Ch. 8 America Secedes from the

Empire

1775-1783

Significant Events 1775 Second Continental Congress

Congress creates Continental Army

Battle of Bunker Hill

1776 Publication of Common Sense

British troops evacuate Boston

Declaration of Independence

Washington counterattacks at Battle of Trenton

1777 Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga

Continental Army winters at Valley Forge

1778 France allies with rebel Americans

1781 Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown

1783 Treaty of Paris

Previously…

• First Continental Congress (1774): 55 delegates from all the colonies except Georgia attended. 7 week session. The delegates agreed to issue a Declaration of Rights and Resolves. The Resolves defined American grievances and justified the colonists defiance of English policies. Called for no trade with England until taxes repealed

THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS - May 10,

1775

• All 13 colonies present

• No defined sentiment for independence yet

• Appointed George Washington to head of continental Army

• Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms

*THE CONGRESS HAD NO POWER TO LEGISLATE OR COMMAND. IT COULD ONLY RECOMMEND..

Population

Manufacturing

Money

Army

Leaders

Geography

Navy Will to Fight

Approximately 12 million Highly developed Richest country in the world Large, well trained army plus Hessians Few officers capable of leading Strange land---difficult to re-supply troops Naval world power Trained soldiers---but no heart

Approximately 3 million and

1/3 loyal to England. (20% of 3

million = African slaves) Practically none

No $$$ to support the war

Volunteers, poorly equipped

Dedicated officers plus foreign leaders

Familiar land, easy access to supplies No navy

Defending homeland---will to

fight

Factors Great Britain United States

Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line].

Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]

Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies.

The Americans The British

Break the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So.

Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally.

“Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.

B. Armies and Strategies

Early Battles

Early Battles

• Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured the British at Ticonderoga & Crown Point, NY (May 1775)

• Colonists captured Bunker Hill June 17, 1775-viewed as Am. Victory due to heavy losses suffered by British

• Olive Branch Petition-last ditch effort by moderates to avoid all-out war (professing loyalty to crown and asking the king for no more hostilities)

Bunker Hill (June, 1775)

The British suffered over 40% casualties.

•June 17, 1775

•The British suffered over 40% casualties.

•2,250 men

•1,054 injured

•226 killed

•Americans: Moral victory

•800 men

•140 killed

•271 wounded

•King George sends 10,000 Hessian soldiers to help put down the rebellion.

Battle of Bunker Hill raised the moral of the American Army though the British won the battle and suffered severe casualties. The Americans held there own against the greatest

army in the world. The British never broke out of Boston or gained access to the countryside which the American army held.

Strong supporter of taxing the colonies to pay for the debt.

Opposed any compromise with the colonial government in

America.

“Once vigorous measures appear to be the only means left of

bringing the Americans to a due submission to

the mother country, the colonies will

submit.”

•King of England.

•Instrumental in ending the French and Indian War in 1763.

•Strong supporter of taxing the colonies to pay for the debt.

•He opposed any compromise with the colonial government in

America.

•After loosing of the colonies, he withdrew his efforts at

personal government and went insane.

George

Early Battles (cont’d)

• King George III says, “No!” to reconciliation. “colonists in rebellion” The “Hessians” many deserted

• October 1775: British burn Falmouth (Portland) in Maine

• Failed invasion of Canada Oct. 1775 (Montgomery Montreal, joins Arnold

in Quebec, killed and injured respectively)

Thomas Paine

– Common Sense

• Colonial Unity was poor, and many thought of themselves as a part of Great Britain

• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense – 120,000 pamphlet copies were sold (best seller)

• Claimed independence rather than reconciliation with Britain for foreign assistance

Common Sense “The nearer any government approaches to a

republic the less business there is for a king. It is somewhat difficult to find a proper name for the government of England. Sir William Meredith calls it a republic; but in its present state it is unworthy of the name, because the corrupt influence of the crown, by having all the places in its disposal, hath so effectively swallowed up the power, and eaten out of virtue of the house of commons that the government of England is nearly as monarchical as that of France or Spain.”

Thomas Paine

– Common Sense (cont’d)

• Creation of republic (power came from the people, not the monarch)

• Government officials’ power should come from the popular consent

• Republican government derived from the Greek, Roman Renaissance and the 17th c. England

Declaration of Independence

• Thomas Jefferson wrote it

• Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson were appointed as a committee to draft the declaration

• Result of George III’s rejection of grievances in the First and Second Continental Congress

• Declaration of the Rights of Man

(1789), French Revolution

Declaration of

Independence (cont’d)

• Shifts in loyalty, natural rights of human kind and the king’s violation

• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (questioned the king’s authority)

• Philadelphia Convention June 7, 1776: “These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states”

Declaration of Independence

July 4, 1776

Declaration of Independence

July 4, 1776 (cont’d)

• 3 major parts

1. Preamble- influenced by John Locke

2. List of 27 grievances

3. Formal declaration of independence

*Result: Foreign aid could now be successfully solicited

Patriots vs. Loyalists

• Loyalists (Tories)

-20% of population

-loyal to king

-Conservative: educated, wealthy

-feared “mob rule”

-Anglican clergy

-kings officers & other beneficiaries to crown

-tar & feathered, hanged, considered traitors, driven out and estates sold

finance war

Patriots vs. Loyalists (cont’d) • Patriots

-”Whigs”

-American rebels who fought British soldiers/loyalists

-Most numerous in New England

-Support from colonies

*John Adams said that only 30% were for the revolution. Other 30% were against the revolution. The rest were…

(Only 1/3 of the American population was willing to pick up guns and fight)

British

• March in formation

or bayonet charge.

