Transcript chapter 8 - Cloudfront.net

CHAPTER 8
America Secedes from the Empire
1775-1783
Important
terms to know
secede =
to withdraw from an organization
Colonist or colonials =
Anyone living in
the colonies at
the time (who
was not sent as a
representative of
England) was a
colonial or a
colonist
British soldiers were also called
• Red coats
• “bloody” backs (pejorative)
Hi, we’re
British
soldiers.
You can
call us red
coats
But calling us
“bloody” backs
is an insult!!!
Colonials who fought for
independence from Britain were
called:
•Patriots
•Rebels
•“Whigs”
Colonials who wanted to remain
part of England were called:
• Loyalists
• “Tories”
These are the times that try men’s souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine
patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the
service of their country; but he that stands
it now, deserves the love and thanks of
man and woman.
Thomas Paine, The Crisis
December 1776
Introduction
Bloodshed at Lexington and Concord
in April of 1775 was a clarion call to
arms
20,000 “Minutemen” traveled to
Boston to challenge the British
The Second Continental Congress
met in May of 1775 and all 13 colonies
were present
Second Continental Congress
There was no real call for
independence, and the conservative
element of Congress was still strong
Everyone agreed that they should
continue fighting and hope that King George
and Parliament would consent to a redress
of grievances
The Second Continental Congress
drafted appeals to the British people. They
also raised money to create an army and
navy in case that didn’t work.
I. Congress Drafts George Washington
A. Probably the most
important action of the
Second Continental
Congress was drafting
George Washington to
head the Continental
Army that was
besieging Boston
George Washington by John Trumbull
1.Many people considerable
reservations about Washington
a. He had never risen above the
rank of colonel in the militia
b. His largest command had
been only 12,000 men and that
was 20 years before!!
c. He was not a military genius
--- he lost more pitched battles
than he won
2. BUT Washington
a. Had outstanding powers of
leadership
b. Had strength of character-- radiated
patience, courage, self-discipline, and
a sense of justice
c. Earned the trust of the people
d. Was a great moral force rather than a
great military mind
e. Insisted on serving without pay
3. In truth, Washington’s selection
was largely political
a. Americans were somewhat
distrustful of New England, and
having a southerner in charge
would help smooth things out
b. Washington was from Virginia,
the largest of the colonies
c. Washington was a man of wealth,
so couldn’t be accused of being a
fortune seeker
II. Bunker Hill and Hessian Hirelings
A. The early days of the war seemed
somewhat contradictory
1. On the one hand the Americans were
claiming loyalty to King George III and
trying to patch things up.
2. On the other hand, they were raising
armies and fighting royal troops.
3. War continued for 14 months this way
(April 1775 to July 1776) before
independence was declared
B. Tempo of war increased gradually
1. May 1775 --- a small
American force under Ethan
Allen and Benedict Arnold
captured British garrisons at
Ticonderoga and Crown
Point and were able to
capture priceless stores of
gunpowder and artillery
2. June 1775 -colonials seized
Bunker Hill
(Breed’s Hill)
from where they
launched attacks
against British in
Boston
a. The British launched a frontal
attack with 3000 men, which
was a blunder --- they should
have flanked the colonials to
block their retreat
The British attack on Breeds Hill at the Battle of Bunker Hill
British Grenadiers attack the redoubt on
Breed's Hill.
b.1500 American sharpshooters
mowed them down until their
gunpowder ran out
c. Then Americans had to retreat
in disorder
The death of the American General
Warren at the climax of the Battle of
Bunker Hill by John Trumbull
d. English technically won
e. French foreign minister
remarked that with two more
victories like that, the British
would have no troops left in
America
e. This was a pyrrhic victory
for British
Pyrrhic (peer-ic) victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with
devastating cost to the victor. The phrase
is an allusion to King Pyrrhus of Epirus,
whose army suffered irreplaceable
casualties when he defeated the Romans
during the Pyrrhic War. The devastation
led to his famous statement, "One more
such victory and I am lost" -- hence the
term "Pyrrhic victory" for any victory so
costly as to be ruinous.
