The Duel for North America

Giovanni Verrazano

• 1524• Mapped NC to

Newfoundland• First European to see

the New York Harbor• Italian working for the

French crown

Jacques Cartier

• Jacques Cartier was a navigator who made three voyages for France to the North American continent between 1534 and 1542. He explored the St. Lawrence River and gave Canada its name.

Samuel de Champlain

• He made several expeditions to North America before founding Quebec in 1608 (capital of New France), eventually heavily fortified.

• He discovered Lake Champlain in 1609 .

• Father of New France

Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet

•http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/chicago/peopleevents/p_mandj.html•1673 -In two canoes paddled by five , Marquette and Joliet crossed Wisconsin in the summer of 1673 and followed the Mississippi hundreds of miles south to Arkansas — far enough to confirm that it drained into the Gulf of Mexico but not so far that they would be captured by the Spanish. •Marquette and Joliet did not discover the Mississippi. Indians had been using it for thousands of years, and Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto had crossed it more than a century before them. They did confirm, however, that it was possible to travel easily from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico by water, that the native peoples who lived along the route were generally friendly, and that the natural resources of the lands in between were extraordinary. •Equipped with this information, French officials led by LaSalle would erect a 4,000-mile network of trading posts to systematically exploit those riches over the next century and a half.

Robert de Salle• Explored the Great

Lakes• 1682, followed the

Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf and named Louisiana, by 1718 home to large plantations. – Followed by Mobile, New

Orleans, Ft. St. Louis (Victoria, TX)

– http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/stlouis/index.html

• 1687 -La Salle is killed in a mutiny when he attempts a desperate march from his outpost on the Texas coast to French settlements on the upper Mississippi for assistance. Those who remain behind at Fort St. Louis have all perished by the time Spanish forces, patrolling the region against a rumored French incursion, discover their settlement in 1689.

French/Native Relationships

• Mainly male fur trappers came over, known as “Coureurs de bois” or “runners of the woods.”

• Many lived among the natives and intermarried.

• Missionaries converted thousands, tolerating many native customs. – The English could offer better goods to trade

but were not as tolerant.

• The Iroquois Confederacy (Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Oneida) had defeated the Hurons in the 1640s (trading partners with the French).– This pushed the French further into the interior to find

trading partners.

• The Iroquois were trading partners with the English and Dutch along the east coast, but often traded with the French in the

interior. • Conflicts begin in the Ohio Valley (French claimed) when

Indians begin to move further west due to English expansion.• The English colonists begin in moving west as well, which

creates a battleground.• Anytime there are conflicts in Europe there will be conflicts in

the colonies.

King William’s War 1689-97

• King William was an enemy of Louis XIV’s, and long opposed France’s expansion in the New World.

• Pitted French Canadians and their Indian allies against New England colonists and their Indian allies in a few battles.

• Did not result in significant transfers of North American land between European powers.

Queen Anne’s War 1702-13 (War of Spanish Succession)

• Continued fighting with France and their new ally Spain (settlements in the south and west).

• Arose initially out of French and Indian raids on British settlements along the New York and New England borders with Canada.

• The war was ended by the Treaty of Utrecht and resulted in Acadia (renamed Nova Scotia), Newfoundland, and the Hudson Bay territory being ceded to the British.

• 1733 Georgia is founded as a buffer colony to buffer the colonists from the Spanish as trading rights are disputed

• King George’s War 1744-1748 New England colonists capture Louisbourg ($6 million) on Cape Breton Island (guarded the Gulf of St. Lawrence), but in the peace treaty give it back.– After this war the English make stronger

trading ties with the Iroquois and the French start fortifying the Ohio River Valley in reaction to English/Iroqouis relationship. The English begin to fortify as well.

The French & Indian War

7 Years War

44

• http://storiesofusa.com/french-and-indian-war-1754-1763/

French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War1754-17631754-1763

• Gov. Dinwiddie of VA sends out 21 year old George Gov. Dinwiddie of VA sends out 21 year old George Washington to the Ohio River Valley claim the area and set up Washington to the Ohio River Valley claim the area and set up Ft. Necessity. Ft. Necessity.

• The Ohio territory was seen as valuable because it helped The Ohio territory was seen as valuable because it helped connect their Canadian territory to the Mississippi River and connect their Canadian territory to the Mississippi River and Louisiana.Louisiana.

• The French were building Ft. Duquesne nearby.The French were building Ft. Duquesne nearby.• The French attack Ft. Necessity, after killing 1/3 of the The French attack Ft. Necessity, after killing 1/3 of the

colonists Washington surrenders.colonists Washington surrenders.

• http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/cultural_diversity/Fort_Necessity_National_Battlefield.html

The Albany ConferenceThe Albany Conference

• Representatives met daily in Albany, NY Representatives met daily in Albany, NY from June 19 to July 11 to discuss better from June 19 to July 11 to discuss better relations with the Indian tribes and relations with the Indian tribes and common defensive measures against the common defensive measures against the natives. The Congress is notable for natives. The Congress is notable for producing Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan of producing Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union, which was rejected.Union, which was rejected.

Braddock’s BlunderingBraddock’s Blundering• Early the next year, 1755, Major General Edward Early the next year, 1755, Major General Edward

Braddock was sent to America. He quickly set in Braddock was sent to America. He quickly set in motion plans to capture Fort Duquesne, leading his motion plans to capture Fort Duquesne, leading his troops west from Virginia in June. troops west from Virginia in June.

• Meeting the French 10 miles east of Fort Duquesne, Meeting the French 10 miles east of Fort Duquesne, the British were defeated with heavy losses, including the British were defeated with heavy losses, including Braddock .Once again the French had maintained Braddock .Once again the French had maintained their grip on the Ohio Valley.their grip on the Ohio Valley.

• At this point At this point mostmost natives were allied with the French natives were allied with the French and the Iroquois were doubting their alliance with the and the Iroquois were doubting their alliance with the British.British.

• The colonists were pretty much defending themselves The colonists were pretty much defending themselves against native attacks.against native attacks.

Edward BraddockEdward Braddock

• 1756 war is officially recognized in Europe.1756 war is officially recognized in Europe.• ““Organizer of Victory”, Organizer of Victory”, William Pitt William Pitt takes takes

over in 1757.over in 1757.– Appointed military commandersAppointed military commanders– Impressed colonists (forced military service) Impressed colonists (forced military service)

which caused rioting in NYC.which caused rioting in NYC.– Seized equipment and supplies from colonistsSeized equipment and supplies from colonists– Forced the colonists to provide shelter for troopsForced the colonists to provide shelter for troops

• Eventually he relaxed and more colonists were willing Eventually he relaxed and more colonists were willing to help.to help.

– French supply line to North America is cut off.French supply line to North America is cut off.

