The American Revolution: 1775-1783

1. The American Revolution: 1775-1783 A Fight for Independence

2. On the Eve of the Revolution ?

3. Loyalists and Patriots • Loyalist and Patriot Strongholds • Patriots – desire war for many reasons • Taxes without representation • Religious and political freedom • Loyalists – against war for many reasons • protection against enemies • Not everyone was affected

4. 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 (the French) Baron von Steuben

5. 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 –France and Spain • Break the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So. • Blockadethe ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally. • “Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.

6. Phase I:The Northern Campaign[1775-1776] (Canada) • Some argued to add Canada to the United States • Nov, Patriots under General Richard Montgomery captured Montreal • Patriot forces under Benedict Arnold lost at Quebec; Montgomery killed • Patriot hopes of capturing Canada failed

8. Bunker (Breeds) Hill - Boston • In June 1775, patriots under General William Prescott captured Boston • The colonists occupied all the major hills that surrounded Boston to prevent the British from taking the city • The British, after three assaults, finally took the hills • The British, however, suffered over 40% casualties.

13. George Washington soon arrived to assume command to siege Boston June, 1776, using cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, Washington fired on the British from Dorchester Heights, a hill overlooking Boston A surprised British General William Howe, on March 7, 1776 ordered retreat from Boston Birth of the rebellion back in the colonist’s hands The Siege of Boston

14. Phase II: NY, PA, NJ[1777-1778] • In New York, Continentals under the command of General Washington, spotted a British fleet of ships nearing New York harbor • General William Howe and the British forced Washington off of Long Island to Manhattan Island

15. New York City in Flames (1776) • In a series of battles, the Continentals were forced to retreat out of New York • General Howe’s revenge for his defeat at Boston was complete • Howes next move – New Jersey • “Revenge is Mine”

16. Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

17. Historical inaccuracies Does not contain any sources and un sourced materials may be challenged and removed if creditable The flag bourn is wrong; the flag depicted did not exist until 1777. Artistic concerns motivated further deviations from historical (and physical) accuracy. For example, the boat (of the wrong model) looks too small to carry all occupants and stay afloat, but this emphasizes the struggle of the rowing soldiers. There are phantom light sources besides the upcoming sun, as can be seen on the face of the front rower and shadows on the water, to add depth. The crossing took place in the dead of night, so there ought to have been little natural light, but this would have made for a very different painting. The river is modeled after the Rhine, where ice tends to form in crags as pictured, not in broad sheets as is more common on the Delaware. (However, it is speculated that the Delaware River really was frozen over as depicted because of the Little Ice Age that was occurring at the time. Also, the Delaware at what is now called Washington Crossing is far narrower than the river depicted in the painting. It was also raining during the crossing. Next, the men did not bring horses across the river in the boats. Finally, Washington's stance, obviously intended to depict him in a heroic fashion, would have been very hard to maintain in the stormy conditions of the crossing. Debunkers of the painting's historical accuracy have traditionally said that Washington would have been sitting down; historian David Hacket Fischer has argued, however, that everyone would have been standing up to avoid the icy water in the bottom of the boat (the actual boats used have higher sides). Geographically, they are also heading in the opposite direction of their historical destination. This information was taken by Wikipedia.com

18. Washington Crossing the Delaware • General Howe sent Hessians, hired German mercenaries, to New Jersey • General Washington decided to attack the Hessians at Trenton • Christmas night, Washington and 2000 troops silently crossed the Delaware • Battle of Trenton lasted an hour • Colonists captured 900 Hessians with just five casualties • Continentals also won the battle of Princeton against Charles Cornwallis

21. The Battle of Saratoga • Defeats at Trenton and Princeton boosted Patriot spirits • British Plan – cut off New England from the rest of the colonies • General John Burgoyne, awaiting British reinforcements, suffered a serious defeat near Albany, at the Battle of Saratoga • General Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold captured Burgoyne’s entire army • Tremendous victory for the colonists; France and Spain, enemies of Great Britain supported our efforts

23. December 1777,Washington settled his troops at Valley Forge During this winter, because of lack of supplies, one-fifth died of malnutrition Baron Friedrick von Steuben, a Prussian army officer, leading with respect and fear, turned the Continentals into a well-trained group of soldiers Winter at Valley Forge Baron Friedrick von Steuben

24. Washington at Valley Forge

27. Americans faced difficulty in the war at sea One of the more successful American captainswas John Paul Jones Bonhomme Richard (Gentleman) – small French fleet of seven vessels Most famous victory Bohomme Richard v. Serapis– Sept 23, 1779, after almost sinking, the Americans seized the Serapis Continental Navy used fewer than 100 ships during the war and Great Britain lost almost 200 ships to the small but effective American naval forces The War at Sea • “I have not yet begun to fight”

28. George Rogers Clark goal – to build an army to fight the British Travelled across the frontier in search of volunteers Military Goal capture British trading posts along the Mississippi River Successful at Kaskaskia and Vincennes, Indiana His victories led to an American stronghold of the West The War in the West George Rogers Clark

30. Phase III:The Southern Strategy [1780-1781] • After losing Saratoga and the Mississippi, the British focused more on their efforts on the southern colonies • The British were successful at capturing Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina • Guerrilla warfare – swift, hit and run attacks – Francis Marion

31. Britain’s “Southern Strategy” • Britain thought that there were more Loyalists in the South. • Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving. • The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!] • Good US General: Nathanial Greene and Francis Marion • “As for this old fox, the devil himself could not catch him” became the Swamp Fox Nathanial Greene • Francis Marion

32. 1781- Patriots hurting Low on money and supplies Benedict Arnold – one of America’s most gifted officers, turned traitor WHY! WHAT MADE HIM TURN!!! Britain Controls the South General Charles Cornwallis wanted to tighten his position in the south so he set up station at Yorktown Low Morale • Traitor!!! • Charles Cornwallis

33. The Battle of Yorktown (1781) • Count de Rochambeau from the north • Located on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia • Cornwallis planned to attack forces under Marquis de Lafayette • General Washington saw an opportunity to trap Cornwallis • AdmiralFrancisco De Grasse from the West Indies

35. Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown: “The World Turned Upside Down!” • A patriot army of 16,000, more than twice the size of British, trapped Cornwallis • The Patriots wore down the British • General Cornwallis on October 20, 1781, surrendered to Washington • British Prime Minister received the news and declared “It’s all Over!” • Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

36. North America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783 • American representatives: • Ben Franklin • John Adams • John Jay • Terms • Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation • The Mississippi River was the official boundary of the United States Ben Franklin John Jay John Adams

37. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, officially ended the Revolutionary War. This painting by Benjamin West depicts American delegates John Jay, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Henry Laurens and William Temple Franklin. The painting is unfinished because the British delegation refused to pose.

38. North America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783

39. “The citizens of America are acknowledged to be possessed of absolute freedom and independency.” It is time to form a new government and a new nation Washington proclaims Freedom