The American Revolution II Flashcards
Timeline: America’s War for Independence, 1775-1783
1775 - Battles of Lexington and Concord and British win costly victory at ‘Battle of Bunker Hill’. 1776 - Thomas Paine publishes ‘Common Sense’ and ‘2nd Continental Congress’ signs ‘Declaration of Independence’. 1777 - American forces defeat General Burgoyne at the ‘Battle of Saratoga’. 1781 - Lord Cornwallis surrenders to American and French forces at Yorktown. 1783 - The United States and Great Britain sign the ‘Treaty of Paris’.
The Early Years of the Revolution
The British successfully implemented the first part of their strategy to isolate New England when they took New York City in the fall of 1776. For the next seven years, they used New York as a base of operations, expanding their control to Philadelphia in the winter of 1777. After suffering through a terrible winter in 1777–1778 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, American forces were revived with help from Baron von Steuben, a Prussian military officer who helped transform the Continental Army into a professional fighting force. The effort to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies failed with the General Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga in October 1777. After Saratoga, the struggle for independence gained a powerful ally when France agreed to recognize the United States as a new nation and began to send much needed military support. The entrance of France—Britain’s arch rival in the contest of global empire—into the American fight helped to turn the tide of the war in favor of the revolutionaries.
Explain America’s early difficulties in the Revolutionary War.
In the fall of 1776, the well-trained, well-quipped British fighting machine arrived and overwhelmed Washington’s ragtag band of militia by capturing New York and 3,000 American POW. The Continental Army dwindled from an impressive 20,000 troops in March to just 5,000 by winter. Unlike the British regulars, Americans weren’t professional soldiers and needed to divide time between fighting and attending to domestic needs. The original enlistment term for the Continental Army was a maximum of one year, causing significant turnover and training and logistic problems for George Washington. At least one man plotted to supplant Washington as commander of the Continental Army.
The Battle of Trenton
In what’s known as the Battle of Trenton, on Christmas 1776 the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River in the middle of a stormy night - taking the British army off guard - and captured nearly 1,000 prisoners, supplies, and equipment; then successfully defended the city from an advancing British army. Capturing Trenton, NJ, was not merely a military victory, it was a badly needed morale boost. Over the course of the winter, Washington pushed the British back to their base in New York City.
The Battle of Saratoga
Fought eighteen days apart in the fall of 1777, the two Battles of Saratoga were a turning point in the American Revolution. On September 19th, British General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. Though his troop strength had been weakened, Burgoyne again attacked the Americans at Bemis Heights on October 7th, but this time was defeated and forced to retreat. He surrendered ten days later, and the American victory convinced the French government to formally recognize the colonist’s cause and enter the war as their ally.
Marquis de Lafayette
Early in the war, Benjamin Franklin had petitioned France for help. They sent secret financial aid but refused to send soldiers. An exception to this was Marquis de Lafayette who, despite this ban, paid to outfit his own ship and faught in America as a major general. He proved himself to be a valuable military leader. Many other Frenchmen also traveled to America to enlist on their own.
Valley Forge and Baron von Steuben
The Continental Army was forced to withdraw to the safety of Valley Forge, PA in the winter of 1777. Of Washington’s 12,000 troops, ~4,000 were declared unfit for duty as a result of malnutrition, exposure, and disease; and nearly ~3,000 died. Marquis de Lafayette and Prussian officer Baron von Steuben helped transform the Continental Army that winter. Although von Steuben who was not actually a Baron and inflated his military credentials, he was effective in systematically training American soldiers based on the Prussian military system. In the spring of 1778, Washington’s reduced force was better organized and more prepared for battle than the previous year. Additionally, France’s entrance into the war had forced Britain to divert resources elsewhere and French soldiers had arrived to the colonies.
Colonial Naval Battles - Battle of Machias
The Battle of Machias occurred as the first sea battle of the revolution on June 12, 1775. Rather than give in to the owner of a merchant fleet who refused to sell his supplies unless the town gave him wood to build soldiers’ barracks in Boston, the townsmen of Machias, Maine, had plotted to arrest the owner and seize the ships’ cargo; however, the crew had spotted the militia, fled to the safety of the British military escort, and set sail. After commandeering one of the merchant ships, the militia armed themselves as best they could and overtook the British Navy schooner. After ramming her side, 40 patriots boarded the enemy vessel, killed her commander, and took control of the ship. The Battle of Machias occurred on June 12, 1775.
Colonial Naval Battles - Privateers
To boost their maritime power, the Continental Congress and some states issued Letters of Marque to private ship owners, authorizing them to attack foreign ships during war. They were paid a percentage of the value they seized, so incentive was high. These commissioned private vessels were called privateers, and though their actions aren’t well known, they played an important role in gaining independence.
Colonial Naval Battles - the Turtle
The world’s first military submarine was built early in the Revolution. Named the Turtle, the submersible could be fully maneuvered and was designed to attach explosives to the bottom of British ships in the harbors. Though the Turtle was documented as deploying twice, it never sank a ship.
Influence of the Continental Navy on the Revolution
American ships impeded British troop and supply movement in the freshwater of the American continent, raided English colonies, and captured British merchant ships throughout the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and even English waters. The Continental Navy was very effective at capturing supplies from British merchant ships. It also kept an estimated 16,000 British soldiers and sailors out of battle, transported American diplomats and occasional troops, and helped defend several important cities. More than a few personal fortunes were made. It was also very dangerous work, with POWs being pressed into service for the Royal Navy or sent onto prison ships.