• By 1758 the Brits were no longer outnumbered By 1758 the Brits were no longer outnumbered and were doing the bulk of the fighting.and were doing the bulk of the fighting.

• Amherst and Wolfe capture Louisbourg (1758)Amherst and Wolfe capture Louisbourg (1758)• 1758 Ft. Duquesne fell (rebuilt and renamed 1758 Ft. Duquesne fell (rebuilt and renamed

PittsburgPittsburg by the English) by the English)• Battle of Quebec (1759) – turning point. British Battle of Quebec (1759) – turning point. British

win. Both sides lost their commanding officers.win. Both sides lost their commanding officers.• Battle of Montreal (1760) – last time French flags Battle of Montreal (1760) – last time French flags

would fly on American soil, France surrenders.would fly on American soil, France surrenders.

Other tactics…• Population dispersal – Several thousand

French were uprooted in Nova Scotia (previously Acadia), many made their way to New Orleans (Cajuns).

• “Scalp Bounties” for natives that brought back the scalps of natives allied with the French. (100s of English families perished in raids)

Paris Peace Treaty 1763Paris Peace Treaty 1763

• Britain gets all of CanadaBritain gets all of Canada– French keep a few sugar islands in the French keep a few sugar islands in the

CaribbeanCaribbean• French turn over Louisiana to the Spanish in French turn over Louisiana to the Spanish in

compensation for their loss of FL (who had given it compensation for their loss of FL (who had given it to the Brits to get back Cuba and the Philippines.) to the Brits to get back Cuba and the Philippines.) – Louisiana under Spanish rule until 1800, then 1803 Louisiana

Purchase by the U.S.

– Florida remained under British rule until the end of the American Revolution, it was retroceded to Spain. The US then purchased FL in 1819.

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 1754-1763 summarized

FOR OVER 100 YEARS THE FRENCH AND BRITISH HAD STRUGGLED FOR CONTROL OF NORTH AMERICA WHICH HAD RESULTED IN THREE EARLIER WARS

BOTH FRANCE AND ENGLAND WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR TERRITORY WEST OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY

THE TWO SIDES FACED HARDSHIPS SUCH AS DISEASE, WEATHER, AND LOGISTICS OF TRANSPORTING SUPPLIES TO THE BATTLEGROUNDS

NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE AREA PLAYED THE COLONIAL POWERS OFF OF EACH OTHER AND TOOK SIDES WHEN THEY FELT IT WOULD BENEFIT THEIR GOAL OF HALTING FURTHER ENCROACHMENT ON THEIR LAND

FRANCE TOOK THE EARLY LEAD, HOWEVER THE BRITISH EVENTUALLY DEFEATED THE FRENCH IN A WAR THAT WAS FOUGHT IN THE OHIO VALLEY, MONTREAL, INDIA, THE PHILIPPINES, AND THE WEST INDIES

FRENCH POWDER

HORN WITH

RIVERS ENGRAVED

ON IT

Effects of the warEffects of the war

• Expansion of British territoryExpansion of British territory

• English government angry with colonist English government angry with colonist support (many were still trading with the support (many were still trading with the enemy)enemy)

• Colonists learned how to unite Colonists learned how to unite

• Colonist see the British as snobby from Colonist see the British as snobby from their wartime experiencetheir wartime experience

• Crown attempts to stop expansion westCrown attempts to stop expansion west

Pontiac’s RebellionPontiac’s Rebellion

• Ottawa Chief, last effort to regain the Ohio Ottawa Chief, last effort to regain the Ohio Valley united several tribes and began Valley united several tribes and began attacking British towns (killed or kidnapped attacking British towns (killed or kidnapped 600)600)

• Blankets infested with small pox was Blankets infested with small pox was distributed among the Indians.distributed among the Indians.

• Whites began stationing troops along the Whites began stationing troops along the frontier.frontier.

• http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=539

Proclamation of 1763Proclamation of 1763

• Issued by parliament prohibiting any Issued by parliament prohibiting any settlement beyond the Appalachians.settlement beyond the Appalachians.– Colonists see this as oppression and a way Colonists see this as oppression and a way

for the crown to control them.for the crown to control them.– 1765 estimated 1,000 wagons rolled west 1765 estimated 1,000 wagons rolled west

anyways.anyways.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR FUELED THE DESIRE FOR INDEPENDENCE

COLONISTS UNIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME BEHIND THE BRITISH TO DEFEAT THE FRENCH. THIS LED TO A SENSE OF PRIDE AND UNITY NOT EXPERIENCED PRIOR TO THE CONFLICT.

THE COLONISTS DID NOT FEEL THE SAME NEED TO REMAIN TIED TO THE BRITISH AFTER THE WAR AS THE “FRENCH THREAT” WAS REMOVED.

THE BRITISH IMPOSED MANY TAXES ON THE COLONISTS TO PAY FOR THE WAR EFFORT WITHOUT ANY COLONIAL INPUT OR REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT.

THE BRITISH RESTRICTED FURTHER WESTERN SETTLEMENT WITH THE PROCLAMATION LINE OF 1763. THE COLONISTS FELT ENTITLED TO THE LANDS GAINED DURING THE WAR THEY HAD HELPED WIN.

GREAT BRITAIN PASSED MANY RESTRICTIVE LAWS (PM – Grenville)THAT SPARKED

PROTEST ON THE PART OF THE COLONISTS

SUGAR ACT OF 1764 WHICH ACTUALLY LOWERED THE TAX ON SUGAR BUT TIGHTENED ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW AND CRACKED DOWN ON SMUGGLING, also taxed coffee, wine, indigo. Forbids importation of French rum and wines. Court was set up in Nova Scotia to prosecute smugglers. Britain had “writs of assistance” or search warrants that allowed ships to be inspected.

Merchants had long smuggled sugar after the Molasses Act of 1733

CURRENCY ACT 1764 – FORBID COLONISTS FROM MAKING THEIR OWN MONEY. Boston merchants begin boycott.

STAMP ACT OF 1765 WHICH TAXED ALL PRINTED MATERIALS: legal documents, newspaper, pamphlets, deeds, wills. Impacted all class levels, seen as a way to raise money without consent. Also seen as an internal tax rather than external.

Nonimportation agreement

TAX STAMP USED ON ALL PRINTED MATERIALS

THE BRITISH HAD WAR DEBTS

Patrick Henry• May 1765 introduced a set

of rules that said Americans possessed the same rights as the English: to be taxed only by their own representatives, Virginians should only pay taxes voted on by the VA Assembly. – The House defeated most of

what Henry said, but were printed and circulated as the “Virginia Resolves.”

http://www.history.org/almanack/people/bios/biohen.cfm#speech

James Otis

• http://www.nndb.com/people/353/000049206/

• Lawyer from Massachusetts that began speaking out against the crown in 1761 (writs), protested the Sugar Act, and was present for the Stamp Act Congress (1765) which his circular had called for.

