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Chapter 6: The American Revolution

What were the issues that led to the start of the American Revolution?

Do It Now

Due to the Boston Tea Party, King George III called for tough action and to make an example of the people of Boston and Massachusetts.

Parliament passed four laws that were so harsh they became known as the Intolerable Acts.

The Intolerable Acts

Colonists from all colonies sent food and supplies to Boston.

In Philadelphia, the First Continental Congress met in the fall of 1774. 12 of the 13 colonies sent delegates (Georgia! )

The Congress demanded that Parliament repeal, or end, the acts and declare that the colonies had a right to tax and govern themselves. They also swore to boycott British goods if their demands were not met.

Colonial Reaction

The British had absolutely no intention of following the demands of the First Continental Congress. Instead, they were going to use force to restore British authority.

Meanwhile a group of militia known as the minutemen—citizen soldiers who were ready to fight at a minutes notice.

British Reaction…back.

In 1775, General Thomas Gage, the new governor of Massachusetts learned that minutemen were storing arms (weapons) in Concord, which was 20 miles from Boston.

He sent 700 British troops to seize the weapons and capture important colonial leaders. However, as the troops began to movie, a signal sent by Patriots appeared in the steeple of Boston’s Old North Church that alerted two men—Paul Revere and William Dawes—to ride through the night to warn the minutemen.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Sybil Ludington

Five miles from Concord in Lexington, 77 minutemen were waiting when the British arrived. The British commander ordered the minutemen to go home—they refused and a shot rang out—the shot heard ‘round the world.

The British opened fire, killing 8 colonists. But a larger battle happened in nearby Concord. The colonist forced the British to retreat back to nearby Boston, having lost 300 of their men.

Lexington and Concord

What events led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord?

Checkpoint Question

Historical Background: During the American Revolution, the American colonists had to decide to support the War for Independence or remain loyal to the British and King George III. Some Americans could not decide which side to choose and remained neutral during the war. Most American colonists, however, did choose sides. Those who supported

independence from Britain were known as Patriots and colonists who opposed independence from Britain were known as Loyalists.

Most Patriots supported independence because they felt that recent British laws on the American Colonies violated their rights as British citizens (e.g. taxing without consent, quartering soldiers in citizens’ homes, and denying colonists the right to a trial). Many Patriots live in the New England Colonies, especially Massachusetts.

Most Loyalists who opposed independence tended to be wealthy landowners, Anglican clergymen, or people with close business or political ties to Britain. There was a high concentration of Loyalists in New York City and in the Southern Colonies.

Many Loyalists agreed that the American colonists had suffered at the hands of the British but the Loyalist hoped that a peaceful reconciliation with British government was possible.

During the Revolution, taking a Loyalist stance was dangerous, especially in the Southern Colonies. Many Loyalists were brutally attacked and killed. Their property was destroyed or confiscated. Loyalists by thousands fled the American Colonies for their own safety. Some Loyalists moved to England and many more moved to nearby Canada.

Loyalists vs. Patriots

Directions: During the American Revolution both the American Continental Army and the British Army had spies to keep track of their enemy. You have been hired by the British to recruit a spy in the colonies. You must choose your spy from one of colonists above. When making your decision use the following criteria:

1. The spy cannot be someone who the Patriots mistrust. The spy should be a person who appears to agree with the Patriots.2. The spy should live in a populated area where the Patriots are active and can report on Patriot activity. A colonist in a rural area will have little information to provide.3. The spy should need something from the British, either money or military protection, to entice him or her to risk his or her life.

Final Thoughts

Patriots vs. Loyalists Activity

Why were so many colonists neutral about the idea of independence from Great Britain?

Do It Now

At the start of the war, most people in America were still loyal to England. This was especially true in the South where they were economically independent on Britain.

Why was the South so economically dependent on the British?

Declaring Independence

In January 1776, a man by the name of Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense. In this document, he explained to the colonists why it made sense for them to break away from England. In six months, over 500,000 copies of this document were distributed around the colonies. The document convinced many people to break away from_______________.

Thomas Paine

Common Sense also affected the members of the Continental Congress. In June 1776, Richard Lee of Virginia stood up at the meeting and proposed that the colonies declare their independence from Britain.

What do you think could happen to them for making such a decision?

The Continental Congress agreed with Lee and appointed a committee to draft a declaration. The committee chose Thomas Jefferson to write the document.

In late June, the document was finished and on July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress approved. They then signed the document on July 4th, 1776 aka Independence Day.

Preamble (aka Colonists explain to the world what they are doing)

The Declaration of Independence

Purpose of Government (aka what a government is supposed to do)

Wrongs done by the King (aka list of things the King and Parliament have done wrong)

Colonies Declare Independence (aka breakup)

What did the Declaration of Independence mean for the colonists?

What would be the ramifications of the document?

Final Question

Advantages and DisadvantagesAdvantages Disadvantages

Great Britain

• Experienced soldiers/ leaders• $$$- could pay for soldiers

and mercenaries• Support of Loyalists, Native

Americans, and Slaves• Strongest army/ navy in the

world

• 3,000 miles from home, supplies took long to arrive

• fighting in unfamiliar territory

• red uniforms• soldiers had no

cause to fight other than $$

Colonists • willing to fight for home/ family

• knew the land• more experienced with

firearms and weapons were more accurate

• constant shortage of $$, weapons, food

• Few ships• Inexperienced

soldiers, most were farmers

Goal: Capture Fort Ticonderoga, a British Fort that stood at the southern end of Lake Champlain and protected the water route to Canada

Key People: Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys from Vermont

Result: Continental Victory—good for two reasons:

1. It controlled the main route between Canada and the Hudson River Valley

2. It held valuable weapons, especially cannons

Fort Ticonderoga

Goal: British wanted to capture Breed’s Hill outside Boston to test the strength of the soldiers there.

