The Revolutionary War
Period
GA Studies
1
The Call for Independence
• Objective: SS8H3 The student will analyze the role
of Georgia in the American Revolution.
− Explain the immediate and long term causes of the
American Revolution and their impact on Georgia
including the French & Indian War (aka Seven Years
War), Proclamation of 1763, Stamp Act, Intolerable
Acts, and the Declaration of Independence.
2
The Call for Independence
• In the 15 years leading up to the Revolutionary
War, many colonists grew tired of living under
British rule
− Many new taxes were placed on colonists to cover
expenses of French & Indian War
− Colonies were no longer allowed to trade with any
country other than England
− Older colonies struggled more with the new rules
than Georgia (most of its expenses were covered
by parliament)
3
New Taxes
• All of the colonies were unhappy with the new
taxes imposed by Britain
− Sugar Act (tax on molasses)
− Stamp Act (all legal documents stamped)
• Liberty Boys came together to oppose it in GA
− Townshend Acts (tax on imports of glass, lead,
paints, paper, and tea) : Georgians began to react
after this legislation was passed
4
Protests Increase
• Protests against England were more open in the
other colonies than they were in GA
− Slogan “No taxation without representation”
became popular
− People stopped painting their houses to protests
Townshend Act
− Colonists turned to drinking coffee instead of tea
− “Boston Massacre” occurred when British soldiers
fired into the crowd after being hit with snowballs (5
were killed)
− Boston Tea Prty occurred (Protest against the Tea
Act of 1773) Today’s Tea Party
5
Intolerable Acts:
• To punish MA colonists after the Boston Tea Party,
England enacted four laws known as the
Intolerable Acts
− Port of Boston was closed
− Colonists could not meet without governor approval
− Criminals would be tried in British court rather than
colonial courts
− Quartering Act
6
Reaction to Intolerable Acts
• Although these acts were aimed at MA, colonists
from every colony (except GA) gathered to
protest them in Philadelphia, PA
• They organized the Continental Congress
− Two distinct groups existed: one who wanted to
separate from Britain, & one that wanted to remain
with Britain, but wanted the rules to change
− They agreed to stop all trade with Great Britain & to
set up committees of safety (which would enforce
the boycott)
7
Georgia’s Reaction: A Colony Divided
• Anti-British sentiment was growing in GA, but the
colony was heavily dependent upon Britain
• A group met to discuss their reaction to the
Intolerable Acts, but no delegate was sent to the
Continental Congress
− They sent a resolution to Parliament to say the
Intolerable Acts did not agree with the “Rights and
Privileges of an Englishman”
8
Objectives:
• SS8H3: The student will analyze the role of Georgia
in the American Revolution.
− Explain the immediate and long term causes of the
American Revolution & their impact on Georgia
including…the Declaration of Independence
− Analyze the significance of people and events in
Georgia on the Revolutionary War to include
Loyalists, Patriots, Elijah Clarke, Austin Dabney,
Nancy Hart, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George
Walton, Battle of Kettle Creek, and the siege of
Savannah
9
The shot heard ‘round the world
• The battle of Lexington & Concord (in MA)
was the first battle of the war – April 1775
• It was May before news of the battle
reached Georgia
• Georgians were now forced to take a
stand on their feelings toward Britain
− Protests increased
− Tories were openly harassed & the governor
was ignored
10
Preparing for War
• Three weeks after the battle of Lexington &
Concord, the Second Continental Congress met
− Sent petition to King George III asking him to stop
unfriendly steps against the colonies
− Formed Continental Army which was to be led by
George Washington
• Georgia sent a late unofficial delegate, Lyman
Hall (from Midway)
• The other colonies were angered at Georgia for its
lack of support
− Some suggested the youngest colony be punished
11
Georgia takes action
• A Provincial Congress met and decided the
colony should send representatives to Second
Continental Congress
− Lyman Hall, Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun,
Noble Wimberly Jones, & Rev. John Zubly
− Delegates were instructed to vote as they thought
best for the common good of Georgians
12
New Georgia Government
• Council of Safety met to prepare to form a new
government
− They officially withdrew from Great Britain which left
Gov. Wright with no power
− Wright was arrested by Patriots when he tried to
convince the colony to allow Britain to buy supplies
from them
− Wright later escaped and left Georgia leaving the
Council of Safety to govern
• Council issued “Rules & Regulations” which were to
be used to govern until a more permanent document
could be created
13
The Declaration of Independence
• In January of 1776, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense urged
colonists to separate from Great Britain
− By the end of the year, 500,000 copies were sold
− His writings influenced colonial thought & the Second
Continental Congress
• July 4, 1776 – Second Continental Congress approved the
Declaration of Independence
− Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson
− 3 parts:
• Preamble (Introduction)
• Body (27 grievances against King George III & government)
