Upload
myron-campbell
View
222
Download
4
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Call for Independence• Beg. of 1776: most col hadn’t taken a side in
the conflict w/ Br• 1/3 of del @ 2nd Cont. Cong. supported ind• “Common Sense”—pamphlet written by T. Paine
– Gave reasons why col should be independent– inspiration
• Virginia Resolution—May 1776– VA authortized del to support ind– Introduced by R. H. Lee– Resolution—formal statement of opinion– Stated col are & ought to be free
Declaration of Independence
• Committee appt’d early 1776 to draw up statement stating reasons for separation from Br
• Main author-Thomas Jefferson (TJ)
• Doc explains why col wanted to break away from BR
• 4 Parts: Preamble, Natural Rights, Grievances, Independence
Preamble
• Introduction
• States that col need to explain reasons for separation out of “respect…to mankind”– (so other countries understand why colonies
are breaking away from Br)
Natural Rights
• Based on Locke’s ideas (social contract & natural rights)
• Gov’t created to protect ppl’s rights
• If gov’t violates rights, ppl have right to abolish gov’t & create a new one
• Inalienable
• Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness
• “All men are created equal”
All Men are Created Equal
• Today, we believe this statement applies to all people
• That wasn’t the case in 1776• The people who wrote & signed the
document felt this applied only to white men• Women, Native Americans, & African
Americans were not included in this statement in 1776
• Didn’t address issue of slavery
List of Grievances
• Grievance = complaint
• Prove Br had violated col rights
• King ignored rights of citizens (ex. trial by jury)
• Taxation w/o representation
• King ignored petitions & complaints
• Important because these were reasons why colonies were breaking away from Br
Independence
• Col decl they were free of Br rule
• First time “United States of America” is used
• Can now refer to “states” instead of “colonies”
Impact
• Signing D of I made delegates traitors to Br
• Could be hung if captured
• July 4, 1776: D of l approved
• Signed Aug. 2, 1776
• Changed nature of war—no longer simply a rebellion, now a revolution
• Inspired other nations
Retreat from NY
• Mid 1776 fighting moved from N. Eng to middle states
• June—Br. fleet arr in NY under Br. commander Gen Howe
• Wash trps no match for Br• Continental Army driven out of NY• NY had more Loyalist support than N Eng• Patriot Nathan Hale-spied on Br but
captured & hung
Surprises for Br• Patriots’ spirits low b/c forced to keep retreating
• T. Paine wrote “The Crisis” to raise Patriot morale
• Christmas night 1776: Wash & trps crossed the Delaware River
• Wash led 2,400 trps across river
• Dec 26 attacked Trenton—complete surprise
• Br soldiers were Hessians (mercenaries)
• GW lit campfires & left
– Br arrived thinking soldiers were there
– Wash’s trps surprise attacked
• Br also suffered surprise attack @ Princeton
• Trenton & Princeton were Patriot victories
Saratoga• Br Gen Burgoyne wanted to cut N Eng off from
rest of col• N Eng was where strongest Patriot support
was• Br plan—drive toward Albany from 3 directions
– Canada (N), from Mohawk Valley (W), from NYC (S)
• Prob—S forces were told to move to Phil instead & weren’t ready to march N when needed
• @ 1st, Br. recaptured Ft Ticonderoga• @ Saratoga, Am surrounded Br.• Many casualties• Burgoyne surrendered Oct. 17, 1777• Saratoga important Patriot victory• Turning Point of Revolution
– Ended threat to New Eng– Patriots recaptured Ft. Ticonderoga– Destroyed Br. hopes of easy victory– Boosted Patriot morale– Convinced Eur nations that Am had chance of
winning war & led to alliances
Fr. Alliance• Feb. 1778: Fr. formed alliance w/ Am • Alliance: formal agreement btwn 2 pwrs
to work together toward a common goal• Fr wanted to weaken Br• Had secretly given $ & arms to Am but
didn’t take open stand until after Saratoga• Neth & Sp also supported Am (were allies