3. Despite the fighting, in July,
1775, Continental Congress
adopted “Olive Branch Petition” in
which they
Olive branch is a colloquial
term referring to a concession
or a gesture of peace, as well
as a peace symbol. (Origin:
ancient Greece)
a. Claimed loyalty to the king
b. Begged king to prevent further
hostilities
4. Following Bunker Hill,
King George III claimed the
colonies were in rebellion
What did that
really mean?
The American signers of the
Declaration of Independence had
reason to fear for their necks. In
1802, twenty-six years later,
King George III approved this
death sentence for seven Irish
rebels:
“. . .(You) are to be hanged by the
neck, but not until you are dead; for
while you are still living your bodies
are to be taken down, your bowels
torn out and burned before your
faces, your heads then cut off, and
your bodies divided each into four
quarters, and your heads and
quarters to be then at the King’s
disposal; and may the Almighty God
have mercy on your souls.”
Remember the
Braveheart execution scene?
5. The next month, George III
made things worse when he
hired thousands of Germans
(called Hessians because they
came from the German
principality of Hesse)
a. Colonials were shocked
b. They felt this was a family matter,
so why did King George III hire
mercenaries?
mercenary
A solider hired into foreign service
A person who serves merely for
wages
6. Hessians were good soldiers
mechanically but were accused of
being more interested in booty
(plunder taken in war)
a. They were not paid much, but the
Germans princes who sent them were
paid a lot!
b. Derogatorily named “Hessian flies”
c. Some deserted and remained in
America (where they could get land)
d. # of soldiers sent --1776-82: 30,067
(1) 12,562 did not return.
(2) 7,754 died
(3) 4,808 remained in America...
III. The Abortive Conquest of
Canada
A. The war continued in the colonies
1. October 1775 --- British burned Falmouth
(Portland) Maine
2. Also in 1775, Americans undertook
an invasion of Canada
a. The colonists decided that
invading Canada would add a 14th
colony and deprive Britain of a
valuable base for striking at the
colonies in revolt
b. Believed that the French
Canadians were unhappy and would
join them --- BUT THEY WERE
WRONG
c.This also contradicted the colonial
claim that all they wanted was a
redress of grievances --- this was an
offensive action
d. Canadian invasion almost
successful --- involved Benedict Arnold
and General Richard Montgomery,
each leading an invading column --met and launched attack on Quebec
(1) Montgomery killed
(2) Arnold wounded
(3) French Canadians did not join in
Death of General Montgomery during the attack on Quebec
QUESTION: Why didn’t Quebec
residents welcome invaders
ANSWER: French-Canadians,
who had welcomed the Quebec
Act, didn’t really like the antiCatholic invaders.
B. Fighting continued
1. Americans still claimed no desire for
independence
2. January 1776 --- British burn Virginia
town of Norfolk
3. March 1776 --- British were forced to
evacuate Boston
4. 1776 --- southern rebels won two
victories against Loyalists
a. Moores’ Creek Bridge--- victory
against some 1500 Loyalists
b. Charleston Harbor---won victory
against an invading British fleet at
Charleston Harbor
IV. Thomas Paine Preaches
Common Sense
A. The Americans continued to deny desire
for independence because
1. Loyalty to Britain was strong
2. Colonial unity was poor
3. Open rebellion was dangerous
B. Americans were slow to realize
their inconsistency, but certain
British actions provided a “reality
check”
1. Burning of Falmouth and
Norfolk
2. Hiring of Hessians
But then a man
who was once a
corset-maker’s
apprentice
changed
everything
C. In 1776, Thomas Paine
published a pamphlet called
Common Sense --- one of the most
influential pamphlets ever
published
1. Thomas Paine was radical who
failed at every major undertaking
he ever tried…until this
2. Pamphlet quickly sold 120,000
copies
3. Paine pointed out that what
the colonists were doing vis
a vis England was contrary
to “common sense”
I just
don’t
get it!!!
Common Sense said
nowhere in the universe does
the smaller body control the
larger body . . . .
…so why should the tiny island
of England control the vast
expanse of America?
WHY???
I’m England,
and I’m the
boss!!!
b. Paine also called King
George “the Royal Brute of
Great Britain”
V. Paine and the Idea of “Republicanism”
A. Paine’s book was both eloquent and radical
1. It called for both
a. Independence
b. The creation of a new kind of political
society: a democratic republic where
sovereignty (power) was in the people,
not in the king
Is this a joke???
