The American The American RevolutionRevolution

Seeds of Unrest

Section 1: The Stirring of Rebellion

The Treaty of Paris 1763 forced France out of most of North America.

American colonists poured into the new land causing trouble with Native Americans....Pontiac’s Rebellion.

The Proclamation of 1763

- Barred settlement west of the Appalachians.

Sugar act - 1764.

- Set an import duty on sugar products. The first real tax to be enforced in the colonies.

Stamp Act - 1765 - placed a tax on goods imported from Britain including glass, paper, paint, and tea.

The colonists complained about Taxation without Representation! 

They organized boycotts and non-importation agreements. – They also bullied British

officials and resisted any way possible.

The Sons of Liberty- a secret group that organized protests and spread propaganda.

Resisted the Stamp Act. Led by Samuel Adams. Mainly made up of mainly upper

class professionals. Used petitions, public meetings

and pamphlets, but also used an occasional tar and feathering.

Very strong in Massachusetts.

Ohh Gross! I’m covered with tar!

Stamp Act Congress - a meeting of delegates from 9 colonies.

They succeeded in pressuring Parliament into repealing the Stamp Act in 1766.

Declaratory Act of 1766 - declared Parliament’s right to make laws and rule over the colonies.

Townshend Acts (1767) - placed import duties on tea, lead, glass, and paints imported from Great Britain.

An indirect tax as opposed to the Stamp Act (direct tax).

Customs officials were allowed to have writs of assistance (similar to a search warrant)– These allowed for blanket

searches. Caused much resentment. Protests and boycotts sprung

up again. Quartering Act - forced

colonists to board British soldiers.

Who the #*@ are

you guys?!

We’re Redcoats,

now make us some supper and get my bed ready!

March 5, 1770. Boston was the center of

colonial uprising and protest A drunken mob gathered

outside a Boston customs house and threw rocks and snowballs at 5 British soldiers.

Bostonians were angry that British soldiers were stationed there.

They cornered them, a gun went off accidentally, which caused the other soldiers to open fire and 5 colonists were killed.

Blown out of proportion and exaggerated.– (John Adams was the

lawyer who defended the British soldiers, and won)

The Boston Massacre

Formed to keep all of the colonies informed of events and keep public opinion anti-British.

Spread propaganda

Committees of Correspondence

Tea Act - A new law that let B.E.I.C. bypass wholesalers are sell directly to American agents.

This lowered the price of tea.

American wholesalers were bypassed and feared a BEIC monopoly.

The Sons of Liberty organized resistance against buying the tea and eventually dressed up like Indians and dumped the tea into Boston Harbor.

This even became known as the Boston Tea Party (Dec 1773)

The British response to the Boston Tea Party.

Closed the port of Boston until the tea was paid for.

Revoked the Massachusetts charter of 1691.

Forbade town meetings in Mass.

Allowed royal officials charged with crimes to be tried in England

Reinstated a Quartering Act and martial law.

Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

Quebec Act - extended Quebec’s boundaries into the Ohio Valley, land claimed by Mass, CT., and VA. 

The colonists saw all of this as a growing pattern of oppression.

1st Continental Congress Met in the Fall of 1774 to

peacefully resolve their conflict with England following the Intolerable Acts.

12 colonies (all but GA) met in Philly

Wrote the Declaration of Resolves which pledged loyalty to England but outlined colonial rights.

Called for a ban of all trade with Great Britain.

Caused King George III to declare the colonies “in a state of rebellion.”

Washington at the 1st Continental Congress

Although no formal thoughts of independence emerged from this meeting, George Washington purchased “new décor for his military uniform, inquired about the price of muskets, and ordered a book on warfare” in Philadelphia.

A clear indicator that he knew he would probably be the head of a new American army sometime soon.

British troops were sent to the colonies (under General Thomas Gage) to restore order.

Paul Revere’s Ride

The Shot Heard Round the World

Lexington and Concord The British Redcoats tried to

take the arsenal (stockpile of

firearms and gunpowder) at Concord, but minutemen were alerted by Paul Revere and William Dawes.