w/ Fr.)• Went to war w/ Br—meant Br had less trps
to send to N. Am
European Volunteers
• Marquis de Lafayette: (Fr.) became friends w/ GW & helped army
• Thaddeus Kosciusko: (Pol) built forts ex. West Point
• Casmir Pulaski: (Pol) trained cavalry
• Baron von Steuben: (Prus) helped trained army to march, aim, & use bayonets
Valley Forge
• Cruel winter—spent by Continental Army during 1777—1778
• Br. had taken over Philly • Pats poorly clothed, fed, & housed• ¼ became sick• Am sent supplies to help• Used winter to become stronger• Army trained by Baron von Steuben
Afr Am in the War
• Br offered freedom to slaves who joined them—Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation
• Served as cooks, blacksmiths, & teamsters
• @ 1st, GW didn’t accept Afr Am soldiers
• He changed his mind when Br offered Afr Am freedom
• 7K served on Am side
War @ Home• Enlisted: signed up for duty• Am soldiers free to leave army after term ended• Prob for GW b/c needed to keep getting soldiers• Civilians: ppl not in the military
– Subject to food shortages & attack
• Women took over men’s duties– Planted crops, tended livestock, ran husbands’
businesses– Battlefield: tended wounded
• Deborah Sampson: served in army, disguised as man
Financial Burdens
• Cont Cong couldn’t tax
• Asked states for $, but states didn’t have much to give
• Printed continentals (paper $)
• Not worth much (“not worth a continental”)
Fighting in the W
• Am tried to keep Nat Am neutral
• Offered $ to grps willing to remain @ peace
• Most Nat Am sided w/ Br
• Thought Am would move onto Nat land if US won
Frontier
• VA sent militia led by G. R. Clark to attack Br fts on other side of Appl Mts
• Captured Kaskaskia & Cahokia on Miss R.
• 1779 attacked Br. ft @ Vincennes
• Caught Br & Nat Am by surprise—both surrendered to US
• Settlers able to stay on frontier
• Strengthened Am claim on OH R Valley
Spanish Help
• Sp wanted to get FL back from Br
• 1779 Bernardo Galvez (LA gov) secretly provided $ & munitions
• Gave ships safe refuge in New Orleans
• Helped capture fts on Miss R & Gulf of Mex
• 1781—Cuba “Havana’s Ladies” sent $7 million to Am
War @ Sea
• 1775 Cong voted to create Continental Navy
• Very sm
• Made hit-&-run attacks
• 1779 off coast of Eng—Bonhomme Richard (led by J. P. Jones) fought Br. Serapis
• Eventually Serapis surrendered
• US Navy had help from privateers
• Privateers: armed civilian ships that had their gov’ts permission to attack enemy ships & keep their cargo
• Forced Br to spend $ protecting merchant ships
Fighting Moves South
• Br goal: capture key cities, win local support, march N & capture 1 state @ a X
• By Jan 1779 ctrld GA• SC-captured Charles Town & rest of state • Br then moved onto NC• Led by Gen Cornwallis• Am used guerilla tactics to slow Br• Guerillas: fighters who work in sm bands to
make hit-and-run attacks
• Am guerillas led by Francis Marion “Swamp Fox”
• Loyalists roamed backcountry, plundered & attacked Patriot farms & killed men, women, & kids
• Dec 1780: Nathaniel Greene took over command of Cont Army in S
• Split army in 2 to attack in E & W
• W led by Daniel Morgan
• Jan 1781 Morgan won victory @ Cowpens
Benedict Arnold
• Had been part of Cont Army
• Felt Cont Cong didn’t appreciate him enough
• Betrayed Patriots
• Wanted to try to turn West Pt over to Br
• Plot failed, remained on Br side
Yorktown
• When Gen Cornwallis went to VA, Gen Greene able to get most of S back under Patriot ctrl
• Cornwallis moved army to Yorktown peninsula
• Fr helped Am, led by GW• Cornwallis & Br trapped• Oct 19, 1781—Br. surrendered to Patriots• Last battle of the revolution
Treaty of Paris 1783
• Br recognized ind of US
• Boundaries of US set– E—Atlantic Ocean– N—Canada– W—Mississippi River– S—Florida (returned to Sp)
• US promised to recommend that states restore rights & property to Loyalists
Washington’s Farewell
• Dec. 4, 1783—Wash & trps had last meal together @ Fraunces Tavern, NYC
• Wanted to retire to his VA plantation