Stamp Act Congress

• 9 colonies sent delegates to NY and issue the Stamp Act Resolves.

• http://www.ushistory.org/us/10a.asp

• http://www.stamp-act-history.com/tea-act/tea-act-contribution/

PROTESTS OVER THE NEW TAXES LED TO THE CREATION OF GROUPS SUCH AS THE SONS OF

LIBERTY WHO WERE WILLING TO USE

VIOLENCE IF NECESSARY TO CONVINCE THE

BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO REPEAL THE LAWS

MADE WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

THE TAX COLLECTOR TARRED, FEATHERED, AND FORCED TO DRINK

STEAMING HOT TEA

http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/sons-of-liberty

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sons.htm

• Thomas Hutchinson, Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, opposed the Stamp Act but as an officer of the crown felt he had to remain loyal. His elegant home was virtually destroyed and he was pretty much forced to move back to England.

• In addition to losing expensive furnishings and an extensive wine collection, Hutchinson lost an extremely valuable library of historical documents dating to the earliest days of Massachusetts settlement.

QUARTERING ACT OF 1765

- Regular troops would now be present in the colonies

–Colonists were required to help provision and maintain the army–Ships would patrol for smugglers–Customs Service reorganized and enlarged

Due to the boycotts Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March of 1766 but soon issued the DECLARATORY ACT, which authorized Parliament to pass any laws without the consent of the colonists. (new PM Rockingham was quickly replaced due to his willingness to appease the colonists)

• New PM Charles Townshend, aka Champagne Charlie immediately passes two measures.– 1. Disbands the NY Assembly for their denial to mandate

supplies to British troops (Army headquarters were there) until they agree to obey. Boston had also refused.

• This infuriated the other colonies! The Massachusetts assembly immediately put together a circular letter to all colonies suggesting they stand up to any tax. London issued their own circular that said any assembly endorsing the Massachusetts letter would be dissolved. Massachusetts reaffirmed their support of the letter 92-17.

– 2. Townshend Duties – new tax on lead, paint, paper, tea… colonists did not accept. He also tried to strengthen the Customs Dept. Townshend dies in 1767 and the new PM, Lord North, repeals all but the tax on the tea. Before news of the repeal reached the colonies….

BOSTON MASSACRE

1770

THE BRITISH SENT TROOPS TO BOSTON IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE ORDER,

HOWEVER A CLASH BETWEEN SOLDIERS AND TOWNSPEOPLE

RESULTED IN 5 COLONISTS’ DEATHS. THE TROOPS WERE

BASICALLY ACQUITTED IN A TRIAL, WHICH

FUELED THE ANGER OF THE COLONISTS.

ENGRAVING OF THE

EVENT BY PAUL REVERE

COMMITTEES OF CORRESPONDENCE (1772) CREATED UNITY WITHIN THE DIVERSE

COLONIES, suggested by Samuel Adams.

THE DAILY LIVES OF THE COLONISTS WERE SO VARIED THAT THERE WAS NOT A UNIFIED RESPONSE TO THE NEW TAXES. MANY WERE VERY LOYAL TO THE BRITISH CROWN AND HAD

NO INCLINATION TO PURSUE SEPARATION.

COMMITTEES OF CORRESPONDENCE, FIRST IN BOSTON AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE COLONIES, BEGAN DISTRIBUTING PAMPHLETS WHICH STATED THE RIGHTS OF COLONISTS.

EVERYONE WAS ANGERED BY THE CLOSING OF HARBORS AS MOST OF THE COLONIES DEPENDED ON TRADING FOR

REVENUE.

THESE COMMITTEES WERE USED TO CALL THE FIRST MEETING MADE UP OF DELEGATES FROM EACH OF THE COLONIES.

THE ENLIGHTENMENT INFLUENCED THE COLONISTS

PHILOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT EUROPE IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES

EMPHASIS ON REASON AS THE MOST IMPORTANT HUMAN ABILITY

JOHN LOCKE ARGUED THAT PEOPLE POSSESSED NATURAL RIGHTS SUCH AS LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY. HE BELIEVED THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT WAS TO PROTECT THOSE RIGHTS.

BARON dE MONTESQUIEU ARGUED AGAINST ABSOLUTE MONARCHY

COLONIAL LEADERS BELIEVED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT VIOLATED THESE IDEALS AND DISCUSSED STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THE OPPRESSION OF KING GEORGE III

LOCKE

MONTESQUIEU

• Americans had come to respect written constitutions as a way to shape the powers of government.

• John Dickinson, Letters of a Pennsylvania Farmer, argued that external taxes were only legal to regulate trade not raise revenue… Led to further support of “No taxation without representation.” Parliament believed in “virtual representation.”

• Americans had a different view of sovereignty compared to the English.

THE GREAT AWAKENING was also influential

RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE COLONIES IN THE EARLY 1700s. IT WAS BASED ON REVIVALISM WHICH STRESSED INDIVIDUAL RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE RATHER THAN NEEDING CHURCH LEADERS TO CONNECT WITH GOD

COLONISTS JUSTIFIED RESISTANCE WITH BIBLICAL PRINCIPALS

CONTRIBUTED TO A SENSE OF EQUALITY SINCE ALL PEOPLE WERE QUALIFIED TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE CHURCH

IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS A MAJOR FACTOR WHICH LED TO THE SENSE OF FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE UNDERLYING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

JONATHON EDWARDS

GEORGE WHITEFIELD

INFLUENTIAL MINISTERS

1772 Gaspee Affair

• Colonist were tired of the rude, dishonest, customs officials….– Rhode Island colonist set

afire the British ship and sank it! http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/gaspee.htm

BOSTON TEA PARTY 1773

http://www.history.com/topics/battles-of-lexington-and-concord/videos#the-sons-of-liberty-and-the-boston-tea-party

THE MOST FAMOUS OF MANY PROTESTS AGAINST THE TEA ACT OF 1773, A TAX DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE BRITISH TEA

MONOPOLY. ABOUT 50 MEMBERS OF THE SONS OF LIBERTY ORGANIZATION DRESSED UP AS MOHAWK INDIANS AND

DUMPED THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF TEA FROM 3 SHIPS INTO THE BOSTON HARBOR.