• Br. officers wanted

to control colonials.

• Prima Donna Br.

officers with servants

& tea settings.

• Drills & tough

discipline.

• Colonists should pay for own defense.

• Indian-style guerilla

tactics.

• Col. militias served

under own captains.

• No mil. deference or

protocols observed.

• Resistance to rising

taxes.

• Casual,

non-professionals.

Methods of

Fighting:

Military

Organization:

Military

Discipline:

Finances:

Demeanor:

British-American

Colonial Tensions Colonials

The War 1776-1777

War 1776-1777 • Battle of Long Island (Summer/Fall

1776), colonists lost, George Washington escaped

• Battle of Trenton (Dec.1776):Washington crosses Delaware Dec. 26, 1776) – Washington’s surprise attack (Hit & delay) on the Hessians, won (people were deserting)

• morale booster, no army deserting

•Referred to as the “ten crucial days”…Dec. 25th to Jan. 3rd

•First major victory for the Continental Army and Washington

•Raised the morale of the American troops as well as the country

•Led to soldiers re-enlisting and future enlistments

•Captured over 1,000 Hessian soldiers, weapons, food and etc.

•American Army re-crossed the Delaware to Valley Forge in Pennsylvania

War 1776-1777 (cont’d)

• Battle of Saratoga (Oct. 1777), won, French aid (money, army, navy)

• Winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778)

• Benedict Arnold-Traitor

C. Victory at Saratoga

The Turning Point in the war

• Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga

Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]

The Americans The British

1777, separate and control New England.

Break the colonies in half by getting between the North and South.

General Horatio Gates surrounds the British with the help of Benedict Arnold

British defeat stopped them from cutting off New England from the rest of the country and ending the war.

British lacked knowledge of geography and failed at communications.

Oct. 1777, British General, John Burgoyne was surrounded by US General Horatio Gates and forced to surrender 6,000 British troops.

Led to a military alliance with France providing soldiers, naval fleet and $$$$$. (Franco-American alliance, 1778)

Surrender/saratoga

Articles of Confederation

(November 15, 1777)

• First Constitution in U.S. History

• A league between sovereign states

• Unicameral, no judicial or executive branch

• Each state had one vote in Congress

• No power to regulate trade, conscript troops & levy taxes

France becomes American Ally

• Revenge on British for 7 Years War

• Declaration of Independence was a turning point-showed Americans meant business & Victory at Saratoga showed ability to beat British

• Marquis de Lafayette – blocked Cornwallis’ troops at Yorktown

• Franco-American Alliance 1778

-Promised recognition of American Independence

-Wage war until American victory-or mutually agreed terms with Britain

Battle of Yorktown

Battle of Yorktown •Last major battle of the war

•Fr. Admiral de Grasse-blockaded Chesapeake Bay: Brit. Ships unable to enter

•Washington 300 mi.+ march to Chesapeake fm. NY

•With Rochambeau’s Fr. Army, Washington attacked British Army by land and de Grasse attacked by Sea

•Oct. 19, 1781: General Cornwallis surrendered force of 7,000 men

•War continued 1 more year (south)

Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:

Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

“The World Turned Upside Down!”

Battle of Yorktown

•British General Charles Cornwallis wanted to winter

his troops in the South believing the war would be won

in the Spring…..

•Yorktown- easy access to be reinforced and re-supplied

•General Washington learned of the British decision to winter their main troops in Yorktown.

Map-yorktown

Battle of Yorktown •Strategy included the use of the French navy, French troops and

American troops.

•French navy under the direction of Admiral de Grasse, placed a

blockade around the Chesapeake Bay.

•15,000 American and French troops surrounded 8,000 British troops……

•General Cornwallis is trapped and is forced to his surrender his troops

to Washington

•Brings war to an end

Treaty of Paris 1783

• Britain formally recognizes U.S. independence

• U.S. boundaries-Mississippi in West, the Great Lakes in north to Spanish Florida in south. Americans allowed to retain in Newfoundland fisheries, British promised slaves would not be taken fm. Am.

• American concessions: loyalists couldn’t be persecuted, loyalist property restored, Am. States had to pay debts to Brit. Creditors

North America After the Treaty of Paris, 1783

Results

• Americans didn’t comply with most provisions of Treaty (partial cause of War of 1812)

• France approved British/American Terms

• Britain lost colonies & other territories

• France became bankrupt French

Rev.

• Spain gained little

American Society during the War

• Over 250,000 Am. Soldiers fought

• British occupied most major cities (Boston, NY, & Philadelphia)

• War Economy-all of society became involved in war

• Women in the War

Good and Bad Points of the War • Americans owed a lot of money to the British

creditors

• People confiscated other people’s houses

• THERE WASN’T A GOVERNMENT TO COERCE PEOPLE TO DO ANYTHING

• Spain and Britain were like Buzzards. Britain refused to leave after the war and stayed around

• Spain in Florida

• British sold all the commodities to the Americans 50% off, but only received gold and silver gold

and silver transferred to Great Britain (economy)

• Americans overthrew George III

• Americans experienced a 20-year recession, no one wants to trade with them. Americans had a huge debt