The War for Independence
SECTION 1
The Stirrings of Rebellion
SECTION 2
Ideas Help Start a Revolution
SECTION 3
Struggling Toward Saratoga
SECTION 4
Winning the War
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Section 1
The Stirrings of Rebellion
Conflict between Great Britain and the
American colonies grows over issues of taxation,
representation, and liberty.
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SECTION
1
The Stirrings of Rebellion
The Colonies Organize to Resist Britain
The Stamp Act
• Stamp Act (1765)—requires stamped paper for
documents, printed items; forbids colonies from
issuing paper $
• Quartering Act (1765)
Stamp Act Protests
• Samuel Adams helps found Sons of Liberty, secret
resistance group:
- harass customs workers, stamp agents, royal
governors; riot; use home-goods; hang in effegy
• Stamp Act Congress—colonies can’t be taxed
without representation
• Colonial merchants boycott British goods until
Stamp Act repealed
Continued . . .
• Parliament repeals Stamp Act (1766)
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After 1765, the major American cities saw the formation of secret
groups set up to defend their rights. Groups such as these were
absorbed into the greater Sons of Liberty organization, a political
group made up of American patriots formed to protect the rights of
the colonists from the usurpations of the British government after
1766.
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continued The
Colonies Organize to Resist Britain
The Townshend Acts
• Townshend Acts (1767) levy duties on imported
materials: tea, glass, paper, dyes
• Colonists enraged:
--Samuel Adams organizes boycott
--The term “redcoat” = term of insult, anger
• Women stop buying British luxuries; join spinning
bees; boycott tea
• Customs agents seize John Hancock’s ship Liberty
for unpaid taxes
• Colonists riot; 2,000 British soldiers stationed in
Boston; permanent force of 10,000 in the colonial
cities (cold war starts)
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The Sons of Liberty incited a crowd that had gathered to watch the turmoil protesting in favor of
the owner of the Liberty, John Hancock. The situation was initially peaceful but turned violent
when the Liberty was impounded. The mob attacked the customs house and its officials, one of
whom had his boat dragged to Boston Common and burnt. Duty collectors were unharmed and
escaped further violence by fleeing to Castle Williams. The Sons of Liberty seized the moment by
calling to a public meeting and using the momentum to call for a boycott of British goods.
SECTION
1
Tension Mounts in Massachusetts
The Boston Massacre
• Soldiers compete with colonists for shipyard jobs
• Boston Massacre (1770)—mob throws stones,
British fire, kill five
• 1772, colonists burn customs ship (the Gaspee);
suspects to be tried in Britain
• Committees of correspondence discuss threat
to freedom, form network
--Members: Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry
The Boston Tea Party
• 1773 Tea Act lets East India Company avoid tax,
undersell colonists
• Boston Tea Party—disguised colonists dump
18,000 lbs. tea in harbor
Continued . . .
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The Boston Massacre
The presence of British troops in the city of Boston was increasingly
unwelcome. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British
sentinel. A British officer, Captain Thomas Preston, called in
additional soldiers, and these too were attacked, so the soldiers fired
into the mob, killing 3 on the spot (a black sailor named Crispus
Attucks, ropemaker Samuel Gray, and a mariner named James
Caldwell), and wounding 8 others, two of whom died later (Samuel
Maverick and Patrick Carr).
Boston Tea Party
It took nearly three hours for more than 100
colonists to empty the tea into Boston Harbor. The
chests held more than 90,000 lbs. (45 tons) of tea,
which would cost nearly $1,000,000 dollars today.
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continued Tension
Mounts in Massachusetts
The Intolerable Acts
• King George III, British king, is angered by
destruction of tea
• 1774, Parliament passes Intolerable Acts (aka
the Coercive Acts) as response to Tea Party
• Acts close Boston Harbor, quarter soldiers in
empty homes/buildings; shuts down Mass colonial
government; trials for treason to be held in
England
• General Thomas Gage puts Boston under martial
law—rule by military
• First Continental Congress claims colonial rights,
supports protests
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SECTION
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Fighting Erupts at Lexington and Concord
To Concord, By the Lexington Road
• Civilian militia or minutemen begin to stockpile
firearms, 1775
• Resistance leaders John Hancock, Samuel Adams
hide in Lexington
“The Regulars Are Coming!”
