America Secedes from

the Empire1775-1783

April 1775

Bloodshed at Lexington and Concord

May 19, 1775

Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia

Divided by 2 main factors:

New England Wanted to separate

Middle colonies Not ready to separate

Congress Drafts George Washington

The Second Continental Congress selected George Washington to head the army besieging Boston.

Elected: because of military

experience Southerners where

jealous of New England, distrust began to rise.

Bunker Hill and Hessian Hirelings

April 1775-July 1776:

Colonists against each other: Some Pro-King .

Some Anti-King

14 months of fighting before decision for independence taken

May 1775: Small American force under Ethan Allen and Benedict captured

British garrisons at Ticonderoga and Crown Point in Upper & New York.

Gunpowder and artillery for the siege of Boston now secured

Bunker Hill and Hessian Hirelings cont.

June 1775

Colonists seized a hill now known as Bunker Hill (although actually called Breed’s Hill)

Hundreds of troop lost

Colonist store of gunpowder finally gave out

British won.

July 1775

Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition

professing American Loyalty to the crown and begging the king to prevent further hostlities.

After Bunker Hill King George III against any hope for reconciliation

August 1775

King George II formally proclaims colonies in rebellion.

September 1775

King George IIII hires thousands on German troops (Hessians) to help crush colonies

Hessians good soldiers but, many ended up deserting British and remained in America to become respectable citizens

The Abortive Coquets of CanadaOctober 1775

British burned Falmouth ( Portland), Main.

Colonists invade Canada twice Richard Montgomery was killed

Colonists believed a successful takeover of Canada would:

1.Add fourteenth colony

2.Deprive British of a valuable base for striking at the colonies in revolt.

Attack on Canada contradicted Colonist claim of only fighting for redress of grievances

Invasion was undisguised offensive warfare

Colonist almost gained Canada until General Richard Montgomery killed

The Abortive Coquets of Canada

Cont.Fighting in colonies

continued

Most Colonist continued to say they didn’t have desire for independence

January 1776

British set fire to Norfolk, Virginia

March 1776

British forced to evacuate Boston

Norfo

lk

Thomas Pain Preaches Common Sense .

Many Colonists continued to consider themselves part of a transatlantic community where Britain was the mother.

Colonial unity was fail

Open rebellion was dangerous; British enjoy hanging rebels.

Colonists who where still pro-King shocked by the violent British acts began to recognize need to separate

Thomas Pain Preaches Common Sense cont.. 1776

Thomas Pain published Common Sense, one of most influence pamphlets ever written.

The main message was,

King George III was a tyrannical; ‘brute”

Nowhere in the physical universe did the smaller heavenly body control the vast control of the larger one.

So why should the tiny island of Britain control vats continent of America?

Pain tried to convince colonist that true cause for independence should be that rather than reconciliation with Britain.

Pain and the Idea of “Republicanism”

Not only did Pain call for independence but, for new kind of political society a republic.

Republic; where power flowed from the people themselves, not from monarch.

Pain also argued that all government officials should be voted for.

Patriots and Loyalists.Patriots/Whigs- American rebels

Usually younger. Mostly popular where Presbyterianism and Congressionalist was popular. New England.

Loyalists/Tories –Colonists loyal to the king.

Usually older. Most numerous where Anglican Church was strongest. (Except Virginia) Old Rich People.

American Revolution was minority movement. Many colonists apathetic or neutral

War not only split neighbors but also families.

Give me Liberty, or give me death!

The Loyalist Exodus

Pre-Declaration of Independence , persecution of Loyalists mild.

Declaration of Independence sharply separated Loyalist from Patriots.

Patriots saw Loyalists as enemies, Thousands kicked out or fled, hundreds imprisoned, some hanged.

Loyalist

Patriot.

General Washington at Bay

British wanted to take over New York

July 1776

British fleet appeared off New York. Largest armed force in America until Civil War

500 Ships, 30 thousand men

.

Battle of Long island

Americans outnumber, outgeneraled and outmaneuvered.

Trenton

December 26, 1776 Washington crossed Delaware River

Surprised and captured a thousand Hessians who were sleeping.

Burgoyne’s Blundering Invasion

July 1777

General John “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne lead plan to capture Hudson River Valley

General Benedict Arnold assembled small fleet, fought General Burgoyne's army.

After desperate fighting, British won the battle but wasted a lot of time.

Burgoyne's army forced to go to Canada restart.

Fall 1777

Burgoyne began to go down north of Albany, attacked by American militiamen

October 17, 1776

Burgoyne forced to surrender at Saratoga to American general Horatio Gates

Woman and African Americans at War

Many American woman served as nurses, attendants, cook, spies and some in combat on battlefield.

Majority of woman fought war by managing family farms and businesses.

Founding Fathers never recognized woman’s wartime efforts.

African Americans generally supported British because American victory would keep them enslaved

Northern and Southern Colonies lost tens of thousands of slaves during the war who escaped to British.

Modest Treaty

A treaty between French and Americans whose basic principles where:

1. No Political Connections

2. No Military Connections

3. Only commercial connections.

Revolution in Diplomacy

France + Britain = Enemies.

Americans needed a lot of help to beat British

French wanted to regain its former position and prestige

Alliance created between French and Americans.

As well as revolutionary political ideas, Americans also harbored revolutionary ideas about international affairs

Wanted to bring an end to Colonials and mercantilism

Strongly supported free trade and freedom of the seas

February 6, 1778

France offered Americans a treaty of alliance that went against Model Treaty

French wanted to to break up British Empire

The Colonial War Becomes a Wider War

Lexington 1778

Shot heard around the world. France vs. England

1779

Spain and Holland joined French and Americans.

1780

Catherine the Great of Russia organized Armed Neutrality

War now being fought in North America, South America, Europe, Caribbean and Asia

Blows and CounterblowSummer 1780

French Commander Conte De Rochambeau’s army of 6 thousand troops arrive in export, Rhode Island

Many American’s suspicious of French.

American’s suspicion rises when Benedict Arnold switched over to British side.

British troops decide to go south to Carolinas

The Land Frontier and the Sea Frontier

Native American’s in War.

Native Americans hoped to get their land back, allied with King

Torched and tomahawk-ed Americans.

1777

Iroquois Conference, the Oneidas and the Tuscarora's sided with Americans

the Seneca's, Mohawks, Cayuga's, and Onondagas joined the British

1784

Pro British Iroquois forced to sign Treaty of Fort Stanwix, first treaty between United States and Native American nation. Native Americans ceded

most of their land.

The Land Frontier and the Sea Frontier cont.

British had scattered posts in Wild Illinois County, Vulnerable to attack

George Rogers Clark

Came up with idea of seizing by surprise.

1778-1779 went down Ohio River with 175 men captured Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Vincennes forts.

The Land Frontier and the Sea Frontier

Privateers: Privately owned armed shops, legalized pirates. Authorized by Congress to prey enemy shipping

Privateers captured as many British ships as British captured American ships..

Wasted man power and insurance rates skyrocketed,

Merchant ships wanted to sail in convoy

British shippers and manufacturers pressured Parliament to end war on honorable terms

Yorktown

October 17, 1781

General Cornwallis surrendered after 3 weeks of battling

Peace at ParisTreaty if Paris 1783

American negotiating team composed of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay

Final Agreement

1. The United States recognized as an independent nation by major European powers

2. Western boundary was set to Mississippi River

3. Southern boundary set to 31* northern latitude

4. British retained Canada but, surrender Florida to Spain

5. Private British creditors would be free to collect any debts owed by Us citizens

6. Congress was to recommend that the states restore confiscated loyalist property