Ch. 6: The American Revolution

Sec 1: The Declaration of Independence

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

Sec 2: A Critical Time

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

Sec 3: War Widens

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

Sec 4: Winning Independence

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

Impact of Revolution

• Creation of US

• Declaration of Independence—universal ideals

• Infl other rev—Fr., Lat Amer