THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

The Second Continental Congress

Called as result of fighting in Massachusetts

Met in Philadelphia (May, 1775)

Radicals (John & Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, etc.) wanted war

Moderates (John Dickinson – PA) looking for reconciliation

The Second Continental Congress

Dickinson’s Olive Branch Petition Loyalty to King George III Asked for repeal of

oppressive legislation King’s response

Refused to receive Olive Branch Petition

determined to crush rebellion

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The Second Continental Congress

Fighting continues Breeds and Bunker Hills

(Boston) Patriot attempt at

Quebec Capture Montreal Fail to capture

Quebec City Virginia and the

Carolinas rebel Washington commander

of Colonial forces Merchants refused British

goods

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Thomas Paine: Common Sense Many Americans

angry with Parliament still loyal to King

Thomas Paine Emigrated from England (1774) Radical

Common Sense (January, 1776) Built on

John Locke and Glorious Revolution

Great Awakening: all equal in the eyes of God

root of the problem was monarchy

Declaration of Independence (1776)

On the Eve of the Revolution

BRITAIN AMERICA

ADVANTAGES ? ?

DISADVANTAGES ? ?

Revolutionary War:

GREAT BRITAIN AMERICAN COLONIES

Advantages Large economy/world

empire Well established

government - Constitutional Monarchy

Professional Army Large Royal Navy

Disadvantages Long lines of

Communication Fighting on “foreign”

soil

Advantages Fighting on “Home

Turf” Ready market of

resources Disadvantages

Weak government: Continental Congress

Economy designed to support Britain (mercantilism)

Disunity - Loyalists or Tories = 1/3 of population

Exports & Imports: 1768-1783

WholesalePriceIndex:1770-1789

Loyalist

Strongholds

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Strategies: British

Command of the Sea Blockade American ports Transport troops to areas of rebellion

(mobility) Hudson River Valley

Cut off New England from middle and southern colonies

Rally Loyalist Support in South American

War of Attrition Wear down British forces

Diplomacy Gain European allies with large navies - France

Commerce Raiding Privateering

Phase I: The Northern Campaign[1775-1776]

Phase II: NY & PA

[1777-1778]

General Washington – 1776-78:

Defense of New York from British invasion. Prevent British from dividing colonies Continental Army defeated and forced

to retreat toward Philadelphia

Valley Forge Washington crosses the Delaware

Trenton Princeton

Continental Army remains a threat to the British

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Battle of Saratoga: Americans defeat and capture

General John Burgoyne in upstate New York

Turning point of the war French enter the war as America’s ally

French Navy: 80 ships of the line Small American rebellion becomes

major world war Great Britain faces multiple

enemies: 1775 American Colonies 1778 France and Spain 1780 Russia, Denmark, Sweden,

Prussia, Austria, and Portugal form an Armed Neutrality

Franco-American Treaty of 1778

Permanent, defensive alliance France looking for revenge from French &

Indian War American contingent led by Ben Franklin, Silas

Deane, and Arthur Lee French Foreign Minister Comte de Vergennes

convinces King Louis XVI to support Americans France agreed to fight until U.S. independence

achieved America would recognize French conquests in

West Indies

WHY DO THE FRENCH WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

Franco-American Alliance

LafayetteRochambeau

 Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes

Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]

Southern Strategy

Nathanael Greene commander in Carolinas and Georgia Little over 1,000

Continentals and bands of ill-disciplined militia against Cornwallis’ 10,000 men

Had to create circumstances to achieve success

Guerilla warfare

Cowpens Greene divided army

Allowed him to better feed own men, sustain militia, harass British

Tempted Cornwallis to divide main body, making it more vulnerable Cornwallis did this in

Jan 1781, sending 1,100 men (commanded by Tarleton) to attack Greene’s western division (commanded by Daniel Morgan)

Cowpens

Americans suffered 6.2% losses (12 killed and 60 wounded)

British suffered 90% losses

Cornwallis became obsessed with Morgan and turned to pursue him Morgan retreated into

Virginia In a month Cornwallis had

marched 225 miles without achieving decisive battle

Yorktown

From Aug 21 to Sept 26, 1781 Washington and Rochambeau (French) marched their armies from New York to Virginia

Simultaneously, De Grasse (French) sealed off the Chesapeake with the Navy

Objective was to trap and defeat Cornwallis’ army on the York Peninsula

Yorktown• Battle would begin with two

parallel siege lines followed by an assault

• Allies had an overwhelming advantage in numbers (16,000 to fewer than 8,000)

• On Oct 19, the British surrendered and in Sept. 1783 they formally recognized American independence

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DID THE AMERICANS WIN?

Did the British lose?

Treaty of Paris, 1783

American Delegation

Benjamin FranklinJohn AdamsJohn Jay

Treaty of Paris, 1783

Terms: British recognition of United States U.S. granted territory east of Mississippi

Granted to native tribes after French and Indian War

Loyalist property returned Some ended up being auctioned to pay off debt

Pre-war colonial debts to be paid US fishing rights off Grand Banks Florida returned to Spain by separate

treaty

North America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783

Treaty of Paris, 1783

What did it mean for Women

Contributed to war effort through clothing for troops Often ran farms while men were away

Blacks In south

Many joined British cause to escape slavery Slavery kept for fear of blacks outnumbering whites and taking

control In north

Many joined patriot cause Beginning of emancipation in north (relatively few blacks anyway)

Loyalists Many fled to Canada, West Indies, or back to Britain Those who stayed had property reinstituted

WAS THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION INEVITABLE?