Chapter Eight

1. Chapter Eight America Secedes from the Empire (1775-1783) Created By: Angela Armedeo & Rejina Koshy

2. Congress Drafts George Washington A. bloodshed at Lexington & Concord (April of 1775) 1. Minute Men outnumbered by British B. Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia (May 10, 1775) 1. all 13 colonies represented 2. delegates sought to raise money to establish an army as well as a navy 3. selection of George Washington to lead army against Boston a. Virginian planter who never rose above rank of colonel in militia- lack of military experience b. great moral force who was trusted by many 4. Americans grew jealous & distrusted New England army a. Prudence suggests commander from Virginia

3. Bunker Hill & the Hessian Hirelings A. fourteen months – war of inconsistency (April 1775- July 1776) 1. some Americans show loyalty to king & exemplify their own desires 2. Others raise armies & fight against king’s armies 3. warfare increased & American force led by Ethan Allen & Benedict Arnold captured British garrisons at Ticonderoga & Crown Point-upper New York a. gained gunpowder & artillery which were stored & secured B. Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) seized in June 1775 but Americans were defeated by the British C. Olive Branch Petition- Americans show loyalty to crown & prevent further problems D. Hessians were good soldiers but interested more in money & soon left to serve America in return for land

4. The Abortive Conquest of America A. October 1775-British burned Falmouth (Portland), Maine & later colonials undertook Canada B. General Richard Montgomery (British army) pushed up Lake Champlain & captured Montreal 1. joined by General Benedict Arnold at Quebec C. Attack launched on last day of 1775 1. Montgomery killed, Arnold injured 2. Arnold & his men fled up St. Lawrence River, which was the way in which Montgomery came D. January 1776-British fire Virginia town of Norfolk E. Evacuating day- in March when the British were forced to leave Boston F. Southern colonies are victorious in 1776 1. February-against Loyalists at Moore’s Creek Bridge in North Carolina 2. June- against British fleet at Charleston Harbor Thomas Paine Preaches Common Sense A. Americans deny intentions of independence 1. the colonies were expected to be loyal to the empire, there was poor unification, & rebellious spirit B. Common Sense (1776) 1. why should the tiny island of England control the large continent of America 2. set up an independent, democratic republic 3. republicanism & radical ideas

5. Jefferson's "Explanation" of Independence A. Philadelphia Congress- led to declaration of independence through Richard Henry Lee of Virginia B. Jefferson given responsibility to write the declaration & approved by Congress- July 4, 1776 1. natural rights of humankind which the king was not able to give them so the colonies deserved independence 2. states the misdeeds of King George III: taxation without representation, no trial by jury, no valued laws, military dictatorship, cutting trade, burning towns, hiring mercenaries, hostility among Indians C. French Declaration of the Rights of Man- born thirteen years later

6. A. War of Independence- war within a war-colonials loyal to king (Loyalists called Tories) fought American rebels (Patriots called Whigs) & rebels fought British redcoats B. American Revolution-led by minority; Patriots persuaded people to join side, Loyalists remained loyal to king 1. conservative American-loyalists-people of education & wealth, culture & caution & did not want change 2. patriots-Samuel Adams & Patrick Henry-young revolutionists 3. loyalists-less numerous in New England Patriots & Loyalists Patrick Henry Samuel Adams

7. The Loyalist Exodus A. Declaration of Independence separated Loyalists & Patriots 1. Patriots wanted to create unity & believed that loyalty to the colony should come first 2. Loyalists were “roughly handled”- many put in prison, others hanged 3. many loyalists fled to British side B. Loyalists were either kicked out of the colony or they fled 1. their land was taken away & sold for the benefit of the war 2. Loyalists helped British by spying or keeping the Patriots away

8. General Washington at Bay A. Boston evacuated, New York targeted-seaport to link king & loyalists 1. large British fleet arrived in July 1776 & Washington was outnumbered – Battle of Long Island a. able to escape to Manhattan Island, crossed Hudson River to NJ & then to Delaware River b. British led by General William Howe, were at his heels but managed to trick General William Howe & surprise attack the Hessians B. British General William Howe did not crush the American Forces as predicted. C. On December 26th, 1776, Washington and his troops re-crossed the Delaware River and captured a thousand Hessian soldiers. He also defeated a smaller British detachment at Princeton. 

9. Burgoyne's Blundering Invasion • England’s plan for capturing the Hudson River Valley in 1777 • 1. forces under General Burgoyne would push down from Lake Champlain route from Canada, met by • General Howe's troops, as well as a smaller British force led by Colonel St. Leger.  • 2. British pursued General Benedict Arnolds forces to Lake Champlain in 1776, but couldn't move any • farther south until they had won control of the lake.  • 3. As winter descended, Burgoyne was forced to return back to Canada. Burgoyne was delayed because of • having to start from the Canadian base again instead of where he left off.  • 4. If Burgoyne were to start where he left off, he would be as far as Fort Ticonderoga, and would have • captured the fort.  • B. General Howe, instead of meeting with Burgoyne, embarked on an attack of Philadelphia, the rebel capital, • believing he had ample time to still meet up with Burgoyne.  • 1. Howe defeated Washington in the battles of Brandywine Creek and Germantown, and captured • Philadelphia, where he settled.  • C. Burgoyne’s troops were swarmed near Albany by the American militia and trapped by General Arnold’s • Troops • 1. Burgoyne was forced to surrender his entire command at Saratoga on October 17, 1777 to the American • General Gates. 