I am not
amused.
2. Paine laced his language
with biblical imagery
3. Paine argued that all
government officials
(governors, senators, judges,
not just elected members of
house of commons) derived
their power from the consent of
the governed
B. Paine wasn’t the first person to
advocate this form of government
1. Some Greek and Roman political
philosophers had advanced this
theory
2. The theory was revived in the
Renaissance and in 17th century
England
3. England had a delicate
balance of power between
a. The King
b. The nobility and
c. The commoners
C. Colonial experiences had prepared
the colonists for republicanism
(This is republican with a small “r”. The
Republican Party that we know today was
started right before the Civil War as an antislavery party.)
republic = a government in
sovereignty lies in elected
officers and representatives who
have been elected by the people
and are responsible to them
1. New England town meetings
and annual elections were a form
of republicanism
2. Committees of Correspondence
(1774-1775) were popularly elected
and demonstrated feasibility of
republican government
3. American colonies had an
absence of hereditary aristocracy
and relative equality of condition
of all land owners
D. Americans considered the virtue of its
citizens fundamental to successful
republican government
1. Power no longer lay with all-powerful
king
2. Therefore, individual citizens had to
be willing to sacrifice their personal
self interest to the public good
3. Rights of “the people” mattered more
than private rights
4. Paine insisted America was the ideal
place to start a government built on civic
virtue
The idea of civic virtue is
expressed in 1961 (nearly
200 years later) in the
inaugural speech of John
F. Kennedy:
“And so, my fellow
Americans: ask not
what your country can
do for you - ask what
you can do for your
country.”
E. Not all Patriots agreed with Paine --many felt he was too democratic
1. Some believed in a republic
ruled by “natural aristocracy”
2. To them, republicanism meant
an end to hereditary aristocracy
but not and end to social
aristocracy
3. They did not trust the masses of
the radical leveling it implied
F. This contest to define
American republicanism
continued for the next
VI. Jefferson’s “Explanation” of
Independence
A. Members of the Second Continental
Congress, which were meeting in
Philadelphia, gradually moved
towards making a clean break with
England
Let’s make the break!!!
1.June, 1776 --- Richard
Henry Lee of Virginia
introduced the motion
“ These United
Colonies are, and of
right ought to be, free
and independent
states . . . “
2. The motion was
adopted a month later -- July 2, 1776
3. This was all that was really needed 4.
4. John Adams remarked that after this,
July 2 would be celebrated with
fireworks
5. But something was missing
B. This was a monumental
event and needed some sort
of formal declaration to
1.Enlist other English
colonies in the
Americas
2.Invite assistance from
foreign nations
3.Rally resistance at
home
C. Right after
Richard Henry Lee’s
resolution was passed
in June, Congress
appointed a committee
to draft such a
declaration, and
Thomas Jefferson was
eventually given the
responsibility of writing
it
1. Jefferson was
picked because he
was low man on the
totem pole---the
task of writing
document was not
considered to be
particularly difficult
2. Jefferson was young
(33) but already
acknowledged as a
brilliant writer
3. Formally approved
on July 4, 1776
5. Better called
“Explanation of
Independence” --- or
“Mr. Jefferson’s
advertisement of Mr.
Lee’s resolution.”
Independence Hall
Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull
D. Jefferson’s style was magnificent
1. Jefferson invoked “natural
rights” of humankind --- not
just British rights
2. Jefferson argued
that because the
King had flouted *
these rights, the
colonists were
justified in cutting
their connection to
him
This king flouted the
rights of the colonists,
and I’m not lion.
What does
“flout”
mean?
flout =
to treat with contemptuous
disregard
These young men are openly flouting
the school dress code
3. The Jefferson listed all the
grievances of the colonists
(Imposing taxes without consent,
dispensing with trial by jury,
establishing a military dictatorship,
maintaining standing armies in
peacetime, hiring mercenaries,
inciting hostilities among the
Indians, etc.)
E. Jefferson’s argument was one
sided, and he took liberties with
the truth --- the Declaration of
Independence was more like an
editorial
Okay, so maybe
I stretched the
truth a little, but
my prose is
great!
F. The Declaration of
Independence cleared the air and
put an end to the inconsistencies
Who
of the colonists
So are we
independent
or not???