• TEA ACT 1773 TAX TO PROTECT THE MONOPOLISTIC EAST INDIA TEA COMPANY

• INTOLERABLE/COERCIVE ACTS 1774 WERE DESIGNED TO PUNISH COLONISTS FOR BOSTON TEA PARTY AND MAKE THEM SUBMIT TO THE WILL OF THE BRITISH KING

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

1774

FIFTY SIX MEN FROM TWELVE COLONIES (GEORGIA DECLINED BECAUSE THEY RELIED ON THE

BRITISH TO PROTECT THEM AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS)

MET TO DISCUSS THE INTOLERABLE ACTS PASSED BY PARLIAMENT TO PUNISH THE COLONISTS FOR THE BOSTON TEA PARTY. THEY DRAFTED

THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND GRIEVANCES TO BE SENT

TO KING GEORGE.

THE GROUP WAS DIVIDED BETWEEN THOSE WHO

WANTED TO RECONCILE WITH GREAT BRITAIN AND THOSE

WHO WANTED TO SEPARATE.

Peyton Randolph elected president of the CC, John Hancock Second CC

BRITISH TROOPS WERE SENT TO ARREST SAMUEL ADAMS AND JOHN HANCOCK IN

LEXINGTON. COLONISTS WERE WAITING WITH WEAPONS AND FIGHTING BROKE OUT, WHICH

STARTED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN LEXINGTON AND CONCORD IN APRIL OF 1775.

JOHN HANCOCK

SAMUEL ADAMS

IN LEXINGTON 8 COLONISTS WERE KILLED. IN CONCORD 73 REDCOATS WERE KILLED AND 93 COLONISTS WERE KILLED. On the way back to

Boston the numbers rose to 250 colonists dead and 90 redcoats dead.

• On April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren learned from a source inside the British high command that Redcoat troops would march that night on Concord. Warren dispatched two couriers, silversmith Paul Revere and tanner William Dawes, to alert residents of the news. They first traveled by different routes to Lexington, a few miles east of Concord, where revolutionary leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock had temporarily holed up. Having persuaded those two to flee, a weary Revere and Dawes then set out again. On the road, they met a third rider, Samuel Prescott, who alone made it all the way to Concord. Revere was captured by a British patrol, while Dawes was thrown from his horse and forced to proceed back to Lexington on foot.

• http://www.history.com/topics/battles-of-lexington-and-concord• http://www.history.com/topics/battles-of-lexington-and-concord/

videos#first-revolutionary-battle-at-lexington--concord

• At dawn on April 19, some 700 British troops arrived in Lexington and came upon 77 militiamen gathered on the town green. A British major yelled, “Throw down your arms! Ye villains, ye rebels.” The heavily outnumbered militiamen had just been ordered by their commander to disperse when a shot rang out. To this day, no one knows which side fired first. Several British volleys were subsequently unleashed before order could be restored. When the smoke cleared, eight militiamen lay dead and nine were wounded, while only one Redcoat was injured.

• The British then continued into Concord to search for arms, not realizing that the vast majority had already been relocated. They decided to burn what little they found, and the fire got slightly out of control. Hundreds of militiamen occupying the high ground outside of Concord incorrectly thought the whole town would be torched. The militiamen hustled to Concord’s North Bridge, which was being defended by a contingent of British soldiers. The British fired first but fell back when the colonists returned the volley. This was the “shot heard ‘round the world” later immortalized by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson

• After searching Concord for about four hours, the British prepared to return to Boston, located 18 miles away. By that time, almost 2,000 militiamen—known as minutemen for their ability to be ready on a moment’s notice—had descended to the area, and more were constantly arriving. At first, the militiamen simply followed the British column. Fighting started again soon after, however, with the militiamen firing at the British from behind trees, stone walls, houses and sheds. Before long, British troops were abandoning weapons, clothing and equipment in order to retreat faster.  

When the British column reached Lexington, it ran into an entire brigade of fresh Redcoats that had answered a call for reinforcements. But that did not stop the colonists from resuming their attack all the way through Menotomy (now Arlington) and Cambridge. The British, for their part, tried to keep the colonists at bay with flanking parties and canon fire. In the evening a contingent of newly arrived minutemen from Salem and Marblehead, Massachusetts, had a chance to cut off the Redcoats and perhaps finish them off. Instead, their commander ordered them not to attack, and the British were able to reach the safety of Charlestown Neck, where they had naval support.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revereby Henry Longfellow

• Listen my children and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere,On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;Hardly a man is now aliveWho remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, "If the British marchBy land or sea from the town to-night,Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry archOf the North Church tower as a signal light,--One if by land, and two if by sea;And I on the opposite shore will be,Ready to ride and spread the alarmThrough every Middlesex village and farm,For the country folk to be up and to arm."

• Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oarSilently rowed to the Charlestown shore,Just as the moon rose over the bay,Where swinging wide at her moorings layThe Somerset, British man-of-war;A phantom ship, with each mast and sparAcross the moon like a prison bar,And a huge black hulk, that was magnifiedBy its own reflection in the tide. Meanwhile, his friend through alley and streetWanders and watches, with eager ears,Till in the silence around him he hearsThe muster of men at the barrack door,The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,

• And the measured tread of the grenadiers,Marching down to their boats on the shore. Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,To the belfry chamber overhead,And startled the pigeons from their perchOn the sombre rafters, that round him madeMasses and moving shapes of shade,--By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,To the highest window in the wall,Where he paused to listen and look downA moment on the roofs of the townAnd the moonlight flowing over all. Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,In their night encampment on the hill,Wrapped in silence so deep and stillThat he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,The watchful night-wind, as it wentCreeping along from tent to tent,And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"

• A moment only he feels the spellOf the place and the hour, and the secret dreadOf the lonely belfry and the dead;For suddenly all his thoughts are bentOn a shadowy something far away,Where the river widens to meet the bay,--A line of black that bends and floatsOn the rising tide like a bridge of boats. Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,Booted and spurred, with a heavy strideOn the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.Now he patted his horse's side,

• Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,And turned and tightened his saddle girth;But mostly he watched with eager searchThe belfry tower of the Old North Church,As it rose above the graves on the hill,Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's heightA glimmer, and then a gleam of light!He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,But lingers and gazes, till full on his sightA second lamp in the belfry burns. A hurry of hoofs in a village street,And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

• A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a sparkStruck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,The fate of a nation was riding that night;And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,Kindled the land into flame with its heat.He has left the village and mounted the steep,And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;And under the alders that skirt its edge,

• Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides. It was twelve by the village clockWhen he crossed the bridge into Medford town.He heard the crowing of the cock,And the barking of the farmer's dog,And felt the damp of the river fog,That rises after the sun goes down. It was one by the village clock,When he galloped into Lexington.He saw the gilded weathercockSwim in the moonlight as he passed,And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,Gaze at him with a spectral glare,As if they already stood aghastAt the bloody work they would look upon. It was two by the village clock,The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,