• 700 redcoats sent to capture leaders, destroy
munitions, April 1775
• Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott warn
leaders, townspeople
“A Glorious Day for America”
• British shoot minutemen in Lexington; kill eight
• 3,000–4,000 minutemen ambush British in Concord,
kill dozens
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We set off for Concord, and were overtaken by a young gentleman named Prescot, who belonged to
Concord, and was going home. When we had got about half way from Lexington to Concord, the other
two stopped at a house to awake the men, I kept along ....In an instant I saw four of them, who rode up to
me with their pistols in their bands, said ''G---d d---n you, stop. If you go an inch further, you are a dead
man.'' Immediately Mr. Prescot came up. We attempted to get through them, but they kept before us, and
swore if we did not turn in to that pasture, they would blow our brains out, (they had placed themselves
opposite to a pair of bars, and had taken the bars down). They forced us in. When we had got in, Mr.
Prescot said "Put on!" He took to the left, I to the right ...Just as I reached it, out started six officers,
seized my bridle, put their pistols to my breast, ordered me to dismount, which I did.
– Paul Revere, "Account of Midnight Ride to Lexington" (1775)
Section 2
Ideas Help Start
a Revolution
Tensions increase throughout the colonies until
the Continental Congress declares independence
on July 4, 1776.
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SECTION
2
Ideas Help Start a Revolution
The Colonies Hover Between Peace and War
The Second Continental Congress
• Second Continental Congress meets May–June 1775
in Philadelphia:
- President Randolph dies; J. Hancock in his place
- debate independence
- recognize militiamen as Continental Army
- appoint George Washington commander
- print paper money to pay troops
Fort Ticonderoga
• Colonial forces capture British artillery at Fort
Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain (170 miles north of
Boston); Benedict Arnold leads the mission, assisted by
Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys
• Artillery dragged to Boston…the threat of the cannons
leads the British to evacuate Boston
Continued . . .
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Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
The siege of Boston had begun but the colonists were acutely aware that they needed firearms, munitions or
cannon. The fort at Ticonderoga, New York contained stores of such armaments. The rebels sneaked into the fort
of sleeping troops and demanded its surrender. Not one person was killed in the daring dawn raid. Following the
capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Colonel Henry Knox transported more than 60 tons of military supplies including 59
artillery pieces from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. Ticonderoga’s cannon were placed on Dorchester Heights
which had a commanding view of Boston. The threat of the cannon forced the British to evacuate Boston on
March 17, 1776 and the Continental Army entered Boston the next day.
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continued The
Colonies Hover Between Peace and War
The Battle of Bunker Hill
• British troops attack militia north of Boston in
Charlestown, June 1775
• British hold their ground, but at a cost: 450 colonist
and over 1,000 British casualties
The Olive Branch Petition
• July, Congress sends Olive Branch Petition,
drafted by John Dickinson of PA, to restore
“harmony”
• George III rejects petition on the grounds that he
would accept no communication from rebels, orders
naval blockade
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SECTION
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The Patriots Declare Independence
Common Sense
• Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense
attacks king
• Argues independence will allow free trade and
foreign aid
• Independence can give equal social, economic
opportunities to all
• Almost 500,000 copies of pamphlet sold; convinces
many colonists
Continued . . .
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Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
“Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state
is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we
suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we
might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened
by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.”
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continued The
Patriots Declare Independence
Declaring Independence
• Congress urges each colony to form own
government
• Congress appoints committee to prepare formal
declaration (Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Robert
Livingston of NJ, and Roger Sherman of CT)
• Virginia lawyer Thomas Jefferson chosen to
write it
• Declaration of Independence—formal statement
of separation
• SC prevents mention of slavery as an “evil”; NY
abstains from voting,,,12-0 in favor of indep.
Continued . . .
