Essential
Questions:
What was the more precipitating
factor that led to the outbreak of
war between the American
colonies & England: political or
economic stress?
–What factors caused the British
to fail in what should have been
an easy campaign to subdue
the American rebels?
The Decision to Fight
For Independence
for Independence
The Decision
Battle of Bunker
Hill (Breed’s Hill)
demonstrated
were
In early
1776,that
both
Spain & France
 The
Lexington
& Americans
Concord
skirmish
willing
to stand
up supplies
to a pitched
battle
began
shipping
to colonists
st war
was the 1 of a series of conflicts
Despite the
growing
calls forcall
independence,
before
American
for
the congress issued the Olive Branch
independence
1775
to 1775
1776:
Petition to Kingfrom
George
in July
–Fighting erupted around Boston,
King
George
rejected
the
Olive
NY,
Charlestown,
&
Quebec
Branch Petition in August 1775
–The 2nd Continental Congress
met to organize a war plan
–King George declared the
colonists in “open rebellion”
Decision for Independence
1776, the 2nd Continental
Congress
served“royal
as an
informal
Challenged
infallibility”
national
gov’t
for
the
colonies
Persuaded ordinary people to sever
ties the
with majority
England &ofitscolonists
“royal brute”
 But
were
undecided about independence
 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
proved to be the key factor in
convincing Americans to support
colonial independence
 By
Decision for Independence
 On
July 2, 1776, the Continental
Congress voted for independence
 On Democratic
July 4, theideals
Declaration
of
(republicanism)
Independence was issued to:
Natural rights & individual liberty
–Justify the Americans’ desire to
separate from England
–Articulate the principles on
which the new nation would be
established
Declaration of Independence (1776)
The Decision for Independence
 The
colonies divided:
–Supporters of independence
were called “Patriots” or “Whigs”
–Colonists that opposed
independence were called
“Loyalists” or “Tories”
–There were many “neutral”
colonists who were conflicted by
the prospect of independence
Patriots vs.
Loyalists
 Where
are
the Loyalists?
 Why
does it
make sense
that the
Loyalists
would be near
cities?
Fighting the War
for Independence
American Strengths and Weaknesses

The colonists are
fighting for
independence
 George Washington
can inspire his men
to fight
 France will aid the
colonies with
weapons, supplies
and their navy
Patriots and Loyalists

Patriots were colonists
who supported the
break from England.
 Loyalists are colonials
who support England.
 Colonists are divided
as to whether or not
they should rebel
against England!
American Strengths and Weaknesses

The colonists are
not a trained army
 Colonists enlist
for months
instead of years
 Short on money,
weapons and
supplies to fight a
war
British Strengths and Weaknesses

The British have an
experienced
professional army
 Outnumber the
Continental Army
 The British army is
well supplied with
equipment and
weapons
British Strengths and Weaknesses

The British are not fighting for a cause
 British officers are careless and poor
leaders
 The British have a to cross the Atlantic
Ocean to send men and supplies for the
war
 The support at homes is rather weak
The Strategy of War

American Colonies
– Keep the Colonial
Army together
– Washington seeks to
stretch the British
army away from
supply lines
– Harass the enemy,
defeat the British in a
major battle
– Get allies to help win!

Britain
– Seeks to destroy the
Colonial Army
– Regain control of the
colonies by region
– Take the fight to the
Colonial Army using
European war tactics
– Use loyalists support
against the colonies
The Outbreak of Revolution
 The
British entered the war
confident of a complete victory:
–Their army was 400% larger;
well-trained solders, experienced
officers, & Hessian mercenaries
–Strong manufacturing base
–The world’s most dominant navy
 Believed the 1776 battles were a
“police action” & the show of force
would force rebels to submit
The Outbreak of Revolution
 In
reality, England faced an
impossible task:
– Their long supply lines across
the Atlantic would not be able to
provide timely provisions
– The American terrain was large
– To win, the English had to find &
defeat the Continental Army
– Underestimated the colonial
commitment to independence
The American
Revolution,
1775-1781
Where
was the
American
Revolution
fought?
Building a Professional Army
 Washington’s
task
was
to
defend
As long as England did not defeat the
as much Army,
territory
as possible:
Continental
England
could not win
–Relied on guerrilla tactics &
avoided all-out-war with Britain
–Washington’s Continental Army
served as the symbol of the
“republican cause”
–But, colonial militias played a
major role in “forcing” neutrals
to support the Revolution
The
Continental
Army had
2 all-black
Slaves
& Indians
in the
War
regiments
composed
of Northern
slaves