• When he came to the bridge in Concord town.He heard the bleating of the flock,And the twitter of birds among the trees,And felt the breath of the morning breezeBlowing over the meadow brown.And one was safe and asleep in his bedWho at the bridge would be first to fall,Who that day would be lying dead,Pierced by a British musket ball. You know the rest. In the books you have readHow the British Regulars fired and fled,---How the farmers gave them ball for ball,

• From behind each fence and farmyard wall,Chasing the redcoats down the lane,Then crossing the fields to emerge againUnder the trees at the turn of the road,And only pausing to fire and load. So through the night rode Paul Revere;And so through the night went his cry of alarmTo every Middlesex village and farm,---A cry of defiance, and not of fear,A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,And a word that shall echo for evermore!For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,Through all our history, to the last,In the hour of darkness and peril and need,The people will waken and listen to hear

IN RESPONSE TO THE BLOODSHED THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS WAS CALLED IN PHILADELPHIA IN MAY 1775. THEY SENT THE OLIVE

BRANCH PETITION TO THE KING THAT BLAMED PARLIAMENT FOR THE PROBLEMS IN THE COLONIES AND ASKED HIM FOR RESOLUTION. THE

CONGRESS RAISED AN ARMY OF 20,000 MEN AND ELECTED GEORGE WASHINGTON AS THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE MILITARY. LATER

THEY SENT DELEGATES TO NEGOTIATE WITH NATIVE AMERICANS, SET UP A POST OFFICE, SOUGHT FOREIGN AID, SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF

INDEPENDENCE, SERVED AS THE GOVERNMENT DURING THE WAR AND ULTIMATELY WROTE THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION.

BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL JUNE

1775

THE KING REJECTED THE PETITION AND SENT MORE TROOPS

http://www.charlestownonline.net/bunkerhillbattle.htm

• After retreating from Lexington in April, 1775, the British Army occupied Boston for several months. Realizing the need to strengthen their position in the face of increasing anti-British sentiment in and around Boston, plans were developed to seize and fortify nearby Dorchester Heights and Charlestown peninsulas. The peninsulas offered a commanding view of the seaport and harbor, and were important to preserving the security of Boston. The Americans caught word of the British plan, and decided to get to the Charlestown peninsula first, fortify it, and present sufficient threat to cause the British to leave Boston. On 16 June, 1775, under the leadership of Colonels Putnam, and Prescott, the Patriots stole out onto the Charlestown Peninsula with instructions to establish defensive positions on Bunker's Hill. For reasons that are unclear, they took nearby Breed's Hill. The next morning, the British were astonished to see the rebel fortifications upon the hill and set out to reclaim the peninsula.

• General Howe served as the commander of the British main assault force and led two costly and ineffective charges against the Patriot's fortifications without inflicting significant casualties on his opponents. After obtaining 400 reinforcements which included sorely needed ammunition for his artillery, Howe ordered a bayonet charge to seize Breed's Hill. In this third attempt, the British were finally able to breach the breastworks of the American redoubt and the Patriots were forced to retreat back to the mainland.

• This battle, though victorious, proved costly for the British. Of the 2400 British soldiers in Howe's command, the 1054 casualties accounted for nearly forty percent of their ranks. The American casualties were 441, including 30 captured, with most being inflicted during the retreat. The battle served to proved to the American people that the British Army was not invincible. It became a symbol of national pride and a rally point of resistance against British rule.

• In London, the news of Bunker Hill convinced the king that the situation in the Colonies had escalated into an organized uprising and must be treated as a foreign war. Accordingly, he issued a Proclamation of Rebellion.

Decision for Independence• The Lexington & Concord skirmish

was the 1st of a series of conflicts before the American call for independence from 1775 to 1776:–Fighting erupted around Boston,

NY, Charlestown, & Quebec –The 2nd Continental Congress

met to organize a war plan –King George declared the

colonists in “open rebellion”

The Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) demonstrated that Americans were willing to stand up to a pitched battle In early 1776, both Spain & France began shipping war supplies to colonists

Despite growing calls for independence, the congress issued the Olive Branch Petition to King George in July 1775

King George rejected the Olive Branch Petition in August 1775

Decision for Independence• By 1776, the 2nd Continental

Congress served as an informal national gov’t for the colonies

• But the majority of colonists were undecided about independence

• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense proved to be the key factor in convincing Americans to support colonial independence

Challenged “royal infallibility”Persuaded ordinary people to sever ties with England & its “royal brute”

THOMAS PAINE AND COMMON SENSE

WIDELY READ

PAMPHLET PUBLISHED IN JANUARY

OF 1776 THAT

OUTLINED THE

REASONS TO SEPARATE

FROM GREAT BRITAIN

• I call not upon a few, but on all; not in this state or that state, but every state. Up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel…Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter..the city and country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and repulse it.

–Thomas Paine, Common Sense

http://www.history.com/topics/battles-of-lexington-

and-concord/videos#declaration-of-

independencehttp://www.history.com/topics/

battles-of-lexington-and-concord/videos#jefferson-writes-

declaration-of-independence

Events leading up to Independence• Jan 1776 Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”

becomes a best seller

• March 1776 British are forced out of Boston

• April 1776 CC declares ports open to trade with everyone except Britain (privateering to raid British ships and loyalists’ ships)

• May 1776 French support $$$$

• June-July 1776 Massive British War Fleet arrives in NY Harbor

THE CONGRESS MET AGAIN IN JUNE 1776 & RICHARD HENRY

LEE SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS FOR

INDEPENDENCE. COMMISSIONED

THOMAS JEFFERSON TO HEAD A

COMMITTEE TO DRAFT A

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. THE

DOCUMENT HAD THREE PARTS: THE

PURPOSE OF A GOVERNMENT, 27

REASONS FOR SEPARATION, AND

THE OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

Decision for Independence• On July 2, 1776, the Continental

Congress voted for independence • On July 4, the Declaration of

Independence was issued to:–Justify the Americans’ desire to

separate from England–Articulate the principles on

which the new nation would be established

Democratic ideals (republicanism)

Natural rights & individual liberty

Declaration of Independence (1776)

56 MEN SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OVER SEVERAL MONTHS, WITH

THE ADOPTION ON JULY 4, 1776

The Decision for Independence

• The colonies divided:–Supporters of independence

were called “PatriotsPatriots” or “WhigsWhigs”–Colonists that opposed

independence were called “LoyalistsLoyalists” or “ToriesTories”

–There were many “neutralneutral” colonists who were conflicted by the prospect of independence

• Patriots were colonists who supported the break from England.

• Loyalists (1/5) are colonials who support England.– Officeholders – Merchants– Those in isolation– Minorities

Change of attitude from the public resulted from…

• Cost of the war

• Decrease in affection for the English when they started recruiting slaves, Natives, and foreign mercenaries.

