I.
Colonial Response to Wars/ Effects of War
A. Political
1. King and Parliament order soldiers
2. Order barrack/house British soldiers
B. Diplomatic
1. A lot of angry natives – wanted balance of power, violated treaty, spread smallpox,
Pontiac’s rebellion
2. Unsettled French natives/trappers
C. England overextended
1. Too much money
2. Too many resources
3. Bankrupt crown
D. Road to Rebellion
1. Proclamation of 1763 – prohibits colonial settlement/expansion
2. Were promised territories after fighting in wars
II.
The Road to Rebellion –(implies inevitability)
A. 7 Year’s War/ French and Indian War
1. Proclamation of 1763 – territorial expansion prohibited
2. Barrack troops
B. Taxation—Lots of tax acts
1. Sugar Act – Generate $
2. Currency Act – no paper $
3. Stamp Act – Stamps on all papers
4. Quartering Act – forced barracks
C. Organizing Discontent
1. Patrick Henry – “Give me liberty…”
2. Sons and Daughters of Liberty – tried to prevent stamp use and responsible for rabblerousing
3. The Association calls for boycott of British goods – cotton, wool, paper, teac, etc
4. Organized appeal to Parliament
D. English Response
1. Repeal Stamp Act
2. Issued Declaratory Act – reaffirming the right to legislate in colonies
3. Issued Townshend Act—Custom duties ($) on glass, paper, tea
4. Requires criminal trials to be held without jury and in Britain
5. Customs to pay for gov’t salaries (ie, inspectors)
6. Suspended NY Assembly
E. Organized Opposition
1. John Dikkenson publishes Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767)
2. Denied that Parliament had power to legislate or tax
3. Sam Adams & James Otis (Committees of Correspondence) published propaganda
4. Denounced Parliament and reaffirmed the authority of the King
5. Nonimportation Agreements – boycott imports – leave them in port
6. Violence in Boston – riots eg., Boston “massacre”
F. Calming Tensions
1. Repealed Townshend Act – all duties except tea
G. Committees of Correspondence – organized/communicated policy
III. Toward Political Independence
A. Commonalities tie/unite differences
1. Distrust Parliament
2. Reaffirm monarchy
3. Want self-government
B. Tea Tax of 1773
1. Catalyst for unity
2. Reduced tax but gave monopoly to Dutch East India Co.
3. Refused to unload tea
4. Mob dumps tea – symbolize “Tea Party”
C. Parliament passes Coercive Acts/ Intolerable Act
1. Closed harbor until damages paid – reparations
2. Restricted meetings
3. Affirmed trial in England
4. Re-enacted the Quartering Act
D. 1st Continental Congress – Sept 1774
1. Recognize colonial unity – common intent
2. Facilitate communication amongst colonial leader and resistance leaders
3. Deny legality of Coercive Act
4. Vote for boycott
5. Promise to reconvene
E. 2nd Continental Congress
1. Raise an Army
2. Appoint G. Washington as Commander’s Chief
3. Address violence @ Lexington and Concord
4. Olive Branch Petition – ultimatum/plea to George III
IV. Declaring Independence
A. Thomas Paine
1. Common Sense
2. No difference between Parliament and good king
3. Advocates absolute independence
4. Insists on creation of republic
B. 2nd Continental Congress
1. Ordered naval confrontation
2. Authorized individual state constitutions
3. Richard Lee intro of independence resolution
4. Adopted independence resolution – creation of USA
5. Raised army
6. Appoints G.W. as commander
C. Thomas Jefferson
1. D of I – formal justification to England
2. Approved, signed and ratified on July 4 – formal day
3. Developed 2 lines of thinking
a. Locke – gov’t exists through consent of governed
b. Long list of grievances
c. Limits who holds power
d. Vast expansion of “We the people” definition
V. Generalities of War
A. Colonial advantages
1. England- difficulty moving troops
2. Easy to raise and disperse troops
3. Civilian support (families) guerilla tactics
B. Colonial disadvantages
1. Loyalists
2. Internal squabbling
3. Article of Confederation – too weak to bind
4. No supplies
C.
Choosing Sides
1. Loyalists
a. 20%
b. Merchants, officials, administrator, clerics, tenant farmers
2. Attitudes against Loyalists
a. Banished/exiled
b. Property confiscated
c. Discriminated against
VI. The War for America
A. Faced different problems
1. British overestimated Loyalist support
2. Colonist used state militias
B. Early battles – mixed results
1. G.W. – New Jersey Campaign – Trenton Princeton
2. Surprise—with few victories
C. Brits launch 3 prong attack
1.
2.
3.
4.
Had little knowledge of geography
Brits generals failed to stay on plan
Patriots and natives challenged
Brits surrender @ Saratoga
British Weaknesses
 Civil War and unrest with England, Ireland, and
Scotland
 Encumbered with colonial expansion and
management
 France wants revenge, Ireland wants
independence
 Confused and inept bureaucracy
 No desire for another war
 Second-rate generals and poor military
leadership
 Soldiers treated brutally
 Few provisions, long supply lines, poor
communications
 Little tactical knowledge of the area
British Strengths




Had larger population (3:1)
More money
Stronger navy (it had one)
Professionally trained military that remained
supplied
 Hired Hessians as mercenary army
 Had military training
Colonial Strengths
Colonial Weaknesses
 Great leadership: Washington, Adams, Franklin,
Lafayette
 Waged a defensive/guerilla war
 Self-sustaining military—could continue to grow
foodstuffs
 Better riflemen, many who were hunters
 Ideological war: Fighting for liberty, justice,
democracy
 Poorly organized
 No money
 No unity between the 13 colonies, or within each
colony
 Forced to deal with inter-colonial jealousy
 Monetary inflation: Forced to print continental
vouchers
 No military supplies: Uniforms, shoes, guns,
gunpowder
 Undisciplined/untrained army
 No navy
 Low morale: Not everyone agreed it was the
right thing to do