Chapter 5

1. Chapter 5 The American Revolution

2. The States United • Crude technology- cannons/rifles worked at close range, fighting impossible in bad weather • While revolutionaries were celebrating victory they were consolidating African American slaves, depriving loyalists of property, barring women from participating in public life and denying Indian tribes limited rights British gave them.

3. The States United • Colonists unprepared for war, unformed nation, small population, inferior economic and military resources • Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, delegates from every colony except Georgia came, agreed to support war • John and Sam Adams, Richard Henry Lee- favor complete independence

4. The States United • John Dickinson- moderate, hoped for modest reforms and early reconciliation • Demonstrated uncertainty in two different declarations:

5. The States United • Olive Branch Petition- last conciliatory appeal to king • Result: rejection of petition caused colonists to think British government was forcing them towards independence; Parliament enacted Prohibitory Act- closed colonies to overseas trade through naval blockade

6. The States United • Declaration of Taking Up Arms 1775- proclaimed British left people with two alternatives: submission to tyranny or resistance by force

7. The States United • At first people believed they were fighting not for independence but for redress of grievances. Changed their minds with: • Costs of the war (human and financial) • Lingering affection Patriots retained for England disappeared • Colonists felt Britain was forcing them towards independence by rejecting Olive Branch Petition

8. The States United • Common Sense 1776: written by Thomas Paine, impassioned pamphlet helped change outlook

9. The States United • Intentions of pamphlet: revolutionary propaganda, attempted to turn anger of Americans from parliament to the king, argued itwas simple common sense for Americans to break away- Island of England no longer fit to rule American continent

10. The States United • Continental Congress's Response: declared American ports open to all nations except Great Britain, communicated with foreign powers, recommended colonies establish new governments independent of British Empire

11. The States United • Declaration of Independence: approved on July 4, 1776, provided formal justifications for actions delegates had taken, written by Thomas Jefferson. Borrowed heavily from texts that cities, towns and colonies up and down the coast. “All men are created equal” (George Mason)

12. The States United • Stated: United colonies had right to be free and independent states, absolved from all allegiance to British crown. Governments were formed to protect life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, listed crimes of the king- who violated contract • Results: Formation of the United States of America led to increased foreign aid, encouraged American Patriots, created deep divisions within American society

13. The States United • Loyalists (Tories)- substantial minority who did not want to end their loyalty to the king • By 1781 most states had written constitutions and established republican governments • States were real centers of authority as opposed to Congress

14. The States United • Articles of Confederation: adopted in 1777, limited powers over states, uncertain central Government, never sure of its own legitimacy. Mostly emphasized weak, decentralized system already in operation.

15. The States United • Challenges faced by new state governments: raising and organizing armies, providing supplies (shortages), paying for it all, got most supplies from European nations, mainly France

16. The States United • Financing the war proved to be the biggest problem since Congress had no authority to levy taxes directly on the people, no states contributed expected share, tried to sell long term bonds • Issuing paper money resulted in inflation; prices rose while value of paper money plummeted, farmers and merchants preferred doing business with British who payed in gold or silver coin- borrowed heavily from other nations

17. The States United • The Military: few Americans volunteered for service, states had to use persuasion or force. Continental Army: created in 1775 to correct decentralized system, named single commander- George Washington- admired and respected by nearly all Patriots • Treatment of Army: soldiers received short rations and low pay, open mutinies broke out in 1781 among Penn. and NJ troops

18. The States United • Conway Cabal- failed attempt to replace Washington as commander • Marquis De Lafayette from France and Baron Yon Steuben from Prussia- with their help Washington's army prevailed against greatest military power in the world. Washington provided army and people a symbol of stability, most successful in holding the new nation together

19. The War For Independence • Advantages of Britain: possessed greatest navy, best equipped army in the world, access to resources of an empire, coherent structure of command

20. The War For Independence • Advantages of Americans; fighting on own ground, deeply committed to conflict- British halfheartedly supported the war (“They cannot defeat an idea with an army”- Paine), substantial aid from abroad (France).

21. The War For Independence • First Phase (1775-1776): British remained uncertain whether or not they were actually in a war. American forces besieged army of Gen. Thomas Gage in Boston.

22. The War For Independence • Battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill: British suffered heaviest casualties of entire war; Patriots suffered severe casualties as well

23. The Battle For Bunker Hill

24. The War For Independence • Boston:tactically indefensible- narrow neck of land, easily isolated and besieged. • March 17,1776- Boston Evacuation Day- Patriots drove English out of Boston to Halifax in Nova Scotia • Became clear to British that conflict was not a local issue, prepared to fight a much larger conflict

25. The War For Independence • Moore’s Creek Bridge- Patriots crushed uprising of Loyalists (North Carolina, February 1776) • Invasion of Canada- hopes of removing British threat and allying with Canadians. Benedict Arnold led small American force, reached Quebec in late 1775/1776. Richard Montgomery died in assault of Quebec. Ended in frustration and failure.

