Chapter 8
Student Lecture Notes
THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION: 1775-1783
I. Second Continental
Congress --
A. All 13 colonies present -- delegates
still not interested in independence but rather
redressing of grievances (conservative position).
B. Most significant act of Congress:
Selected George Washington to head
of the
Continental Army.
-- Selection largely
political – Northerns wanted to bring
C. Declaration of the Causes & Necessity of
Taking Up Arms (Jefferson & Dickinson)
1. Drafted
2nd set of appeals to the king and British people for redress of American
grievances.
2. Seen as
intermediate step towards the Declaration of Independence
-- (Declaration & Resolves from
1st Continental Congress was earlier step.)
3. Adopted
measures to raise money and to create an army and a navy.
D. Olive
Branch Petition (written largely by John Dickinson)
1. Last
ditch effort by moderates in the Continental Congress to prevent an all-out
war.
2. Once
again, professed loyalty to the crown; sought to restore peace
3. Appealed
to the king to intercede with Parliament to reconsider the “Intolerable Acts”
4. King
refused to recognize Congress and the war raged on
II. Early Battles
A.
1. Tiny forces under Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys
of Vermont & Benedict
B.
1. Colonials seized
2. Over 1,000 oncoming
redcoats in ill-conceived frontal assault were mowed down by
1,500 American sharpshooters.
-- Americans had 140 killed and 441 wounded.
3. American supply of
gunpowder ran out and were forced to abandon the hill
in disorder.
4. Viewed as an
American victory for the frightful British casualties inflicted.
5. Bloodiest battle of
the War for
6. British Army left
C. Following
1. This was tantamount
to a declaration of war against the colonies..
2. 18,000 Hessians (German mercenary soldiers)
hired by King to support British forces
-- Colonials shocked that the king would hire forces known as butchers for the
war
between Anglo-Saxon cousins.
D. Americans failed to successfully invade
-- Yet, invasion
postponed large British offensive which eventually contributed to American
victory at
IV. Declaration of
A. Most Americans did not desire independence;
proud to be British citizens
B. Reasons for shift of loyalty
1. Hiring
of Hessians
2. Burning
of
3. Governor
of
-- Impact: persuaded many southern elite to join
C. Thomas
Paine’s Common Sense (published
early 1776)
1. Became an instant
best-seller in the colonies; effective propaganda
2. Main ideas:
a.
Colonial policy was inconsistent; independence was the only course
b.
Nowhere in the physical universe did a smaller heavenly body control
a larger one. Why should tiny
c.
King was nothing more than the "Royal Brute of Great Britain."
d.
independent, democratic republic, untainted by
association with corrupt
monarchical
3. Persuaded Congress to go all the
way for independence
a.
Could not hope for aid from
b.
D.
1. "These United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be, free and independent states..."
2. Motion was adopted on
3. Yet, formal explanation was
needed to rally resistance at home and invite foreign
nations to aid the American cause, especially
E. Congress appointed Committee on
shortly
after Lee's speech on June 7.
1. Task fell to a committee that
chose Thomas Jefferson—33-year old
--Other
members: B. Franklin, J. Adams, Roger Sherman, & Robert Livingston
2. Some debate and amendment had
preceded its adoption especially slavery clause
which was heavily modified with some portions being excised.
a.
wishes (despite his owning slaves).
b.
Yet, southerners in particular still favored slavery and dismissed the clause.
3. Declaration not addressed to
4. Declaration of
F. Declaration of
1. Preamble (heavily influenced by
John Locke)
a.
Stated the rights of colonists to break away if natural rights were not
protected: Life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (property)
b.
All men are created equal
2. List of 27 grievances of the
colonies (seen by Congress as most important part)
a.
Underwent the most changes from the original draft -- 24 changes
b.
Charged the King with imposing taxes w/o consent, eliminating trial by jury,
abolishing
valued laws, establishing a military dictatorship,
maintaining standing armies in peacetime,
cutting off trade, burning towns, hiring mercenaries,
inciting Indian violence upon colonies
3. Formal declaration of
independence
a.