10. Strange French Bedfellows A. France wanted to take away the New World Colonies from England because it was England’s most valuable overseas possessions, and the lack of it would regain some of the prestige lost by France during the Seven Years War.  1. France became interested and compelled by the thought of American Freedom and supported their cause B. Shooting in Lexington- April 1775 1. France then provided American troops with arms and gun powder.  2. France wanted to help the Americans secretly, in the hopes of not starting another war for France, which was too weak to fight yet. C. Creation of the Declaration of Independence and the victory at Saratoga showed that the Americans meant business and had a good chance at victory.  1. The French king, Louis XVI- did not at first want to help America, but then realized it was better to have an American ally, than to fight with Britain and its newly reunited colonies. D. 1778- France offers Americans a treaty of alliance to defeat their common foe (England) until independence was received. 

11. The Colonial War Becomes a World War • Spain and Holland joined France in the war against England.  • 1780- Catherine the Great organized the Armed Neutrality • 1. lining up all the European neutrals in an attitude of passive hostility towards England  • C. 1778-1783.-France provided rebels with large sums of money, immense amounts of • equipment and armed forces, as well as naval strength.  • D. French fleets in American waters (to protect their own valuable West Indian islands) • jeopardized British blockade and lines of supply in America.  • E. June 1778- Redcoats attacked by General George Washington at Monmouth, New Jersey. • British escaped to New York. 

12. Blow & Counterblow A. 1780- French army of six thousand troops commanded by Comte de Rochambeau arrived in Newport, Rhode Island. Preparations made for a Franco-American attack on New York.  B. 1780- American General Benedict Arnold turned traitor.  C. British devised a plan to roll up the colonies, starting in the south where Loyalist were numerous.  D. Patriots fought there Loyalist neighbors  E. 1780-1781.- American riflemen wiped out a British detachment at King's Mountain and a smaller detachment at Cowpens.  F. Carolina campaign 1781- General Nathanial Greene, a Quaker-reared tactician, distinguished himself by his strategy of delay against General Charles Cornwallis. Greene cleared most of Georgia and South Carolina of British troops.  General Benedict Arnold

13. The Land Frontier & the Sea Frontier A. 1777- "the bloody year" on the frontier 1. The Oneidas and the Tuscarora's sided with the Americans, while the Seneca's and many other members of the powerful Six Nations of the Iroquois joined the British. B. 1784- the pro-British Iroquois were forced to sign a treaty between the United States and an Indian nation 1. Under its terms, the Indians ceded most of their land. C. Frontiersman, George Rogers Clark conceived the ides of seizing British scattered posts by surprise.  1. lark floated down the Ohio River in 1778-1779 with 175 men and captured in quick succession with British forts Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes. E. American privateering of British ships brought increasing pressure on Parliament to end the war on honorable terms 

14. Yorktown & the Final Curtain A. 1780-1781 (Darkest period of the war) 1. government was bankrupt, disunion was increasing among the states, mutiny was spreading in the army. B. British General Cornwallis was in the Chesapeake Bay at Yorktown to await supplies from British ships. C. French Admiral de Grasse advised Americans that he was free to join with them in an assault on Cornwallis at Yorktown 1. accompanied by Rochambeau's French army, they cornered Cornwallis. D. October 19, 1781- Gen. Cornwallis surrendered his entire force of seven thousand men at Yorktown  General Cornwallis

15. Peace at Paris • Britain- suffered heavy reverses in India and the West Indies, the Island of Minorca in the Mediterranean had fallen, the Rock of Gibraltar was tottering.  • B. March 1782- Lord North’s ministry has collapsed • 1. temporarily ending the personal rule of George III • 2. replacing it with a Whig ministry rather favorable to the Americans  • C. Three American Peace negotiators gathered at Paris- Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay.  • D. French could not satisfy the conflicting ambitions of both the Americans and the Spaniards  • E. Preliminary treaty signed in 1782  • F. Treaty of Paris of 1783- • 1. British formally recognized the independence of the United States • 2. United States given boundaries stretching from the Mississippi on the west, to the Great Lakes on the north, and to Spanish Floridia in the South.  A New Nation Legitimized A. British Whig administration was much more favorable to the Americans B. Policy of Liberality 1. solve recent wounds, reopen old trade channels, and prevent further wars over the coveted trans-Allegheny region.