AP US HistoryChapter 6:

The Revolutionary Republic

The Northern War, 1776-77The American success of 1775-76 did not lastFort Ticonderoga, May-July 1776

British ships sailed up St. Lawrence River, forcing the Americans to retreat to Lake Champlain, NY

New York, September 1776British General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe

amassed a huge garrison on Staten IslandGeorge Washington decided to split his force between

Manhattan and Long Island, digging in at Brooklyn By December, Washington had abandoned New York City, and

much of the surrounding area was also captured by the BritishMany felt the war was over as the Continental Army crossed the

Delaware River into Pennsylvania Thousands of troops either abandoned or did not reenlist

Trenton and PrincetonWashington had to do something to turn the tide of the war

Troops refusing to reenlistTroop morale very low

Bold action by Washington on December 25, 1776 boosted moraleSurprised a Hessian garrison at TrentonCrossed the Delaware River by night, taking over 1000 prisoners

Outwitted British General William Cornwallis on January 2, 1777 at PrincetonSnuck away at night and moved north away from the British

garrisonBritish troops marching from Princeton to Trenton were

surprised again, giving the Continentals two victories in a week Boosted troop morale and slightly increased reenlistments Loyalists began coming over to the American cause

Struggles and Successes of 1777Fort Ticonderoga was taken by the British in May 1777The Continental capitol of Philadelphia was taken by the British in

September Losses at Brandywine Creek and Germantown forced Washington to

seek help Baron von Steuben and Frederich Wilhelm, two Germans, Marquis de

Lafayette, a Frenchman, and other professional soldiers from Europe came to his help Instilled a training regimen to make the military more professional and

disciplined Holed up at Valley Forge, near Philadelphia, for the winter of 1777-78

However, the turning point of the war came in October 1777 at Saratoga, NY, near Fort Ticonderoga British General Burgoyne was continuously hounded and cut off from

supplies, finally surrendering on October 17 The American victory convinced the French to formally recognize the

United States, to which two treaties were signed in 1778 Also brought Spain, informally, into the war

War for Independence 1776-1777©

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Revolutionary CrisisLoyalists, or Tories, hampered colonial, or

patriot, progress Slaves often times backed the British

Many slaves fled bondage during the warThousands left the United States for other

parts of the British Empire afterwardWhile neutral in the beginning, the Native

American tribes of the colonies sided with the British

By 1779-1780, Army morale was so low, the Army was nearing collapse

The British Southern OffensiveIn 1780, the British launched a very successful

offensive to take the Deep SouthStarted with the taking of Savannah, GABoth Carolinas were also taken very quickly

However, the colonists were able to hold their ownGeneral Nathanael Greene of the Continental Army

ravaged the British forcesBy 1781, only Savannah and Charleston, SC were held by

the British Greene retreated his forces into Virginia

British General Cornwallis followedSet up the final battle at Yorktown, starting in August

1781

YorktownWhile Greene lured Cornwallis to Virginia, the rest of the

Continental Army was preparingThe French Navy defeated the British Navy off the coast of

Virginia, blocking escape by seaGeorge Washington was marching reinforcements from New

YorkCornwallis, needing supplies, marched his forces onto a

small peninsula at YorktownNot aware of the defeat at sea or the Continental advancesSurrounded and beseiged, Cornwallis surrendered his army

on October 19, 1781Yorktown brought down the British government in early

1782 and led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783Recognized American independenceMississippi River western boundaryGave America rights to fishing waters off of Newfoundland

Yorktown Campaign, 1781©

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The New NationSeveral changes took place after the end of the warArticles of Confederation

National government, giving power to the statesVery weak, eventually failed

Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1786Guaranteed freedom of religion, basis for Bill of Rights

States, especially in the North, began to enact emancipation lawsPA first in 1780South continued to use slave laborAtlantic slave trade outlawed in 1808

Lands west of the Appalachians settled more and moreKentucky and Tennessee especially popularMade possible by Daniel Boone and his group that opened up a trail

through the Cumberland Gap

The New NationLand Ordinance of 1785

Outlined rules for the Northwest Territories, the eventual states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota

Divided land into areas 6 miles square called townshipsDefined rules for sale of land at auction

Northwest Ordinance of 1787Organized settlement in the territoriesAgreed to divided into 2-5 statesRequired a school for every townshipOutlawed slaveryEstablished rules on how territories would become states

Northwest Territory, 1787

The Failing UnionThe United States struggled mightily in the years following the

warArticles of Confederation had several weaknesses

No power to tax or regulate commerce Could not regulate foreign relations Could not raise an army

Debt from the war was enormousShays’ Rebellion in 1786 proved that something needed to be

doneDaniel Shays, a Revolution veteran, led a group of protestors against

judges and debt collectors that were foreclosing homes and farmsThe rebellion was eventually put down, but the government had a

hard time rallying a militia to end it Representatives from several states agreed to meet in May 1787

to fix the Articles

The Constitutional ConventionConvention opened in May 1787 in Philadelphia

George Washington elected president of the convention James Madison recorded all actions of the months long convention

Addressed several concerns, often in very heated discussions that almost ended the convention

Proposed several plans for a new government Virginia Plan: representation based on population, bicameral

legislature New Jersey Plan: representation based equality and the power to

tax and regulate commerce Connecticut Compromise: combination of both plans, with a

bicameral legislature House of Representatives: population based representation Senate: two senators per state, regardless of size

Approved and sent to the states for ratification on September 17, 1787

Federalists v. Anti-FederalistsTwo distinct groups formed after initial approvalFederalists: for ratification of the Constitution Anti-Federalists: against ratification, feeling it gave too much

power to the government and lacked a Bill of Rights Federalists wrote a series of essays, the Federalist Papers,

justifying the causeInsisted that checks and balances would prevent tyranny between

the president, Congress, and courtsPromised to add a Bill of Rights upon ratification

Eventually, enough states ratified, allowing for the first Congress to meet in 1789Rhode Island and North Carolina, holdouts of ratification,

eventually ratified as wellThe Bill of Rights was debated and ratified in 1789 as well

For Further Information… http://www.usconstitution.net/constconart.htmlhttp://

www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Constitution.html

Copy and paste these links into your browser for more information on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and a comparison of the Constitution to the Articles of Confederation