Unit Five: The Revolutionary War

Do We Stay or Do We Go

The Gage Mission • After the small Colonial force was

defeated at Lexington, the British moved on to Concord to capture or destroy the munitions (ammo) arsenal contained there.

• As the British went into town they were met by a colonial militia in the Battle of Concord Bridge.

• The minutemen this time held their ground and stopped the British advance, since the munitions were already gone the British turned back to return to Boston.

Gateway to Hell • As the Redcoats (British soldiers) marched back

to Boston, they were attacked along the road by people behind trees, houses, and etc. throwing rocks and shooting at them.

• The Patriots were using a new type of weapon called the Pennsylvania Rifle or Long Rifle that had a rifled (twisted) bored barrel allowing for better accuracy used by rifleman (Snipers or Sharpshooters) .

• The attacks from cover were very demoralizing to the British soldiers calling the march back to Boston the Gateway from Hell

Siege of Boston • When the British Soldiers

returned to Boston, news of the fighting had spread to the surrounding areas.

• The Massachusetts militia led by Artemas Ward established a siege line completely surrounding the town of Boston called the Siege of Boston.

• This left General Gage with two options: fight or retreat, Gage chose to fortify and wait for orders.

Thomas Paine

• American Colonists were very much split on what course of action to take with the British with Boston in siege.

• Many people’s minds were swayed by the famous pamphlet wrote by Thomas Paine called “Common Sense”.

• It stated that it was common sense for a people to rule themselves and not be ruled by a king.

• It was a call for independence and all out war in a language that all colonials could understand.

Common Sense • “I bring reason to your

ears, and, in a language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.”

• “Everything that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, TIS TIME TO PART.”

The Second Continental Congress • Three weeks after the Battles of Lexington and

Concord delegates from all the colonies but Georgia (they came in Autumn) met in Philadelphia in Carpenter’s Hall convening the Second Continental Congress (May 10,1775 to March 1,1781).

• John Hancock was chosen to preside as President over the meeting.

• The first orders of business were to unify the colonies to action and take control over the militia in Boston.

• George Washington was chosen Commander in Chief of the Continental Army and sent to Boston.

Siege of Boston (continued)

• The British gave Gage orders to stand and fight reinforcing him with men and three Generals: George Clinton, John Burgoyne, and William Howe.

• To successfully take Boston the Patriots needed to take four hills overlooking Boston: Breed’s, Bunker, Wook’s, and the Dorchester Heights and to place cannons on them to cut off supplies by sea.

• The only problem was that the militia had no cannons to place on the hills.

Siege of Boston (continued)• The Massachusetts Provincial Congress sent

Benedict Arnold who was joined by Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys to take the weapons supplied at Fort Ticonderoga.

• Arnold and Allen took Fort Ticonderoga getting over 180 cannons for the cause and other needed military supplies.

• The main fortifications were placed on Breed’s Hill in one night’s time led by William Prescott to keep the British from taking it.

Siege of Boston (continued)• The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took

place mostly on the fortified redoubt of Breed’s Hill, when the American forces held off two British advances until they ran out of ammunition.

• William Prescott made his famous statement before the attack, “Don’t fire until you see the white’s of their eyes”.

• Even though it was eventually a victory after the third bayonet charge by the British, they had sustained 1,054 causalities to 450 of the Patriots.

Battle of Bunker Hill

The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill by

John Trumbull

What to do?

• After the Battle of Bunker Hill the Siege of Boston developed into a stalemate until Washington arrived.

• George III after hearing of Bunker Hill declared the Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition stating the Colonies were officially in rebellion.

• On the other side of the Ocean the Second Continental Congress was not so sure on their course of action.

What to do?• The Second Continental Congress first in mid

1775 sent to the king the Olive Branch Petition wrote mostly by John Dickinson pledging the Colonies’ loyalty to the king and pleading for him to stop the war and Parliament’s acts against the colonies.

• Shortly after sending the Olive Branch Petition another document Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms wrote by Thomas Jefferson stated that it would be better to die freemen than slaves of Britain, but said they only raised arms to protect themselves from the British.

• This is why John Adams called it a Half-War because a general sentiment could not be made for a full-scale war.

Siege of Boston (continued)• George Washington took control over the army

in Boston on July 3, 1775.

• The army (militia) had no uniforms, the soldiers supplied their own guns, little discipline, and no barracks.

• Washington made the men build barracks, start daily military drills, and all men had to sign a one year contract of service.

• Washington then sent Henry Knox to Fort Ticonderoga to get the captured cannons to fortify Dorchester Heights.

Took four months

End of the Siege • On March 3 1776 General Howe who took over

for Gage woke up to cannons pointed directly at Boston.

• This forced Howe to evacuate the town taking all his men and loyalists with him to Halifax, Canada to regroup.

• While Knox was gone to Fort Ticonderoga, Washington planned a winter invasion of Canada in 1775, which Richard Montgomery was to take Montreal and Benedict Arnold to take Quebec.

The Winter Invasion • The winter invasion was to be the first offensive

strike against the British army.• Montgomery marched from Fort Ticonderoga

and captured the city of Montreal.• Arnold marched through the wilderness of

Maine, but due to weather and geographical conditions he lost almost half his men before getting to Quebec.

• Montgomery and Arnold joined forces and attacked Quebec in the Battle of Quebec only to have Montgomery killed, Arnold wounded, and 400 men taken prisoner. It was a complete failure.

Comparing the Two Armies

Weakness Strength 1. Weak central

power.

2. No Uniforms

3. No money

4. No manufacturing

weapons

5. Inexperienced

soldiers in large

number

6. Lack of food and

supplies

7. Division in

support

8. No Navy

1.Fighting on home

territory

2. Adaptive

Leadership

3. Everyone knew

how to fire a gun

(rifleman)

4. Colonial Militias

(also could be

weakness)

5.Fighting for their

own cause and

purpose

6. Free Black and

Slaves

7. Outside help

French, Spanish,

Dutch, and

Prussians

Colonials:

Weakness Strength 1. Unpopular war in

Britain

2. Fighting in

unfamiliar

territory

3. England 3,000

away

4. Mostly

Incompetent

leadership

5. Troops indifferent

6. No adaptive

leadership

1. Wealthiest

government in

the world.

2. Largest army and

Navy at its time,

3. Unlimited

supplies and

resources

4. Strong central

government

5. Well trained and

disciplined Army

6.) Native

Americans

7. Mercenary

soldiers

8. Loyalists in

colonies

British:

Hessians • The British used

Mercenaries (soldiers for hire) from the German state of Hesse called Hessians, who were the most well trained army in the world.

• The Hessian army made up ¼ of the British army.

Battle Tactics • Battle tactics played a major role

throughout the war. • The British always fought in Gentleman’s

Warfare file and rank formation in open fields.

• This made the British vulnerable to guerilla style warfare hit and run tactics and firing from cover, mostly used by the militias.

• Washington throughout the war wanted to train a army to stand toe to toe in gentleman’s warfare with the British.