The Revolution. Advantages & disadvantages of Rebels + 15-20% pop= loyalists Worst CA Rebels out#...
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Transcript of The Revolution. Advantages & disadvantages of Rebels + 15-20% pop= loyalists Worst CA Rebels out#...
The Revolution
Advantages & disadvantages of Rebels
• +• 15-20% pop= loyalists• Worst CA• Rebels out# loyalists &
neutrals
• -• Militia got lucky at
Concord, Lexington & • Breed’s Hill• Militia had to re-organized
from above• Farmers – family men 1st
want short term of service • Pay low, no pension• 10k enlisted by Dec 76
Other problems:
• 7k short term militia on loan from provincial govts
• Congress has no power to raise taxes or draft men– Requisitions from states needed 4 both
• GW spends much of his time pleading for supplies
• Army in constant danger of dissolving
War Aims
• Americans• To keep from being
forced to surrender
• British• To conquer rebellion• To punish traitors• To re-establish
control
First campaigns
• Boston still under siege• Expedition sent to capture CA from Brits
– Failed after bad winter siege– No help from Canadians
• SC, Charlestown- Brit made mistakes; failed to take a single fort– Logs, dirt– w/drew after 10 hr duel– Left So. Alone
• Boston siege strengthened on N. side– British w/d to CA March 76: ‘Evacuation of Boston’
Americans declare independence
• Brits supplement army w/ Hessian mercenaries– Brit commanders: Gen. Howe & Adm. Howe
• 32,000 troops• Goal: divide and conquer- cut through colonies
– Middle NY– Mop up pockets of resistance
• Br NY, Long Island (Aug 76)– Big force: 32K troops, 10k sailors
• V. Amers & GW w 23k inexperienced militia• Big Brit attack,
– Amers retreat– Brits offer peace talks, only want surrender
End of first battle:
• Sept: British attack pushes Amers off Manhattan
• Nov: Amers w/d to NJ• Dec: Cross Delaware River PA
– Amers camp
• Brit capture NY & RI in Dec– Winter: Amer forces dwindle- starving,
desertions– Need a victory
Trenton, NJ:
• Caught a garrison asleep/ drunk & take 900 prisoner
• About New Years: attacked Brit at Princeton, quick victory & w/d
How does British strategy falter in 77? Why?
• Howe makes it personal… should have gone to meet Burgoyne coming down from CA – Goal: separated N from S, now: to divide the Hudson
valley– Instead Phillie to get rebel capital w/ large loyalist
population • GW big guerrilla attacks: on the way: Brandywine Creek• 1 week later: German town – same way
– No meeting head on (they are prepared for that)
– Looks like American defeat• But slows attack on Phil so that
– Burgoyne captured at Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
• B. Arnold & Horatio Gates – Same strike & hide strategy
• Result:– Burgoyne & 10,000 regulars surrender
• At Saratoga
Saratoga = turning point
• London sees loss is possible
• Offer:– Renunciation of taxation– Repeal of intolerable acts– Suspension of all acts s. 63
• Not enough
Why it is too late for peace
• All rebel leaders guilty of treason
• If we don’t hang together… (Franklin)
France
• Sees possible American victory– If so- may later move back into interior
• Sends munitions, supplies thru fake trading co– Beaumarchais
– After Saratoga• Agree to alliance• If Amers refuse to negotiate w/ Brits
– In case of war, neither France nor Amers cd make peace w/o consent of other
– France gives up claims to territory on continent
Last phase 1778-81How did English strategy change
• Brit w/d from Phillie to NY– Prep major So. Offensive
• Amers drill in PA, Valley Forge– Baron Von Steuben
• Following Brits to NY– 1 attack: B. Monmouth Courthouse, June 78
• Brit get to NY safely
– France to help regain RI, scattered by storm• Fleet winters in WI; protect possessions
No French support• Amer privateers harass along NE coast
– New Amer navy (4 ships) raids English coast• Towns, ships
• Expect French to return– GW @ White Plains, NY– Fall 79: back to France
• Br occupy GA• NY garrisoned
– Br take Charlestown, SC May 1780– ½ Br go N to take Amer army 2 Camden, NC– ½ to NY
• Amer guerilla warfare in S– Under Nathaniel Greene & Daniel Morgan– Win @ King’s Mnt, NC– Again @ Cowpens early 81
British surrender
• Can’t stretch out supply lines forever– Br retreat to Yorktown, VA– Cornwallis camped at peninsua’s end
• Btn 2 rivers (mistake)
– GW & Rochambeau S frm NY• Small force left to fool Clinton
– Mad Anthony Wayne frm W– La Fayette S from NY b4 GW– Barras from RI by boat
• Escapes Br fleet @ Newport
– De Grasse frm WI• Wins battle – drive Br fleet NY
• Cornwallis surrenders Oct 19, 81
Spain
• Ltd role– France agreed to continue till Spain won
Gibralter– Captured W FL from Br– Blockaded Gibralter
How did we win the war?
