Revolutionary War
Elected representation had a long standing history in the colonies. The House
of Burgesses, Virginia’s state assembly first met in 1619. Virginia was a powerful
colony in terms of wealth and political influence…in fact seven of the first ten U.S.
presidents were born in Virginia and was once known as “The birthplace of
presidents”. Peyton Randolph, the head of Virginia’s House of Burgesses, was
selected to be the President of the 1st Continental Congress. Charles Thomson, the
leader of the Sons of Liberty Philadelphia branch, was selected as Secretary.
September 1774 – 1st Continental Congress - By the time that the relations
between King George III and his American subjects were beginning to sour, the
colonists were ready for broader representation. In the 56 colonial delegates
convened in Philadelphia to discuss the rights of the King’s subjects in America at
the 1st Continental Congress. 12 of the 13 colonies were represented (no
Georgia) in Philadelphia & the colonies had their first organized government. The 1st
congress organized a boycott of British goods, threatened to halt exports to Great
Britain, & told the colonies to begin forming militias. This meeting also set the stage
for the more important Second Continental Congress. The 1st Continental Congress
ended on October 21st, 1774.
April 19th, 1775 – Lexington & Concord - British troops marched to seize the
armory at Concord. 70 or so militiamen on the mall at Lexington met them.
Someone fired a shot (the “shot heard around the world”) and the battle was on.
Eight minutemen were killed and the Brits marched on to find an empty armory. On
the return trip, the Redcoats were ambushed by 3,000 to 4,000 of the militia and
were routed. Reserves from Boston saved many of the Brits.
May 10th, 1775 - The 2nd Continental Congress first meets in Philadelphia in
response to the violence at Lexington and Concord. Unlike the first, this second
assembly had a long and productive existence. The second congress operated the
colonial war effort for 6 years by raising armies, printing paper money,
developing a war strategy, and negotiating treaties. When Peyton Randolph had to
go back to Virginia, Thomas Jefferson was asked to be president but declined so John
Hancock accepted. John Hancock became the president of the 2nd Continental
Congress.
July 8, 1775 - Olive Branch Petition - The 2nd Continental Congress came up
with this petition as a last ditch effort to prevent war with Great Britain. Another
letter, however, written by Samuel Adams to a friend that said war with Great Britain
unavoidable was confiscated. This letter was delivered to King George at the same
time the Olive Branch Petition arrived. King George III rejected the petition
and said the colonies were in rebellion and needed to be put down. The British
imposed naval blockade on the colonies.
Wartime
***The colonies were not unanimously in favor of revolution.
*Revolutionaries (Patriots) included merchants, farmers, immigrants, and
Quakers (although they don’t fight).
*Loyalists (Tories) include government officials and some intellectuals who
believed revolution is too radical. Most sided with their vested interest, as is the case
in most historical events.
Early Colonial Strategy - The colonies had decided early on that they wanted to
keep the British army in Boston and prevent them from moving out. They mounted a
siege around Boston and had built redoubts (small forts built into the ground
outside of a main fort) around the city. The colonists had settled into their redoubts
on Breed’s and Bunker’s Hill and awaited General Howe to attack. The colonists
wanted to maintain the Charlestown Peninsula before GB did. Washington brought
artillery taken from their win at Fort Ticonderoga and positioned it on Dorchester
Heights to keep the British in Boston. (GB evacuated on March 17, 1776).
Strategies
At the beginning of the conflict, each side had 3 strategies designed to gain
the advantage. The Continental Congress drafted the strategy of the Colonists.
***The British
1) Blockade American ports
2) Control northern cities like Boston, New York, and Philly
3) Defeat the Continental Army in a decisive battle.
***The colonists
1) Preserve their inferior army
2) Gain a foreign ally (most likely France)
3) Break the will of the British people to continue the fight.
June 17th, 1775, Battle at Bunker Hill - British General Thomas Gage sent 2400
troops from Boston to attack a colonial force dug in on Breed’s Hill, north of the
city. The British took the hill with heavy casualties (311 colonists to over 1,000 Brit
casualties). This misnamed battle of “Bunker Hill” (the battle was fought primarily
on Breed’s Hill) made Gage hesitant to attack entrenched positions throughout the
rest of the war.
*****There is room for debate as to when the war actually began. A case can
be made that it started at Lexington (4/19/75), or at Breed’s Hill (6/17/75). Some
would say that the Declaration of Independence began hostilities. In any case, by
July 4th, 1776 the war is on.
Back to the War
*July 5, 1775, Fort Ticonderoga - Early on, the Brits intended to break up the
troublemakers in New England (esp. Boston), and then they decided to attack New
York and split the colonies to isolate New England. The colonists won an early
battle at Fort Ticonderoga without firing a single shot. Benedict Arnold and
Ethan Allen surprised the British and took the fort on Lake Champlain.
*Nov 28, 1775, Navy - The 2nd Continental Congress quickly established a Navy to
help the colonists try to defend the seas against an overpowering British Navy.
*Dec 31, 1775 – Benedict Arnold attempted to defeat the British in Canada but
after delays due to weather, his tattered army was quickly defeated.