It says here that
we finally
declared our
independence!!
knows???
1. Colonists could now solicit
foreign aid
2. Patriots who defied the king
were now “rebels”
As Benjamin Franklin said,
“Gentlemen we must all hang
together or we shall most
assuredly all hang separately.”
3. Signers vowed: “We
mutually pledge to each other
our lives, our fortunes, and our
sacred honor.”
4. The Declaration of
Independence is sometimes called
the shout heard round the world
5. Lafayette hung it on his wall
The Liberty Bell, rung joyously on July 8, 1776 at
the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence
VII. Patriots and Loyalists
A. The War of Independence was a war within a
war
1. Colonists loyal to the king (Loyalists) fought
American rebels (Patriots) while the rebels
also fought the British redcoats
a. Loyalists were derisively called Tories
(dominant political faction in Britain)
b. Patriots were called Whigs (their
opposition)
c. Patriots: “A Tory is a thing whose head is
in England, and its body is in America, and its
neck ought to be stretched.”
B. The American Revolution was a minority
movement
1.
2.
Many colonists were apathetic or neutral
The two sides tried to get the allegiance and support of
the civilians
a. British were inept in winning the hearts and minds
of the civilians
b. Patriot militias played a crucial role
British were able to control only those areas they
actually occupied except in Tory areas
(1) When they left, the militias appeared
(2) Militias would “politically educate” the populace
(sometimes using coercion) and were very effective
agents of revolutionary ideas
(3) Militias would harass small British detachments -- one British officer observed that ”the Americans
would be less dangerous if they had a regular army”
C. Loyalists numbered about 20 %
of the population
1. Families sometimes split over this
2. Ben Franklin and his illegitimate son
3. Loyalists were tragic figures
a. Loyalty is a virtue (loyalty to family,
friends, etc)
b. If England had won, they would have
been heroes and Washington would
have been the villain
D. Loyalists were . . .
1. Conservative
Americans --people of
wealth,
culture and
caution
2. Loyalists were generally
conservatives, but the war
divided families
3. Benjamin Franklin’s
illegitimate son, William, the
last royal governor of New
Jersey, was a Loyalist
---while B. Franklin was a
super Patriot
4.Loyalists were older people
5. Loyalists were king’s officers
6.Loyalists were often
Anglican clergy and much
of their congregation
7. Loyalists were
prevalent where Anglican
Church was strongest –--with the exception of
Virginia (debt burdened
Anglican aristocrats
supported Patriot cause)
8. Loyalists were
entrenched in New York
City, Charleston,
Pennsylvania and New
Jersey
9. When
Washington’s
troops were
starving at Valley
Forge,
Pennsylvania
nearby farmers
were selling
produce to British
10. Loyalists were less numerous
in New England
E. Young people were Patriots
1. Samuel Adams
2. Patrick Henry --“Give me liberty
or give me
death!”
3. New
England
Presbyterian
and
Congregational
Churches were
more likely
Patriots
VIII. The Loyalist Exodus
A. Before the Declaration of
Independence, the persecution of
Loyalists was rather mild, but after
the Declaration of Independence, it
became much harsher
B. Loyalists were regarded by
Patriots as
1. Hundreds of Loyalists were imprisoned; a
few were hanged
2. BUT there was no Reign of Terror (as
in France and Russia), because
a. Colonials had Anglo-Saxon
regard for order
b. Leading Loyalists fled to British
lines
3. About 80,000 loyalists were driven
out or fled the colonies and their
estates were confiscated and sold
to help finance the war
4. 50,000 Loyalists fought for the
British
IX. General Washington at Bay
A. The War in 1776-1777: Britain changed
its focus to the former Middle Colonies
with New York as it center of operations
B. British had 35,000 troops vs. 18,000 ill
trained troops for Washington
C. Battle of Long Island
(Summer & Fall 1776)
1. Washington’s troops were
routed at the Battle of Long
Island
2. Thanks to the fog,
Washington’s army was able to
escape from Long Island to
Manhattan and then NJ
3. British pursued them
sounding fox-hunting calls
D. British lost a great opportunity to
crush the Americans early
1. Washington’s adversary:
General William Howe
a. Not a military genius
b. Remember Bunker Hill??
c. Did not like fighting in the
winter so he holed up with
his mistress, Mrs. Loring
(wife of a subordinate)--Americans had great fun
with this
Francis Hopkinson, one of the signers f
the Declaration of Independence, wrote
a ballad to the turn of Yankee Doodle.