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SECTION
2
continued The
Patriots Declare Independence
Declaring Independence
• Declaration, based on John Locke’s ideas, lists
complaints, rights:
- people have natural rights to life, liberty, property
- people consent to obey a government that
protects rights
- people can resist or overthrow government
• “All men are created equal” means free citizens
are political equals
• July 4, 1776 delegates adopt declaration
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Declaration of Independence
Of the 56 signers, 39 were of English descent. 30 were Episcopalian
(Church of England) and 12 were Congregationalists. 3 were Unitarians
(John Adams and Thomas Jefferson). Benjamin Franklin, who refused to
identify himself with any sect, called himself a “Deist”. Charles Carroll
was the only Roman Catholic among the signers. The first among them to
die was Button Gwinnett of GA in 1777.
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2
Americans Choose Sides
Loyalists and Patriots
• Loyalists—oppose independence, loyal to Crown
for different reasons (1/3 of Americans):
- work in government, unaware of events, trust
crown to protect rights
- called “Tories” by the Patriots
• Patriots, almost half of population, support
independence:
- think independence will mean economic opportunity
Taking Sides
• Groups divided: Quakers, African Americans on both
sides
• Native Americans support British; colonists threaten
their lands
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Section 3
Struggling Toward
Saratoga
After a series of setbacks, American forces win
at Saratoga and survive.
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SECTION
3
Struggling Toward Saratoga
The War Moves to the Middle States
Defeat in New York
• British General Howe plans to isolate New England
by taking NYC
--32,000 well-trained British soldiers and Hessian
mercenaries land in New York, 7/2/76
--Washington has only 18,000 poorly-trained
soldiers
• Howe attacks Washington in August in Brooklyn
• Washington forced to evacuate and heads north
• Small skirmishes in the fall…Washington heads
south to cover Philly
• Washington, chased by Howe into Trenton, crosses
the Delaware River into PA on 12/11
• Howe ends chase, stays in Trenton for the winter
• With NY lost and Philly in danger, the Congress
evacuates Philly for Baltimore
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SECTION
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Struggling Toward Saratoga
The War Moves to the Middle States
The Battle of Trenton
• Christmas 1776, Washington crosses icy Delaware
River into New Jersey
• Washington surprises 14,000 Hessians sleeping off a
drunken Christmas celebration, wins Battle of
Trenton
• Eight days later, Americans win Battle of Princeton
against British
• Washington goes into winter quarters in Morristown;
Howe winters in New Brunswick
• Horatio Gates given command of northern American
forces; Benedict Arnold passed over
Continued . . .
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Washington Crosses the Delaware River
In the famous picture of Washington Crossing the Delaware, many people find it odd
that the river was full of chunks of ice; it doesn't get that way today, but Washington
lived during the Little Ice Age. The Little Ice Age occurred between the mid thirteenth
century and the 1860s.
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continued The
War Moves to the Middle States
The Fight for Philadelphia
• The British plan: General John Burgoyne’s
northern army and Howe’s army will meet in
Albany to isolate New England
• Howe decides to takes Philadelphia instead of
meeting with Burgoyne; Philly occupied, but
Burgoyne left alone in upstate NY
Victory at Saratoga
• Gen. John Burgoyne leads British, allies south
from Canada
• Burgoyne loses repeatedly to Continental Army,
militia
• Surrounded at Saratoga by Gates, Burgoyne
surrenders to Gen. Horatio Gates
Continued . . .
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SECTION
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continued The
War Moves to the Middle States
A Turning Point
• Since 1776, French secretly send weapons to
Americans; Ben Franklin spends a year trying to get
France to help the revolution
• French recognize American independence, sign
treaty, February 1778
• Alliance meant war between France and England
Winter at Valley Forge
• Valley Forge—site of Continental Army’s winter
camp (1777–1778)
• Of 10,000 soldiers, more than 2,000 die of cold
and hunger
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Benjamin Franklin in France
By the effect which Franklin produced in France, one might say that he
fulfilled his mission, not with a court, but with a free people. Diplomatic
etiquette did not permit him often to hold interviews with the ministers,
but he associated with all the distinguished personages who directed
public opinion.
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continued The
War Moves to the Middle States
Monmouth
• British leave Philly…Washington leaves Valley
Forge and chases them into NJ
• Sends 6400 men under Charles Lee…the forces
meet up on 6/28/78 at the Monmouth Court House
• Battle of Monmouth a draw at 350 casualties each
Benedict Arnold’s Treason
• Arnold never received credit for his roles at
Ticonderoga and Saratoga
• Marries a Loyalist in 1779
• Given command of West Point fort on the Hudson
River…begins to negotiate its surrender with the
British for 20,000 lbs.