At Lexington the colonists and British met, someone fired a shot (The Shot Heard ‘Round the World) and both sides opened up.

8 colonists were shot and killed.

The battle lasted only 15 minutes!

(Read pg 52 in “The Greatest Stories”

Explanation: http://www.ngb.army.mil/gallery/heritage/standyourground.asp

The British took the supplies at Concord.

On their way back to Boston the colonists ambushed them using guerilla warfare.

By days end (April 19, 1775) 100 colonial casualties vs. 273 British.

About 20,000 “Minute Men swarmed around Boston, not letting the outnumbered Redcoats leave.

Section 2: Ideas Help Start a Revolution

Met in the Spring of 1775 – through 1777.

Established a Continental Army. With George Washington as commander

Was not bent on independence and tried to keep peace with the Olive Branch Petition to the King as a last attempt at peace.

Declared that the colonies were independent on July 4, 1776!

Served as the first U.S. government.

2nd Continental Congress

George Washington Washington had been a colonel

in the militia, but was a good leader (although not a military genius) and had strong character.

Had a stellar resume Washington oozed confidence. Refused pay for his service. His selection was political since

most of the rebellion was in New England, Congress chose a Virginian to lead the military to draw more support from the rest of the colonies.

The Battle for Boston June 1775 Boston was believed by

the British to be the source of the uprising.

The British took both Bunker and Breed’s Hill (and the city itself) but suffered 1,054 casualties vs. 450 American.

The Battle for Boston Took place on Breed’s Hill

(more so than Bunker Hill). American volunteers were

driven back but fought well. Had American troops not run

out of gunpowder, they may well have mowed down the entire British army.

See hyperlink for better definition. http://www.ngb.army.mil/gallery/heritage/whites.asp

Britain ordered all colonial ports blockaded.

Britain sent thousands of Hessian mercenaries to fight the colonists. 

They were actually from 6 German principalities, but most were from Hesse, so Americans called all of the foreigners “Hessians.”

Many of the Hessians deserted, as they had no personal loyalty to Britain or it’s cause, and remained in America as respected citizens

In March, 1776 George Washington took Boston back into American hands.

American Generals Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery tried to invade Canada trying to cash in on the hopes that the French Canadians wanted revenge against the British.

– Invading Canada? I thought we were protecting ourselves?

– So by invading Canada, did we really just want a restoration of rights?

– Were we really just defending ourselves?

They were wrong, and failed to take both Quebec and Montreal.

– The British wooed them in the Quebec Act of 1774, and the French-Canadians didn’t trust the Americans and thought they would be anti-Catholic

– See map on pg 144.– http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://

www.americanrevolution.com/TreasonofBenedictArnold.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.americanrevolution.com/TreasonofGeneralBenedictArnold.htm&h=273&w=200&sz=14&hl=en&start=12&tbnid=WdNWDgdQxhTNmM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=83&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbenedict%2Barnold%2B%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

Independence Declared

Many colonists supported independence for 2 reasons.

1. The British Government had violated their rights.

2. The War had already started and Americans had been killed fighting for the cause.

Independence and Loyalty

Americans could be divided into 3 roughly equal groups concerning independence.– 1/3: Patriots strongly supporting American

independence.– 1/3: Loyalists opposing it thinking they had no right to

independence.– 1/3: Those who favored whatever side was winning at

that particular time.

Loyalists Harassment of Loyalists was

relatively mild before independence was declared, outside of some tarring and featherings, etc.

The frequency and intensity increased after independence was declared but was nothing like the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution.

80,000 Loyalists were driven out or fled, but hundreds of thousands more stayed.

The British never made full use of Loyalists during the War.

After the war some loyalists stayed and re-established themselves, most fled, had their property taken or were exiled.

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense shifted American public opinion towards independence.

It is one of the most influential pamphlets ever written.

He jolted Americans into claiming a country that was rightfully theirs.

He called King George III the “Royal Brute of Great Britain.”