Part of it went:
Sir William he, snug as a flea,
Lay all this time a snoring;
Nor dreamt of harm, as he lay warm
In bed with Mrs. L-ng.
E. Battle of Trenton (Dec. 1776)
1. Washington crossed the iceclogged Delaware River on Dec. 26,
1776
2. At Trenton, surprised and captured
about 1,000 Hessians who were
sleeping off their Christmas partying
General Washington at Trenton
Battle in the Streets of Trenton
The surrender to General George Washington of the dying
Hessian commander, Colonel Rahl, at the Battle of Trenton
F. Battle of Princeton (Jan. 1777)
1. One week after Trenton,
Washington defeated a smaller
British force at Princeton
2. British forced to pull his outposts
back to New York
George Washington at the Battle of Princeton
G. Trenton and Princeton were
gambles by Washington to
achieve quick victories to revive
the disintegrating Continental
Army---and they paid off!
X. Burgoyne’s Blundering
Invasion
“Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne
A. London officials adopted a
complicated scheme for
capturing the vital Hudson River
Valley in 1777 which, if
successful, would severe New
England from the rest of the
colonies
1. General (“Gentleman
Johnny”) Burgoyne
was to lead the main
invading force down
the Lake Champlain
route from Canada.
2. General Howe’s
troops in New York, if
needed, could
advance up the
Hudson and meet
Burgoyne in Albany.
3. A third and much
smaller British force
commanded by
Colonel Barry St.
Ledger would come in
from the west by way
of Lake Ontario and
the Mohawk Valley
1. Benedict Arnold saved New
England by slowing down British
invasion of New York ---after failure
at Quebec, he retreated slowly
along the St. Lawrence back to
Lake Champlain, where the British
would have to win control (of the
lake) before proceeding
a.The Brits stopped to build a huge
force, while Arnold assembled a tattered
flotilla from whatever boats he could find
b. Arnold’s “navy” was destroyed, but he
had gained valuable time, because
winter set in and the British settled in
Canada; they would have to begin anew
the next spring
c.Had Arnold not contributed his daring
and skill, the Brits most likely would have
recaptured Ticonderoga and Burgoyne
could have started from there and
succeeded in his venture
d. If Burgoyne had captured Fort
Ticonderoga, it probably would have led
to a British success in this campaign to
cut off New England
B. Burgoyne began his mission with 7000
troops and a heavy baggage train
consisting of a great number of the
officers’ wives
1. Meanwhile, “sneaky” rebels,
sensing the kill, were gathering
along his flanks
2. General Howe, at a time when he
should be starting up the Hudson,
deliberately embarked for an attack
on Philadelphia
a. He wanted to force an encounter
with Washington and leave the path
wide open for Burgoyne’s thrust; he
thought he had enough time to help
Burgoyne if needed
b. Washington transferred his
troops to Philly, but was defeated at
Brandywine Creek and Germantown
c. Then, the fun-loving Howe settled
down in Philadelphia, leaving Burgoyne
“to the dogs”
d. Ben Franklin, in Paris, joked that
Howe hadn’t captured Philadelphia, but
that “Philadelphia had captured Howe”
3. Washington finally retired for the winter
at Valley Forge, where his troops froze
in the cold, but a recently arrived
Prussian drill master, Baron von
Steuben, whipped the cold troops into
shape
4. Burgoyne’s doomed troops were
bogged down, and the rebels
swarmed in with a series of sharp
engagements, pushing the St.
Legers force back at Oriskany while
Burgoyne, unable to advance or
retreat, surrendered his entire force
at Saratoga, on October 17, 1777
General Burgoyne surrenders to
General Gates
5. Battle of Saratoga was
the
battle of the American Revolution,
because . . .
a.It made possible French aid
which ultimately ensured
American independence
b. The Spanish and Dutch
eventually entered and England
was faced with world war
c. It revived the faltering colonial
cause
XI. Revolution in Diplomacy?
(previously called “Strange
French Bedfellows”---quote
from Shakespeare’s “The
Tempest”)
Political interests can bring together people who otherwise
have little in common. This saying is adapted from a line
in the play The Tempest, by William Shakespeare: “Misery
acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” It is spoken by
a man who has been shipwrecked and finds himself
seeking shelter beside a sleeping monster.
