Chapter 6 Independence 1770-1783

1. Chapter 6Independence 1770-1783 BJU

2. I. The Eve of War • John Adams said the Revolution began in the minds & hearts of the American people • Why did they fight? So they could govern themselves • Gaspee – an American attack on a British ship that ran aground in RI – British crew was captured & removed & the ship was burned – British set up a court of inquiry which threatened the rights of colonial courts

3. I. The Eve of War • Governor Hutchinson of MA – announced he would be paid by the British now and the legislature would lose the power of the purse (lose control over governor) • Committees of Correspondence - provided information to the colonies about the British threats to their liberty – also was step toward political unity - led by Samuel Adams

4. A. The Boston Tea Party • Tea Act of 1773 - granted East Indian Company a monopoly on sale of tea to America with only a few cents of tax on it – colonists said parliament did not have the right to set up a monopoly in the colonies • Boston Tea Party – Patriots were determined the tea would not be unloaded and Gov. Hutchinson determined it would be unloaded – On Dec 16, 1773 -150 men dressed up as Indians and went on board the Dartmouth and threw over 342 cases of tea • The King decides to force the colonists to submit

5. B. The Intolerable Acts • Parliament passed a series of 4 acts to punish Boston – called the Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts by the colonists • Boston Port Act – closed Boston Harbor until they paid for the destroyed tea • MA Government Act – annulled colonial charter • Impartial Administration of Justice Act – British officials would not be tried in MA but in England or another colony • New Quartering Act – required the quartering of British soldiers in private homes

6. B. The Intolerable Acts • General Gage replaced Governor Hutchinson – Gage occupied Boston & attacked Concord. • Quebec Act – set up a rigid political system in French Quebec, made Catholicism the official religion, & extended their boundaries to Ohio River – colonists feared would establish the Anglican church as the official church in the colonies taking away religious freedom • Effect of the Intolerable Act was to harden opposition and create solidarity

7. C. First Continental Congress • VA’s House of Burgesses called for a Continental Congress • In 1774 met at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia – 12 of 13 colonies • Patrick Henry said “I am not a Virginia but an American” - his speeches supported the war such as his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech

8. C. First Continental Congress • Passed the Declaration of American Rights – said the colonies must be self governing but would remain loyal to the king- major accomplishment • Agreed to meet again in May of 1775 – never realizing where they would be then

9. D. The Shot Heard Round the World • Colonies prepared by establishing state assemblies & state militias • General Gage set out to capture a large stock of Patriot munitions w/ 700 men marching to Concord (April 1775) • Paul Revere & William Dawes warned the patriots

10. D. The Shot Heard Round the World • At Lexington both sides were warned not to shoot but some unknown man fired and everyone followed him • British continued on to Concord & burned the munitions where the patriots attacked them – harassed them back to Boston • Lexington & Concord was the beginning of the Revolutionary War

11. II. Declaring Independence A. Divided loyalties • Patriots – fought for the cause of liberty • Loyalists or Tories – supported the crown • Often fought each other and the war resembled a Civil War instead • Some British were sympathetic to Patriots so had to hire Hessians (German mercenaries)

12. B. Second Continental Congress • Met in Philadelphia in May 1775 & war had started 3 weeks earlier, British penned down in Boston, Fort Ticonderoga fell to patriot forces commanded by Ethan Allen (commander of Green Mtn boys) • Original purpose was to debate & deliver cooperative resolutions not make laws & supply armies

13. What did the Continental Congress do? • Appointed George Washington to be in charge of the Continental army • Because he was a southerner • Because he was a hero • Because he had a commanding presence who could lead and inspire his men • Make laws & supply armies

14. Bunker Hill - Thomas Gage ordered an attack on entrenched patriots – 3 assaults until the patriots ran out of ammo – costly win for the British outside Boston (1,000 casualties) • Boston - Washington ordered Henry Knox to get the British canon from Fort Ticonderoga to use to take Boston – the British had to evacuate

15. C. Common Sense • Delegates of CC drew up the Olive Branch Petition which pledged loyalty to the king and asked him to help them. (king ignored) • Passed the Declaration of the Causes for Taking up Arms – said the British had left them with only 2 options - fight or submit – they only wanted to have their rights recognized (King declared them open enemies) • Common Sense – written by Thomas Paine – popular pamphlet that said it was only common sense to separate from England

16. D. Free & Independent States • Colonies one by one changed their constitutions to a republican form of government • Richard Henry Lee called for complete independence from Britain in the CC • A committee was asked to draw up the Declaration of Independence (Franklin, Adams, Jefferson) – primarily written by Thomas Jefferson – passed on July 4, 1776 • Listed grievances against the king • States universal principles • Signed by 56 delegates – an act of treason

17. III. Early Campaigns • Washington tried to defend New York but it was nearly impossible - he felt he needed to try because giving up would damage public support for the war • William Howe & the Battle for New York • British General who landed his forces on Stanton Island, Long Island, and Manhattan Island – showed his men’s experience and Washington’s inexperience • Battle of Long Island – Washington miraculously retreated across the East River saving his army to fight another day

18. Trenton – Why important? • Continental Army won a small victory in a winter raid on the Hessians • Dramatic effect on Patriot moral • Men were encouraged to re-enlist • Princeton – Why important? • Continental army won a small victory • raised the moral of the army

19. John Burgoyne – British general who brings his army down to Saratoga and loses because Howe doesn’t meet him with his army • Daniel Morgan - American leader who was vital in winning the Battles of Saratoga & Cowpens • Saratoga • Turning point of the war • 6,000 British (1/3 of army) was captured or killed • France impressed by the victory recognized the US and joined the war with us against the British

20. Valley Forge – darkest period of the war for the Continental army– poorly supplied • Baron von Steuben was the drill master for the Continental army • Battle of Monmouth – was a draw between the British & the Patriots but it showed how good Steuben‘s training was • George Rogers Clark – patriot leader in the Northwest who captured Vincennes & whose actions allowed the US to claim the frontier at the Treaty of Paris

21. IV. War in the South • After Saratoga, British moved the war South to • awaken loyalist sentiment (they had a lot of loyal support there), • soften opposition, • sever the South from the rest of the country

22. A. British Advance • British went after Charleston & it was the worst American defeat of the war • British General Charles Cornwallis fought against General Horatio Gates at Camden & the Patriots (Gates) had a great defeat • Frances Marion – led a small band of SC & kept the war alive thru guerrilla raids– “swamp fox” • Cornwallis sent Ferguson to threaten the over the MTN men and they won a great battle against Ferguson at Kings Mountain

23. B. Greene Turns the Tide • Congress sent Nathanael Greene (fighting Quaker) to replace Horatio Gates • Battle of Cowpens – major Patriot win & a first major step to British defeat – the most nearly perfect victory of the war • Battle of Guilford Court House – a fierce battle which resulted in an empty British victory

24. C. Victory at Yorktown • Cornwallis sets up headquarters in Yorktown (7200 men) • Lafayette (French aristocrat & friend of GW) watches & informs Washington & their forces cut Cornwallis off • French fleet (De Grasse) comes north to blockade Cornwallis from the sea – an unexpected event that turns Cornwallis’ secure position into a hopeless trap • Cornwallis is surrounded so he surrenders • “The World Turned upside down”

25. Treaty of Paris 1783 • signed two years after Yorktown • Said the colonies were independent • US got all the land east of the Mississippi River except Florida • Now began the great task of building a nation