The colonies were generally unprepared
for war
Unformed nation
1/3 population of Britain
Inferior economic and
military resources
Enemy: world’s greatest armed power
Americans deeply divided
The Second Continental Congress
Two poles
Pole 1: John Adams, Samuel Adams
Richard Henry Lee:
Complete independence
The Second Continental Congress
Two poles
Pole 2: John Dickinson of PA and other
moderates: modest reforms in the
imperial relationship that would permit
early reconciliation
Olive Branch Petition
One last conciliatory appeal to the king
King rejected, proclaimed colonies in
rebellion and asked Parliament for naval
blockade.
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity…
British government had left the colonies with
only 2 alternatives: unconditional submission
to the tyranny of irritated ministers or
resistance by force.
Thomas Paine: Common Sense47 page pamphlet
Expose folly of continuing to
believe reconciliation was
possible
Root of the problem was
the English Constitution
The king and the system that
permitted him to rule that
was to blame
England was no more fit to rule the
American continent than a satellite was
fit to rule the sun
The Second
Continental Congress
Met in May 1775;
by June, most
Delegates favored
independence
Congress president
John Hancock
Independence Hall in
Philadelphia, PA
Selected a Committee of Five
to write a Declaration of
Independence
The Committee of Five:
T. Jefferson
B. Franklin
Chairman
J. Adams
R. Livingston
R. Sherman
The Declaration of Independence
In writing the Declaration, Jefferson
drew upon the writings of
Enlightenment authors
John Locke
and Jean Jacques
Rousseau
June 7, 1776—Richard Henry
Lee of Virginia moved that
“these United Colonies are,
and of a right ought to be,
free and independent States.”
George Mason of
Virginia: “All men
are created equal.”
PATRIOTS
LOYALISTS
Colonists in 1775 divided
The Articles of Confederation
Created by the Second Continental
Congress in 1777; ratified March 1781
Loosely tied together the 13
independent states
Had to be ratified by all 13 states
Many leaders wanted a loose
confederation of independent states
because they feared a strong
national government as being a threat
to states and individual freedoms
Challenges in Equipping Continental Army
Primarily captured weapons and materiel
Some obtained from friendly nations
Insufficient American industry
Congress had to request funds from
state governments
Congress sold long-term bonds; few
Americans could afford them
Congress issued paper money
Led to inflation
Borrowed heavily from friendly nations
Continental Army and colonial militias.
Commander in Chief:
George Washington of
Virginia—43 year old
veteran of French &
Indian War.
Symbol of stability around
which soldiers and the
nation could rally. Most successful in
holding the new nation together.
Respective advantages/disadvantages
British:
Greatest navy
Best-equipped army
Resources of an
empire
Coherent structure of
command
But…several egregious blunders and
miscalculations
Respective advantages/disadvantages
American:
Fighting on their own
ground
Many Americans
deeply committed
British people only
half-hearted support
for the war
Substantial support from abroad
Three phases of the war
Phase 1: New
England and
Canada
Phase 2: MidAtlantic Region
Phase 3: The
South
The Battle of Bunker Hill
June 1775—colonials laying siege to
Boston.
June 17, 1775—Gage attacks Breed’s Hill,
north of Boston, with 2,400 Redcoats
Colonel Prescott: “Don’t fire until you
see the whites of their eyes.”
British hampered by heat and heavy
uniforms.
Colonials fight back 2 charges then run
low on ammunition. Redcoats take hill.
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Casualties: Colonials
British
311
1000
Deadliest battle of American Revolution.
Canadian operations
Arnold
Montgomery
Convinced British not a local MA affair
“These are times that try men’s souls.”
Thomas Paine
The Howes: General William
and Admiral Richard (top)
Battle of Long
Island—March
1776-August
1776.
British:
32,000 regulars
Hessian mercenaries
Continental Army:
19,000 untrained
recruits/poor equipment
British victory: heavy
continental losses
Washington retreats across
Delaware River into PA.
Christmas night, 1776 Washington leads
the Continental Army across the Delaware
River into New Jersey.
Key victory: Battle of Trenton—
--surprise attack, defeated Hessians
with minimal ammunition.
January 1777,
American victory
Battle of Princeton
Spring 1777, General Howe wins
Battle of Brandywine Creek then
takes Philadelphia. Also wins later
Battle at Germantown in Maryland.
Spring 1777—British plan: Burgoyne
moves south from Canada to link with
Howe in Albany, NY.
Continentals harassed
British in wooded areas;
many British casualties.
Finally surrounded and
defeated by Benedict
Arnold and Horatio Gates
at Saratoga.
Battle of Saratoga
Burgoyne surrenders to Gates
Results of Battle of Saratoga
British remained along seacoast
for remainder of war.
British confidence dropped—did
not previously believe colonials
could defeat them in battle.
Led to alliance with France (1778)
and French commitment to send
troops as well as weapons and
ammunition.
Winter 1778-Howe still controlled Philadelphia
Continental Army—deadly winter
at Valley Forge, PA
Little funds for supplies or to
pay troops.
Congress sold bonds to
American investors & foreign
governments
Congress printed American
money leading to inflation.
Europeans aided Americans
Baron Friedrich von
Steuben from Prussia
Drillmaster—made
“soldiers out of country
bumpkins.”