A.
France saw Revolutionary war as an
opportunity to stab England in the
back and to exact revenge on the
British for the Seven Years War
1. England’s New World colonies
were England's most valuable
overseas possessions
2. Losing them would damage the
power and prestige of England
B. American revolutionaries badly
needed help in throwing off British
rule
C. The stage was set for the
embattled new nation to make its
diplomatic debut by sealing an
alliance with France against their
common foe: England
D. Yet America also had rebellious
ideas about international affairs as well
1. They wanted an end to mercantilism
and colonialism
2. They strongly supported free trade and
freedom of the seas
3. They hoped to substitute the rule of
law for the ancient reliance on raw
power
4. When the new Republic’s great seal
proclaimed novus ordo seculorum---a
new order for the ages---this was meant
to apply to international as well as
domestic affairs
5.
Continental Congress drafted a “Model
Treaty” to help guide the Americans they
were sending to France
a. John Adams, one of the main authors,
described it as …
“1. No political connection . . .
2. No military connection . . . .
3. Only a commercial connection.”
b. These were bold restrictions for a nation
struggling to be born
c. They represented an emerging school of
thought that was popular among enlightened
figures in Europe and America
(1) They thought history had reached a
turning point where military conflict would be
abandoned and the bonds of mutual
commercial interests would guarantee peace
among the nations of the world
(2) This was naïve and utopian, but it infused
a sense of idealism in American attitudes in
international affairs
6. Ben Franklin went to France to negotiate
and made it a point to violate every
norm of diplomatic behavior:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Plain white walking stick instead of ceremonial
sword
Homespun coat and fur cap instead of fancy wigs
and ermined robes
He was well aware of “how this must appear
among the Powder’d Heads of Paris”
He shocked the royal court, but ordinary Parisians
adored him---specimen of new democratic social
order
Franklin embraced and kissed the famed French
philosopher Francois Voltaire in a Paris theater--French spectators applauded wildly
The Reception of Benjamin Franklin in France
America’s cause was a sort of fad in France
--They began to secretly send supplies to the
Americans started after Lexington in 1775
--France worried open aid to America might
provoke British attacks on French interests
helped forge the Franco-American Alliance
---About 90% of the gunpowder used in the first
two and a half years of the war came from France
---France was worried that the Americans would
patch up things with England and France would
be left hanging out to dry, but Declaration of
Independence a turning point for French aid --showed Americans meant business
E. After the humiliation at Saratoga, the British
offered the Americans a measure that gave
them home rule—everything they wanted
except independence---Ben Franklin used this
to play skillfully on France’s fears of the colonies
and England reconciling
F. Victory at Saratoga displayed an excellent
chance for defeating England
G. France, in 1778, offered a treaty of alliance,
offering America everything that Britain had
offered, plus recognition of independence.--Americans accepted with caution, since France
was pro-Catholic, but since they needed help,
they’d take it---Franco American Alliance
XII. The Colonial War Becomes a
Wider War
A. So by 1778, England and France were
effectively at war; then Spain and
Holland both entered the war against
Britain, so it was now a world war
B. Many European countries resented
England’s naval dominance and the
trampling of their maritime rights and
began demanding more respect
1. 1780, Catherine the Great of Russia
formed the Armed Neutrality whose
members were neutral but hostile to
England
2. War was now being fought in Europe,
North America, South America,
Caribbean and Asia
C. French aid was
to the American cause
1. Americans deserve credit for
keeping war going from
1775 until 1778
2. From 1778 to 1783, France
provided
a. Money
b. Equipment
c. One half of America’s armed
forces
d. Almost all the naval strength
D. English decided to evacuate
Philadelphia in 1778, and the
retreating redcoats were attacked by
George Washington at Monmouth,
New Jersey
1. Very hot day --- men collapsed or
died of sunstroke
2. British escaped
3. Washington spent most of the rest of
the war trying to hem in British in
New York
Molly Pitcher loading her husband's cannon during the Battle of Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth, NJ, June 28, 1778
XIII. Blow and Counterblow
1. In the summer
of 1780,
6,000 regular
French troops
landed in
Newport,
Rhode Island
2.French troops were commanded by
Comte de Rochambeau
3. Flares sometimes erupted between
the Americans and the French
a. There was suspicion at first
b. French gold and good will
melted American hearts
CELEBRATION of the 225th ANNIVERSARY
of the 1780 arrival of the Comte de ROCHAMBEAU
and his French Military Expedition at
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
8 - 10 July 2005
B. Improving American morale was set back
when Benedict Arnold feeling
unappreciated and lured by British
gold, turned traitor by plotting with the
British to sell out West Point
1. Benedict Arnold was frustrated with his
treatment by his superiors despite his
heroic service
I just don’t get
enough respect
from the
Americans.