Officially broke ties with
b.
"
G. Result: Foreign aid could now be successfully solicited
V. Patriots & Loyalists
A. "Tories"
(loyalists) = about 20% of the American people
1. Colonists who fought for return to colonial rule; loyal to
the king.
2. Usually conservative: educated and wealthy; fearful of
“mob rule.”
3. Older generation apt to be loyalists; younger generation
more revolutionary
4. King's officers and other beneficiaries of the crown
5. Anglican clergy and a large portion of their followers;
most numerous of the
loyalists (except in
6. Well entrenched in aristocratic NY,
7. Least numerous in
8. Ineffective at gaining allegiance of neutral colonists
B. Patriots
1.
Sometimes called "whigs" after British
opposition party
2. American
rebels who fought both British soldiers and loyalists
3. Most
numerous in
4.
Constituted a minority movement
5. More
adept at gaining support from colonials
6.
Financing: Robert Morris, “the
financier of the Revolution” helped Congress finance
the war.
C. The Loyalist Exodus
1. Loyalists regarded
by Patriots as traitors.
2. About 80,000
loyalists were driven out or fled the colonies
--
Estates confiscated and sold; helped finance the war
3. 50,000 fought for
the British
VIII. The War in 1776-1777:
A. Battle of
1.
2. British lost a great
opportunity to crush the Americans early.
B. Battle
of
1.
2. At
sleeping off their Christmas partying.
C. Battle of
1. One week after
2. British forced to
pull his outposts back to
3.
the dissintegrating
Continental Army.
D. Battle
of
1. British sought to
capture
2. Benedict Arnold
saved
3. General Burgoyne surrendered entire command at
to American General Horatio Gates.
4.
a.
Made possible French aid which ultimately ensured American independence.
b.
Spanish and Dutch eventually entered and
c.
Revived the faltering colonial cause
1. Supplies were
scarce: food, clothing
2. Army whipped into
shape by the Prussian drillmaster Baron
von Steuben.
3. Episode demonstrated
American resolve despite horrible conditions.
F. Benedict
Arnold becomes a traitor in 1780 -- tremdendous
blow to American morale
1.
2. Persuaded
3. Plotted with the
British to sell out the key stronghold of
the
4. Plot accidentally
discovered by
IX. Articles of
Confederation adopted in 1777 (Drafted by John Dickinson)
A. Set up by 2nd Continental Congress in light
of exigencies: need to organize a nation and
an
army; maintain civil order and establish international recognition and credit;
defend its
territory
from the British; and resolve internal quarrels and competition.)
B. Did not go into effect until 1781.
C. First constitution in
D. Congress had power to: conduct war, handle
foreign relations & secure loans, borrow
money.
E. No power to: regulate trade, conscript
troops, levy taxes.
X. France Becomes an Ally
A. French eager to exact revenge on the British
for the Seven Years War.
1. Saw Revolutionary
war as an opportunity to stab
2.
B. Secret supply to the Americans
1.
2. Americans Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin arranged for significant amounts of
munitions and military supplies to be shipped to
--
Helped forge the Franco-American Alliance.
3. Marquis de Lafayette significant in helping Americans gain
financial aid from
C. Declaration of
1. Showed Americans meant business
2. Victory at
D. Franco-American
1. Promised Americans recognition
of independence.
2. Both sides bound themselves to
wage war until the
both agreed to terms with
3. Many Americans reluctantly
accepted the treaty.
a.
b.
Hitherto a traditional enemy of
E. American Revolution turned into a world war that
put severe stress on
1.
2. Catherine the Great of
--
Lined up almost all remaining European neutrals in an attitude of passive
hostility toward
3. War raged in
A. West raged throughout most of the war
1. Indian allies
of
2. 1777 known as
"the Bloody Year" on the frontier
-- Joseph Brant (“Monster Brant”),
Mohawk Chief, and leader of the Iroquois
Six Nations, led Indian raids in Backcountry PA and
NY.
-- Forced to sign Treaty of Ft. Stanwyk -- 1st treaty
bet. U.S. & Indians.
-- Indians lost most of their lands.
