Revolutionary+War

The Revolutionary War

The Revolutionary War was fought by two forces the separatists (the Americans) and the British. The British had troops who were soldiers for a living and had uniforms they had training for combat practiced with weapons from firing a cannon to firing muskets the Americans did not have troops where being a soldier was their living they had the knowledge of shooting and reloading a musket they were also fairly good shots but they had no training for combat. They had soldiers called minute men which is the same as the national guard today.



__Weapons of the Revolutionary War:__ The main rifle used by the British and the Americans were flint lock muskets. The way they worked there was a small pan that you put gun powder in and there was little metal cover that went over it there was a hammer that a little slot in it that you put a piece of rock called flint in it. Then you pour gun powder down the barrel take a piece of pre-cut cloth to make the musket ball fit more snuggly in the barrel then you take a ram rod to pack it down the barrel then close the cover over the pan (the pan that held the gun powder) then cock the hammer (that has the flint in it) then fire. The bad thing about the muskets was they did not have rifling to make the ball fly like a football so it just bounced in the barrel before it left the barrel so it was very hard to hit something far away. The cannons looked like very similiar to the some of the cannons used in the civil war but in the Revolutionary war they didn't have that many choices of cannons. They also had swords and bayonets and a bayonet is just a sword that goes on the end of your musket. __George Washington:__ George Washington he did a lot for us during the Revolutionary War he was a general and the first President of the United States of America. He had false teeth made of ivory. Ivory is made from elephant tusk a long time ago it was used for many different things such as during the 1800's revolver handles were made from ivory but now it is illegal. George Washington also was a general for the British during the French and Indian war. He was a well liked man by all who knew him. He is a well respected general now by historians.

__The end of the Revolutionary war__ The British's sea route back to England was blocked by the French then Cornwallis surrendered. Cornwallis did not surrender in person he sent one of his generals to surrender for him. Cornwallis finally surrendered at Yorktown when the miltia and French battle ships blocked him from retreat.