• Lord North left Mar. 82– George wants to continue war; – Ministry does not
• Sent agents to France to meet Amers• US wants recognition of indep
– Boundaries at MS River, 31st par & current N. border
• Fr want right to advise & approve– Secretly meet w/ Br & encourage w. boundary way east of MS
& for E, F & Sp to divvy up interior
• We find out; secret negots w/ Brits, signed Nov 30, 82– Peace of Paris 1783
Experimental Period 1776-89
• Education:– Critical for electorate– Revival
• More secondary schools, more colleges– 1776- 9– 1789- 18
• Attempt to make Math, Grammar more practical, less theory
Sep of Church & State
• Fear of governance by Church– Most states still support Protestant churches
• Taxes
– VA: Jefferson asserts • No man compelled to frequent or support• Basis for Religious Freedom
Issue of equality• All men created equally- uneasy…
– Disallowed importation of slaves– N frees– Many S’ free slaves, but no S. State ended slavery– Hostile to aristocracy
• Titles, nobility, societies (elitist)• Society of Cincinnati (former Continental officer’s club)• Medical Society in CT tried to get licensure to raise
standards• Property- wealthy merchants lost heavily (blockade)• Farmers who sold supplies to Cont. Army did well• Confiscation & sale of loyalist land
– Redistributed property– Increased # land owners
Equalizing effect on voting laws
• Property qualifications lowered except MA
• GA & PA open up to all– Bacon’s Rebellion: stake in society
• Major purpose of government: protect property
• Only property can free you from landlord & employer– Who owns him owns his vote
Importance of property…cont
• Liberty from equality• No mass of propertyless like in Europe
– Bcs authority wd concentrate in hands of few:• Tyranny
– To keep authority in hands of majority
• Pursuit of Republicanism:– New states= republics
• W govs set up under old charters• New constitutions• Legislatures more powerful (reps of people)• PA & GA didn’t have an upper house 1780s
Rights protected
• Free religion
• Free press
• Trial by Jury
• MA const. ratified 1780
Purpose of state constitutions
• To limit gov by law of the will of the people– Majority rule– Flaw: if legislature can amend- not will of the
people
Why avoid a national gov?
• Believed that republics need to be in small areas• Or central legislature wd be too remote• Idea: # sm republics in a federation – limited for
specific purposes• Origin: Cont. Cong 1774
– Ran nation after 76– Delegates from states appt’d annually.
• 1 vote per state• Majoirty rule• Existed by common consent
Problems of federation
• Growing nationalism
• Weak alliance of 13 less effective than 1 in 4n affairs
• Need is clear– Sticking points:
• Expenses & voting- how appropriated• Western policy
Articles of Confederation• Written Nov 77
– 1 vote per state– States tax selves by land values– States keep western lands– Keep sovereignty, freedom, independence– Get all rights, powers not given to Congress
• Powers of congress: – Declare war/ peace– Requisition states 4 $$– Coin money– Establ post office– Appoint military officers– Borrow/ issue paper money– Fix weights, measures– Regulate Indian affairs,– Settle slave disputes
Western Land Question• MD wouldn’t ratify till settled
– Most states don’t fully represent western region– W resent E dominated govs– Some charters didn’t grant western land
• Those states want Congress to control W land
– Jealousy, mistrust– Speculation in land bt from Indians
• Opposed by VA’s OH Co: all want claims recognized• Many overlap
– Revenue from land sales at stake– No personal tax!– Landless states wd be depopulated!
• Solution: TJ led VA to offer all land N. of OH river to congress 2 B divided into Republican states
• Most other states gave up land claims too
Problems under A of C• 1783-89
– Couldn’t carry out responsibilities– Lacked powers
• No courts• No way to enforce decisions• No power to tax to pay expenses• No right to regulate trade• No exec. Dept.• 3 secretaries appointed to manage matters• No capital or permanent residence• States ignore requisitions for funds• Unless 7 states were rep’d decisions had to be
unanimous
Financial problems under A of C
• Paper $ worthless by end of war• After peace France stops sending supplies• States refuse to add 5% tariff on imports• NW ord 1785: 5 new states to be surveyed
into townships– 6 mi sq– 36 lots, 1 sq mi each (640 acres)– Sold at 1$ min per acre- specie– Land offices in each state
NW Ord 1787• Gov, secretary & ct of 3 judges appt’d by
congress• Pop = 5k freemen; rep legislature can be
established– Actions approved by gov, appt’d by congress– Can send rep to congress, no vote
• Whole area divided into 3-5 territories• Pop = 60k, can be admitted as equal to original
13 states– No slavery in NW– Freedom of worship– Schools to be estab’d
Signif
• Ordinances of 1785-1787:policy for territorial expansion for whole 19th century
National Humiliation
• Obvious problems: weak, poverty• Europeans intrigue to push W boundary
back to Appalachians• England holds military outposts in NW
– US too weak to push them out– E justifies claim: US violation of treaty
• Nobody can make laws impeding collection of private debts from before war
• Congress must recommend states return loyalist property
– Didn’t comply
More humiliation:• US cannot raise or pay for an army• England tried to make deal w/ Ethan & Levi Allen
to take VT (abo to be a state)• VT claimed by both NH & NY• SW: Spain grasping for area to be KY-TN
– Settlers 100K by 1790 depend on access to MS R. at New Orleans (Sp)
– FL spanish since 1783; LA since 1763– Sp forts on MS river up to St. Louis, MO
• Spain closed MS R 1784 to try to force Amers into being Sp citizens (already anti Easterners)– Secessionist movements in KY & TN– Sp gets US recognition of MS R rights: Jay Treaty