, the Americans won the Battle of Saratoga.
France decided to enter the war and help the United States
battle Great Britain. Getting help from France was probably
Benjamin Franklin’s greatest contribution to our country.
Historians believe that without France’s help, the United
States would not have won the Revolutionary War.

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention was held in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was here that the Constitution
of the United States was written. Benjamin Franklin was
81 years old, but he still attended the meeting. He strongly
believed that the delegates of the convention should approve
the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin got his wish.
Before his death at the age of 84, Benjamin Franklin
founded America’s !rst general hospital, the !rst volunteer !re
department, the !rst library in America, and the University of
Pennsylvania.

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 Name ___________________________________

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Directions: Use the selection about Benjamin Franklin to answer these questions. Circle the
answers to questions 1 and 2. Write your answers on the lines provided for questions 3-6.

1 Benjamin Franklin died in 1790 at the 2 After reading about Benjamin Franklin,
age of 84. In what year was Benjamin you learn that –
born?
A he was forced to become a minister
A 1734
B he wanted to do whatever his parents
B 1874 decided for him

C 1706 C he hated traveling

D 1714 D he didn’t let being poor stop him

from reaching his dreams

3 Why do you think Benjamin Franklin cared so much about his country? Have you ever
wanted to get involved in making something better the way Benjamin Franklin did?
Explain why or why not.

___________________________________________________________________________
Text

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

4 List two important contributions that Benjamin Franklin made to America.

He proved that lightning is electricity
a.___________________________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________________________
he helped write the Declaration of Independence

5 Are these accomplishments still important to us today? Explain your answer.

____________________________________________________________________________
Yes because we use the declaration of
Independence and electricity everyday
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

6 Benjamin Franklin will always be remembered for his contributions to America.

What would you like to be remembered for?

____________________________________________________________________________
I would liked to be remembered as a good person

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
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