Lesson 3-4: Winning the War Flashcards
What ultimately helped the colonists win the Revolutionary War?
Help from other European countries, such as France and Spain.
What motivated both countries to aid the Americans in the war?
The fact that they had both lost valuable American land to the British during the French and Indian War.
How did the French specifically help the Americans?
By sending gunpowder, artillery, and muskets.
Who did the Americans send to France (and when) that further motivated France to aid the Patriots?
Benjamin Franklin; 1776.
- Franklin’s diplomacy skills and the victory at Saratoga (December 1777) heavily influenced the French.
During Franklin’s visit, the French signed two treaties. What were they?
1) Formally recognized the United States as an independent country
2) Promised military help.
The Marquis de Lafayette
- 19/20 years old
- Ambitious
- Hated the British; his father was killed in the Seven Years’ War
- Joined the misery at Valley Forge
- 1779: Lobbied for French reinforcements
- Led a command of troops in Virginia towards the end of the war
Friedrich von Steuben
- A firm believer in military discipline
- Prussian captain
- Bent the American soldiers into shape, with the blessing of General Washington, during the terrible winter at Valley Forge
In the summer of 1778, the British decided to move South after their defeat at Saratoga. Why?
They hoped to garner Loyalist support there, reclaim their former colonies in that region, and then fight their way back up North and defeat General Washington.
In the summer of 1778, the British took what area?
Savannah, Georgia
- By 1779, a British governor was commanding Georgia.
The greatest British victory of the war was the capture of Charles Town, South Carolina. Who were the commanding generals of this military operation, and when did it occur?
General Henry Clinton and General Charles Cornwallis; 1780
What occurred after the capture of Charles Town?
- 5,500 Americans were captured as prisoners of war
- Clinton left Cornwallis to command the British forces in the South and conquer North and South Carolina
- A BIG JOB!
How did General Cornwallis do with these tasks?
For most of 1780, he was doing well.
- As the redcoats advanced, they were joined by many African Americans hoping to win their freedom from their Patriot masters.
What happened at Camden, South Carolina?
Cornwallis smashed American troops, and, within three months, the British set up forts all across that state.
What happened when Cornwallis made his way to North Carolina?
Patriot forces flanked his soldiers, cut their communications lines, and continuous harassment forced the British to retreat back to South Carolina.
What did General Washington do when the British started to retreat back to South Carolina?
He sent Nathaniel Greene, his best general, to further harass the British as they retreated.
How did Greene accomplish this task?
He sent 600 soldiers to South Carolina, where the British were retreating to, under the command of General Daniel Morgan.
What did Cornwallis do as a result of Morgan’s troops heading to South Carolina?
He sent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his troops to “pursue Morgan’s soldiers.”
When and where did the two forces meet?
Cowpens, South Carolina; January 1781
What did the British expect from the Americans?
To surrender because they were outnumbered.
What actually happened at the Battle of Cowpens?
The Continental Army pushed forward and forced the redcoats to surrender.
What did Cornwallis do in retaliation for the loss at Cowpens?
Attacked Greene and his soldiers at Guilford Court House, North Carolina.
- Cornwallis won, but lost almost a fourth of his soldiers.
What did Cornwallis do after his losses in the Carolinas?
Decided to move to Virginia, where he met up with reinforcements.
Cornwallis’ attempt #1 in the North after the Carolinas:
Tried to defeat the divisions led by Lafayette and von Steuben
Cornwallis’ attempt #2 in the North after the Carolinas:
Led his army of 7,500 to the peninsula between the James and York Rivers. He camped at Yorktown, near the original settlement at Jamestown.
What did Cornwallis plan to do at Yorktown?
Fortify it, take Virginia, and then move North to join Clinton’s forces.
When news of Cornwallis’ plan reached the Marquis de Lafayette, what did he suggest?
That the American and French armies join forces with the two French fleets and attack the British forces at Yorktown.
What were the three steps to the victory at Yorktown?
