Transcript america secedes from empire

AMERICA SECEDES FROM
EMPIRE
Warm Up #18/19
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After watching the film, “America the
Story of Us” what contradictions and
support does the film give to the
statement: The American Revolution
was truly revolutionary (EQ #1 in set 4)
Preface
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Annotate the article as you read and note
the following items:
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Main thesis
Supporting facts/arguments
Any contradictions to what you know or what
seems to be the American story of the
Revolution
How does the author support the American
story of the Revolution
INTRO
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Bloodshed at Lexington and Concord in
April of 1775 was a clear call to arms.
May 10, 1775 2nd CC – met in
Philadelphia and this time all 13
colonies were present
Olive Branch Petition, Declaration of
Independence
Congress Drafts George
Washington
The most important move of the 2nd CC – was
to select GW to head the army besieging Boston
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43 years of age at the time, never risen above rank of
colonel, largest command had only numbered 1200
men
outstanding in leadership, courage, self-discipline
served without pay
he reprimanded his steward for providing enemy with
supplies while under duress, would rather his mansion
to be burned
Washington’s Headaches
Only 1/3 of the colonists were in
favor of a war for independence [the
other third were Loyalists, and the
final third were neutral].
State/colony loyalties.
Congress couldn’t tax to raise money
for the Continental
Army.
Poor training [until
the arrival of
Baron von Steuben.
Exports & Imports: 1768-1783
Bunker Hill and Hessian
Hirelings
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1775 Ethan Allen & benedict Arnold with
American forces seized a garrison of British
gunpowder & artillery at Ticonderga &
Crown Point
June 1775 colonists seized Breed’s Hill
(today known as Bunker Hill) – Americans
had to eventually retreat but not before
mowing down many British troops ( see my
notes)
July 1775 – Olive Branch Petition
Bunker Hill (June, 1775)
The British suffered over 40% casualties.
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August 1775 – King George III proclaimed
the colonists to be in formal rebellion –
skirmishes were now considered to be
treason
September George hired Hessians to fight
the colonists
Hessian flies – interested in money rather
than duty – many abandoned their duty
and acquired tracts of land – became
respectful citizens
Military Strategies
The Americans
Attrition [the
Brits had a long
supply line].
Guerilla tactics
[fight an
insurgent war 
you don’t have
to win a battle,
just wear the
British down]
Make an
alliance with
one of Britain’s
enemies.
The British
Break the
colonies in half
by getting
between the
No. & the So.
Blockade the
ports to prevent
the flow of
goods and
supplies from an
ally.
“Divide and
Conquer”  use
the Loyalists.
The Abortive Conquest of
Canada
Invasion northward goes against their policy of fighting
defensively for a redress of grievances – this was an
offensive attack so that Britain would not have a base for
striking purposes
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led by General Benedict Arnold & Richard Montgomery –
January 1776 British set fire to Norfolk
March the British were ousted from Boston – Evacuation
Day
February the colonists won a victory at Moore’s Creek
Bridge NC
June defeated an invading fleet at Charleston Harbor
Phase I: The Northern Campaign
[1775-1776]
Phase II:
NY & PA
[1777-1778]
New York City in Flames
(1776)
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Thomas Paine Preaches Common Sense
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loyalty to the empire was deeply ingrained
Common Sense – nowhere in the physical universe did the smaller
heavenly body control the larger one. Why then should the tiny
island of Britain control the continent of North America?
Paine and the Idea of “Republicanism”
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Common Sense called for the creation of a republic – where power
flowed from the people themselves in the form of government
known as a representative democracy – his idea fell on receptive
ears
The 13 colonies lended themselves to this form of government –
town meetings, congregationals, committees of correspondence,
local governments
Citizen “virtue” was most important in a republic – collective good
of the people mattered more than the private rights
Jefferson’s Explanation of
Independence
June 7,1776 Richard Henry Lee – motioned that these United
Colonies ought to be free an independent states
July 2 , 1776 – this motion was passed
Declaration of Independence was formally approved on July 4th
1776
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Argument featured natural right of mankind – and that the king had
flouted these rights
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Imposing taxes without consent
Dispensing with trial by jury
Abolishing valued laws
Military dictatorship
Maintaining standing armies in peacetime
Cutting off trade
Burning towns
Hiring mercenaries
officially divided people into categories of Loyalist or patriot
Loyalist and Patriots
War of Independence was a war within a war – Loyalists
fought patriots who fought redcoats
Loyalists were also called TORIES – Patriots were called
WHIGS
Loyalists numbered 16% of the American People –
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BF supported the Patriot side
His son William Franklin – last royal governor of NJ
supported the loyalist side
Many people of education, wealth, culture, caution
– remained loyal to the crown – they had to much
to lose – loyalist were also more numerous among
the older
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Loyalists also included the King’s officers and other
beneficiaries of the crown
Loyalist were most numerous where the Anglican
Church was the strongest
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NYC
Charleston
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
loyalists were least numerous in New England
Patriots were numerous where – Presbyterianism and
Congregationalism were prevalent
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often times British showed their disgust for these people
by using their churches for pigsties.
