Describe the course of the war in 1777 and 1778

The first years of the Revolutionary War were not happy ones for Britain's rebellious colonies. Lacking any organized army before 1775 (aside from local colonial militias), the Continental Congress had to assemble a more or less improvised fighting force that would be expected to take on the army of the world's largest empire. In George Washington Congress found an able leader, but his record on the battlefield in the early years of the conflict was not heartening. His most impressive accomplishment was keeping the army together after a string of defeats, and making enough of a showing in battle that eventually France would be tempted to enter the conflict.

This lesson will trace events in the North from 1775 to 1778. By looking at documents of the time, and using an interactive map, students will see how an army was created and understand the challenges that Washington and his men faced during this critical early stage of the wa