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The Revolutionary War 1775-1783. Along the coast of Georgia people were loyal to England In the backcountry they were loyal to America and revolution. Georgia Chooses Sides. Tories, Loyalists. Whigs, Patriots. Lexington and Concord.
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Along the coast of Georgia people were loyal to England In the backcountry they were loyal to America and revolution Georgia Chooses Sides Tories, Loyalists Whigs, Patriots
Lexington and Concord • April 19th, 1775 The Battle of Lexington and Concord started the American Revolution • “Minutemen” vs British Troops • Royal government in Georgia begins to fall apart.
Royal Government Comes to an End • 1775 - “Provincial Congress” aggress to boycott trade with Great Britain • Whigs take over militia • Jan 1776, Whig arrest Gov Wright of GA • Escapes to Britain
Royal Government Comes to an End • Georgia creates a new Government • Temporary Constitution • Preamble proclaims popular sovereignty
War and Peace • Prepared for war and Peace • War – Created an army with George Washington as General • Peace – Create a petition to King George to stop hostility
British Response • King George refused petition • Spring 1776 Second Continental Congress voted to end British Rule
Declaration of Independence • Georgia sends two delegates to Continental Congress in Philadelphia • July 4th, 1776 • Signed Document to end British Rule • Georgia delegates Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George Walton
Declaration of Independence Document written by Thomas Jefferson • 1. All men are created equal • 2. Everyone is born with certain rights that government cannot take away – namely life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. • 3. Government gets its power from the people. • 4. People can do away with a government they no longer approve of.
Declaration of Independence • Declaration ends with “these United Colonies are ...Free and Independent States.” • State is another word for nation
Reaction to the Declaration of Independence • News did not reach GA for a month • 1,500 Tories leave GA • Patriots happy
Georgia's First Constitution • Needs a permanent government • Write a constitution • Feb 1777 create new constitution
Separation of Powers • 3 seperate branches of power • 1. legislative • 2. executive • 3. judiciary • Legislative has too much power
One house Government “House of Assembly” Separation of Powers • Unicameral
Branches of Georgia Government House of Assembly Judicial legislative Executive Georgia Government
Problems with New Government • Governor had little power • 1 year term for gov • Legislative elected for 12 years
Washington’s Headaches • Only 1/3 of the colonists were in favor of a war for independence [the other third were Loyalists, and the final third were neutral]. • State/colony loyalties. • Congress couldn’t tax to raise money for the Continental Army. • Poor training [until the arrival of Baron von Steuben.]
Military Strategies The Americans The British • Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line]. • Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down] • Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies. • Break the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So. • Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally. • “Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.
War Comes to Georgia • 1/3 Whigs • 1/3 Torries • 1/3 neutral • 1776-78 Whigs in charge take Torries home and property • Torries Try to attack the British at St. Augustine Fort and lose
War Comes to Georgia • Army of 2,000 British from NY vs.700 Partiot Georgians • Patriots lose • 100 dead • 450 captured • James Wright returns to run GA
Slaves Join the Fight • Austin Dabney and other slaves fight for Patriots • Most slaves fight for Britian • Britian offers freedom to any slaves who joins the fight against the colonists
Slaves Join the Fight • Slaves used as spys by British • Quamino Dolly led British invasion by showing them a swamp pass • After war 10,000 Africans had to back to slavery for siding with the British
Battle of Kettle Creek • Early 1779, Kettle Creek in Wilkes county • Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke led Patriots on attack • Gain much needed supplies and lifted the morale of the Georgian troops
Siege of Savannah • Fall 1779 • Americans aided by France try to retake Savannah • Count Casimir Pulaski was killed during a cavalry attack-Polish Foreign Patriot • British lose 40 • Americans lose 1,000 mostly French • Savannah stays in British control to the end of the war
The End of the War • 1780 Britian holds most of Georgia • Whigs and Tories fight in the backcountry • 1781 Whigs recapture Augusta • In Yorktown the British surrender to General George Washington
The End of the Warin Georgia • 1782 British and 2,000 Tories and their slaves leave Georgia • War Ends with the Treaty of Paris in 1783 • Britian had to return Florida to Spain at the end of the war • Unfriendly Indians still in Georgia boundaries
Summary • Explain the significance of people and events in Georgia on the Revolutionary War; include Loyalists, patriots, Elijah Clarke, Austin Dabney, Nancy Hart, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton, Battle of Kettle Creek, and siege of Savannah.