America Secedes from the Empire

Read Paine’s Crisis quoteMay 10,1775 Second CC

Conservative element-appeals sent but preparations made

Congress Drafts George Washington

•Perhaps one of the most significant decisions was to appoint GW

•Pros-Cons

•Check excesses of masses

•Olive Branch Petition-July 1775

•April 1775-July 1776-period of inconsistency

•May1775 Ethan Allen and BA

•June 1775 Bunker’s Hill seized

The Abortive Conquest of Canada

•October 1775-Falmouth burned

•Arnold and Montgomery-Quebec

•January 1776-Norfolk Va. Burned

•Thomas Paine Preaches Common Sense

• Why was Independence not openly spoken of????

• Illegal-consequences? Irish rebels..

• Toasting the king..

• Burning of towns-Hessians hiring-shock us into reality

• Common Sense-

Paine and The Idea of Republicanism

• All Government officials should derive their power from the consent of the governed

• Not new-ancient Greece practiced this, even England itself-King-House of Lords heriditary but Commons was just that-elected from common people

• Many in England championed such opinions-Whigs• Civic Virtue is key-Town meetings and C ofC

fostered this. Supress your own self interest for good of the whole

Not All Embraced Paine’s Ideas

• What Patriots did not favor Paine’s views on Republicanism?

• Natural aristocracy vs. Heriditary aristocracy

• Leveling mechanism must be kept in check

Jefferson’s Explanation

• June 7 1776-RHL-these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states

• Motion adopted July 2nd

Patriots v. Loyalists

• Role of militia

• Tragic figures?

• Makers of America-read-p150

The Loyalist Exodus

• Persecution mild- What is meant by this?

• 80,000 fled- several times that stayed

• 50,000 took up arms- effective?

George Washington at ‘Bay’

• March 1776 evacuation of Boston

• Summer of 1776-Aug.27 Battle of BH/Lg I

• Fall 1776 White Plains 10/28-Nov.19-Closter/Fort Lee

• Trenton-Princeton-Morristown 1776

Burgoyne’s Blundering Invasion

• General Burgoyne-Whig-will invade from Lake’s route-Arnold’s retreat a year earlier means the difference

• Howe was to assist from NY-and meet him in Albany ‘if’ needed

• Barry St. Leger was to come from Mohawk River Valley and swing in from the west

• Burgoyne is doomed-ill timing-ill use of support determined opponent

Strange French Bedfellows

• Revenge-

• Open aid replaced secret aid

• American cause becomes a fad- liberal French thinkers like Rousseau aroused the bored spirits of french- Big mistake

• Declaration and now Saratoga change things-Franklin is difference maker

Colonial War Becomes a world War

• Holland/Spain declare war on England-Sp. Wants Gilbralter back

• Sp/Fr fleets when combined outnumber even the British

• Catherine the Great-Armed Neutrality-maritime neutral states who were at the mercy of Britain and her mercantilist policies-become passive aggressive

France is Difference Maker

• British strategy is altered-leave Phil.>NYC• 1778-1781-Washington, except for Battle of

Monmouth Court House will keep British hemmed in

• French aid supplies- powder guns money equipment advice half of our armed forces Rochambeau Navy however proves to be the difference maker-goal is to protect Fr. West Indies

Blow and Counter Blow

• French army in Conn.-tensions plan-NYC• “Whom can we trust now”• Britain tries in vain to attack southern colonies

hoping to ‘roll’ them up• Ga. Attacked 1778-1779• Charleston S.C. 1780-single largest loss-5000 men

and 400 cannon-worse than Saratoga for Britain• King’s Mt. And Cowpens-2 Am. Victories• Greenes strategy works

The Land And Sea Frontier

• Most native side with Britain-Why?

• Joseph Brant- schooled in England adopted by well known American tory-Guy Johnson/william Johnson

Treaty Of Paris

• War Weariness settling in-inflation-job losses-taxes on the rise

• Whigs gaining seats in Parliament• Losses in India-West Indies-Island of Minorca fell• Adams-Franklin-Jay assemble in Paris• Congress instructs them to follow lead of France• Our negotiators believe otherwise-they feel Fr. Is

out for themselves first , us 2nd-

John Jay-acts out

• He believes the trans Alleghanny region might be ‘given’ to a third party-probably Spain-weak America is easier to manipulate

• Sends overtures to English diplomats

• France is stabbed in the back-BUT they are secretly happy