*January 10, 1776 - “Common Sense” was published (Thomas Paine – who later
published the rights of man that helped spur the French Revolution in 1791) in early
1776 and sold over 500,000 copies (100,000 within a few months). This 47-page
pamphlet brought the argument for freedom down to the common man’s level
and fanned the fire for revolution.
*March 17, 1776 (began April 19th) – The colonists surrounded Boston for 11
months during the siege of Boston. It was successful and the British were forced
out of Boston (“Evacuation Day”).
*April 12, 1776 – The legislature of North Carolina give its delegates at the 2nd
Constitutional Convention the power to declare its independence from Great Britain.
*July 2 & July 4, 1776 – Thomas Jefferson (Virginia Lawyer) was selected to
write the Declaration of Independence: “All men are created equal, endowed by
their creator with certain unalienable rights”… (very much the notions of John
Locke). On 7/2/76, it was presented to Continental Congress but not accepted.
Jefferson made 2 major revisions. Omitted was one part containing a blasting of the
British people. The 2nd was rejected by South Carolina & Georgia after an attack on
the institution of slavery. The revised version, with which we are familiar, was signed
on 7/4/76.
*Nov 16, 1776 – Battles of New York
General William Howe sailed (with his brother, Admiral Richard Howe’s fleet) into
New York with 32,000 troops including a few thousand German Mercenaries
(Hessians). George Washington rallied 23,000 poorly equipped and trained troops
to defend the city, but they were pushed back across the Delaware. The confident
British went on and captured Fort Washington, Fort Lewis, and NYC.
*Dec 25, 1776 - Battle of Trenton - Washington knew his army needed a moral
victory, so on Christmas night of 1776; he rowed across the Delaware with 2,400
men and defeated the British. This was the 1st victory for the colonists and gave
the continental army some much needed morale.
*January 3rd, 1777 – Battle of Princeton – General Washington won
another battle at Princeton, NJ. This gave the colonists momentum for the moment.
*June, 1777 – General Burgoyne (GB) occupies NYC
*July, 1777 – General Howe (GB, was @ Bunker Hill) sails to Chesapeake Bay
*July, 1777 – Marquis de Lafayette joins the Continental Army. The French sent
Marquis de Lafayette to aid the American cause. He led troops, and continued to give
the colonial army more the look of a professional, European style army. This was
critical, as the American had been fighting a guerilla war but would eventually have
to defeat a large British force to gain independence. This proves huge because he
becomes the French ally they needed to later persuade France to join their side.
---Lafayette sailed to France in late ’78 to persuade the French to join. Sailed back & trapped Cornwallis @ Yorktown.
*Aug 16, 1777 – Battle of Bennington – The Continental Army handed British
General Burgoyne and his army their 1st defeat as they were going to resupply.
*September 9-11, 1777 – Battle of Brandywine Creek - General Howe’s calvary
gained control of Philly & forced the 2nd Cont. Congress to move to York, Penn.
*September 19, 1777 – Marquis de Lafayette - British general “Gentleman
Johnny” Burgoyne marched south after a victory their victory at Ft. Ticonderoga.
General Horatio Gates (CA) lost to Burgoyne at the 1st Battle of Saratoga. This
upset General Arnold (CA) but Gates later held off Burgoyne in a defensive position
at Bunis Heights. Burgoyne was then defeated by colonial Gates and Arnold and
was forced to surrender. This is considered to be the turning point in the war.
*September of 1777 - France now openly supported the American cause,
although it will take some time before the French were able to lend any material
assistance. Momentum was once again on the side of the Colonists, but would soon
change.
*November 15, 1777 – The 2nd Continental Congress drafts the Articles of
Confederation. It was a loose affiliation of states without a strong central
government. They were later ratified on March 1st, 1781. The Congress of
Confederation served until the U.S. Congress replaced it under the backing of the
U.S. Constitution in 1789.
*Winter of 1777-1778 Valley Forge, PA (December 19, 1777) - was brutal as
Washington and 12,000 men encamped low on supplies and shelter. Artillery
commander Henry Knox (Fort Knox) was also there. Sickness ran rampant. Over
2,000 men froze or starved to death. However, drilled by Prussian drill officer
Baron Friedrich Von Stueban the surviving army was starting to resemble a
professional outfit. Washington organized a group called the “camp followers”
(made up of wives, kids, sisters) to help with laundry duties. There were about 500
women, 1 for every 44 soldiers. When the British left Philly on June 19th, 1778, the
Continental Army left Valley Forge to follow the British to New York.
Paying for the War
***Ways Congress is going to pay for the war.
1) Borrowed $ from foreign governments (French, Dutch, wealthy Americans)
2) Sold war bonds.
3) Printed $. Selling bonds built loyalty (vested interest helps), but printing money
led to big time inflation.
Women, Slaves, & NA’s
In the civilian world, women replaced men in the workforce (this will be one
of the building blocks in the women’s rights movement although it will be a long time
before they even approach equality). Many slaves used the opportunity to escape.
5,000 Black Americans served in the war. Some were granted freedom for their
service. The Native Americans primarily sat on the sidelines throughout the war.