• Conclusion (Declared the colonies to be an independent
nation for all future times)
− Three Georgians signed:
• Lyman Hall
• Button Gwinnett
• George Walton
14
Reaction to Declaration
• Declaration meant that the colonies were one
nation
• Most in Georgia were excited by the Declaration
of Independence, but some returned to England
• Georgians began to prepare for war
− Sent food & ammunition to the Continental Army
− Began to strengthen Georgia militia
15
Political Changes in Georgia
•Georgia’s (&other colonies) new goal was statehood
•This meant a new method of government must be decided
•Work was begun on a new constitution
•Some wanted government to remain in control of wealthy
landowners
•Some (Whigs) wanted everyone to have a chance to
govern themselves
•Whigs won & new government was to based upon:
• the separation of powers
• the rights of citizens to agree with how they were governed
16
Constitution of Georgia
• May 1777-first state constitution was adopted in Savannah
• Eight counties were formed to replace parish system
• New constitution replaced bi-cameral legislature with
unicameral legislature
• Powers of the governor were extremely limited
− One-year terms
− Selected by legislature instead of people
− This left the 12 member executive council with most of
the power (they could accept or reject any governor
proposal)
− John Treutlen, a Salzburger, was the first state governor
17
Articles of Confederation
• First constitution of United States (1781)
• Ratified by Georgia in 1778
18
Revolutionary War in Georgia
• 1777 & 1778 – Georgian members of Continental
Army tried unsuccessfully to take over British
controlled St. Augustine & parts of east Florida
• December 1778 – British troops attacked and took
control of Savannah
• January 1779 – British troops took over port of
Sunbury
• Georgia’s army was understaffed and poorly
armed – there was little they could do to stop the
British
• Georgia was again under British military rule
− Governor Wright returned to take charge
19
Battle of Kettle Creek
• Morale in the colonies was low
• February 1779 – Georgia finally had a victory
• Rebel group led by Colonel Elijah Clarke defeated
a force of more than 800 troops at the Battle of
Kettle Creek
• This battle was a minor one, but very important to
GA
− Gave the troops much needed weapons & horses
from British soldiers
− Improved morale of militia
20
Siege of Savannah
• September 1779 – 4,000 French troops joined
American forces to lay siege to Savannah
• October 1779 – American & French troops
attacked British positions
− Attack failed
− Over 1,000 American & French forces were killed
− Savannah was to remain in British hands for 3 ½
more years
21
Nancy Hart
• Georgia’s most famous war heroine
• In 1771, Hart’s neighbor, John Dooley, was murdered by
Tories
• A few days later, five Tories stopped by Mrs. Hart’s house &
demanded she feed them dinner
− She overheard them bragging about the murder
• She gave them whiskey to drink and sent her daughters to
get help
• As she served them, Nancy Hart quietly took their rifles
− One of the men noticed when she took the third rifle
− When they went after her, Mrs. Hart shot one of the men
& took another rifle and held the rest at gunpoint until
help arrived
− The rest of the Tories were eventually put on trial and
hanged
22
Battle of Yorktown
• George Washington & the Continental Army
received help from the French to win this battle
• French forces delayed the arrival of ships carrying
6,000 British troops to Yorktown, VA
• American forces won the battle and General
Cornwallis of Britain was forced to surrender
• By 1782, British forces in Savannah believed they
could not defeat the Americans and left
• The Treaty of Paris was signed by Great Britain,
France, and the United States in September1783
− Independence was a reality!
23
Blacks in the American Revolution
• One of the men who fought alongside Elijah
Clarke in the Battle of Kettle Creek was Austin
Dabney (freeborn mulatto)
• He had come from North Carolina with a man
who did not want to serve in the militia, so he
recommended Dabney serve in his place
• Dabney served honorably and was wounded in
battle
• After the war, veterans were given land to repay
them for their service
− Some did not want Dabney to receive the land, but
he eventually did and made the land very
profitable
24
Blacks in the Revolutionary War
•Other blacks served in the War
•Virginia proposed freeing all slaves who were willing
to fight
•Some people, fearing slave rebellion, were afraid to
arm slaves
•Georgia & South Carolina were the only two states
to refuse to legalize slave enlistments
•After the war, antislavery sentiment mounted
•Many blacks were given freedom & land after
the war
•In the south, the decline of crops made farmers
reluctant to free their slaves
25
Looking Back at the Revolution
• Clearly Britain began the war at an advantage:
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−
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Strong central government
Better, more professional army
Strong Navy
Well-financed
Divided loyalty of colonists
• The colonists had a few advantages, but they could
not be overcome by England:
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Fighting on their home soil
British were far from home (difficulty getting supplies)
No central area that could be captured (spread out)
Battle areas were forests & swamps unfamiliar to
British
26