Chapter 8

1. Chapter 8 Revolution!

2. At the Start of the War • When the war started • American soldiers were overconfident about their chances • The overconfidence was probably caused by: • A victory at the opening Battle of Concord • Fervor for freedom from Britain • BUT… they were overlooking the fact that Britain had the most power, well-trained, well-equipped army in the world.

3. The 2nd Continental Congress • May 1775 • A reconvening of the 1st Continental Congress • Between the 1st and 2nd meetings of the Continental Congress’, the war had begun up in Massachusetts. • Main Goals of the 2nd Congress: • Organize the colonies for war against Britain • Select a commander for the Continental Army

4. The Battle of Bunker Hill • The Battle of Bunker Hill - June 1775 • Fought outside of Boston • The colonists technically lost the Battle because they had to retreat when they ran out of munitions. • However, the Battle proved to many fighters that they could go toe-to-toe with the strongest army in the world. • The colonist took out nearly 1,000 redcoats.

5. Olive Branch Petition • July 1775 • The Continental Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition • Professes American loyalty to the British crown • Begs the King to call off the war to end any further hostilities • Following “Bunker Hill” George cut off any hope of reconciliation • August 1775 • George III formally claims: • the colonies are in rebellion • All colonists fighting Britain were guilty of treason • The War will be fought until one side is victorious

6. The Prohibitory Act • The Prohibitory Act 1775 • Passed by British parliament as a punishment to the rebellious American colonies • The purpose: • Hurt American commerce by setting up a naval blockade on all major American ports.

7. Loyalists • Tories • Maintained allegiance to the King • Almost 60,000 American Tories fought and died next to the British • Families were split between loyalist and patriot • Most Anglican clergy and politicians remained loyal during the war

8. Patriots • Opposed the King • Mostly New Englanders • Most were in militias • Over one hundred thousand patriots fought the British, but only 20,000 were under the command of Washington at any given time. • Usually poorly equipped • Rarely paid

9. Hessians • September 1775 • King George III commissioned the service of German Mercenaries (Hessians) • The Americans were angered by the hiring • They thought the fight should remain between America and Britain • Hessians had a reputation as butchers • That will be one of the grievances mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.

10. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense • 1776 • Common Sense is published • one of the most influential pamphlets ever written • Sold 120,000 copies within a few months • Paine equated the inconsistency of the colonists as contradictory to common sense • Spoke negatively about the King of England • Called for all able-bodied colonists to fight against Britain

11. Republicanism • Common Sense not only called for independence, it called for the creation of a new republic: • A representative republic • The power of the government flows from the people • Any leader should derive their power from popular consent • A country governed by law, and no one is above the law

12. Breaking Away • June 7, 1776 • Philadelphia Congress • Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved for a clean break of the colonies from Britain • July 2, 1776 • Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress

13. Thomas Jefferson • Thomas Jefferson was a 33 year old Lawyer from Virginia • The Declaration of Independence was an explanation of Independence • Reiterating “Natural Rights” for all mankind • Listing grievances with the King: • Overtaxing with no representation • Military dictatorship • Cutting off trade • Hiring mercenaries to fight Americans • The Declaration of Independence was officially signed on July 4, 1776

14. General Washington at Bay • With Boston under British control, the Redcoats now concentrated on New York • July 1776 • 500 British ships carrying 35,000 troops sail into the port of New York • Washington could only get 18,000 poorly trained troops together

15. Battle of Long Island • Summer and Fall of 1776 • The Americans were forced to retreat from New York • Washington escapes north and crosses the Delaware River into Delaware • British General William Howe • Could have followed and crushed Washington’s army, but didn’t because he remembered the heavy British losses at Bunker Hill.

16. Trenton • George Washington • Almost lost the entire Revolution at New York • December 26, 1776 (Middle of the night) • Washington re-crosses the Delaware River • Attacks the army of drunk Hessians (after a night of Christmas Celebration)

17. The Turning Point of the War • October 17, 1777 • The Battle of Saratoga • Prior to the battle, the Americans adopt a new tactic of shooting British officers • Without a chain of command, The British didn’t know what to do. • Because of a chaos within the British ranks, American forces surround British General John Burgoyne’s troops and force them to surrender the battle.

18. Following Saratoga • 1777 • British Parliament offers a deal to the Americans that would allow self-rule in America, but not independence from Britain • France fears reconciliation of America with US

19. France Joins • 1778 • Louis XVI • France realizes that the Americans have good chance at winning the war with the British. • Offers the Americans a treaty with everything Britain offered, except they offered the Americans Independence.

20. Saratoga Results • Saratoga is known as the turning point in the War because: • It persuaded the French to join the fight on the side of the Americans. • It forced the British to change their strategy in the war • Behind the scenes • Benjamin Franklin had been a diplomat to France during the time before Saratoga and was instrumental in getting the French to join on the side of the Americans.

21. Valley Forge • 1777-1778 Winter • Valley Forge Pennsylvania • Washington’s Winter Camp • Extremely harsh winter • 2,000 men died from pneumonia, typhoid and jaundice • Poorly dressed and barefoot • The morale of the continental Army was shattered. • The war could have very easily been lost after Valley Forge

22. Britain’s New Strategy • After France’s arrival • British strategist concluded that their last hope in winning the war was to take down the American South • 1778-1779 • Georgia is ruthlessly overrun • 1780 • Charlestown, SC falls to the British

23. Combatting the British in the South • General Nathaniel Greene • Tactical mastermind • Implemented the new tactic of “standing and retreating” • The militias would line up to fight, wait for the British charge, and then retreat • The goal was to get the British to chase his troops back into VA. • Greene was losing battles, but winning the campaign • British General Cornwallis’ men became exhausted as a result

24. Back to Yorktown for Supplies • General Cornwallis • After some futile operations chasing Nathaniel Greene into VA, he drops his troops back into the Chesapeake Bay to wait for ships to bring supplies • He assumed the British navy had control the Atlantic (like they had for the previous 200 years)

25. French Aide • French Commodore Degrasse • Controlled the French fleet out of the W. Indies • Contacted Washington about attacking Cornwallis at Yorktown • Washington jumped on the opportunity and marched his troops 300 miles to Yorktown

26. Surrender • October 19, 1781 • The French navy blocks the Chesapeake Bay by sea • The Americans surround Cornwallis and his 7000 men on land • Cornwallis is forced to surrender the war to the Americans

28. Peace Treaty • The Peace of Paris 1783 • The Americans sent three delegates to discuss the treaty • Ben Franklin • John Jay • John Adams • Forced Britain to formally recognize the Independence of America

29. Why/How did the Americans win the War? The colonists used unconventional warfare The colonists had a better knowledge of the terrain The colonists had a better spy system (The Culper Ring) The colonists knew what they were fighting for – independence. The British strategists didn’t know how to overcome those challenges.