Great Britain’s Strategy Changes - Carolina Campaign
After couple years, the English strategy changed. The British decided to attack
the southern colonies in order to quell the rebellion.
December of 1778 – Savannah - General Charles Cornwallis and Henry Clinton
(who replaced Howe in NY after he had lost his nerve following Breed’s Hill)
captured Savannah, GA (in January they captured Augusta). British generals
Clinton and Cornwallis moved successfully through the southern colonies from 1778
to 1780, with victories in Georgia and the Carolinas.
May 12, 1780 - Charleston, SC - Cornwallis marches & Clinton sails to
Charleston. They used the siege tactic to capture the city (artillery fire burned down
most of the city). The British felt that there were Loyalists in the South and if
they could capture some Southern cities their cause would be aided.
Viva la French (France declares war on July 10, 1778)
July 11, 1780 6,000 French troops under Count de Rochambeau finally arrive at
Newport, RI. They are blockaded there for nearly a year
*****Despite early setbacks, these allied forces made a difference for the cause of
independence. They combined with American troops to comprise a force of 17,000
troops. This was a much more effective army than the Americans had at the
beginning of the war.
***The French Fleet defeated the British in Chesapeake Bay on September 5th, 1781,
and had control of the sea-lanes off the Virginia coast.
*March 5th, 1781 – Battle of Guilford Courthouse – Following a win at The
Battle of Cowpens, the Colonists gained more momentum with this win. Cornwallis
gave up his campaign to conquer the Carolinas & moved on to Virginia.
*August 1st-14th, 1781 – Leading up to Yorktown – Cornwallis’s troops are in
Yorktown. He was supposed to bring his troops to NYC because the British knew that
the Colonists were planning to attack NYC. Washington changes his plan to
capture NYC & works out a plan with Rochambeau to move their troops to
Yorktown.
---Admiral De Grasse’s fleet is in Yorktown.
---Lafayette’s Navy too
*September 8th-11th, 1781– Yorktown Naval Battle – De Grasse’s fleet forces
the British Navy to retreat. The French control Chesapeake Bay. This cut off
Cornwallis’s retreat by sea & they put up a blockade to keep supplies out too.
*September 28th, 1781 – Siege of Yorktown – The French Navy attacked by sea
with their cannons. The Colonists keep moving their lines closer and closer. Supplies
are running low for Cornwallis.
*October 17th, 1781 – Cornwallis surrenders - The Americans & French trapped
Cornwallis and his 7,200 men at Yorktown. Unable to evacuate or re-supply by sea,
Cornwallis was forced to surrender (Cornwallis was one the British army’s best
generals, but has been ridiculed for this loss ever since).
This was the decisive battle of the war, and the British decided the whole thing
just wasn’t worth the trouble anymore.
PEACE TALKS
Peace talks began in Paris in 1782, culminating with the Treaty of Paris,
signed September 3rd, 1783, granting the United States of America its independence.
Provisions of the treaty:
1. The U.S. was granted sovereignty.
2. The U.S. boundaries were set from the east coast to the Mississippi River.
3. The U.S. was granted fishing rights off the coast.
4. It was recommended that congress encourage the individual states to repay
British citizens for lost property.
5. The seizure of men and ships on the open sea was to cease.
6. The 2 nations should enjoy perpetual peace (whatever that was supposed to mean).
7. The Mississippi River was to remain open for navigation by both countries.
8. The return of property seized during the war.
***Signers of the document for the U.S. included:
-John Jay - Pres Cont Congress 78-79, 1st Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Federalist Papers
-Ben Franklin
-John Adams
While the treaty established American independence, it did not resolve all of
the issues that affected relations between Great Britain and the United States. These
factors led to war just a few decades later. The heart of the problem lay in the fact
that the 2 sides perceived the war differently.
The Americans hailed it as a great revolution, launching a new nation to
rival the old guard of Europe.
The British, on the other hand, saw the Americans as a troublesome band of
rabble. Some in Britain wanted to reconquer the colonial territory.
There were also a couple provisions in the treaty that were probably doomed
from the start. It was highly unlikely that individual states were going to
pay British citizens for lost property, despite a congressional recommendation.
Also, it could not have been too surprising that the United States would move
west beyond the Mississippi River as the young country established itself among the
community of nations.
These issues boiled over in 1812 when the USA & England went to war again.
In the intervening 30 years, however, the United States was able to establish a
groundbreaking constitution and expand to more than twice its size with the
purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France.
2nd Continental Congress
In 1787, the 2nd Continental Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance, defining
the process by which new states were & are admitted to the Union.
However, with liberty secured, the Articles of Confederation proved weak
at the national level for a young country bound for expansion, so a Constitutional
Convention was convened in 1787 to revise it. Instead, the delegates started over and
created the U.S Constitution.
The great trivia stumper is: “Who was the first president of the United States”.
While everyone will yell George Washington, technically Washington was eighth.
The Congress of the Confederation elected seven 1 year, 1 term executives prior to
Washington’s ascension to the top post under the U.S. Constitution. That list
includes; John Hanson, Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee (great
uncle to Robert E. Lee of Civil War fame), Nathan Gorman, Arthur St. Clair, and
Cyrus Griffin.