week 13 - the war up to 1776 Flashcards
seige of boston
washington prepared to take dorchester heights near boston
americans puzzled that gage and howe had never bothered to do so.
not only should they have done this to keep it out of the hands of the americans, but it was a good pasture for their horses and cattle.
several factors accounting for this
torpor fell over the british after bunker hill
gage had lost all enthusiasm for the fight as he suspected that he was about to be lose his position as governor-general
from the moment he had assumed his command, howe had been given the green light to abandon boston
the british knew that they could easily occupy the heights, but that they might have to pay a heavy price to keep it, as it could be attacked on 3 sides and could be bombarded mercilessly by washington’s artillery.
washington’s plan
washington’s final plan for taking dorchester heights included a steady bombing of boston on the nights of march 2nd to the 4th.
on the last of these nights, 2,000 men under general thomas, accompanied by oxen that were to pull wagons loaded with paraphernalia, were to steal up the heights and prepare defensive earthworks.
the british awakened to find the american infantry and artillery staring down into boston harbour and guarded by a labyrinth of defensive emplacements.
it was “a most astonishing nights work” one british officer marvelled.
british reactions
howe knew that he could use the rn to exit boston
he saw little reason to risk the lives and morale of his men by undertaking a bloody attack
march 7th: howe offered washington a bargain- If “his majesty’s troops should not be molested during their embarkation or at their departure” he would not torch boston
washington’s choice: capture/destroy howe’s army v the utter destruction of boston
massachusetts authorities pressures him to let howe leave
feared that if Boston was destroyed other cities such as philadelphia, new York and charleston would work even harder to find a settlement with gb
accepted the deal
war in the south 1775 - 1776
why did most british officials quickly depart?
patriots took control
in virginia, the royal governor resisted.
war in the south 1775 - 1776
gunpowder incident
gunpowder incident of april 20, 1775, lord dunmore, the royal governor of virginia, removed gunpowder stored in williamsburg to a british warship in thejJames river.
saw rising unrest in the colony and was trying to deprive virginia militia of supplies needed for insurrection.
patriot militia led by partic henry forced dunmore to pay for the gunpowder.
dunmore continued to hunt for caches of military equipment and supplies in the following months, acts that were sometimes anticipated by patriot militia, who would move supplies before his arrival.
war in the south 1775 - 1776
what did dunmore issue in november 1775 and why?
emancipation proclamation in promising freedom to runaway slaves who fought for the british.
after an incident at kemp’s landing in november where dunmore’s troops killed and captured patriot militiamen, patriot forces defeated loyalist troops (which included runaway slaves dunmore had formed into his ethiopian regiment) at the battle of great bridge on december 9th
war in the south 1775 - 1776
what happened next?
dunmore and his troops retreated toroyal navy ships anchored off norfolk; these naval forces bombarded and burned the town on January 1, 1776.
patriot forces in the town completed the destruction of the former loyalist stronghold.
dunmore was driven from an island in chesapeake bay that summer, and never returned to virginia.