B. Westward movement continued despite
treacherous war conditions (especially
C. Illinois country taken from the British
1. George Rogers Clark, a frontiersman, seized several British ports
along the
River by surprise: Kaskaskia,
2. Helped quiet Indian
involvement
3. His admirers' credit
him for forcing the British to cede the whole
the peace treaty of
D. The American Navy
1. John Paul Jones most famous American naval leader (Scottish born)
2. Chief contribution
was destroying British merchant shipping and carrying war
into the waters around the
3. Did not affect
Britain's navy
E. American Privateers were more
effective than the American navy
1. Privately owned
ships authorized by Congress to attack enemy ships.
2. 600 British ships
captured; British captured as many American merchantmen &
privateers.
3. Brought in gold,
harassed the British, and increased American morale by providing
American victories.
F. Major naval battles between British, French,
& other European powers
1. Mostly in the West
Indies
2. British overcome by
French, Spanish and Dutch.
--
War continued until 1785 when British won last battle near India.
XII. In 1778, Britain again changed its strategy: focused on
former Southern Colonies
A. Savannah, Georgia taken in late 1778-early
1779
B. Charleston, SC, fell in 1780 (4th largest
city in America)
1. Devastating loss to
American war-effort
2. Heavier loss to the
Americans than Saratoga was to the British
C. Nathanael Greene
eventually succeeded in clearing Georgia and S.C. of most British
troops
-- Cornwallis forced to
abandon the Southern strategy; fell back to Chesapeake Bay at
Yorktown
D. Battle
of Yorktown: last major battle of the war
1. French Admiral de Grasse, head of
powerful fleet in W. Indies, advised Americans
that he would join them in an assault on Cornwallis at
Yorktown.
2. Washington made 300-mile+ march to Chesapeake from NY.
3. Accompanied by Rochambeau's
French army, Washington attacked British by land as
de Grasse blockaded them by sea
after beating off the British fleet.
4. Oct. 19, 1781, General Cornwallis surrendered entire
force of 7,000 men
5. War continued one more year
(especially in the South)
E. Newburgh
“Conspiracy” (1783)
1. Cause: Soldiers in the
Continental Army were not paid regularly throughout the war
and the money they did receive was often worthless due to
inflation.
2. Several officers,
Congressional nationalists, sought to impose an impost on the states
for back-pay by threatening to take over the American
government.
--
Horatio Gates was consulted about the possibility of using the army to force
the states
to surrender more power to the national government.
3. Washington appealed to the
officers to end the conspiracy; they acquiesced.
XIII. Peace at Paris
A. British ready to come to terms afer losses in India, West Indies, and Mediterranean
1. Lord North's ministry collapsed
in March 1782, temporarily ending the personal
rule of George III.
2. Whig ministry (more sympathetic
to Americans) replaced the Tory regime.
B. French attempt to create a weak U.S.
1. American diplomats Ben Franklin,
John Adams, and John Jay sent by Congress to
make no separate peace and to consult with France at all
stages of negotiations.
a.
Disregarded the directive as they were highly suspicious of France & Spain.
b. John Jay believed France wanted to keep US east of
the Allegheny
mountains and give western territories to its ally
Spain for its help in the war.
2. U.S.turns to
Great Britain
a. Britain eager
to separate U.S. from anti-British alliance.
b. Preliminary
Treaty signed in 1782
C. Treaty of Paris of
1783: Britain formally recognized US independence
1. Granted US generous boundaries
stretching to the Mississippi on the west, the Great
Lakes
in the north, and to Spanish Florida in the south
(Spain had rewon Florida)
a.
Americans allowed to retain a share in the valuable
Newfoundland fisheries.
b.
British promised troops would not take slaves from America.
2. American concessions:
a.
Loyalists could not be further persecuted
b.
Congress was to recommend to state legislatures that confiscated Loyalist
property be restored
c.
American states were bound to pay British creditors for debts long owed.
d. U.S. did not comply with many of these concessions and it
became partial cause of
another war with Britain in 1812.