• Fights on the British side for the remainder of the war
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Benedict Arnold Monument at Saratoga
Arnold was shot in the led during the Battle of Saratoga. At the site
where he fell is a monument bearing a carving of a boot. The monument
speaks of “the most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army” but does
not mention his name.
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continued Colonial
Life During the Revolution
Civilians at War
• While husbands fight, women manage homes,
businesses
• Many women go with troops to wash, cook, mend;
some fight
• Thousands of African-American slaves escape to
cities, frontier
• About 5,000 African Americans serve in Continental
Army
• Most Native Americans stay out of the conflict; some
aid British
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Molly Pitcher
Molly Pitcher (aka: Mary Ludwig Hays McCauly) was born in 1754, near
Trenton, New Jersey. During the American Revolution, she accompanied
her husband to the Battle of Monmouth and carried pitchers of water for
cooling the cannons, thereby earning her nickname. Supposedly, after her
husband collapsed, she took his place at the cannon and served heroically
through the battle.
Section 4
Winning the War
Strategic victories in the South and at Yorktown
enable the Americans to defeat the British.
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SECTION
4
Winning the War
European Allies Shift the Balance
Foreigners Help the Americans
• 1778, Prussian captain Friedrich von Steuben
goes to Valley Forge; trains colonists in fighting
skills, field maneuvers of regular army
• German peasant Johann Kalb (Baron de Kalb)
• Polish volunteers
--Tadeusz Kosciuszko helped fortify Philly
--Casmir Pulaski also died in action
• Marquis de Lafayette—19 yr. old French
aristocrat, joins Washington at Valley Forge
--Lobbies for French troops, 1779; leads
command in last years of war
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Baron de Kalb
Robert Mills, the designer of the Washington Monument, also designed
DeKalb's monument. General LaFayette laid its cornerstone. The epitaph
reads: ‘Here lies the remains of Baron DeKalb - A German by birth, but in
principle, a citizen of the world.' Six counties in the United States are
named for DeKalb, making it the third most popular name for a county in
the nation.
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The British Move South
Early British Success in the South
• 1778, British take Savannah; royal governor
reinstated in Georgia
• British armies led by Charles Cornwallis capture
Charlestown, SC 1780—greatest victory of war
• Rebels and loyalists commit brutal acts in the South
• Cornwallis wins Battle of Camden in South Carolina
British Losses in 1781
• 1781, Cornwallis faces Nathaniel Greene
(commander of forces in the South) in Carolinas
• Greene utilizes militia units to use guerilla attacks to
weaken British forces
• Weakened Cornwallis gets reinforcements, camps at
Yorktown; aided by the traitor Benedict Arnold
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Battle of Camden from The
Patriot
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPK5KD
CGF7g
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The British Surrender at Yorktown
Victory at Yorktown
• Lafayette’s plan: French, Americans attack British
at Yorktown
• French navy defeats British, blockades
Chesapeake Bay
• American, French siege Yorktown VA, shell British
for three weeks
• Cornwallis surrenders October 1781
Continued . . .
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The British surrender at Yorktown
The British bands are reputed to have played “The world turned upside
down” as the troops marched out to surrender.
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continued
The British Surrender at Yorktown
Seeking Peace
• 1782 peace talks include United States, Britain,
France, Spain
• American negotiators: John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, John Jay
• Treaty of Paris signed September 3rd 1783:
- U.S. independence recognized
- allows for expansion to the West
- Spain keeps Florida
- ignores Native American rights
- promises repayment of debts to British
merchants
- no date set for British evacuation of forts in U.S.
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SECTION
4
The War Becomes a Symbol of Liberty
The Impact on American Society
• War stimulates egalitarianism—belief in equality
of “all” people
• Equality for white men; women do not gain legal or
political rights
• African Americans still enslaved; those free face
discrimination
• Native Americans continue to be forced off their
lands by settlers
The Challenge of Creating a Government
• U.S. attempts to create government by the people,
not by a king
• Colonies, now states, resistant to a centralized
government; WHY?
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