• Rejection of the Olive Branch Petition

• Propaganda (Thomas Paine)

• The Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —

• That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

• But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

• He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

• He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

• He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

• He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

• He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

• He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

• He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

• He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

• He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

• He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

• He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

• He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

• He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

• For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

• For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

• For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:• For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:• For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial

by Jury:• For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for

pretended offences:

• For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

• For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

• For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

• He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

• He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

• He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

• He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

• He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

• In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

• Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

• We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved;

• and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Things people liked

• Listed grievances

• Talked about men having rights

• It’s our duty to overthrow a government

Patriots vs. Loyalists

• Where are the Loyalists?

• Why does it make sense that the Loyalists would be near cities?

American Strengths• The colonists are

fighting for independence, committed

• Home Rule• George Washington

can inspire his men to fight, brought in help

• France will aid the colonies with weapons, supplies and their navy

American Weaknesses

• The colonists are not a trained army

• Outnumbered • Weak government• Colonists enlist for

months instead of years

• Short on money, weapons and supplies to fight a war

British Strengths

• The British have an experienced professional army

• Outnumber the Continental Army

• The British army is well supplied with equipment and weapons

British Weaknesses

• The British are not fighting for a cause• British officers are careless and poor

leaders (mistakes in the beginning really proved fatal)

• The British have a to cross the Atlantic Ocean to send men and supplies for the war

• The support at home is rather weak

The Strategy of War

• American Colonies– Keep the Colonial

Army together– Washington seeks to

stretch the British army away from supply lines

– Harass the enemy, defeat the British in a major battle

– Get allies to help win!

• Britain– Seeks to destroy the

Colonial Army– Regain control of the

colonies by region– Take the fight to the

Colonial Army using European war tactics

– Use loyalists support against the colonies

The Outbreak of Revolution• The British entered the war

confident of a complete victory:–Their army was 400% larger;

well-trained solders, experienced officers, & Hessian mercenaries

–Strong manufacturing base–The world’s most dominant navy

• Believed the 1776 battles were a “police action” & the show of force would force rebels to submit

The Outbreak of Revolution• In reality, England faced an

impossible task:– Their long supply lines across

the Atlantic would not be able to provide timely provisions

– The American terrain was large– To win, the English had to find & find &

defeatdefeat the Continental Army – Underestimated the colonial

commitment to independence

COLONISTS BRITISH

STRENGTHS STRENGTHSSTRONG MILITARY LEADERS LARGE NUMBER OF TROOPS

FOREIGN AID PROFESSIONAL ARMY

MORAL ADVANTAGE WEALTHY

AGRICULTURALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT

ABILITY TO HIRE MORE TROOPS

LARGE AREA

WEAKNESSES WEAKNESSESDISORGANIZED 3,000 MILES AWAY:

DIFFICULT TO GET SUPPLIES, ORDERS

LACK OF UNITY WEAK GENERALS

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FRANCE WANTED REVENGE

BOTH SIDES HAD STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Building a Professional Army• Washington’s task was to defenddefend

as much territory as possible:–Relied on guerrilla tactics &

avoided all-out-war with Britain –Washington’s Continental Army

served as the symbol of the “republican cause”

–But, colonial militias played a major role in “forcing” neutrals to support the Revolution

As long as England did not defeat the Continental Army, England could not win

The American Revolution, 1775-1781

Where Where was the was the

American American Revolution Revolution

fought?fought?

The Early Years: 1775-1776• After Bunker Hill the British concluded Boston was not

the place to wage war and on March 17, 1776 (Evacuation Day) the British left for Nova Scotia.

• Benedict Arnold led a failed invasion of Canada.

• The initial battles of the revolution went badly for Americans: – British General Howe forced Washington to retreat

at New York putting the Americans on the run– Gen Howe issued a “general pardon” to all

Americans who swore an oath of allegiance to George III; thousands did so

Colonial militias retaliated against those who deserted the patriot cause

The Second Phase: 1776-1778• War fleet in NY (Summer of ‘76) with 32,000

soldiers under William Howe. Howe meets with Congress and offered submission with royal pardon or war.

• British drove Americans out of Manhattan.

• Christmas night 1776 Washington surprises the Hessians camped out along the Delaware River in Trenton, NJ. Scatters them and occupies the town but could not hold Princeton or Trenton.

“I regret that I have but one life to give for my country”

• Nathan Hale was a lieutenant in the Continental Army. In his early twenties, Hale had worked as a schoolteacher before the Revolution. In late September 1776 he volunteered to cross the British lines and travel to Long Island in order to gather intelligence. Unfortunately, his mission was soon discovered and he was captured by the British. Taken to General Howe's headquarters (commander of the British forces) in New York, the young spy was interrogated and executed on September 22.

WASHINGTON CROSSED THE DELAWARE RIVER

• For 1777 British decide to cut the colonies in two. Howe would move north from NYC and another group (John Burgoyne) would march south from Canada.

• Howe abandoned this plan and moved his forces from NY.

• September 11 he preceded north and took Philadelphia without problems (Congress moves to York, PA).

• Burgoyne was left to carry out the northern campaign alone and after two losses withdrew to Saratoga, NY (October 17, 1777) where he was surrounded by the Americans under Horatio Gates. He orders his 5,000 men to surrender.

BATTLE OF SARATOGA

The French Alliance• Since 1775, the French covertly

aided Americans with supplies• But after the “victory” at SaratogaSaratoga:

–France recognized America as a new, independent republic

–France promised to pressure England to agree to American independence after war’s end

–France relinquished all of its claims to territory in America

The turning point of the war!!

Negotiated by none other than Ben Franklin, news hit London December 2nd

The Continental Congress refused the offer

In 1778, England offered to remove all parliamentary legislation & vowed never to impose revenue taxes on the colonists again

The Second Phase: 1776-1778• The British strategy remained to

fight a “major & decisive” battle; but Continental Army was elusive

• Despite British victories & 1,000s of colonial “oaths of allegiance”, Washington kept fighting

–Won small victories that renewed American wartime morale

–“Won” at SaratogaSaratoga in 1777

Howe captured New York

Captured PhiladelphiaWashington’s army almost

starved at Valley Forge

Took Trenton Took Princeton

• After suffering a couple of losses Washington goes into winter camp mode at Valley Forge (just outside Philadelphia). Disease, cold, and hunger plagued the Americans for months. Desertion rates skyrocketed and Washington warned Congress that if it did not send supplies immediately, the army would be forced to "starve, dissolve, or disperse.“

– But the army found its own salvation when Washington ordered generals Nathaniel Greene and Henry Lee to lead foraging expeditions into New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. The men took livestock, cattle, and horses and in exchange they issued "receipts" that were supposed to be honored by the Continental Congress. News of the French alliance, Congress's new promises of extra pay and bonuses after the war, the newfound food rations, and the warmer change of weather with the onset of spring all helped to revive the troops sufficiently for Washington to initiate a rigorous training program for them.