Paine called for the creation of a republic where power flowed from the people themselves, not a monarch. – (Sold 120,000 copies)

Declaration of Independence

Proposed by Richard H. Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776.

A five man committee was appointed to draft the declaration explain to the rest of the world why the colonies were fighting.

It was debated at length by the 2nd Cont Congress.

A detailed list of the King’s misdeeds. A listing of “self-evident” truths. Declared the right of all people to

abolish a government that deprives people of their rights.

Jefferson drew upon many of John Locke’s ideas in the Declaration.

The Congress hoped that an independent nation could solicit the help of foreign countries better.

It was a declaration of War against England

The Second Continental Congress had very limited powers

No power to tax as a nation

Each state had more power than the national government.

Section 3: Struggling Toward Saratoga

A new nation of 2.5 million people faced Great Britain with 10 million people plus a world-wide empire.

Washington rarely had more than 16,000 troops in his command at any one time

Most enlistments were for 1 calendar year

Most troops were very poorly trained and lacked food and ammunition often.

Many troops would leave to plant and harvest crops.

These guys

stink! They’re

all aiming up in the

air.

The British moved from Boston to New York in an attempt to isolate New England in 1776.

The British amassed 500 ships and 35,000 men to N.Y.

Washington had only 18,000 ill-trained troops.

The British Army and Navy pounded the Americans who were forced to retreat in August.

Washington was pushed further into N.J. & Pennsylvania and had only 8,000 men in his army by the end of 1776.

More colonists were now volunteering for the British army than the Continental army.

The “Spirit of ’76” and American support for the war were very low at this point.

The Battle for New York It had a great seaport, was centrally

located, and had a large loyalist population.

The summer and fall of 1776 was a disaster for the Americans.

At Long Island, N.Y., America was outgeneraled and outmaneuvered.

Washington escaped to Manhattan and then to N.J., but did live to fight another day.

– The British, under General William Howe, blew a perfect opportunity to seize the entire American army. He was too caciuos because he remembered the slaughter of Breeds Hill, the country was rough and unfamiliar, his supplies were slow in reaching him and it was winter.

The Battle for New York

http://www.ngb.army.mil/gallery/heritage/longisland.asp

The Battle of Trenton

Christmas, 1776. An all-out gamble by

Washington. Tried to use his army

before enlistments expired at year’s end.

Washington crossed the Delaware River with 2,400 men.

Why are these

morons standing up in a boat?

Trenton The Continental Army

marched 8 miles through sleet and snow and caught the Hessians off-guard in Trenton.

Killed 30 and took 918 prisoner with no U.S. losses!– Although Lieutenant

James Monroe was wounded…..good thing because he went on to become President Monroe!

The first, and much needed victory for the Continental Army.

Princeton Jan 1, 1777. Washington quickly moves from Trenton to Princeton, N.J.

and scores another victory against the British. Spends the Winter of 1777 in Morristown, N.J. in good

spirits.

Philadelphia

The first battle of the 1777 campaign.

Washington tries and fails to defend the new U.S. capital.

Philadelphia had a high loyalist population and a lot of spies.

October 10-17, 1777 The Battle of Saratoga: The British are forced to retreat, are cut off,

surrounded and forced to surrender. This victory is the turning point of the

American Revolution:

Saratoga: 1777 Military planners in London

schemed to capture the Hudson Valley and isolate New England from the rest of the states and paralyze the rebellion.

The main British invasion under “Gentleman” Johnny Burgoyne would push down the Lake Champlain route from Canada, and meet up with General Howe’s troops from N.Y., who would move up the Hudson River.

A third and smaller prong, under Colonel Barry St. Leger would come from the west from Lake Ontario and the Mohawk Valley. ‘

Benedict Arnold (still fighting for America) bought valuable time fighting the British on Lake Champlain in 1776, and the British moved back to Canada before winter of ’76-77 (although Arnold’s small assembly of boats was destroyed).

So Gen. Burgoyne had to start from Montreal in 1777, and not N.Y.

