ANGLO-AMERICAN WARFARE 1607-1783
&
THE WAR OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 1775-1783
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY 211 AND 311 BRIEFING
By
CPT LA DARYL D. FRANKLIN, Ph.D., M.S., M.B.A.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MILITARY SCIENCE
AND
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY PROFESSOR
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
OUTLINE
• INTRODUCTION
• ESTABLISH SETTING / GEOGRAPHIC ORIENTATION
• PERST
• OCOKA
• PHASES ONE THROUGH THREE
• OUTCOME AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCES
• KEY EVENTS
• SUMMARY / LESSONS LEARNED
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
WHO FOUGHT?
AMERICAN INDIANS OF EASTERN UNITED STATES
ORIGINAL 13 AMERICAN COLONISTS
WHEN?
1607-1763 THE EMERGENCE OF THE AMERICAN
COLONISTS
1775-1783 AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
WHERE?
NORTH AND SOUTH EASTERN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
THEATER OF OPERATIONS
ANGLO-AMERICAN WARFARE
See map on page 4 in textbook
(Southern Colonies in the Seventeenth Century)
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
BATTLE PARTICIPANTS
ANGLO-AMERICAN
FIRST ENGLISH COLONISTS
AMERICAN-INDIAN
VIRGINIA BASED INDIANS
MASSACHUSETTS BASED INDIANS
DELAWARE BASED INDIANS
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
ANGLO-INDIAN WAR
•First English Colonists expected to fight to sustain their lives and
establish themselves
•Most of the seventeenth century resulted in war with American Indians
•English settlers had hoped to take over the underdeveloped lands in the
“New World”
•Trade with and employ the American Indians and to spread the
Protestant faith
•The American Indians rebelled against the English laws and religious
practices
•American Indians resented being economically and culturally dependent
and the rapid number of English Colonists on the east coast
•Constant isolated acts of violence and defiance turned into widespread
guerilla war
•Colonists responded to Indian acts of violence with punitive expeditions
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
ANGLO-INDIAN WAR
3 Major Campaigns
•First and Second Tidewater Wars (1622-1632) fought in Virginia
•Bacon’s Rebellion (1675-1676) fought in Virginia
•King Phillip’s War (1675-1676) fought in Massachusetts
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
ANGLO-INDIAN WARFARE IN VIRGINIA
•Virginians were the first English Colonists to wage war against the Indians
•First Colonists to create and wage war against the Indians
•The men who settled in Jamestown in 1607 drilled regularly to remained
prepared to fight against enemy attacks under military governors
•American Indians were too formidable for English Colonists’ forces
•Colonists resorted to destroying their villages, food supplies and stores
called “feed fights”
•American-Indians were an elusive and frustrating enemy due to their desire
to wage war without costly battles
•Indians attacked in superior numbers with the element of surprise
•They attacked when they could conduct an ambush and or raid
•Indians relied on fortifications, ditches and indirect fire of arrows from
great distances
•By the mid-seventeenth century a large number of muskets were on both
sides with the technology to maintain them
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
ANGLO-INDIAN WARFARE IN VIRGINIA
•American-Indians used keen small unit tactics and used to terrain very
effectively
•In 1614, an English Colonist and American-Indian Princess were married
which brought premature peace to the region
•The colonists stopped being on the defensive and planted tobacco
to generate new profit; thus, vulnerable to attack
•March 1622, the American-Indians attacked the Virginians killing
347 colonists and pushed colonists to the James River, which
killed another 500 due to the weather and disease
•Virginia was reduced to 1,275 people from this massive attack (Massacre of 1622)
•English Colonists rebuilt infrastructure and defensive positions and
began expeditions to regain land
•This marked the First Tidewater War (purpose was to gain space and time to save the colony)
•Every colonist was issued a musket; all adult males were required to be in
the military
•By the end of the First Tidewater War in 1632, Virginians had secured
the center of their settlements
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
OCOKA
OBSERVATION FIELDS OF FIRE
COVER AND CONCEALMENT
OBSTACLES
KEY TERRAIN
AVENUES OF APPROACH
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
PERST
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
RELIGION
SOCIAL
TECHNOLOGICAL
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
COLONIAL WARFARE 1688-1763
•Fighting between the American-Indians and the Colonists continued
throughout the Colonial Period
•During the 1680s, disputes between the Canadians-New Englanders,
South Carolinians-Spanish in South Florida, which became the
battlefield of European political interest
•Giant territorial dispute for ownership of North America!!
(See page 8 in the textbook para. 3)
French established a settlement in Quebec and
the Miss Valley
Dutch established a settlement in New York
English established a settlement in New England
•Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713)
•In 1708, New Englanders persuaded the British to join them in the
conquering of Canada
•While the Brits were enroute, New Englanders lured New Yorkers and
Iroquois to rally against the Canadians
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
COLONIAL WARFARE 1688-1763
•The British Govt. delayed sending forces until 1710; the Brits did not
proved adequate forces for an invasion until 1711, where an
amphibious and naval attack occurred simultaneously
•1711 Brit Forces were 4,300 soldiers, 12 warships, 40 transports
•The English Colonists raised taxes and prices on goods and services to
seek profit on British personnel
•Brits were not impressed or please with the New Englanders Forces; the
conditions of the friendly forces led to the collapse of the
Invasion of Canada
•Anglo-American expeditions to the south, north and west failed thru 1744
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
THEATER OF OPERATIONS
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 1754-1763
See map on page 10 in textbook
(Anglo-American Warfare in North America, 1688-1763)
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
BATTLE PARTICIPANTS
FRENCH FORCES
vs.