Marquis de Lafayette—
20 year old French
aristocrat
The War in the South
The War in the South
British government
imposed new limits on
its commitment to the
war after Saratoga
Decided to enlist the
support of loyalists in order to undermine
the Revolution from within
The War in the South
End 1778:
Lord Cornwallis
takes Savannah
May 1780—
Cornwallis and
Henry Clinton take
Charles Town, SC—
5,500 American POW.
The War in the South
January 1781
Battle of Cowpens
The Patriot
Guilford Court House
Costly British win—
Lost 25% of force.
The War in the South
Battle of
Yorktown
Continental Army, one French army
and 2 French fleets surround
Cornwallis. One month siege.
Cornwallis surrendered 17 Oct 1781
Brumidi: “The Surrender of Cornwallis
Treaty of Paris
September 1783
U.S., GB, France
and Spain
U.S. negotiators: John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin & John Jay
Great Britain, France & Spain
recognized U. S. independence
Nation’s borders confirmed
Loyalists after the Revolution
Hounded by Patriots
Harassed by judicial
& legislative actions
100,000 fled to
England and to
Canada: created
the first Englishspeaking community
in Quebec
Social Change after the Revolution
Anglican Church disestablished and
government subsidies eliminated
Social Change after the Revolution
Quakers in Pennsylvania were
weakened
Social Change after the Revolution
Position of Catholics improved
(Charles Carroll)
Social Change after the Revolution
African Americans
Some: freedom, most no
change
Revolution exposed the
continuing tension
between the nation’s
commitment to liberty and
its commitment to slavery
Social Change after the Revolution
Native Americans
Most tribes ultimately
chose to stay out of the
war
Revolution greatly
weakened the position
of Native Americans in several
ways
Social Change after the Revolution
Women
Left in charge of
families
Some food riots and
attacks on British
troops
Camp followers
Molly Pitcher
Women of significant value to army
Social Change after the Revolution
Women
Unmarried: some legal
rights
Married: no rights at all
No property
No contracts
No legal authority over her
children
No voting Revolution did little to change
Concept of republicanism
Power came from
people
Ideal of small
freeholder
Concept of equality
No aristocracy
No equality of condition, but equality
of opportunity
Excluded women, blacks, Native Amer.
Two phases of state constitutions
All written
Phase 1
Fear of bloated executive
power
Powerful legislatures
Property requirements for
voters in all states
Two phases of state constitutions
Phase 2
Significant strengthening
of executive
Directly elected
Fixed salary
Expanded appointment
powers
Veto power
More balance in government
During the Revolutionary War,
the first American national government
formed under a document known as
The Articles of Confederation
Created 1777; formally
approved or: ratified by
all 13 states in 1781
The Articles of Confederation
A loose confederation of independent
states
Basis: Fear that a strong central
government would threaten power
of states and individual freedoms
Limited power of national government
National government
actually impotent
Oh,
Noooooooo
The Articles of Confederation
Unicameral legislature (Congress)
Each state delegation had 1 vote
State delegations chosen by the
state legislature of each state
Majority vote on regular issues
Nine “Aye” votes for major decisions
such as war
Unanimous approval for amendments
The Articles of Confederation
No executive
No judiciary
Only Congress:
Declare war
Conduct foreign policy
Borrow Money
Establish military forces
Settle arguments between states
Weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation
No president or executive to enforce
laws
No national court system
No power to tax
No power to regulate trade
No power to establish a national armed
forces—each state raised its own
troops)
Major laws required 9/13 votes in Cong.
Problems stemming from the
weaknesses in the Articles
Difficulty in achieving unity
Different states—different
religious and cultural traditions
Economic differences
Slavery issue
Poor inter-state
transportation
systems
Problems stemming from the
weaknesses in the Articles
Some states
Refused to pay taxes to the
national government, obey laws
passed by Congress, respect terms
of foreign treaties
Negotiated individual treaties with
foreign governments
Formed their own armed forces
Charged tariffs on goods from other
states
Key events under the Articles of
Confederation
Victory in the American Revolution. . .
but problems keeping the
Continental Army equipped and fed
The Treaty of Paris—ending the
War for Independence and extended
U. S. territory to the Mississippi River
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Procedures for admitting new
states, equal to the original 13
Banned slavery in Northwest Territory
Bill of rights for territories
Ordinance of 1784
120,000 people west of
the Appalachian divide
10 self-governing districts
Petition Congress for
statehood when population
equal to number of free
inhabitants of smallest
existing state
Northwest Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance
Created single Northwest Territory out
of lands north of the Ohio River
Territory might be subsequently divided
into three to five territories
Population of 60,000 as a minimum for
statehood
Guaranteed freedom of religion, right to
trial by jury and prohibited slavery
Early Battles With Native Americans
Native Americans continued
to claim tribal lands in
northwest.
Miami people key victories
over U. S. Army 1790-1791
Mad Anthony Wayne
The Battle of Fallen Timbers
Early Battles With Native Americans
August 20, 1794
Battle of Fallen Timbers
Treaty of Greenville
Miamis gave up most land in
Ohio for $10,000 a year.
Key Event: Shay’s Rebellion (1786)
Prevent the state of
Massachusetts from
seizing property of
debtors
Many in the U.S. saw
this incident as clear
evidence of the
weaknesses of the
Articles
Led to the Constitutional
Convention in
Philadelphia