His progress was painfully slow with a large baggage train of supplies and wives of his officers, plus he was blazing a trail through the woods.

American militiamen harassed him constantly.

Saratoga: 1777 General Howe moved his army

from N.Y. to Philadelphia and didn’t move up the Hudson to help Burgoyne.– He wanted to force a battle with

Washington, destroy his army, and leave the door wide open for Burgoyne to move south through.

– Howe did win battles at Brandywine Creek and Germantown, but left Burgoyne hamstrung at Saratoga.

– Howe settled in to comfortable winter quarters in Philadelphia, 1777-1778.

Saratoga

A tremendous morale boost for Americans who show they can defeat a large British army in the field.

The contribution of the Marquis de Lafayette foreshadows more formal French assistance and recognition of American independence.

From then (Oct, 1777) the British stick close to the coast where they can retreat, be re-supplied by sea, and know the terrain better.

America and France The French deeply wanted revenge on

the British more than to see America succeed.

The American independence movement was somewhat of a fad amongst the social elite of pre-Revolutionary France.

The French provided much needed money and supplies throughout the American Revolution.

Double the size of their forces Utilize the French Navy 90% of all American gunpowder came

from France in the first 2 ½ years of the war.

Britain offered America Home Rule after the Battle of Saratoga, which would still keep the colonies within the empire.

This is really what the colonies had been asking for all along, but with recent victories under their belt and having just declared independence a year earlier, America rejected this offer.

America reluctantly accepted an offer of alliance from France.

France was a monarchy, a Catholic nation, etc.

Catherine the Great of Russia organized the remaining neutral nations of Europe into the Armed Neutrality to combat British power. This included Russia, Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, and Portugal.

The American Revolution turned into another world war

From 1778-1783 France provided the U.S. with guns, money, massive amounts of equipment, ½ of America’s regular armed forces, and almost all of our naval strength.

With France now in the picture, Britain decided to abandon Philadelphia and concentrate on N.Y.C.

1780, a French army of 6,000 troops under Comte de Rochambeau arrived in Newport, R.I.

1780, Benedict Arnold defects to the British. He felt that his military genius was not being fully utilized by America (and he was a good general).

He sold out West Point (fort on the Hudson River) for 6,300 pounds and an officer’s commission.

The plot was detected just in the nick of time. His defection was a big hit to American morale

Valley Forge Where Washington and the Continental Army spent the Winter of 1777-

1778. A very cold winter, which worsened morale. Most soldiers had few clothes and supplies and food were poor. Officers enjoyed warmer clothing and lodging, and bickered (even duelled)

amongst themselves. The British spent the winter comfortably in nearby Philadelphia.

Valley Forge

Among the miserable soldiers at Valley Forge was a young lieutenant in Daniel Morgan’s Virginia Sharpshooters named John Marshall.

He was recovering from a wound in the hand.

Impressed the men with his athleticism.

– Supposedly, he could jump over objects 6 feet high. (a good mark for a modern high school high jumper)

– Marshall went on to serve over 30 years as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court!

Valley Forge

The Spring of 1778, saw weather and supplies improve greatly.

Drilling and training by Baron Von Steuben turned a rag-tag group of militia men into a fine fighting force.

Re-enlistments and new enlistments brought the size of the Continental army up to 12,000 by March 1778. (Remember that numbers had been as low as 2,500 earlier in the war).

Enlistments were now for “the duration” of the war, not just one year.

Both sides recruited African Americans

The British promised freedom to slaves who fought for them

Washington recruited free blacks.

Both sides recruited Native American help many sided with Britain because they felt they would try to curb westward expansion where America won’t (they were right)

Women helped in many ways.

Section 4: Winning the War

A Prussian captain named Frederick von Steuben trained the Continental Army at Valley Forge, PA. in 1778.

– He probably fabricated most of his credentials, but was very capable, nonetheless.

Made regular soldiers out of country bumpkins.

Taught them how to:– Drill– March– Perform field maneuvers.– Fire and reload quickly.– Use bayonets.

