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Explore key events of the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, including battles, influential figures, the Declaration of Independence, and the role of loyalists.
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Timeline (don’t write this) April,1775 - The Battle of Lexington and Concord May, 1775 – 2nd Continental Congress June, 1775 - The Battle of Bunker Hill Jan., 1776 - Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense July, 1776 - Congress approves Declaration Of Independence Sept.-Oct., 1777 – Battle of Saratoga March, 1781 – Articles of Confederation Adopted Oct. 1781 – Battle of Yorktown Sept., 1783 - Treaty of Paris is signed Sept., 1787 – U.S. Constitution signed June, 1788 – U.S. Constitution adopted
First Shots • April 1775 Lexington & Concord, MA • British given secret orders to destroy military supplies in Concord. • Patriots knew and moved the supplies. • “Minute Men”: The American colonial militia - Highly mobile and rapidly deployed. • 70 Redcoats killed (British Regulars)
Patriots (Whigs) • Patriots: Colonists who supported the Rev. for independence; AKA - Whigs. • Younger • Recruited colonists for the cause • Harassed British and Loyalists • Areas: mostly New England (Presbyterians and Congregationalists), Virginia, and parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York
Loyalist Strongholds
Loyalists: Loyal to King George III • Loyalists = Tories: Conservative, educated, wealthy, older generation, Anglican clergy, King’s officers & officials of the crown • About 16-20% of the population stayed loyal -Some served as spies -Persecuted, tar/feathered, hanged, imprisoned, estates sold and forced to flee Areas: New York City, Charleston, Quaker Pennsylvania, New Jersey.
Support for the British • Native Americans: Most tribes, like Iroquois, sided with British because they were fearful of American expansion into the West. • Hessians: King George III, (grandfather from Germany) hired German mercenaries called Hessians.
Battles of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point • May, 1775 - Ethan Allen + Benedict Arnold capture the British garrisonsat Ft. Ticonderoga and Crown Point in New York
2nd Continental Congress May 10, 1775 • All 13 colonies represented • Declaration of the Causes & Necessity of Taking Up Arms • Adopted measures to raise money and create an army/navy • July 1775: Olive Branch Petition – Profess loyalty to England to avoid all out war. • Pleaded for cease-fire and agreed to remain loyal toKing George III but was ignored by British. • Drafted the Articles of Confederation • Drafted the Declaration of Independence • Chose Washington to lead army
George Washington • Commander-in-Chief of Continental Army • Lost more battles than he won. • Outstanding leadership skills and strength of character • People trusted him
Battle of Bunker Hill: June 1775 • Fought near Boston, Mass. • Colonists seized Breed’s Hill, • Colonists ran out of gun powder - forced to abandon. • After this: King George III closed the possibility of reconciliation – proclaiming colonies in rebellion = Treason. • British victorious
Jan 1776ThomasPaine: Common Sense • Americans still (at this point) had loyalty to England. • Anonymously: Argued for freedom from British rule • Radical path for colonies to reject monarchy and embrace an independent republic. • Jan 1776: Common Sense pamphlet - called for a republic: power to come from the people, not from a monarch and from popular consent “Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation”
July 2, 1776: 2nd Continental Congress accepted Richard Henry Lee’s proposed independencefrom England in a document called Lee’s Resolution
Thomas Jefferson • Drafted Declaration of Independence: adopted by Continental Congress July 4, 1776. • Invoking “Natural rights” of human kind. • “All men are created equal,” (though he had slaves.)
Declaration of Independence • Based on Enlightenment philosophy • 3 Major Parts: 1).Preamble - influenced by John Locke 2).List of 27 grievances against King: taxation without consent, dispensing with trial by jury, maintaining a standing army in peacetime, cutting off trade, hiring mercenaries, inciting Indian hostilities, etc. 3).Formal declaration of independence • Result: Foreign aid could now be successfully solicited • Document inspired French Revolution and others
Colonists Advantages Didn’t have to conquer British- just had to wear them down Used hit-and-run tactics War was unpopular in Britain Hessian soldiers didn’t “buy-in” – hundreds deserted Prussian drillmaster Baron von Steuben helped train colonial army Colonists Disadvantages Britain had world’s largest navy British army well-trained Navy well-supplied ($$$) Loyalists helped the British Colonist Advantages and Disadvantages
Battle of Long Island • New York, July 1776: British fleet of 500 ships with 35,000 men led by British General Howe. British won Battle of Long Island. • George Washington only had 18,000 ill-trained troops. He retreated across Delaware River. Battle of Trenton (New Jersey Campaign) • Dec. 1776: Washington re-crosses the Delaware River, surprises and captures 1,000 Hessians at the Battle of Trenton.
Washington Crossing the Delaware River just before the Battle of Trenton
Phase II: NY & PA[1777-1778]
Battle of Saratoga • British General Burgoyne attempts to capture Hudson River. • British Burgoyne surrendered entire command at Saratoga in Oct 1777. • Colonial win made it possible for France to provide aid to the colonies. An Important Turning Point in the War: • 1778 Benjamin Franklin to Paris: negotiates treaty of alliance with France • French aid: guns, money, equipment, troops, and naval strength • 1779: Aid from Spain and Holland • America started to win • Marquis de Lafayette: Helped the Patriots train at Valley Forge
France Becomes Most Important American Ally: (Why?) • Revenge on British for Seven Year’s War • Victory at Saratoga showed ability of colonists to beat the British • Promised recognition of American independence • Marquis de Lafayette convinced French government to back Patriots
Valley Forge • Washington’s men were tired, hungry, frostbitten • Feb 1778, Baron Fredrick Von Steuben, Prussian Drillmaster, shaped them into a professional army
Colonial General Benedict Arnold became a Traitor: schemed to sell out the key stronghold of West Point, which commanded the Hudson River, to the British for £6,300 and an officer’s commission.
American Commander John Paul Jones • Father of the American Navy • Battle of Bonhomme (Bonami) Richard vs. Serapis in the North Sea • Chief contribution: destroying British merchant shipping • Didn’t affect British navy • American Privateers: privately owned ships authorized by Congress to attack British ships – captured 100’s of British merchant ships. • Brought in gold and helped American morale
Frontier Campaigns • Control land west of Appalachian Mts. • Cherokees attacked in the south • Iroquois led by Chief Joseph Brandt raided western New York
General Nathanial Greene: “fighting Quaker”, exhausted his foe by “standing and retreating.” Succeeded in clearing GA and SC of most British Troops.
Battle of Yorktown • Last major battle of the war. • French Admiral de Grasse - blockaded Chesapeake Bay. British Ships unable to enter. • Washington made 300 mile march to Chesapeake from NY • With Rochambeau’s French Army, Washington attacked British Army by land and French Admiral de Grasse attacked by sea. • Oct. 1781: British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered his force of 7,000 men • War continued for 1 more year
John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams negotiated the agreement in Paris
Towards Peace • Lord North’s political party collapsed 1782 • New Whig ministry more sympathetic to Americans came into power • U.S. & Britain sign preliminary treaty in 1782
1783 Treaty of Paris • Britain formally recognized U.S. independence • British to remove troops and lose territory. • Americans must pay loyalists and British creditors (some states never did) • Americans gain land: trans-Appalachian area – included land up to Mississippi River. • American concessions: loyalists couldn’t be prosecuted, loyalist property was restored. • Spain got Florida