AMERICAN-INDIAN FORCES
With BRITISH FORCES INTERVENING TO PROTECT
A BATTERED English Force
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR (1754-1763)
•Intervention by the British primarily was to protect the aggressive
and uncooperative colonists not the conquer Canada or Florida
•By 1755, the English Colonists outnumbered the French 1,042,000 to 55,000
•In 1754, the Albany Plan was drafted to cooperate between the defense of
the English and the Indian affairs; but this plan of peace was not
acceptable to the Brits or the Colonists
•Anglo-American Forces conquered Acadia and suffered a dramatic defeat
in western Pennsylvania
•The Colonists set new war plans to conquer the entire eastern seaboard
and the Ohio Valley thru the Mississippi River Valley in order for
the true development of the English cause
(Brits were in no rush to fight the French on two fronts in Europe and in America)
•British General Officers attempted to take control of the War, but English
Colonists resisted
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
Group Practical Exercise
Directions: Divide into 2-4 groups. Each group will elect a group leader to speak for the group and establish agenda to answer the questions.
The group will answer the following questions and be prepared to discuss them for the entire class’ professional development.
1. How did the musket effect the American-Indians method a fighting,
as well as effecting the outcome of the wars?
2. Are American-Indian tactics similar to any country’s tactics in today’s
world? How effective are querilla style warfare?
3. Should the British have taken a different policy on English Colonist
desires to conquer Canada, the Ohio Valley and the Mississippi River
Valley?
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
THE BEGINNINGS: THE MILITIA’s WAR
•British intervention was apprehensive due to the stability of Europe
•Great Britian continued to build combat power between 1755-1757
•British officers and Anglo-American officers argued about command
and authority
•Key military targets during this time period were military bases, major
cities and major waterways (Fort Oswego, Louisbourg, Lake Ontario, Fort
William Henry, Cape Breton, Quebec, Montreal, Hudson River, etc.)
•British Forces had difficulties in utilizing their navy’s superiority in the
New England and New France sectors
•Priority of the British military was clearly in Europe to protect assets
in the English Channel / British Isles
(France and Spain were attempting to rebuild their naval power)
•William Pitt, the king’s Principal Minister in DEC1756, was willing to commit assets
to America in two major fronts (Louisbourg and Quebec)
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
British Commanders of the French and Indian War 1759-1760
Lord Amherst Jeffery commander British Forces that conquered Canada
in 1759-1760
Leadership Attributes:
Age 40 Colonel in 1758 (Overall Area Commander)
Never Commanded troops
Aide-to-Camp to the Duke of Cumberland
Join to Army at 14
Dependable and persistent officer
Capable of waging a limited type war
Patience, prudent, and persistent
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
British Commanders of the French and Indian War 1759-1760
James Wolfe commanded the British Forces that captured Quebec in 1759
Leadership Attributes:
Age 32 Lieutenant Colonel in 1759
Never Commander High Number of troops
One of the most junior LTCs in the British Army
Solid disciplinarian, excellent trainer
Aide-to-Camp during the Scottish Rebellion in 1757
Eager to succeed; determined to prove his worthiness
Regarded battle as the supreme test of professional
competence and personal courage
Acknowledged to importance of fortifications and
sieges
Preferred higher risks and the greater potential
rewards of battle
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
French Commander of the French and Indian War 1759-1760
Louis Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm
Commander-in-Chief in New France (French Forces in North America)
Skillful defensive plan to prevent British Forces from an
easy victory
Experienced and talented Regular Army Officer
He knew he could not defend Canada as French Forces main effort
was defending Prussia
He was short personnel and supplies to put an adequate defensive
belt together
Could not fight a two front war and properly defend Quebec
Positioned small forces around Montreal to delay English Forces
Quebec was to main area of interest
Had a mixed force of French, militiamen, regulars, thousand
provincials, few hundred Indians
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
British Political / Military Strategic Plan
William Pitt wanted to have New France be 1758
3 Phase Operation
Phase 1: Amphibious attack on Louisbourg and Quebec
Phase 2: Secondary attack led by James Abercromby across
Lake Champlain to Montreal
Phase 3: An attack along St. Lawrence
See page 21’s Quebec in 1759 map
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
THEATER OF OPERATIONS
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
See map on page 37 in textbook
(Mid-Atlantic States in War of Independence)
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
BATTLE PARTICIPANTS
BRITISH FORCES
AMERICAN FORCES
vs.
