American Revolution

1. American Revolution Legacy of the War

2. 1781 • July, British General Cornwallis set up base at Yorktown – in Chesapeake Bay. • Easy base to receive supplies from • August, French fleet blocked the Chesapeake Bay • Cut off British supplies & shipping • Washington & Rochambeau came down from the North and trapped Cornwallis

3. Battle of Yorktown • British ships tried to rescue Cornwallis, but failed • Americans & French bombarded Yorktown with cannon fire • October 19, 1781 Britain surrendered • Last major battle of the war

4. American Advantage • Better Leadership: • British generals: over confident & made poor decisions • Washington: learned from mistakes and adopted new strategies • Foreign Aid: • Britain’s rivals – Spain & France helped the Americans • Offered funds, military aid, and supplies • Knowledge of the Land: • Knew the land and used it to their advantage

5. American Advantage cont’d • Motivation: • Americans’ lives, property, and liberty were at stake.

6. 1783 Treaty of Paris • 6 conditions: • United States was independent • New U.S. boundaries were the Mississippi River, Canada, and Spanish Florida • U.S. received the right to fish off of Canada’s Atlantic Coast • Each side would repay the debts owed the other • British would return enslaved persons it had captured • Congress would recommend that the states return any property seized from the Loyalists

7. 1783 • No one fully lived up to the terms of the treaty. • American soldiers were paid in land certificates for land in the West. • Republicanism: people would rule and the government would obtain authority from its citizens & be responsible to them • Vermont outlawed slavery.