Hmmmmm…. I
think I’ll become a
traitor.
2. Arnold persuaded General Washington to
make him head of West Point, which
commanded the Hudson River
3. Arnold plotted with the British to sell out
West Point
4. The plot was accidentally discovered by
Washington
5. When the plot was discovered, Arnold
fled with the British
6. “Whom can we trust now?” cried
George Washington in anguish
5.
The British devised a plan to roll up the
colonies from the South
a. Georgia was ruthlessly overrun in 17781779
b. Charleston, South Carolina, fell in 1780
c. In the Carolinas, Patriots bitterly fought
their Loyalist neighbors
d. However, in 1781, American riflemen wiped
out a British detachment at King’s Mountain,
and then defeated a smaller force at Cowpens
e. At the Carolina campaign of 1781, Quakerreared tactician General Nathanael Greene
distinguished himself
Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton of the 17th Light
Dragoons, British commander of the notorious
Tarleton’s Legion
Battle of Cowpens
• The war in the southern colonies had become
something of a stalemate, neither side having sufficient
strength to hazard full out offensive operations. The
fighting was conducted by raiding columns and guerilla
activity. Both sides behaved with unrestrained ferocity.
• Tarleton had made his reputation in the southern
colonies as a ruthless and impetuous commander.
Pursued by Tarleton, Morgan determined to make a
stand by the Broad River. He selected a simple
position on two low hills in open woodland in the
expectation that Tarleton would make a headlong
attack without pausing to devise a more subtle plan.
Morgan was correct in his assessment of Tarleton’s
actions.
Battle of Cowpens
Colonel Washington and his dragoons
attacking the British Light Dragoons
Battle of Cowpens
Casualties:
The British lost 39 officers and 60
soldiers killed. 829 were captured. 12
Americans were killed and 60
wounded. The Americans captured the
British baggage and the colours of the
7th Foot.
Colonel "Light Horse" Harry Lee Follow-up:
This small battle had an effect disproportionate to
its size. As seemed to be the case throughout the
war British victories achieved little in the long term
while every American victory gave encouragement
to the colonies.
Tradition and anecdote:
• The Americans gave “Tarleton’s quarter” to the
surrendering British and Loyalist troops- a bayonet
in the stomach- until restrained by their officers,
an indication of the depths of ferocity to which the
fighting in the Carolinas descended, substantially
due to the conduct of Tarleton and his Legion.
XIV. The Land Frontier & the
Sea Frontier
A. West raged throughout most of the war
Theyebdabegea ---Joseph Brant
1.Indian allies of Britain attacked American frontier
positions --- English allegedly paid for Patriot
scalps
2. 1777 known as "the Bloody Year" on the
frontier
3. Two of Iroquois tribes (Oneida and
Tuscaroras) sided with Americans
4. Six nations of the Iroquois
sided with the British
b. Urged on by Mohawk
Chief Theyebdabegea --called Chief Joseph Brant
(“Monster Brant”) by British -- to backcountry PA and NY
c. Forced to sign Treaty of
Fort Stanwix -- 1st treaty
between United States &
Indian nation
d. Indians lost most of their
lands
B. Movement continued despite treacherous
war conditions (especially Kentucky)
C. Illinois country taken from the British
George Rogers Clark, an audacious
frontiersman, seized several British ports
along the Ohio River by surprise: Kaskaskia,
Cahokia (St. Louis), and Vincennes, Indiana
1. Helped quiet Indian involvement
2. His admirers' credit him for forcing the
British to cede the whole Ohio region in the
peace treaty of Paris after the war. This is still
a debate.
