Rebellion and Independence 1765-83 Flashcards
Reaction to Lexington and Concord
20,000 minute men
20,000 Minute men surround Boston area and keep the regulars stuck in Boston.
Reaction to Lexington and Concord
2nd Continental Congress Philadelphia 1775
All 13 colonies show up, building unity. Continue with the boycotts, able to create change. Write petitions. Continue to field army, choosing GW (V). Philadelphia and V, the south and NE are united. 2nd Continental Congress acts as the government for a while.
Rebellion under the King
Ticonderoga May 1775
Get artillary from an English Garrison to lay seige to Boston where the british troops are.
Rebellion under the King
Bunker Hill June 1775
British understand if the colines can keep the high ground, thye’re in trouble. British soldiers come rushing up this hill “Hold your fire
till you see the white of their eyes” to save weapons. Have 3 waves, until they’re out of ammunition. They’re able to conquer Breeds hill (misnomer). Costly victory to the British, lots of casualties.
Reluctant revolutionaries
Olive Branch Petition July 5, 1775
Last ditch attempt at peace by Continental Congress. Trying to revert the violence. King decides that they’re not going to do that. King declares colonies are in state of rebellion. Hires hessians, german mercenarries. Kings troops burning Norfolk and falmouth in Maine. Pass the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms, why they’re taking up arms and raising an army. England passes Prohibitory act 1775 which okay’s a naval blockade.
Rebellion under the King
Why are colonists still reluctant
9 million vs 2.5 million
Strong centralized government vs decentralized
Taxes, borrow, specie vs no taxes, hard to borrow, paper money
Large Navy, army, mercenaries, loyalists 1/3 vs. militia 1/3
Onset of industrial revolution vs no manufacturing
Far vs home land
No Turning Back
Thomas Paine’s common sense
Best seller, using every day language, laymans terms. Most of the propaganda was passed through pubs, spread, and turns the tide. King is acting like a tyrant, not god’s representative. people can rule themselves wihtout a king and calls for a republic. The king is holding them back, a small country across the ocean is controlling them
No Turning Bac
Declaration of Independence
Committee of Five, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Sherman, Livingston. Content justifies rebellion and lists causes. Stands ideology of a new country, that they have the right to life liberty and pursuit of happiness. “endowed by unalianable rights that cannot be taken away” spirit of 76
Choosing Sides
Loyalists or Tories/Patriots
Loyalists
Loyalists remain loyal to the king- royal employees, older people, Anglicans in the south, NY aristocrats (always aristocrats, wealthy, entitled feeling who had large plantations and tracks of land, looking to the crown for support), quakers didn’t want to fight, slaves promised to get freedom
Choosing Sides
Loyalists or Tories/Patriots
Patriots
Liberals, people who embraced the enlightenment. New Englanders, self government and defiance, like John Adams. Wealthy southern planters, felt they wanted to trade with who they wanted to. Scots-Irish hate the british, fled their home land to carve out their own existence. Women and Republcian motherhood- need women to teach the next generation about how to live in a republic. Boycotts, homespun, run businesses and farms when husbands are away.
Choosing Sides
Loyalists or Tories/Patriots
Treatment of Loyalists
Harrassment, taking of property. Upwards of 180,000 loyalists head to Canada or England. Leaves power vacume as the wealthy leave. Some loyalists spy on continental army. 1/3 population
Military Engagements
After Bunker Hill
Starts in the North. Need Virginia’s support so choose GW for lead colonial army. British Leave Boston for New York. They leave them there, so they relocate where there are more loyalists. Good because there’s no way they would have been able to defeat them at that time. Gives them time to prepare.
Military Engagement
New York and Jew Jersey 1776
Washington and his men cross the Delaware and attack the Hessian troops Christmas in 1776
Military Engagements
Saratoga 1777
Burgoyne up north in Massachusetts wants to cut of New England from the Colonies. Howe comes from the south and is held up. US soldiers are able to defeat Burgoyne in Saratoga. France now supports the colonists, becomes official allies. England doesn’t have to worry just about the oclonies, but France as wel.
Military Engagements
Valley Forge 1777-1778
Hunkering down for the winter. Very few supplies and money. Congress has no powers. Army dwindles, people desert and don’t re-enlist. Baron Von Steuben trains the continental army, and is given credit for the army success.
Military Engagements
French Support
Ammunition and Supplies. in 1778, and the open treaty, they give weapons, troops, and ships. Becomes a world war. FIghting in Colonies becomes secondary to England and gives the US upperhand
Military Engagements
Yorktown, Virginia 1781
General Cornwallis go to the south, want to roll up the colonies. British looking to be re-supplied in Virginia peninsula. French Fleet shows up instead. Cornwallis caught between French Navy and Continental Army. British army surrenders, making it the last major battle.
Peace
After Yorktwon
British is weary after several wars. British suffered many looses in west indies, Europe, and India. British merchants are losing money. New leadership (lord North) leads liberal party (Whigs) sympathetic to the colonies. England didn’t get demolished, just tired out
Peace
Franklin and Jay
They don’t want to negotiate with France because it will make them stronger. The colonists get all the ohio river valley from the 7 year war.
Peace
Treaty of Paris 1783
US independence recognized. America gains land out west.England will vacate forts in Ohio, but they don’t do that for a while. Sharead fishing righst off the grand banks. Americans will return loyalists property. Americans will repay debt to british merchants. Want to mend the economic access to Britain
How did the Colonists win their independence
English Disadvantages
Supply line was draining and not time efficient. England had been fighting constant war, and had war weariness. Colonists were fighting on the land that they knew.
How did the Colonists win their independence
American Advantages
Fighting for their land and their own cause, not like professional soldiers. Support from large amounts of patriots as loyalists leave, especially with French support. More geurilla warfare.
African Americans in the Revolution
RI Black battalion, led by white leaders. In the South, they had the Not allowed to fight as much. They were able to work on the ships. Royal Governor of VI offers 800 slaves to fight for the 1775’s Virginia’s Ethiopian Regiment.
