APUSH Chapter 6: A Revolution, Indeed, 1774-1783

the battles of King's Mountain, Cowpens, and Guilford Court House (p.161)

A. 1) December 1780, a force from the backcountry defeated a large party of redcoats and loyalists. 2) January 1781, Greene's trusted aide Daniel Morgan brilliantly routed the crack British regiment Tarleton's Legions. 3) Greene confronted the main body of British troops under Lord Cornwallis. Latter's army destroyed, retreated to Wilmington. B. Greene returned to South Carolina, swiftly forced the redcoats to abandon their interior posts and retire to Charleston. Cornwallis joined patriot traitor Benedict Arnold.

Loyalists (p.147)

A. 1/5 of European American population remained loyal to GB. They opposed patriot leaders for various reasons. They objected to violent protest, they desired to uphold legally constituted government, and feared anarchy. B. AKA Tory, Loyalists congregated in cities held by the British army. Loyalists scattered (mainly to Canada) when these posts were evacuated at war's end. 100,000 Americans preferred exile to life in a nation independent of British rule.

Joseph and Mary Brant (p.156)

A. 2 influential Mohawk leaders who believed that the Iroquois should ally themselves with the British to protect their territory from land-hungry colonists. Brants won over the Senecas, Cayugas, and Mohawks- contributed warriors to the 1777 expeditions. B. The Brants were British allies. They caused the split of the Iroquois into groups: neutral, British, or American.

William Dawes, Paul Revere, and Dr. Samuel Prescott (p.150)

A. 3 messengers were sent by Boston to rouse the countryside. Sent by General Thomas Gage on an expedition on 4/14/1775 to confiscate colonial military supplies stockpiled at Concord. B. 4/19/1775, the British found a ragtag group of 70 militiamen mustered on the common. Americans' commander ordered men to withdraw from redcoats' advance. As they dispersed, a shot rang out. Started Lexington and Concord battles.

the First Continental Congress (p.143)

A. 55 delegates met in Philadelphia Sep. 1774. Open meetings held throughout the colonies had endorsed the idea of another nonimportation pact. Committees of correspondence publicized these meetings so effectively that Americans everywhere knew about them. B. Most of the congressional delegates were selected by extralegal provincial conventions whose members were chosen at local gatherings, since governors had forbidden regular assemblies to conduct formal elections. Thus the very act of designing delegates to attend the Congress involved Americans in open defiance of British authority.

the Battle of Breed's (Bunker) Hill (p.150)

A. 6/17/1775- redcoats attacked besiegers and drove the Americans from trenches atop Breed's Hill in Charlestown. Greatest British loss: 800 wounded, 228 killed. Americans lost half that number (though was forced to abandon their position). B. During the same 11 month period, patriots captured Fort Ticonderoga (British fort) and acquired much-needed cannon. Tried to bring Canada to American side (disaster after smallpox outbreak in troops in early 1776 Quebec). Chief significance: long lull in fighting between the main armies in Boston. Delay gave both groups time to regroup, organize, and plan their strategies.

the New York campaign (p.154-155)

A. 7/2/1776, the day Congress voted for independence, redcoats landed on Staten Island. Washington marched his army of 17,000 south from Boston to defend Manhattan. Because Howe waited until more troops arrived from England before attacking, Americans could prepare to defend the city. B. Patriot side inexperienced, made major mistakes, last battles at Brooklyn Heights and on Manhattan Island. City fell to the British, who captured nearly 3,000 American soldiers.

the Declaration of Independence (p.154)

A. 7/4/1776 (Revised draft), concentrated on George III as an identifiable villain. Accused the king of attempting to destroy representative government in the colonies and of oppressing Americans through unjustified excessive force. The chief long-term importance in the declaration was in: "We hold these truths to be self-evident~" B. The delegates in Philadelphia couldn't predict the consequences of their audacious act. When they adopted the declaration, they were committing treason.

the Declaration of Rights and Grievances (p.143)

A. A compromise position worked out by John Adams. The crucial clauses declared that Americans would obey Parliament, but only because that action was in everyone's best interest, and asserted that colonists would resist all taxes in disguise (i.e. the Townshend duties) B. Such a position- which only a few years before would have been regarded as extreme- represented a compromise in fall 1774. The Americans had come a long way since their first hesitant protests against the Sugar Act 10 years earlier.