1779 Colonel George Rogers Clarke's expedition captures Kaskaskia, Cahokia & Vincennes; Clarke defeats British Colonel Henry Hamilton and secures the American claim to western lands.

The American victory at Vincennes ends British control in the Northwest.

Important point: The Northwest territory (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin) could have wound up as part of Canada.

Native Americans The American Revolution broke up the Iroquois Confederation with

the Oneidas and the Tuscarorras on the American side and the Senecas, Mohawks, Cayugas, and Onondagas on the British.

Mohawk chief Joseph Brant believed that a British victory would keep Americans from encroaching onto their lands.

They were probably right because American pioneers continued to move farther west even during the Revolution.

War on the High Seas The American Navy started off very

small with just a few vessels under John Paul Jones. They did manage to destroy British merchant ships and carried the war to the British Isles.

American privateers did more damage than our navy. They were privately owned pirate ships that preyed on enemy shipping.

The American privateers numbered over 1,000 ships and 70,000 men. They captured over 600 British ships. (The British navy captured about as many American)

The success of the American navy and privateers put pressure on Parliament to end the war.

A Change in Strategy

In 1778, the British focused on the Southern Colonies.

The plan was to take the South and then march North.– Hadn’t fought there

yet and hoped to cash in on strong loyalist support.

The Southern strategy appeared to be working for the British.

Savannah, GA was easily taken, along with Charlestown, S.C.– Took 5,500 Americans

prisoner.– Took 400 cannon.– The heaviest blow to America

in the whole war!

Patriots & Loyalists Americans were roughly

divided into 1/3s– 1/3 were Patriots who

supported Independence.• Especially strong in New

England and where Presbyterian and Congregational churches were strong.

– 1/3 remained loyal to the King and Great Britain.

• Most Anglican clergy, older Americans, and those of education and wealth tended to be Loyalists.

• 50,000 loyalists bore arms for the British.

– 1/3 were loyal to whichever side appeared to be winning.

Thousands of southern slaves ran away and joined the British.

Battle of Cowpens

1781 in S.C. An outnumbered American

force forced the British under Cornwallis to surrender at Cowpens, S.C.

Throughout the South, the Continentals used hit and run tactics, never attacked in mass, and stretched the British away from the coast and from their supply lines.– It worked!

Hyperlink to explanation:

http://www.ngb.army.mil/gallery/heritage/cowpen.asp

This scene is depicting the Battle of Cowpens

Victory at Last Yorktown- 1781 On a peninsula. General

Cornwallis is surrounded by land and the British navy gets routed at sea by the French.

17,000 Americans and French vs.8,000 British.

Americans and French fired 15,000 artillery rounds in 9 days of fighting.

Seeing a golden opportunity, Washington quickly moved from N.Y, 300 miles south to the Chesapeake, to surround the British.

The French provided nearly all of the naval strength and half of the troop strength.

Cornwallis surrenders on Oct 19, 1781.

After Yorktown

Britain still had 54,000 troops in North America and 32,000 in the U.S.

Washington quickly moved his army from Yorktown back to N.Y. to keep an eye on the British force of 10,000 stationed there.

The fighting continued for a little more than a year after Yorktown, and was especially savage in the South between Loyalists and Patriots.

This constant harassment and the continued fighting helped bring about generous terms at the peace table.

The British surrender at Yorktown is the last significant battle of the war and leads directly to the Treaty of Paris 1783.

Britain is deliberately generous hoping to rebuild an economic relationship with the New United States (and drive a wedge into the U.S – France relationship

Treaty of Paris 1783

America sent Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay to negotiate

British confirmed American Independence. U.S. gets all land from the Atlantic to the Mississippi

(between Canada and Florida), so the Spanish and French couldn’t have it.

Joint navigation of the Mississippi River Both sides agreed to pay off debts to creditors. Property rights of loyalists would be respected (but really

weren’t) European rivalries and jealousies, plus internal political

party strife within the British Parliament came together at the right time to offer a very, very generous settlement to the U.S.