The Fall of Fort Sackville by
Frederick C. Yohn
D. The American Navy
1. John Paul Jones most
famous American naval leader
2. Chief contribution was
destroying British merchant
shipping and carrying war into
the waters around the British
Isles
3. "I have not yet begun to fight!"
4. Did not affect Britain's navy
E. American Privateers were more
effective than the American navy
1. Privately owned ships authorized by Congress
to attack enemy ships
2. 600 British ships captured; British captured as
many American merchantmen & privateers
3. Brought in gold, harassed the British, and
increased American morale by providing
American victories
4. Not a total asset---drained manpower from the
war effort by drawing off good men who
wanted to get rich quick
F. Major naval battles between
British, French, & other European
powers
A. Mostly in the West Indies
B. British overcome by French,
Spanish and Dutch -- War continued
until 1785 when British won last
battle near India
XV. Yorktown and the Final
Curtain
A. 1780-1781 was one of the
darkest periods in the war
1. There was run away inflation
2. Congress was forced to repudiate
much of its debts at
3. There was much despair
4. Disunion was increasing among the
colonies/states
B. In the meantime, British General Cornwallis--one of the only truly competent British
generals--- was blundering into a trap
1.He went to Yorktown (on the Chesapeake Bay) to wait
for supplies
2.He assumed the British navy was always in control--Wrong!!
3.He did this during one of the brief periods during the
war in which England was not in control of the seas
4.The French were ready to pounce ---Admiral de Grasse
, who had a powerful French fleet in the West Indies,
advised the Americans that he was ready to join with
them in an assault on Yorktown and/or Cornwallis
5.De Grasse blockaded the British fleet from going to
Yorktown
C. Washington and his troops marched 300
miles to Yorktown
1. Cornwallis was cornered and was forced
to surrender his entire force of 7,000
men on October 19, 1781
2. Yorktown was a disaster for the English
3. Prime Minister Lord North cried, “Oh
God! It’s all over! It’s all over!”
Surrender of the British
Surrender at Yorktown
French drawing of the surrender at Yorktown
D. George III was stubborn and desired to
keep fighting
1. Still had 54,000 troops in North America
including 32,000 in the United States
2. Fighting actually continued for more than
a year after Yorktown and Washington
kept the patriot cause alive
3. Patriot-Loyalist battle in South
particularly savage
XVI. Peace at Paris
A. After Yorktown, many of the British wanted to
settle with the Americans, despite King George
III’s desire to keep on fighting
B. Three American peace negotiators gathered at
Paris: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and
John Jay
1. Were given explicit instructions: Consult
with France, no separate peace with England
2. Americans did not like that directive---they
knew it had been basically written by the
French
C. France was eager to smash English
Empire but wanted to keep the
United States cooped up east of the
Alleghenies---to ensure weakness
1. They desired a weak America--independent but easy to
manipulate to support French
interests
2. France paid a heavy price to help
America win its independence, and
it wanted to get its money’s worth
D. Jay believed France was about to
betray American interests in order to
satisfy Spain, so he secretly made
overtures to London (against
instructions from Congress) and came
to terms quickly with the British
E. The Treaty of Paris of 1783, Britain
formally recognized the USA and granted
generous boundaries, stretching
majestically to the Mississippi on the west,
the Great Lakes on the north, and to
Spanish Florida on the South
1. The Yankees also retained a share in the
priceless fisheries of Newfoundland
2. Americans couldn’t persecute Loyalists,
though, and Congress could only
recommend legislatures that confiscated
Loyalist land
Signing of the Preliminary Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783
XVII. A New Nation Legitimized
A. Britain had ceded so much land because
it was trying to entice America from its
French alliance
1. Remember, George Rogers Clark had
only conquered a small part of the land
2. Also, during the time, the Americanfriendly Whigs were in control of the
Parliament, which was not to be the case
in later years
B. France approved the treaty, though with
cautious eyes
1. They savored defeating a foe
2. Plunged into bankruptcy and revolution
C. In truth, America came out the big winner,
and seldom, if ever, have any people been
so favored