Joseph Galloway (p.143)

A. A conservative delegate from Pennsylvania. He proposed a formal plan of union that would have required Parliament and a new American legislature to consent jointly to all laws pertaining to the colonies. B. After heated debate, delegates narrowly rejected Galloway's proposal, but they were not prepared to embrace the radicals' position either.

Daniel Boone (p.142)

A. A lone hunter who was captured by the Shawnee chief Blackfish's warriors. He persuaded his fellow frontiersmen to surrender to the Shawnees (British allies) without a fight. Feb. 1778. Moved from NC to KY. His allegiance was a mystery. He escaped in June 1778, hurrying home to warn the Kentuckians of impeding attack. Shawnees and British allies showed up outside Boonesborough stockade mid-September. He proved amenable to negotiations. Discussions led to a melee. Indians sieged fort for a week before withdrawing. B. Boone charged with treason, court-martialed by Kentucky militia. Cleared of charges, but questions about the incident at Blue Licks haunted him for the rest of his life. Boone: an American of uncertain allegiance.

the retaliatory expedition of General John Sullivan (p.156)

A. Americans retaliated because in 1778 Iroquois warriors allied with the British raided frontier villages in PA and NY. Sent Sullivan to burn Iroquois crops, orchards, and settlements. B. Resulting devastation led many bands to seek food and shelter north of the Great Lakes during winter of 1779-1780. A large number of Iroquois people never returned to NY but settled permanently in Canada.

General Nathanael Greene (p.161)

A. Appointed by Washington to command the southern campaign. His troops short on supplies and suffered to guerrilla warfare. Adopted a conciliatory policy towards loyalists and neutrals persuading South Carolina to pardon those if they would now join patriot militias. Also ordered his troops to treat captives fairly (not loot them). B. Helped Georgia and South Carolina reestablish civilian authority in the interior- Britain never accomplished. Pursued diplomacy aimed at keeping Indians out of war. Greene's careful maneuvers were successful.

George Washington (p.152)

A. Appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Devoted to the American cause, he was dignified, conservative, and respectable- a man of unimpeachable integrity. Though unmistakably an aristocrat, he was unswervingly committed to representative government. B. Had military experience, had remarkable stamina, and both looked and acted like a leader. Other patriots praised his judgment, steadiness, and discretion.

the Battle of Oriskany (p.156)

A. August 1777, at Brandywire Creek Mohawk River. Burgoyne had to turn back after a battle. This battle divided the Iroquois Confederacy. Brants (British allegiance), Oneidas (American), and Onondagas split into 3 parts: British, American, or neutral. B. Collapse of Iroquois unity, and one of major British losses. Six Nations formally pledged to remain neutral in the way, later this was broken.

Thomas Jefferson (p.154)

A. Author of the Declaration of Independence. A member of the House of Burgesses, and had broad knowledge in history and political theory. Also completed a draft of the Virginia state constitution. B. Was a family & private man. Didn't fully commit himself to public service until his wife Martha died from childbirth.

the fall of Charleston (p.160)

A. Beseiged by Clinton. Afflicted by smallpox, but held out for months. 5/12/1760, General Benjamin Lincoln forced to surrender entire army (5,500 men) to the invaders. B. Failed to dishearten the patriots; instead, it spurred them to greater exertions. Loss of cities did not decide the fate of America.

the Battle of Saratoga (p.156)

A. Burgoyne surrounded near Saratoga, NY. 10/17/1777, he surrendered his entire force of 6,000+ men. Burgoyne's surrender brought joy to patriots, discouragement to loyalists and Britons. Lord North authorized a peace commission- a return to imperial system of 1763. However, this was offered way too late- rejected by Americans. B. American victory at Saratoga drew France formally into the conflict. They wanted to avenge their defeat in the Seven Years War, and the American Revolution gave them that opportunity. Supplied military necessities thanks to Benjamin Franklin.

the Battle of Yorktown (p.161-162)

A. Cornwallis didn't act decisively with new army of 7,200 men. He fortified Yorktown and awaited supplies and reinforcements. Washington moved 7,000+ French and American troops south from NYC. De Grasse's fleet flanked the Royal Navy vessels. British general trapped. 10/19/1781, Cornwallis surrendered. B. Lord North's ministry fell. Parliament authorized peace negotiations. Washington returned to NY, dealt with restive underappreciated officers brilliantly.

