The Revolutionary War
Background
•
Refer back to this PowerPoint for all
info about causes of the Revolutionary
War:
– https://
docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srci d=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnx2aXJ0dWFsY WNhZDF8Z3g6NWJjOTAyMzgyZGE3MW EzZQ
– The link covers all of the info on
Background (cont.)
•
Causes of war
– Britain attempted to assert more control
over colonies through
• Taxes
• Quartering Act • Intolerable Acts • Declaratory Act
Background (cont.)
•
Battles at Lexington and Concord
•
At Lexington…
– “Shot heard around the world” – 8 militiamen killed
•
At Concord
– British are defeated and routed back to
The Second Continental Congress
• Met on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, PA – All 13 colonies
• Intent: Create an army and a navy while also
hoping that King George III will give colonists rights
– Hmmm…sounds contradictory, don’t you think?
• George Washington- named the commander of
the Continental Army
– Great personality
Early Battles
•
May 1775
– Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured
Ft. Ticonderoga
• Gained weapons and cannons to besiege Boston
Battle of Bunker Hill
•
June 1775: colonists seized Bunker Hill
which overlooked Boston
•
British attacked the hill
– 3 waves
– Many soldiers died
•
Americans win?
– Ran out of ammo at the very end
Olive Branch Petition
•
July 1775- addressed to King George
III
•
Expressed American loyalty to King
– End the hostilities
•
King rejects it
– August 1775- declared the colonies in
rebellion
Conquering (?) Canada
•
Americans believed that Canada would
be welcome to independence
– Also to prevent attacks from the North
•
If the colonists were
fighting for
representation
, then…
Conquering (?) Canada (cont.)
•
Two American commanders
– Richard Montgomery – Benedict Arnold
•
Montgomery-
pushed his forces
through Lake Champlain and captured
Montreal
•
Arnold-
marched through Maine woods
Conquering (?) Canada (cont.)
•
Attack on Quebec
– HUGE FAILURE!!! – Montgomery dies
– Arnold wounded
– Turned out that French-Canadians liked
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
•
Background: Are the Americans trying
to be loyal or independent?
– Americans were being inconsistent
•
Common Sense
- written in 1776
– Why did America have to be ruled by such a
small country?
Common Sense
(cont.)
•
DID NOT
call for independence
– Wanted a new political society: power from the people
•
Promoted republicanism
– Deviated from monarchy
•
Reception: Americans were aware of what
was happening and what was going on
The Declaration of Independence
•
June 7, 1776
– Richard Henry Lee (VA) believed that
“these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states”
•
This would be a formal declaration of
independence
– Author: Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of
The Declaration of Independence
(cont.)
•
July 2, 1776
– Colonies legally separate from Britain
•
July 4, 1776
– Continental Congress approves the
Ideas within the Declaration of
Independence
•
“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”
– Put forth by John Locke
•
Various grievances
– Taxes w/o consent
– Maintaining standing armies
•
Can you identify them all?
•
http://
Patriots vs. Loyalists
•
Patriots-
colonists/Americans who
wanted independence from Britain
•
Loyalists-
also called “Tories”, these
colonists/Americans supported British
control
– “A Tory is a thing whose head is in England,
Loyalist Characteristics
•
Made up 16% of American population
– Most numerous in middle colonies (NY, NJ, PA) and Charleston, SC
•
Highly persecuted throughout the war
•
Educated and wealthy
– Believed that violence will only make things worse
Patriot Characteristics
•
Younger generations
•
Opposed King George III and Great
Britain
•
More numerous in New England than
Loyalist Treatment
•
Before 1776: mild persecution
•
After July 1776: harsher punishments
•
Patriots: Loyalists = traitors
– Some Loyalists are driven out (around
80,000) out of U.S.
– Others can stay- but property is taken
Washington Tumbles
•
The British saw N.Y. as a valuable asset
•
July 1776
– British land in N.Y. and embarrass
Washington’s ill-prepared army
•
Battle of Long Island
- ill-trained
Washington’s Retreat
•
Washington and his army fled through
N.J. to P.A.
•
Army is demoralized
– Contracts for fighting end at the end of
1776
– If contracts end, who is going to fight the
war?
The Battle of Trenton
•
December 26, 1776
•
Washington and his men…
– Crossed the Delaware River – Surprised the Hessians
•
Gave a much-needed victory along with
the Battle of Princeton
Battle of Saratoga
•
The British believed that cutting off
NE from the other colonies would end
the war
•
Three parts
– General Burgoyne from Lake Champlain – General Howe from N.Y.
Battle of Saratoga (cont.)
•
Burgoyne has to carry out attack
– St. Leger and Howe are pre-occupied
•
October 17, 1777
Battle of Saratoga (cont.)
•
“
Turning point
” in the war
– France and other British enemies get
involved- U.S. is force to be reckoned with
– Another much-needed victory (esp. after
Washington in P.A.
•
Lost two battles
– Brandywine Creek – Germantown
•
Recovered at Valley Forge
– Soldiers are better trained with new
arrivals from Europe
New French Friends
•
France wanted revenge against Britain
– Land and money
•
New ideas
– D.o.I. promoted liberty
– More concern in public interests
•
Support for the U.S.
France (cont.)
•
France didn’t want U.S. to be destroyed
– Ben Franklin attempted to get France to
help fight- he succeeded!
•
1778- France signed a treaty with U.S.
– Offered independence recognition as long
as U.S. and France fight together
The War Takes a Turn
•
1778-79: France and Spain declared war
on Britain
– Chance for naval dominance – Stretched British forces out
•
June 1778: Battle of Monmouth
War Turns (cont.)
•
Benedict Arnold:
Became a traitor
– Attempted to sell off West Point
War Turns (cont.)
•
British had a new strategy: capture the
South
– More Loyalists resided there – GA and Charleston fell first
•
Nathanael Greene
– “Fighting Quaker”
Land and Sea
•
In the West- Indians chose sides
– American supporters: Iroquois, Oneideas,
Tuscaroras
– British supporters: Senecas, Mohawks,
Cayugas, and Onondagas
• Joseph Brant- Mohawk chief
•
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
- Indians cede
Land and Sea
•
In Illinois territory
•
George Rogers Clark
– Attacked British forts on Ohio River
•
On the sea
– John Paul Jones: captured H.M.S. Serapis
after his ship was badly damaged
– Privateering- hiring pirates, damaged
Yorktown
•
1780-1781 was the worst time for U.S.
– Inflation was pricing up prices – Unity decreased
– Mutinous sentiments increased
•
General Cornwallis
– Retreated to Yorktown – Defeated in battle
Battle of Yorktown (from last slide)
•
A combined effort of French and
American armies
– French navy
– Combined French and American forces
•
Besieging Yorktown eventually
Paris Brings Peace
•
British were tired of war
•
Paris: 3 Americans: Ben Franklin, John
Adams, and John Jay settled the peace
treaty
•
France spent a lot of money and lives to
gain American independence
– Intended to keep U.S. east of Allegheny