John Paul Jones
One of the most famous commanders was John Paul Jones (1747-1792) and is considered to be the founding father of the US Navy. He volunteered for naval service immediately when the war erupted in 1775. The following year, he defeated 16 British ships on a single mission. He also captured three British warships and even launched an attack on an English village. His most famous battle was in 1779 against ‘His Majesty’s Ship Serapis’ in which, after being asked if he was ready to surrender, declared “I have not yet begun to fight”. Both his ship and the Serapis were lost, but Jones still earned the Serapis’ surrender and took an accompanying British ship called the Scarborough. His actions encouraged foreign navies to join the war, and soon the French, Spanish, and Dutch Navies were on America’s side, diverting Britain’s attention away from the colonies.
Understand how foreign navies aided America during the Revolutionary War.
The assistance of foreign navies was critical to America’s success in the war by diverting Britain’s attention and resources away from the colonies. For example, when France sailed for America in 1778, British General Howe decided to abandon his occupation of Philadelphia. Spain entered the war in 1780, laid siege to Gibraltar, and captured Florida, which England had occupied since the French and Indian War. The Dutch Navy started interfering with trade routes in the North Sea, further distracting the British from their main task of controlling the rebellious colonies.
Colonial Naval Battles - The Battle of the Chesapeake
France’s navy was indispensable in bringing the Revolution to a close in the fall of 1781. In the Battle of the Chesapeake, one French fleet forced the British navy to retreat to New York, while a smaller force slipped into Chesapeake Bay to effectively blockade the British Army. The British surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. It was the end of the war in North America, though naval engagements between the European powers continued for another two years.
War in the South
The British gained momentum in the war when they turned their military efforts against the southern colonies. They scored repeated victories in the coastal towns, where they found legions of supporters, including slaves escaping bondage. As in other colonies, however, control of major seaports did not mean the British could control the interior. Fighting in the southern colonies devolved into a merciless civil war as the Revolution opened the floodgates of pent-up anger and resentment between frontier residents and those along the coastal regions. The southern campaign came to an end at Yorktown in 1781 when Cornwallis surrendered to American forces.
Understand Britain’s Southern Strategy and their early successes.
Southerners tended to be more pro-British, and the generals planned on having Loyalists (Tory) hold territory in the Deep South while the Regular army swept north.
Understand Britain’s Southern Strategy and their early successes - General Henry Clinton
In 1779, British General Henry Clinton granted freedom to slaves owned by Patriots in order to increase troop numbers and disrupt the Patriot economy, without angering slaveholding Loyalists. The plan started well, with redcoats capturing Georgia and South Carolina fairly easily. At wars end, the British evacuated ~3,000-4,000 freedmen out of many as 100,000 slaves who had attempted to leave their owners.
Understand Britain’s Southern Strategy and their early successes - General Horatio Gates and the Battle of Camden
In 1780, the Continental Army wanted to recover South Carolina. American General Horatio Gates, the ‘hero’ of Saratoga, suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Camden, abandoning the battlefield, and another talented general was killed. It was one of the worst defeats in American military history.
Understand Britain’s Southern Strategy and their early successes - Benedict Arnold
In 1780, turn-coat Benedict Arnold felt he had been disrespected one too many times and began negotiating with the British to betray the Patriots. His plan to surrender West Point was discovered, but Arnold escaped and joined the British army.
Understand Britain’s Southern Strategy and their early successes - Patriot Resurgence in the South
The Continental Army regrouped under General Nathaniel Greene, bolstered by the Overmountain Men and guerrilla fighters. General Greene plagued the redcoats in a series of engagements that gave the British a tactical victory in exchange for heavy casualties, depleted supplies, and no strategic advances. Overmountain Men from the frontier crossed the Appalachian Mountains and defeated Tories in North Carolina. Guerrilla fighters independently waged guerrilla and attrition tactics against Loyalists and British Regulars.
Understand Britain’s Southern Strategy and their early successes - General Charles Cornwallis
The British leadership realized that the Continental Army under General Greene was being supplied from Virginia. Against his commander-in-chief’s advice, British General Charles Cornwallis led his army north with the intention of isolating the Patriots and ending the war. He was counting on Loyalists to hold onto the Deep South. Meanwhile, with his back to the Chesapeake Bay, Cornwallis believed that his position in Yorktown was a good launching point for raids on the American supply line while providing an easy means of retreat to New York by sea if that became necessary.
Final Major Battles of the Revolution - Battle of the Chesapeake
A British fleet from New York was dispatched and clashed with the French at sea in the Battle of the Chesapeake. On September 16, 1781, the British attack fleet retreated to New York with their tails between their legs, leaving General Cornwallis pinned against the bay with France at his back and a combined army of Americans and French approaching from the front. At least 7,000 land forces arrived on September 28, joined by more than 3,000 French marines. The British army was surrounded.
Final Major Battles of the Revolution - Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was really a three-week siege. French and American cannons began to fire on British defensive positions without stopping in order to prevent the British from making any repairs. The allies captured the redoubts and turned the guns back on the British. As the allies drew closer to the town, Cornwallis began sinking his own ships in the harbor to keep them from being captured. After a failed attempt to escape, General Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781.
1783 Treaty of Paris
The British offered the Americans independence in order to refuse other nation’s demands, such as Spain and France, and America accepted. The 1783 Treaty of Paris has ten articles. Perhaps most importantly, the British agreed to recognize American independence as far west as the Mississippi River. Americans agreed to honor debts owed to British merchants from before the war, and both sides agreed to return confiscated property. Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784, though both parties conveniently ignored provisions that didn’t suit their interests. America’s allies didn’t make out so well with their treaties, collectively called the ‘Peace of Paris’. They reached none of their primary objectives, and both Spain and France were left deeply in debt.