– To make up for their lack of formal military training, the Americans sought out Prussian soldier Baron von Steuben, whose frequent use of expletives would have rivaled the "potty mouth" of World War II General George Patton. Speaking through an interpreter, von Steuben drilled the troops, taught them how to properly handle their weapons, and how to march in formation.

• It is well believed that Howe allowing Washington to retreat, regroup, and then spend an entire winter without any attacks sealed the fate of the war.

The Final Campaign• The British decided to focus on the South, believing there was a large population of

Loyalists there. Southern whites had been wary of the British ever since word had spread of Lord Dunmore's 1775 decree, which granted freedom to any slaves who enlisted with British forces. British land forces paired with naval reinforcements to inflict the worst American defeat of the war, the surrender of Charleston on 12 May 1780. In the wake of the fall of Charleston, a panicky Continental Congress turned to General Horatio Gates, the victor of Saratoga, to take command in the South. Before Gates's troops could reach Charleston, British General Charles Cornwallis hit them with a surprise attack at Camden, South Carolina, routing the American army. Gates had to retreat 160 miles north to Hillsborough, North Carolina. Just when it seemed that Cornwallis had solidified British control over South Carolina, his own subordinates undercut the British cause by savagely hanging all conquered forces from the mountains. The "over-mountain men" allied with other backcountry locals in South Carolina and together they defeated British forces on 7 October 1780 at King's Mountain. Congress appointed the patient and exceptionally intelligent Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island to command the southern theater at the end of 1780. Greene waged a successful war of attrition against the British in which his soldiers inflicted heavy losses on the regulars in skirmishes throughout the first half of 1781. By the fall of that year, Greene had reduced British control in the South to Charleston and Savannah.

The Final Campaign• Spring 1778 Howe resigns and Sir Henry Clinton takes over

for the British and he moves forces back to NY. • Benedict Arnold becomes a traitor and conspires with British

agents to betray the West Point on the Hudson River. John Andre, messenger between Clinton and Arnold, is captured with documents from Arnold to Clinton. Andre is executed and Arnold escapes. His plan is unraveled and he spends the rest of the war in British camps eventually receives a nice sum of $ from the British.

The Final Campaign• In Virginia, British forces under the traitorous General Benedict Arnold—

who had begun the war an American patriot—had been fighting American troops under the command of French Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben.

• Cornwallis combined his forces with Arnold's, forming a British army of about 7,200 men. Cornwallis ordered his troops to dig in at Yorktown, a port in Virginia's tobacco country, believing that he was invulnerable to a siege since the British navy controlled the seas and George Washington's army seemed to be preoccupied with attacking New York.

• .

• But in late September 1781, a French fleet of some 3,000 sailors under Admiral de Grasse sailed up from the West Indies to bolster army forces under the command of Washington and the Rochambeau. The siege that Cornwallis had thought an impossibility was now at hand. Total American and French forces of some 16,000 dwarfed Cornwallis's 7,200-man army. The French and Americans cut off all avenues of British relief for Cornwallis, whose fate became hopeless. Unable to break the siege, Cornwallis asked for peace on 17 October, exactly four years to the day after the American victory at Saratoga.

• Two days later, on 19 October 1781, Cornwallis formally surrendered to the combined French and American force at Yorktown. British forces marched out with their colors cased (i.e. no flags flying), their band playing "The World Turned Upside Down." The war was over and the Americans had achieved the impossible.

THE COLONISTS, WITH THE HELP OF THE FRENCH, FINALLY DEFEATED THE BRITISH AT

THE BATTLE OF YORKTOWN 1781

U.S. AFTER THE 1783 TREATY OF PARIS, WHICH ENDED THE AMERICAN

REVOLUTION

Area given to the new U.S. by

Great Britain in 1783

The Treaty of Paris (1783)• The Treaty of Paris in 1783 was

negotiated with England by Franklin, John Adams, John Jay

• The terms included:– Full American independence – All territory east of Mississippi

River, between Canada & FL– The removal of the British army

from U.S. claims in America– Fishing rights in the Atlantic

John Jay, Ben Franklin, John Adams

IN 1777 THE ARTICLES OF

CONFEDERATION WERE WRITTEN BY

THE SECOND CONTINENTAL

CONGRESS AS THE FIRST

INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT IN

THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA. IT WAS OFFICIALLY

ADOPTED IN 1781.

THE ARTICLES REFLECTED THE FEAR OF A STRONG EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND LACKED THE ABILITY TO

FUNCTION IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT AREAS

NO DIRECTPOWER OVER

CITIZENS

COULD NOTBE CHANGED WITHOUT

CONSENT OF ALL 13 STATES

COULD NOT REGULATE TRADE

COULD NOT ENFORCE LAWS

NO POWER TO TAX

WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES

OF CONFEDERATION

SHAY’S REBELLION

DANIEL SHAY LEFT HIS FARM IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS TO SERVE AS A CAPTAIN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY.

UPON HIS RETURN IN 1787 HE WAS FORCED TO IMMEDIATELY PAY BACK DEBTS. HE AND OTHERS PETITIONED THE

GOVERNMENT FOR AN EXTENSION WHICH WAS DENIED. IN RESPONSE HUNDREDS OF FARMERS, WITH SHAY AS THEIR LEADER, MARCHED TO THE COURTHOUSE TO DISRUPT THE

PROCESS OF SEIZING FARMS FROM PEOPLE UNABLE TO PAY BACK DEBTS. ABOUT 1200 MARCHED TO SPRINGFIELD WHERE THE STATE ARSENAL WAS LOCATED. MILITIA WAS PRIVATELY HIRED AS THE GOVERNMENT WAS UNABLE TO ACT DIRECTLY

UPON CITIZENS. FIGHTING BROKE OUT BETWEEN SHAY’S FOLLOWERS AND THE MILITIA, RESULTING IN THE DEATHS OF

FOUR FARMERS. SHAY WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH ( but pardoned) FOR HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE REBELLION.

THIS EVENT INDICATED THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT WAS POWERLESS TO ACT IN A TIME OF CRISIS. IT LED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION HELD THE NEXT YEAR.

The Loyalist Dilemma• Loyalists believed in liberty too,

but feared that independence would breed anarchy in America

• Loyalists were treated poorly:–The English never fully trusted

the Loyalists–Patriots seized their property;

imprisoned & executed others• More than 100,000 Loyalists left

America when the war ended

• For African Americans, what mattered most was freedom. As the war spread through each region of the country, those in bondage sided with whichever Army promised them their personal liberty.