26. The War For Independence • Second Phase: Mid-Atlantic Region (1776-78)- put British in best position to win, struggle became for the most part traditional, conventional war

27. The War For Independence • 32,000 troops arrived in New York under command of General Howe • British drove Washington's troops from NY across Delaware River into Pennsylvania

28. The War For Independence • Fighting was a seasonal activity • Christmas night 1776- Washington re-crossed the icy river and surprised the Hessians in Trenton

29. The War For Independence • Britain's Strategy (1777)- wanted to cut colonies in two, Howe would move north, while another British force would go south from Canada to meet him- Howe abandoned plan and launched attack on Philadelphia, hoped to discourage Patriots and rally Loyalists to bring the war to a speedy conclusion

30. The War For Independence • Defeat of Fort Ticonderoga- allowed Burgoyne to seize a store of powder and supplies- resulted in Congress putting Horatio Gates in command of American forces • Joseph and Mary Brant- Mohawks who wanted to expand the Native American roles in the war

31. The War For Independence • Divisions in the Iroquois Confederacy

32. The War For Independence • Militia Diplomats traveled to Europe to negotiate commercial treaties, had to make crucial decisions on their own • France began supplying Americans much needed supplies after Saratoga, made war an international conflict- France, Spain, Netherlands all contributed to American victory

33. The War For Independence • Final Phase: The South- British decided to try enlisting support of Americans still loyal to King

34. The War For Independence • Believed Loyalist sentiment was strongest in south- found as many Patriots as Tories • Loyalists refused to fight: feared reprisals from Patriots, the British emancipated slaves (about 5%)

35. The War For Independence • Support for independence greatly increased. Patriot forces could move throughout region living off support and resources. • In north little fighting occurred, stalemate

36. The War For Independence • Benedict Arnold: traitor, conspired with British to betray Patriot stronghold at West Point

37. The War For Independence • Savannah- captured in December, 1778, Charleston- May, 1780 by British forces • Guerrilla Warfare: Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, Francis Marion "Swamp Fox" • August 1780, Congress gave Southern command to Nathanael Greene, Quaker from Rhode Island.

38. The War For Independence • Yorktown: Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown after defeats by Nathaniel Greene, Washington and Count Jean Baptiste De'Rochambeau (commander of French forces) marched French-American army from NY to join other French forces under Lafayette in VA, while de Grasse sailed with additional troops to Chesapeake Bay& York River- caught Cornwallis between land and sea.

39. The War For Independence • October 17,1781- Cornwallis surrendered- no significant further combat between British and American forces • Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay- wanted to establish negations withBritain but had to wait until ally Spain reached principal war aim: winning back Gibraltar

40. The War For Independence • Treaty of Paris (1783) - British and Americans reached final settlement when Spain and France agreed to end hostilities- recognition of American Independence- received territory from Canada to northern border of Florida, from Atlantic to Mississippi.

41. War And Society • Dissention over cause of war- some believed that colonists were struggling over question of home rule and who should rule at home. Others believe that social and economic concerns had little to do with the conflict • 1/5 of population were loyalists- up to 100,000 fled country to England and Canada (established Quebec)

42. War And Society • Religion- Anglican church disbanded, Quakers weakened due to pacificism. Roman Catholic Church supported by the Patriot cause and French allegiance brought Catholic troops and chaplains. First American Bishop- John Carroll, named head of Catholic missions.

43. War And Society • Slavery- Allowed some freedom with British presence in south. 1/3 of slaves defected during war. South was resentful to British freeing of slaves. Southern churches reinforced idea of white superiority.

44. War And Society • White southerners believed enslaving African American’s was the only way to ensure liberty for whites. Feared that in life without slavery liberty would crumble when whites had to work under others. • Thomas Jeremiah, a free black, executed for conspiring to smuggle British guns into South Carolina.

45. Native Americans and the Revolution • Revolution threatened to replace ruling group that natives had grown to trust (British) with one with hostility (Patriots). Americans encroached on Native land, causing some, like Iroquois, to join English cause.

46. Native Americans and the Revolution • Dragging Canoe- attacked white settlements 1776; Lord Dunmore’s war in Kentucky 1774. Raids into White land were common, frequent and bloody. • Thomas Jefferson came to know natives as “noble savages”

47. Women • Women and daughters left in charge of farms and businesses during war. Women led protests and riots against price increases and attacks on British troops in cities and homes.

48. Women • “Camp followers”- Women went to war, some by choice, others because they were forced out of homes by British. Women’s roles in war were the same as they were at home, domestic chores. • Molly Pitcher (carried water to soldiers on battlefields) watched her husband get shot, took his place at the gun.

49. Women • Abigail Adams- Fought for women’s rights, urging her husband to “remember the ladies” and not put “such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands”

50. Women • In New Jersey women granted right to vote, temporarily. Was repealed in 1807. • Unmarried women had some rights, married women had virtually no rights. • Woman’s job to raise children to participate freely in the principles of liberty.