Loyalist
Strongholds
The loyalist Exodus
loyalists were subject to some brutality – tarring
and feathering/ riding astride fence rails
after the Dec. of Independence harsher
measures prevailed –
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imprisonment
some 80,000 were forced to leave
however some 100,000 were permitted to stay after
the war
some 50,000 loyalists bore arms for the British
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spies
inciting Indians
General Washington at
Bay
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with Boston evacuated in march 1776, British concentrated on
NY as a base of operations
July 1776 an enormous British fleet appeared of the NY coast/
500 ships & 35,000 men
Washington could only muster 18,000 ill trained troops to meet
the enemy
Disaster befell on the Americans in the summer and fall of 1776
Routed at the Battle of Long Island
His adversary was William Howe – Washington escaped across
the Deleware – Howe did not follow up – remembering his
defeat at Bunker Hill
Surprise at Trenton Dec. 26, 1776
Defeat of the British at Princeton.
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
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Burgoyne’s Blundering Invasion
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pg 152 – 153 (explain story) – generally
considered a turning point of War—
Surrender of Burgoyne and men at
Saratoga! (October 17, 1777)
Saratoga:
“Turning Point”
of the War?
A modern-day re-enactment
Revolution in Diplomacy
France was eager to heighten the quarrel
that had broken out between colonists
and Britain --- (they had lost their North
American possessions and power in
Europe)
The colonists badly needed the help of
the French – however they did have
some distinct concerns
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Wanted to end colonialism and mercantilism
Supported free trade and freedom of the seas
The Continental Congress drafted a “model treaty” – to
deal with the French – primarily written by John Adams
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No Political Connection
No military connection
Only a commercial connection
BF is the primary negotiator of the alliance treaty --describe his appearance
1777 British offered the Americans a form of home rule-
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gave Franklin an advantage at negotiation with France if
they had any hope of returning triumph and glory to their
country
France offered the new republic a treaty of alliance – huge
because France recognized the colonies as an independent
entity or nation
The Colonial War becomes
a wider War
With France joining the ear effort the IR now became a
global war -- other European countries now became
involved as they all resented the power Britain possessed in
Europe
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Spain entered in 1779, as did Holland –
1780 Catherine the Great of Russia took the lead in organizing
“Armed neutrality”
US did not just win independence with French aid --- it won the
war with European Aid
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Americans did not achieve independence until the war erupted into a
multipower world war
From 1778 – 1773 France provided the colonies with $,arms,
equipment, soldiers
French also used their navy in counter blockading the British fleets
Blow & Counter Blow
1780 a powerful French Army of 6,000 soldiers made it to
the colonies under Comte de Rochambeau – landed in
Newport RI
no real military advantage came from this landing as they
were not used in battle – only strategized to have a
Franco-American ransacking of NY
Benedict Arnold ( traitor)
The British planned to roll the colonies – starting in the
south where loyalists were numerous ----
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Georgia was overrun
Charleston was sacked – 5,000 men and 400 cannon
King’s Mountain Victory and Cowpens
General Nathaniel Greene
Phase III: The Southern
Strategy [1780-1781]
Britain’s “Southern Strategy”
Britain thought that there were more
Loyalists in the South.
Southern resources were more
valuable/worth preserving.
The British win a number of small
victories, but cannot pacify the
countryside [similar to U. S. failures
in Vietnam!]
Good US General:
Nathanial Greene
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Count de
Rochambeau
Admiral
De Grasse
The land Frontier and the
Sea Frontier
British become “hair buyers’ recruited native Americans as allies
--- Iroquois Confederacy divided over who to support
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1784 the pro –British Iroquois signed the Treaty of Fort Stanwix
even during wartime the flow of expansion westward did not
slow
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Oneidas & Tuscaroras sided with the Americans
Senecas, Mohawks, Cayugas, Onendagas joined the British
Lexington
Louisville
Roger Clarks surprise attacks on the Illinois forts – floats up the
Ohio River and conquers 3 British posts – Kaskaskia, Cahokia,
Vincennes
Effect of Privateering
Yorktown and the Final
Curtain
Before the last decisive victory, inflation continued to soar,
and the government was virtually bankrupt, and announced
that it could only repay many of its debts at a rate of 2.5
cents on the dollar.
However, Cornwallis was blundering into a trap.
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Retreating to Chesapeake Bay and assuming that British control of
the seas would give him much needed backup, Cornwallis instead
was trapped by Washington’s army, which had come 300 miles
from New York, Rochambeau’s French army, and the navy of
French Admiral de Grasse.
After hearing the news of Cornwallis’ defeat, Lord North cried,
“Oh God! It’s all over!”
Stubborn King George wanted to continue the war, since he
still had 54,000 troops in North America and 32,000 in the
U.S., and fighting did continue for about a year after Yorktown,
especially in the South, but America had won.
TREATY OF PARIS1783
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Many Brits were weary of the war, since they had suffered
heavy reverse in India and the West Indies, the island of
Miorca in the Mediterranean had fallen, and the Rock of
Gibraltar was tottering.
Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay met in Paris for a
peace deal.
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Jay suspected that France would try to keep the U.S. cooped
up east of the Alleghenies and keep America weak.
Instead, Jay, thinking that France would betray American
ambitious to satisfy those of Spain, secretly made separate
overtures to London (against instructions from Congress) and
came to terms quickly with the British, who were eager to
entice one of their enemies from the alliance.
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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.
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The Yankees also retained a share in the priceless
fisheries of Newfoundland.
Americans couldn’t persecute Loyalists, though, and
Congress could only recommend legislatures that
confiscated Loyalist land.
Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Painted by John Trumbull, 1797