1) A French naval force defeated a British fleet
2) The French naval force blocked the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, so that the British could not receive help, reinforcement, or have a chance to escape
3) 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British at Yorktown and hounded them day and night.
How long did the siege of Yorktown last?
About three weeks.
When did Cornwallis finally surrender?
October 17, 1781
When did the peace talks begin, and where?
1782; Paris
Which countries joined in the peace talks?
1) The United States
2) Britain
3) France
4) Spain
What did Britain want from the peace talks?
Avoid giving America full independence
What did France want from the peace talks?
Supported American independence, but was concerned about America becoming a major power.
What did Spain want from the peace talks?
Wanted to acquire lands between the Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River.
What did many observers think was going to happen at the peace talks?
That the American diplomats were going to be outwitted by the European diplomats.
Who did the Americans send to the peace talks?
1) John Adams
2) Benjamin Franklin
3) John Jay of New York
What did these three men force Britain to agree to before the peace talks could begin?
Granting full American independence
In September 1783, what was signed?
The Treaty of Paris
What did this Treaty of Paris do?
- Confirmed U.S. Independence
- Set the boundaries of the new nation
What were the boundaries of the new United States of America?
- From the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River
- From Canada to the Florida border
What were some problems that the Treaty of Paris left unresolved?
1) The British made no attempt to protect the land interests of their Native American allies
2) The treaty did not specify when the British had to leave their forts in America
3) The Americans agreed that British creditors could collect the debts owed to them by the Americans
4) The Americans agreed that Loyalists could sue in state courts for recovery of their personal losses.
How did the Revolutionary War affect class distinctions in the United States?
The clear boundary line between the upper and lower classes began to blur, due, in part, to the fact that the upper classes began to wear homespun clothing and military leaders were obliged to show respect for all of their men.
Egalitarianism
The belief in equality for all people.
This rise in egalitarianism changed the way Americans measured worth. In what ways did they measure worth after the Revolutionary War?
By ability, effort, and virtue; as opposed to family ties and/or wealth from before the Revolutionary War.
There were exceptions to the spirit of egalitarianism. What was the main one?
The fact that the spirit of egalitarianism only applied to white males.
The American Revolution did NOT bring any new political rights to women. What were the small changes that were given to women’s rights in SOME states?
In some states, women were allowed to divorce.
What basic principle of a married woman still remained?
That all of her property belonged to her husband.
The American Revolution DID shift ideas about women’s roles. How so?
During the war…
- Women became more politically active, organizing boycotts and supporting the war effort.
- Women ran farms and businesses quite well
- Some women even fought in battle/defended their homes
The American Revolution also brought about the idea of republican motherhood. What were some of the main pillars of this concept?
- Mothers had a civic responsibility in raising children
- A mother’s job was to raise intelligent, patriotic children
- Sons = Raise to become leaders
- Daughters = Raise to become republican mothers
By what year did many northern states take steps to outlaw slavery?
1804
Who did the concept of egalitarianism also not apply to?
African Americans
The Southern states would not budge on their stance on slavery. However, what did they do in accordance with the Northern states taking steps to outlaw slavery?
Southern states made it easier for slave owners to free their slaves.
In what portion of the South was the practice of slavery morally considered?
The upper South; closer to the North
- Some decided to free their slaves
Where did the moral conversation of slavery not quite reach?
The deep South
How did the American Revolution affect Native Americans?
It made them uncertain about the future.
- During the war, many communities had been dissolved or displaced
- American settlers began to move west and take over tribal lands unprotected by the Treaty of Paris.
Once the Revolutionary War had officially ended, the Americans had to create a new style of government. What did they want this government to look like?
- They wanted a state republic, a government of the people
- They wanted no taxation without representation
What motto did the Continental Congress choose for the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States?
“A new order of the ages”
What were some questions that the Americans desperately had to respond to?
1) Who should participate in government?
2) How should the government answer to the people?
3) How could a government be set up so that opposing groups of citizens would all have a voice.