Black slaves
supported
whoever
seemed likely to deliver freedom:
–Northern slaves supported the
colonists who offered freedom
for any slave who fought
–Southern slaves typically
supported Britain
 Native Americans feared colonial
expansion & overwhelmingly
supported Britain
Women in the War
 Women’s
role in the revolution:
–Supported their husbands &
sons in enlisting in militias
–Ran business affairs & continued
boycotting English goods while
men fought (i.e. Abigail Adams)
–Created propaganda (political
satires by Mercy Otis Warren)
–Some helped in the battlefield
(“Molly Pitcher”)
The Early Years: 1776-1777
 The
initial battles of the revolution
went badly for Americans:
–British General Howe forced
Washington to retreat at New
Colonial
militias
against
York
putting
theretaliated
Americans
on
those
who
deserted
the
patriot
cause
the run
–Gen Howe issued a “general
pardon” to all Americans who
swore an oath of allegiance to
George III; thousands did so
Howe
captured
The Early
Years:
New York
1776-1777
Captured
Philadelphia
British strategy remained
to
Washington’s army almost
fightataValley
“major
& decisive” battle;
starved
Forge
but Continental Army was elusive
 Despite
British
victories
1,000s
Took
Trenton
Took&Princeton
of colonial “oaths of allegiance”,
Washington kept fighting
–Won small victories that renewed
American wartime morale
–“Won” at Saratoga in 1777
 The
French
Alliance
A lot ofAnd…England
theseThe
points
were
now has to worry
The
turning
point
of covertly
the war!!
negotiated
by1775,
none
other
 Since
the French
about
a possible
(yet remote)
than
Ben
Franklin
invasion
of England
by supplies
France
aided
Americans
with
 But
after the “victory” at Saratoga:
–France recognized America as
a new, independent republic
–France promised to pressure
England
to agree
American
In 1778,
England
offered to
to remove
all
independence
war’snever
endto
parliamentary
legislationafter
& vowed
impose
revenue
taxes
on
the
colonists
again
–France relinquished all of its
The Continental
the offer
claims toCongress
territoryrefused
in America
The Final Campaign
 By
1781, Washington pushed the
Redcoats towards Yorktown (VA)
where General Cornwallis was
caught between the Continental
Army & the French navy
 On October 19, 1781 Cornwallis
surrendered; the English still
controlled NY & Charles Town but
the fighting virtually ended
The Loyalist Dilemma
 Loyalists
believed in liberty too,
but feared that independence
would breed anarchy in America
 Loyalists were treated poorly:
–The English never fully trusted
the Loyalists
–Patriots seized their property;
imprisoned & executed others
 More than 100,000 Loyalists left
America when the war ended
The Treaty of Paris,
1783
The Treaty of Paris (1783)
 The
Treaty of Paris in 1783 was
negotiated with England by
Franklin, John Adams, John Jay
 The terms included:
– Full American independence
– All territory east of Mississippi
River, between Canada & FL
– The removal of the British army
from U.S. claims in America
– Fishing rights in the Atlantic
North
America
after the
Treaty
of Paris,
1763
North
America
after the
Treaty
of Paris,
1783
Preserving Independence
 After
176 years of British rule, the
American Revolution began the
construction of a new form of
government
 But...will the new United States
be a government of the elite or a
government of the people?
 Next: To what degree did 1776
bring about a social revolution?