3. France formally approved the
British-American terms (officially, no separate Franco-
American
peace)
4. America alone gained from the
war
a.
Britain lost colonies and other territories
b.
France got revenge but became bankrupt which caused French Revolution.
c.
Spain gained little
XIV. American society during the war
A. Over 250,000
American soldiers fought
-- 10% who
fought died; largest % of any American war in history (Civil War = 2%)
B. British captured and occupied most
major cities including Boston, NYC, and Philadelphia.
C. War Economy: all of society became
involved in the war.
1. State
and national governments created.
2. Men with
military experience volunteered for positions in the army.
3. Some
merchants loaned money to the army and to Congress. Others made fortunes
from wartime contracts.
4. Most of
the fighting was done by the poorest Americans
-- Young city laborers, farm boys, indentured servants, and sometimes slaves.
5. African
Americans fought on both sides.
-- 5,000 in the Continental army and nearly 30,000 in the British army in
return for promises of freedom.
6. Native
Americas also fought with the British since they hoped to keep land-hungry
Americans out of their territories.
-- Bitter feelings remained long after the war ended.
D. Women in the War
1. Women
managed farms and businesses while men served in the army
2. Other
women traveled with the Army as cooks and nurses.
3. Women
became more politically active and expressed their thoughts more freely.
XV. CHANGE IN SOCIETY DUE
TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
A. Many conservative Loyalists no longer in
America; paved way for more democratic
reforms in state governments.
B. Slavery issue
1. Rise of anti-slavery
societies in all the northern states (plus Virginia)
-- Quakers the first to found such societies.
2. Slavery eradicated
in most northern states by 1800
-- Quok Walker case in Massachusetts (1781)
effectively ended slavery there.
3. Slavery not allowed
above Ohio River in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787
4. Slave trade to be
abolished in 1808 according to Constitution.
5. By 1860, 250,000
free blacks lived in the North, but were disliked and discriminated
against
-- Several states forbade entrance of blacks, most blacks denied right to vote,
and some
states barred blacks from public schools.
6. Thousands of
slaves in the South were freed after the Revolution and became free blacks
7. Yet, slavery
remained strong in the South, especially after 1793 (cotton gin)
C. Stronger emphasis on equality: public hatred
of Cincinnati Society
1. However, equality
did not triumph until much later due to tenant farming, poor rights for
women and children, slavery, and land requirements for
voting and office holding (although
reduced) were not eliminated.
2. Further reduction of
land-holding requirements for voting began to occur in 1820s.
3. End of primogeniture and entail before 1800.
a. Primogeniture: eldest son inherits father's estate.
b. Entail: Estates could not be sold off in pieces; guaranteed
large landholdings to a
family and meant less land available for purchase to
the public.
D. Separation of Church & State:
Jefferson’s Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom, 1786
1. Anglican Church replaced
by a disestablished Episcopal church
in much of the South.
2. Congregational churches in
New England slower to disestablish (CT in 1818, MA in 1833)
E. State governments:
1. Three branches: weak
governors, strong legislatures, judicial branch
2. sovereignty of states,
republicanism
F. Indians no longer enjoyed British protection
and became subject to U.S. expansion
westward.
-- Iroquois suffered
significant losses after the war
G. Women did not enjoy increased rights; idea
of “Republican Motherhood” took
hold.
XVI. Gordon S. Wood -- The
Radicalism of the American Revolution
Thesis: Revolution was the most radical and far-reaching event in
American history
A. Made the interests and prosperity of
ordinary people -- the pursuit of happiness -- the goal
of
government.
B. Changed the personal
and social relationships of people.
1. Destroyed
aristocracy as it had been understood for nearly two millennia
2. Made possible egalitarian
thinking: subsequent anti-slavery and women's rights
movements
C. Brought respectability and even dominance to
ordinary people long held in contempt
-- Gave dignity to
their menial labor in a manner unprecedented in history
D. Brought about an entirely new kind of
popular politics and a new kind of democratic
officeholder.
E. Released powerful popular entrepreneurial
and commercial energies that few realized existed
-- Transformation occurred
without the industrial revolution, urbanization, & railroads
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