American Revolution

Chapter 8

Essential Question?

• What options did the American colonists use to try and reconcile with Great Britain?

2nd Continental Congress

• Meets in 1775– Creates an army and

navy– Asks colonies for funds– Selects George

Washington as top general of new Continental Army.

George Washington

• Served in the British Army in the 7 Years War.

• Led by example, character

• Was not paid• Southerner, leading a

mostly northern army.• “1st in war, 1st in peace,

1st in the hearts of his countrymen.”

Important Battles

• Lexington 1775• Concord• Ticonderoga• Bunker Hill• Quebec City• Long Island 1776• Trenton• Princeton

• Lake Champlain 1777• Brandywine• Germantown• Saratoga• Monmouth 1778• Charleston 1780• Cowpens• King’s Mountain• Guilford Court House 1781• Yorktown

Bunker Hill• GW’s 1st job, try to drive

redcoats out of Boston.• Sets up army on a hill

overlooking Boston.• British marched up hill and

were slaughtered by colonists.

• Colonists retreat when they run out of ammo.

• Very costly victory for the British.

Olive Branch Petition• 1775: Continental Congress

sends to King• Colonists swear loyalty to

the crown, asked for a truce, and free trading rights.

• King refuses, states that colonists are in treason

• Hires thousands of German mercenary soldiers to aid the Redcoats (Hessians)

O’Canada

• Colonists attempt to tear Canada away from crown.

• Thought the French-Canadians would gladly join them.

• No longer a defensive war for colonists.

• Forces lead by Benedict Arnold failed to capture Quebec City

• Canadians wanted no part of the 13 colonies revolution.

Common Sense

• Most colonists were loyal to King, just wanted change/ to be left alone.

• 1776: A Briton named Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense

• Stated that the colonists were better off without Britain.

• Revived the idea of a republic

• Appealed to radical Whig ideology – fear abusive government!

• Appealed to colonists – tradition of town meetings, elections.

• Perfect timing!

Thomas Paine

Declaration of Independence• Common Sense influenced

the Continental Congress.• In June, 1776,

representatives debated on independence.

• Thomas Jefferson chosen to draft DoI.

• Jefferson borrowed heavily from Enlightenment thinkers.

• Declaration of Independence– Natural Rights– Social Contract Theory– List of grievances against

King• Possibly the most

influential document ever• Adopted on July 2,

announced July 4th.

Declaration of Independence

Patriot of Loyalist?• Loyalist = Tories• Patriots = Whigs• Many colonists were

apathetic• Estimated that 16%

remained loyal.• Most loyalists assumed

that Britain would crush colonists and they would be rewarded for sticking with king.

• Some felt that religious tolerance better with Britain.

• Slaves offered freedom for their service in Royal army.

• Many southerners were loyalists.

• Often split families apart.

GW on the Run

• British concentrated on NY.

• Hoped to control Hudson River and separate New England from other colonies.

• Battle of Long Island: GW had to evacuate NY.

• British fail to pursue.

• GW sets up winter camp at Valley Forge, Penn.

• Wins battles of Trenton and Princeton over long cold winter.

• Soldiers suffer hunger, and lack of clothing, but GW keeps their moral high.

Miracle on the Hudson

• British plan to take Hudson = – 1. Gen Burgoyne move

south from Canada– 2. Gen Howe move north

from NY City.

Lake Champlain

• US Gen Benedict Arnold builds a navy to slow down British on Lake Champlain.

• Arnold lost, but slowed Burgoyne down.

• Howe did not move north from NY, instead went to attack Philadelphia.

• Burgoyne attacked and surrenders at Saratoga.

• British never take Hudson River.

• Victory at Saratoga convinced the French to aid the US.

• Later Spain and The Netherlands also aid US

Why France?• Old enemy of Britain• Strong Navy/ Army• Wanted revenge for the 7

Years War• Liberal population of

France admired the revolutionary ideals of US.

• Benjamin Franklin (US minister to France) adored there

Benedict Arnold

• US General• Hero of Lake Champlain• One of GW’s most

trusted officers• Turns into a traitor when

he tries to help British take West Point on Hudson.

• Name synonymous with betrayal

Southern Campaign• Charleston taken in 1780• British march north to NC,

then Virginia• Cowpens and King’s

Mountain both US victories

• Nathaniel Greene lost the Battle of Guilford Courthouse for US, but managed to kill many Redcoats.

John Paul Jones

Final Curtain

• Desperate for reinforcements, British Gen Cornwallis marches toward the Chesapeake Bay for a rendezvous with the British Navy.

• GW army pinned Cornwallis down on a peninsula near Yorktown, VA.

• French navy blockades their escape by sea. • Cornwallis surrenders in 1781.• Last major battle of Revolution!!!

Treaty of Paris

• Britain still had plenty of troops, but most in London were tired of war.

• John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay were sent to negotiate peace with UK.

• Treaty of Paris, 1783.– US gets independence.– US gets all land east of Mississippi and south of present

day Canada (except Florida)– Loyalists were not to be persecuted.– British debts were to be paid.

Treaty of Paris

So What?

• The details of the Treaty of Paris would be haggled over for another 30 years.

• US and Britain go back to war in 1812.• US alliance very rocky at first, but states stick

together.• US the first of many colonies that would

eventually successfully rebel against European empires.

Essential Question?

• What options did the American colonists use to try and reconcile with Great Britain?