the Continental Association (p.143)

A. Delegates decided to implement an economic boycott while petitioning the king for relief. The Continental Association called for nonimportation of British goods (effective 12/1/1774), nonconsumption of British products (3/1/1775), and nonexportation of American goods to Britain and the British West Indies (9/10/1775) B. The provisions of the Association were carefully designed to appeal to different groups and regions. Ex.) The inclusive language of the nonimportation agreement banned the traffic in slaves as well as manufactures, which accorded with a longstanding desire of the Virginia gentry to halt, or at least to slow, the arrival of enslaved Africans on their shores.

esprit de corps among officers of the Continental Army (p.158)

A. Developed an intense sense of pride and commitment to the revolutionary cause. The hardships they endured, the battles they fought, the difficulties they overcame. Realities of war messy, but officers drew strength from suffering together. B. Officers drew strength from a developing image of themselves as professionals who sacrificed personal gain for the good of the entire nation.

endemic diseases in the Continental Army (p.158-159)

A. Dysentery, various fevers, and early on in the war, smallpox- discouraged recruiting sometimes. Civilians exposed and vulnerable to smallpox. Hurt Americans, not redcoats (they had immunity). B. Washington ordered his army and new recruits to be inoculated against smallpox. Helped to protect Continental soldiers later in the war.

Burgoyne's New York campaign (p.155-156)

A. General John Burgoyne would lead an invading force of redcoats and Indians down Hudson River from Canada to rendezvous near Albany with a similar force that would move east along Mohawk River Valley. Combine forces with Howe's. They set out mid-June 1777 from Montreal by boat on Lake Champlain, over land toward Hudson, took Fort Ticonderoga easy. Later, 2 setbacks: 1) redcoats and Indians marching east turned back after a battle at Oriskany, NY and 2) American militiamen nearly wiped out 800 of Burgoyne's German mercenaries. B. Burgoyne surrounded near Saratoga, NY. 10/17/1777, he surrendered his entire force of 6,000+ men. August 1777, Oriskany battle divided the Iroquois Confederacy- Brants (British) and Oneidas (American). Onondagas split into 3 parts: British, American, and neutral.

Thomas Jeremiah (p.148)

A. In Charleston 1775. A free black harbor pilot, who was brutally executed after being convicted of attempting to foment a slave revolt. B. In late 1774 and early 1775, groups of slaves began to offer to assist the British army in return for freedom.

Chief Dragging Canoe (p.145-146)

A. Leader of a group of Cherokees who decided to take advantage of the "family quarrel" between American and Britain to regain some land. They attacked settlements along western borders of the Carolinas ans Virginia. But a militia campaign destroyed many Cherokee towns, along with crops and supplies. B. Dragging Canoe and his die-hard followers fled to the west, establishing new villages; the rest of the Cherokees agreed to a treaty that ceded still more of their land.

the Battle of Camden (p.160-161)

A. Lord Cornwallis crushingly defeated a reorganized southern army led by Horatio Gates. Thousands of enslaved African Americans joined redcoats, seeking freedom. Seriously disrupted planting and harvesting in the Carolinas 1780-1781. B. After the Camden defeat, Washington appointed Nathanael Green to command southern campaign. 55,000+ slaves lost to their owners as a result of the war.

Lord North and Lord George Germain (p.150)

A. Made 3 central assumptions about the war they faced. 1) Patriot forces could not withstand the assaults of trained British regulars. 2) British officials and army officers treated this war as comparable to conflicts in Europe. Strategy: take down major cities, defeat rebel army with few strategies. 3) They assumed that a clear-cut military victory would achieve their goal of retaining the colonies' allegiance. B. All 3 assumptions were false. They vastly underestimated Americans' commitment to armed resistance. Battlefield defeats didn't make patriots abandon political aims and sue for peace. American population was also spread out. British control of ports didn't matter. In other words, the loss of cities did little to damage the American cause, while British generals repeatedly squandered their resources to capture such ports.

Sir William Howe (p.153)

A. New commander of British forces. He wanted to transfer his troops to New York City. The patriots' cannon decided the matter. Washington's pressure on the redcoats was severe. 3/17/1775: the British and more than a thousand of their loyalist allies abandoned Boston forever. B. As the British fleet left Boston for the temporary haven of Halifax, the colonies were moving inexorably toward a declaration of independence.

the battles of Trenton and Princeton (p.155)

A. Night attack on 12/26/1775. Patriots captured 900+ Hessians and killed 30; only 3 Americans were wounded. Washington attacked again at Princeton. Gained command of the field and buoyed American spirits with 2 swift victories. B. Washington boosted American morale from 2 victories. He set up winter quarters at Morristown, NJ.

the Treaty of Paris (of 1783) (p.162)

A. November 1782, American diplomats Franklin, John Jay, and Adams negotiated directly with Great Britain. France was more of an enemy to Great Britain than a friend to the US. Spain wanted region. 9/3/1783- granted the Americans unconditional independence. Florida was given to Spain. Americans were granted unlimited fishing rights off Newfoundland. B. Great Britain ceded much land to US. GB ignored territorial rights of Indian allies, sacrificing their interests to the demands of European politics. Treaty had ambiguous clauses- payment of prewar debts and postwar treatment of loyalists.

the Newburgh Conspiracy (p.162)

A. Officers on March 1783 threatened mutiny unless Congress guaranteed them adequate compensation for their services. B. Washington defused this with an emotional speech of patriotism. He established an enduring precedent: civilian control of the American military.

Lord Dunmore's War (p.145)

A. One large-scale confrontation between Virginia militia and some Shawnee warriors. Neither side won a clear-cut victory. Now Virginian governor Lord Dunmore moved vigorously to assert its title to the rapidly developing backcountry. B. In the immediate aftermath thousands of settlers- including Daniel Boone and his associates- flooded across the mountains.

the Second Continental Congress (p.151)

A. Originally intended simply to consider the ministry's response to the Continental Association. 5/10/1775, delegates in Philadelphia had to assume the mantle of intercolonial government. B. As the summer passed, Congress slowly organized the colonies for war. It authorized the printing of money with which to purchase necessary goods, established a committee to supervise relations with foreign countries, and took steps to strengthen the militia. Most important, it created the Continental Army and appointed its generals.

provincial conventions (p.144)

A. Popularly elected by most colonies, they took over the task of running the government, sometimes entirely replacing the legislatures and at other times holding concurrent sessions. In late 1774 and early 1775, these conventions approved the Continental Association, elected delegates to the Second Continental Congress (scheduled for May), organized militia units, and gathered arms and ammunition. B. The British- appointed governors and councils watched helplessly as their authority crumbled. During the 6 months preceding the battles at Lexington and Concord, independence was being won at the local level, but without formal acknowledgement and for the most part without bloodshed.

committees of observation and inspection (p.144)

A. Recommended by Congress to be elected in every American locality to enforce the Continental Association. By specifying that committee members be chosen by all men qualified to vote for members of the lower houses of colonial legislatures. Congress guaranteed the committees a broad popular base. These committeemen became the local leaders of American resistance. B. Such committees were officially charged only with overseeing implementation of the boycott, but in the course of the next 6 months they became the de facto governments. The committees gradually extended their authority over many aspects of American life (i.e. identify opponents of American resistance).

Sir Henry Clinton (p.160)

A. Replaced Sir William Howe and oversaw the regrouping of British forces in America. Ordered the evacuation of Philadelphia in June 1778 and sent a convoy that successfully captured St.Lucia (French Caribbean island), therefore served as a key base for Britain. B. Dispatched small expedition to Georgia. Captured Savanna and Augusta. Used southern strategy. Beseiged Charleston, 5,500 men surrendered. South Carolina fell to the Crown. Clinton organized loyalist regiments, and process of pacification begun.

Howe's Philadelphia campaign (p.155)

A. Sir William Howe planned by himself to capture Philadelphia (they were in NYC). 1777, Howe took Philadelphia, but did so in inexplicable fashion. Delayed for months before beginning the campaign, then taking 6 weeks to transport his troops by sea instead of marching overland. At end of lengthy voyage, he ended up only 40 miles closer to Philadelphia than when he started. B. By the time Howe advanced to Philadelphia, Washington had time to prepare its defenses. Two armies clashed near the patriot capital twice. British won both sides, but Americans did well. Redcoats captured Philadelphia late September 1777, but there was little effect. Campaign season was nearly over; revolutionary army gained confidence, Burgoyne going down to defeat.

Lord Dunmore's proclamation (p.148)

A. Slaveowners' worst fears were realized in November 1775. Dunmore offered to free any slaves and indentured servants who would leave their patriot masters to join the British forces. Virginia's governor. B. Dunmore hoped to use the slaves in the fight against the revolutionaries and to disrupt the economy by depriving planters of their labor force. But only about 1,000 African Americans initially rallied to the British standard, and many of them perished in a smallpox epidemic. Dunmore's proclamation led Congress in January 1776 to modify an earlier policy that had prohibited the enlistment of African Americans in the regular American army.

the resistance movement in Nova Scotia and Britain's Caribbean colonies (p.146-147)

A. The colonists had protested against the Stamp Act in 1765, however, they loyally paid the stamp duties until repeal when the act went into effect. Before that, the residents of St. Christopher and Nevis in particular joined mainlanders in demonstrating against the law. Doubts arose with particular urgency in Nova Scotia and the Caribbean. B. The island colonies depended heavily on Great Britain militarily and economically. They believe they were vulnerable to French counterattack. Sugar planters feared slave revolts (ratio 25:1). Also, Nova Scotians and West Indians had major economic reasons for supporting GB (dominating fish trade and West Indies' island exclusion from Townshend Acts). None truly wanted to be independent.

The Crisis (p.155)

A. Thomas Paine's popular pamphlet. It said that occupying British troops met little opposition; the revolutionary cause appeared to be in disarray. "Those are the times that try men's souls." B. "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country;...yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

the Franco-American alliance (p.157)

A. Treaty of Amity and Commerce, France recognized American independence, establishing trade ties with the new nation. Treaty of Alliance- France and US promised-assuming that France would declare war on Britain, which it soon did- that neither would negotiate peace with the enemy without consulting the other. B. France also formally abandoned any claim to Canada and to North American territory east of the Mississippi River. Most visible symbol of France- American cooperation: Marquis de Lafayette- volunteered for service with Washington.

the battles of Lexington and Concord (p.150)

A. Triggered by an unknown shot, when Britain stopped firing volleys, 8 Americans lay dead, 10 wounded. Britain moved on to Concord (5 miles away). At Concord, 3 British men killed, 9 wounded. Thousands of militiamen fired from houses and behind trees. Redcoats suffered 272 casualties (70 deaths). 93 Patriot casualties. Reinforcements and lack of coordination in American force stopped further British caasualties. B. By 4/20/1775, 20,000 American militiamen gathered around Boston. Remaining men dug in along siege lines encircling the city. For nearly a year the 2 armies sat and stared at each other across the lines.

the New Jersey campaign (p.155)

A. Washington retreated across New Jersey, and into PA. British took control of NJ. British forfeited advantage as they went on a rampage of rape and plunder. Washington struck back. He crossed the Delaware River and captured 900+ Hessians at Trenton. B. US retreat, and brief British occupation. The US lost their advantage when redcoats decided to go on a rampage of rape and plunder.

camp followers (p.158)

A. Women- estimated overall to be ~3% of the number of troops- worked as cooks, nurses, and launderers in return for rations and low wages. The women made up an unwieldy assemblage that officers found difficult to manage. B. Yet the army's shapelessness also reflected its greatest strength: an almost unlimited reservoir of manpower and womanpower.

Benjamin Franklin (p.156-157)

A. Worked tirelessly to strengthen relationships between France and American. Adopted a plain style of dress, presented himself as a representative of American simplicity. B. Franklin played on the French image of Americans as virtuous farmers. His efforts culminated in 1778 when the countries signed 2 treaties.

Common Sense (p.153)

A. Written by Thomas Paine, a radical English printer who called strictly for independence. He challenged many common American assumptions about government and the colonies' relationship to Britain. He advocated the establishment of a republic, a government by the people with no king or nobility. Paine insisted that Britain had exploited the colonies unmercifully instead of acknowledging the benefits of links to Great Britain. Adopted an "enraged" tone. Written in everyday language and relied heavily on the Bible. B. By late spring, independence had become inevitable. 5/10/1775, the Second Continental Congress formally recommended that individual colonies form new governments, replacing colonial charters with state constitutions. Perceiving the trend, the few loyalists still connected with Congress severed their ties to that body.