Independence Flashcards
What did General Gage do at the outbreak of war?
1774-5 - gage sent spies through Massachusetts to assess the strength of colonial resistance.
1775 - Gage sent troops to Salem to seize munitions, British troops were outnembered and forced to withdraw.
What were the events at Lexington and Concord?
- Dartmouth sends Gage a letter ordering him to arrest rebel leaders and use force to disarm the population.
- Gage sends 700 men under Colonel Smith to Concord to seize rebel arms and arrest the leaders of the provincial government.
(Massachusetts were informed of British intentions by Paul Revere).
Troops find their path barred by 70 minutemen - shots fired and 8 colonists killed.
British troops faced a larger militia at concord, they destroyed military stores but failed to arrest rebel leaders.
Who arrives with a relief force for the British at Lexington?
Lord Percy.
How many casualties did Britain face at Lexington and Concord compared to American casualties?
British troops suffered 273 casualties.
America lost 92 men.
What happened within a week of the events at Lexington and Concord ?
20,000 New England militia men seized Boston.
What was the results of Lexington and Concord?
- Turned a political dispute into a military one.
- Galvanised military preparations across the colonies.
-Militia men led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold seized Fort Ticonderoga.
When was the Second Continental Congress?
May 1775
- attended by 65 delegates from all 13 colonies.
What was the result of the Second Continental Congress?
- The formation of a continental Army.
- Appointment of George Washington to lead it.
- Voted to issue $2 million in paper money to fund the conflict.
- Olive Branch petition.
- Congress adopts A Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms - Listed colonial grievances.
What was the Olive Branch Petition?
Professed an American attachment to George III and asked Britain to stop further hostile measures.
It is rejected - arrives at the same time as news of Bunker Hill.
What happened at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775)?
- Colonists look to occupy Bunker Hill, but end up occupying neighbouring Breed’s Hill.
- General Howe attacks the Americans and regains control of Breeds Hill.
Was the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) really a victory for the British?
No.
Howe lost 1000/2500 men.
Americans lost less than half that number.
1/8 of British officers killed in the entire battle were killed at Bunker Hill.
How many men in the continental army when Washington takes charge?
15,000 men and less than 50 canons.
Why was British in action in Boston a benefit for the rebels?
General Gages troops bottled up in Boston meant that rebels could consolidate their hold elsewhere.
What were the events of the invasion of Canada?
1775 - Congress decide to invade Canada in hope that the French population would join the rebellion.
Richard Montgomery +1200 men and Benedict Arnold go to Canada.
- Montgomery captures Montreal.
- Joins Arnold in Quebec.
- General Carlton (British commander) +1800 men including French Canadians go to defend Quebec.
- Montgomery killed and Arnold wounded - many men deserted.
- Arrival of British reinforcements in the spring ended the siege.
Why were Montgomery and Arnold keen to make a quick attack on Quebec?
American enlistments expired at the end of the year.
What were the events of the war in the South?
- Lord Dunmore and 500 loyalists with several warships launched an attack on Virginian costal towns.
- 1775, intelligence from royal-governors suggested a co-ordinated operation from loyalist could end the rebellion in Georgia and the Carolina’s.
- Loyalists defeated at Moore’s Creek.
- General Clinton sailed from Boston and tried unsuccessfully to take Charlestown.
Why were those in the south more prepared to support the British?
- Backcountry settler colonists resented the tide-water elite and were ready to support the British.
What is Dunmore’s Proclamation?
Promises freedom to enslaved people freedom if they fled their rebel masters and aided the British war effort.
What caused General Howe’s army to evacuate Boston in 1776?
Henry Know co-ordinated artillery for the continental army from Ticonderoga to Boston.
- 170,000 rebels captured Dorchester Heights.
- Howe’s army evacuates and goes towards Nova Scotia.
Why did not all Americans want independence?
- Large remained loyal to Britain.
- Whilst prepared to fight many remained loyal to the crown.
Why did hope for reconciliation fade in 1776?
- George III was bent on subjugation.
- Several months of fighting had weakened British American ties.
- Southern support for independence increased after Dunmore’s proclamation.
When was Common Sense published?
1776 - Thomas Paine.
How many copies of Common Sense were initially sold?
120,000 - seen as easily accessible.
What did Paine argue in Common Sense?
- Independence was a foregone conclusion and called on American’s to establish a republic.