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
STRATEGIES FOR A REVOLUTIONARY WAR
•In 1776, both sides developed strategies for the unconventional purpose
of winning the support of the people
•Second most deadly war per capita in the history of the United States
Independence in more than two centuries
•Each side hoped to prevail with minimal forces committed
•British Political and Defense leadership felt the advanced and more
experienced British Soldier would easily defeat American militia;
initially a mere show of force would be enough for victory
•Taxes and Political Rights were the main issues surrounding this situation
•General Thomas Gage CINC at Boston, MA.for British Forces attacked a
magazine in Concord on 18-19APR1775; Battles of Lexington and
Concord trigger American Forces preparedness for war
•Lexington and Concord skirmishes served notice that American militia
posed more of a threat
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
TACTICAL EVENTS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
•GEN Gage had to force colonists out of the Charlestown neck and prevent
artillery from being placed around Boston; this will make Boston
untenable
•Major General William Howe British Commander of the troops that pushed
all Americans from Charlestown Neck
•MG Howe attempted to envelope the Americans from the north/east and
push the American troops east off of Charlestown’s Neck
•Artillery was ineffective against the survivability positions of the Americans
•British Infantry were attacking over open terrain and many danger areas
•American Forces were able to mass fires very effectively, while British
Forces were suffering many casualities and fatalities
•MG Howe was only successful in this offensive due to the additional 400
fresh troops he received and the efforts of the light infantry forces
in three bayonet ground attacks and the Americans ran out of ammo;
supply lines at Bunker Hill were cut off by the British Forces
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
PREPARING FOR A WIDER WAR, JUN 1775- JUL 1776
•For at least nine years neither side was able to conduct any major assault
due to the rigors of the Battle of Bunker Hill
•Both side had to build larger armies with robust supplies to engage in a
long more difficult war
•American Forces were deeply intrenched in their religious faith and had a
burning desire to fulfill “America’s Destiny”
•Intimidation was not going to work with a determined group of Americans
•The Brits reestablished their political and military goals:
Larger Regular Forces in battle to destroy rebel armies
Overturn the Continental Congress and governmental committees
Restore royal government to North America
•Brits needed to build combat power (personnel) more rapidly by hiring
foreigners as soldiers
•Congress hired George Washington as the CINC
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
American Commander in the Revolutionary War
General George Washington commanded the American Forces for all of the
Revolutionary War (Assumed Command of the Continental Army on 02JUL1775)
Leadership Attributes:
Age 43
Experienced Soldier (Commanded in the 7 Year’s War)
Moderate but firm opponent of British taxation
Prominent Virginian
Congress trusted turning over this most military
and civilian powerful leadership position
Former member of the House of Burgess
Organized the army into regiments, brigades, and div
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
OCOKA
OBSERVATION FIELDS OF FIRE
COVER AND CONCEALMENT
OBSTACLES
KEY TERRAIN
AVENUES OF APPROACH
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
PERST
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
RELIGION
SOCIAL
TECHNOLOGICAL
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
UNCONVENTIONAL AND CONVENTIONAL WARFARE
•British Commanders wanted to restore the British Empire’s philosophy
•Brits desired to recover territory, the concept of British invincibility and
encouraging the colonist to accept British rule
•GEN Washington too wanted to win and maintain the will of the
American People, to sustain the rebellion of a possible massive
British attack
•GEN Washington attacked the enemy outpost to reduce logistical support
•British Commanders wanted New York in order to posture forces to attack
New England and destroy the Continental Army
•MG William Howe was appointed to Command all British Forces
and promoted to GEN and CINC
•GEN Howe and the British govt had new tactical plans to sweep through
the eastern seaboard and north to Canada
•Admiral Richard Lord Howe (brother of GEN Howe) on 12JUL1776 took
command of all of British Naval Forces in the region
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
LESSONS LEARNED
• The positioning of logistical tools are vital to the execution of any
mission.
• Commander’s headquarters must be aggressive in providing
command and control factors that will increase the ability
to relay accurate information.
• Unit commanders should have had tentative crossing points that
were established in the planning phase prior to movement
orders being issued.
• Commanders must issue clear and concise orders so their junior
leaders can understand the exact intent and what the
endstate must be
• Do not underestimate any enemy force due to its lack of training
and tactical experience
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
SUMMARY
“…possibly ruined the chances for a Union victory which would have
been achieved under more able leadership”
COL WILLIAM BARKSDALE
CDR MISSISSIPPI BRIGADE
ANY UNION COMMANDER ATTACKING LEE’S DEFENSIVE
POSITION AT FREDERICKSBURG WAS ALMOST GUARANTEED
DEFEAT!
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
REFERENCES
Doughty, Robert A. and Gruber, Ira D., American Military
History and the Evolution of Warfare in the Western World.
Lexington, Massachusetts and Toronto: D.C. Heath and
Company, 1996.
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY
ANGLO-AMERICAN WARFARE 1607-1783
&
THE WAR OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 1775-1783
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY 211 AND 311 BRIEFING
By
CPT LA DARYL D. FRANKLIN, Ph.D., M.S., M.B.A.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MILITARY SCIENCE
AND
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY PROFESSOR
AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY