Lecture 13: American Revolution

Question 1

Lexington and Concord—British Parliament ordered for these two towns to be captured by whom, why, when, and what was the result/significance?

Answer 1

• Thomas Gage led Brits to occupy them.
• Purpose was to capture the supplies/armaments that had been gathered by American revolutionaries in the area.
• When: April 1775.
• The result was a series of skirmishes and a battle in Concord between revolutionary militia and British soldiers—the Brits were defeated and drove back to Boston.
• This marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

Question 2

What was the Olive Branch Petition? When? What did it call for? What were the results?

Answer 2

• Petition by the Second Continental Congress to King George III.
• In July 5, 1775.
• Asked for the protection of American colonists from Parliament’s military actions.
• Was basically futile.

Question 3

When did the Second Continental Congress convene? How do they relate to the Continental Army and George Washington?

Answer 3

• May 10, 1775.
• They formed the Continental Army out of the militia units around Boston and appointed George Washington as commanding general.

Question 4

Common Sense—who authored it, what did it argue, and what was its significance?

Answer 4

• Thomas Paine wrote it.
• It argued that monarchies were terrible and advocated a republic/representative government.
• Its significance was that it turned the tide of war in its argument that monarchies were tyrannical—it swayed Americans that there was no hope for reconciliation with the British.

Question 5

The Declaration of Independence—who wrote it (mainly), when, and what did it assert?

Answer 5

• Thomas Jefferson.
• July 4, 1776.
• Embodied contract theory of gov’t: assertion that people ought to overthrow their gov’t if it violates their rights.

Question 6

What were the British advantages during the American War for Independence?

Answer 6

• Best navy in the world by far.
• Extremely powerful army—outnumbered American manpower by a lot.
• More access to credit.
• Hired Hessians—German mercenaries.
• Loyalists in America: ~20% of Americans were loyal to England.

Question 7

What were the American advantages during the American War for Independence?

Answer 7

• Strong leadership: George Washington training the militias into an army, Benjamin Franklin convincing the French to help their cause.

Question 8

A/Rev, New York Campaign—when did it happen, who were the belligerents, how and who achieved victory, and what were the results?

Answer 8

• 1776-7.
• George Washington vs. William Howe+Hessians.
• Initially GW was pushed out of New York, but he surprised the Hessian troops at the battle of Trenton and largely achieved victory—in 1777 Americans also won a victory at Princeton.

Question 9

A/Rev, Saratoga—What happened? Outcome? Significance for the war?

Answer 9

• Fall of 1777.
• Decisive victory for Americans; 6000 British soldiers surrendered.
• Proved to France that Americans have a chance at succeeding, which led to France joining the war on the Americans’ side.

Question 10

Who was Joseph Brant and what was his role in the American Revolution?

Answer 10

• He was a Mohawk chief.
• Led the Iroquois Confederacy against the American Revolutionaries (they sided with Britain).
• Significant for the Western theater of the war, which was largely just small skirmishes.

Question 11

Why did most of the American Indians side with the Brits during A/Rev?

Answer 11

• Because they thought (correctly) that the British would treat them better than the Americans.