Key People: General William Howe (British)

Result: The British won the battle, but only because the Continental soldiers ran out of ammunition. The British won at a terrible cost: they lost 1,000 of their men while the colonists only lost 400. The Americans proved they could fight the professional British soldiers

Battle of Bunker Hill

Goal: British forces wanted to control New York City and its ports

Key People: George Washington (Continental) and General William Howe (British)

Results: The Continental army was pushed out of Brooklyn and eventually retreated to New Jersey. This constant pursuit by the British led to low moral by many Patriots…leading to desertion, or abandoning their post.

Battle of New York

“I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country”

Nathan Hale

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of the country; but he that stands now

deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

The Crisis—Thomas Paine

Why? Morale booster for the exhausted,

tired, worn men—wanted a successful battle before they stopped fighting for the winter

Only 1400 Hessians vs. 2400 of the Continental Army

Result: American victory that lead to an increased morale among the troops and the Patriots across the colonies.

Battle of Trenton

Would you have been an ally of the colonists or the British?

Final Thoughts

General Burgoyne and Saratoga

• Goal: British Plan to cut of New England from the rest of the colonies by gaining control of the Hudson River Valley

• Strategy: Use three-pronged attack to control the Hudson River Valley

• Why?• Stop supply of troops/

supplies would bring a quick end to the war

Burgoyne made careful plans. His army would go south along Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, heading for Albany, NY. Sir William Howe was supposed to come north, along the Hudson, from New York City to Albany. Another British army was expected from the west (led by St. Leger). Burgoyne planned to trap the American army like an insect squashed between three fingers. Then he and Howe could march south together and mop up the rest of the Rebel forces.

Things didn't go as Burgoyne expected. General Howe decided to head for Philadelphia instead of Albany. And the western army got involved in other battles and never made it east. Nevertheless, General Burgoyne went ahead with his plans. He sailed down Lake Champlain and recaptured Fort Ticonderoga (the fort that Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, and the Green Mountain Boys had taken). In London there were wild celebrations when that news arrived. King George yelled, "I have beat them! I have beat them!"

Battle of Saratoga

Then Gentleman Johnny (as Burgoyne was sometimes called) went on to Fort Edward. When the Patriots saw him coming, they abandoned the fort. But they found another way to fight. They cut down trees and threw them all over the roads. That slowed the British army and the wagons and the heavy cannons they dragged with them. The Americans sniped- Indian-style - from the woods. Those small guerrilla attacks kept the British soldiers on edge and scared.

Cont’d

The Battle of Saratoga marked a major turning point in the war. This marked the end of a British threat to New England and destroyed hopes of an easy British victory.

This battle also convinced the French that the Americans might have a chance of winning.

Result?

Ben Franklin diplomacy

Although France had been secretly smuggling money and arms to the colonists, they did not outright want to support them unless they knew the colonists had a chance of winning.

But after the Battle of Saratoga, the French were convinced, especially by American Diplomat Ben Franklin. They, along with the Netherlands and Spain also went to war. By spreading out the war to Europe and the Caribbean, the British were fighting on many fronts, giving the Americans an advantage.

Marquis de Lafayette: high ranking officer in Washington’s army and considered a hero to the American people

France in the War

Valley Forge

Why is Adam so certain that their side will win? What side is he fighting on?

Great Britain’s strength was its Navy and the colonists barely had any ships to speak of at the beginning of the war.

But by 1779, the colonists built up a Navy (though still not the size of Britain’s). The most famous sea battle was off the coast of England.

American: John Paul Jones with his ship Bonhomme Richard British: The warship Serapis

With cannons and musket fire ripping through both wooden sides, Jones refused to give up even though his ship was in tatters. He famously said, “I have not yet begun to fight!” Eventually, the English surrendered and Jones became a national hero.

Privateers: armed civilian ships that had their gov’t’s permission to attack enemy ships and keep their goods (aka pirates!). They were paid by the American navy and it forced the British navy to spend valuable resources to protect their merchant ships.

John Paul Jones

Why was the Battle of Saratoga a turning point in the war?

Final Question

War and Society: Native Americans

War and Society: African Americans

War and Society: Women

British Goal: Capture key cities and win over the local population

The British thought that they had strong loyalist sympathizers who were willing to fight for the British cause (hint: they didn’t)

The War Moves South

Swamp Fox

Francis Marion

Benedict Arnold

Battle of Yorktown

• British General: Cornwallis

• American General: Washington

• French General: Rochambeau

Treaty of Paris

Points of the Treaty of Paris

1.Acknowledging the United States (viz. the Colonies) to be free, sovereign and independent states, and that the British Crown and all heirs and successors relinquish claims to the Government, property, and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof;2.Establishing the boundaries between the United States and British North America;3.Granting fishing rights to United States fishermen in the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence;4.Recognizing the lawful contracted debts to be paid to creditors on either side;5.The Congress of the Confederation will "earnestly recommend" to state legislatures to recognize the rightful owners of all confiscated lands "provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties, which have been confiscated belonging to real British subjects [Loyalists]";6.United States will prevent future confiscations of the property of Loyalists;7.Prisoners of war on both sides are to be released and all property left by the British army in the United States unmolested (including slaves);8.Great Britain and the United States were each to be given perpetual access to the Mississippi River;9.Territories captured by Americans subsequent to treaty will be returned without compensation;10.Ratification of the treaty was to occur within six months from the signing by the contracting parties.

How did the Americans win the war? Lack of faith on the part of British soldiers/ citizens French aid Key battle victories Refused to fight on British terms Britain wasn’t interested in going into further debt

Final Question