• The British actively recruited slaves belonging to Patriot masters and thus more blacks fought for the Crown. The estimate of the slave population at the beginning of the Revolution is about 400,000 to 500,000 - or 20% of the population. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 slaves escaped (Nova Scotia, Jamaica, FL), died or were killed during the American Revolution — again, about 20% of the slave population. About 10,000 blacks were recruited and fought for the British side and about 5,000 blacks fought for the American side.

The Ethiopian Regiment• The Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore sought to disrupt the American

cause by promising freedom to any slaves owned by Patriot/rebel masters. Dunmore issued an official proclamation to that effect in November 1775. About 800 runaway slaves joined Dunmore who formed a regiment of soldiers from them known as the Ethiopian Regiment. Dunmore hurried to train the blacks in basic musket shooting; formation marching and even had special uniforms made up with a provocative insignia "Liberty to Slaves" embroidered on their breasts. The Regiment scored an easy victory at Kemp's Landing when unprepared Patriot forces were surprised by Regular British and the Ethiopian Regiment and fled quickly. Being overconfident, Dunmore ordered his soldiers to attack fortified positions at Norfolk. This is called the Battle of Great Bridge and Africans fought

on both sides. The Patriots opened fire on the Ethiopian Regiment who were marching in formation and decimated their ranks. (Well, decimated is a strong word — 37 killed and 49 wounded is one account.) Dunmore was forced to withdraw. Cramped quarters aboard British ships soon took its toll and many of Dunmore's white and black soldiers came down with smallpox. Many former slaves were put ashore with smallpox to fend for themselves. Dunmore sailed off with only 300 of the Ethiopian Regiment. He sailed up to New York where many of the Blacks were discharged. http://www.gbbattlefield.org/history.html

• Black slaves supported whoever seemed likely to deliver freedom:–Northern slaves supported the

colonists who offered freedom for any slave who fought

–Southern slaves typically supported Britain

• Native Americans feared colonial expansion & overwhelmingly supported Britain

The 1st Rhode Island Regiment• By the winter of 1777-78 (Valley Forge), the Continental Army had dwindled from

18,000 to about 8,000 from disease and desertion. The situation was grim. Philadelphia was occupied. The Continental Congress was meeting in cramped quarters in York, Pennsylvania. The Congress approved a Rhode Island proposal to raise an entire regiment of free blacks and Slaves. The Rhode Island legislature, full of men connected to Rhode Island's extensive slave trade, provided for compensation to slave owners of up to 120 English Pounds or $400.00 in Continental currency. The slaves, then, would be purchased by the state and once they passed muster by Colonel Greene would be freed. The regiment, however, was never entirely composed of former slaves or even African-Americans. White men, free blacks, and a few Narragansett Indians were present from the beginning. Over time, the unit resembled most of the Continental forces with a mix of whatever recruits could be found. That the majority of the men in this regiment were African American through most of the war was due to the terms of enlistment for former slaves. Colonel Greene commanded the unit from its formation in 1778 until his death at Points Bridge in 1781. In all, the unit saw five years of service and was a part of the Continental line at the battles of Rhode Island, Point's Bridge and Yorktown.. The regiment was an active part of the American effort, and at Points Bridge; they were particularly noticed for their effectiveness in the field. For many of the men of the First Rhode Island Regiment freedom had not only political meaning, but personal meaning as well.

Virginia and other States recruit free Blacks• To bring the Continental Army up to strength, Congress ordered the states in January

1777 to fill their units "by drafts, from their militia, or in any other way." As Virginia was unable to meet her quota of 10,200 men with volunteers a lottery-based draft law was enacted in May 1777, which greatly increased the number of blacks in the Virginia Line. Free blacks were the first to be called up, as Virginia tightened the enforcement of the draft. Most free blacks had no choice but to join up. But slave owners could afford substitutes and, when faced with a draft notice, many a master presented a slave to the recruiting officer as a substitute. Many a runaway told the nearest recruiter that he was a freeman, anxious to fight. More often than not, he was accepted without too many questions; the army was always short of men. During the winter of 1777-78, dozens of black Virginians served in every one of the state regiments, freezing, starving, and dying at Valley Forge. By February 1778, the survivors were marching with white comrades through the snow, practicing Baron von Steuben’s as yet unfamiliar drill.

• Except for the Carolinas and Georgia, all of the other states accepted blacks into their ranks. They served in un-segregated units. When Washington crossed the Delaware, many of Colonel Glover's Massachusetts Marble-headers were African. The famous painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" shows a black man on the boat with a pole in the icy water. A John Trumbull painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill shows a black soldier, although he painted it seven years after the event in England.

• James Armistead http://www.newkent.net/historyjames.html

• James Forten http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-28C

Women in the War• Margaret Corbin “Molly Pitcher”

– http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/margaret-cochran-corbin/

• Nancy Morgan Hart– http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/

biography/biographies/nancy-morgan-hart/• Deborah Sampson–

http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/deborah-sampson/

Women in the War• Women’s role in the revolution:

–Supported their husbands & sons in enlisting in militias

–Ran business affairs & continued boycotting English goods while men fought (i.e. Abigail Adams)

–Created propaganda (political satires by Mercy Otis Warren)

–Some helped in the battlefield (“Molly Pitcher”)

key points

• Signature page of the Treaty of Paris courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.– Preface. Declares the treaty to be "in the name of the most holy

and undivided Trinity," states the bona fides of the signatories, and declares the intention of both parties to "forget all past misunderstandings and differences" and "secure to both perpetual peace and harmony."

• Acknowledging the 13 colonies to be free, sovereign and independent States, and that the British Crown and all heirs and successors relinquish claims to the Government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof;

• Establishing the boundaries between the United States and British North America, Great Lakes are new border.

• Granting fishing rights to United States fishermen in the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence;

• Recognizing the lawful contracted debts to be paid to creditors on either side;

• The Congress of the Confederation will "earnestly recommend" to state legislatures to recognize the rightful owners of all confiscated lands "provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties, which have been confiscated belonging to real British subjects [Loyalists]";

• United States will prevent future confiscations of the property of Loyalists;

• Prisoners of war on both sides are to be released and all property left by the British army in the United States unmolested (including slaves);

• Great Britain and the United States were each to be given perpetual access to the Mississippi River;

• Territories captured by Americans subsequent to treaty will be returned without compensation;

• Ratification of the treaty was to occur within six months from the signing by the contracting parties.

FRENCH ANDINDIAN WAR

POPULATION EXPLOSION AND EXPERIENCES

OF COLONIAL SELF-RULE

GREAT AWAKENING

RESTRICTIVE LAWS

PASSEDBY BRITISH

ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS

MERCANTILISM

CAUSES OF AMERICAN

INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT