The American Pageant Study Guide Chapter 8 APUSH

Privateers

"Legalized pirates," more than a thousand strong, who inflicted heavy damage on British shipping

Armed Neutrality

(1780) Coalition of neutral naval powers to preserve trading rights during the Revolutionary War. Made by By Catherine the Great of Russia, which spurred neutral countries to attack England.

Treaty of Paris

(1898) treaty that ended the Spanish American war. Provided that Cuba be free from Spain.

Battle of Yorktown

1781 American victory in Virginia that forced the British to surrender

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A new law passed by the National Assembly explaining the beliefs and aims of the revolution. Adopted by France's National Assembly in 1789

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation

How were Loyalists treated?

About 50 to 80 thousand of the loyalist population left the colonies and went to Nova Scotia, Britain, or the Caribbean colonies. Some of them founded the city of Shelbourne in Nova Scotia. Many loyalist leaders were 'atainted' with treason and forfeited their property. A few of them such as Andrew Williamson and Samuel Bryan applied for and received permission to remain in the colonies and become citizens of the new country. Interestingly enough, the colonists understood how wrong they had been and placed a ban on attainder in the Constitution of the US. The loyalist militia were merely the local citizenry who were compelled to service. They did very little for the British and received very little punishment from the colonists. In fact, most of them had changed sides by 1781 such that organizing loyalist militia was a true bust. However, if by "regular loyalist militia" one actually means to reference the Provincial Regiments that served extensively in the Southern Campaigns, they were mostly disbanded in Nova Scotia in 1783. In studying the regimental returns it becomes very clear that many of the Provincial soldiers (not necessarily the officers) deserted their units before the very end and simply melted into the population. I have an ancestor who did that very thing. He moved up into the Augusta area and took part in the earliest land auctions in Georgia after the war. Married Susannah.

What other countries joined the war and on what side were they fighting?

America's Allies The French suffered approximately 7,000 total dead throughout the conflict; of those, 2,112 were killed in combat in the American theaters of war. The Dutch suffered around 500 total killed, owing to the minor scale of their conflict with Britain. Germans in British service

Hessians

American slang for the German troops under British command

Ben Franklin

An inventor, statesman, diplomat, and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Olive Branch Petition

An offer of peace sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George lll

How did the French and Americans take advantage of this?

Attacking

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense

August 1775

Battle of Bunker Hill

How was Benedict Arnold a traitor?

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) was an early American hero of the Revolutionary War (1775-83) who later became one of the most infamous traitors in U.S. history after he switched sides and fought for the British. At the outbreak of the war, Arnold participated in the capture of the British garrison of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. In 1776, he hindered a British invasion of New York at the Battle of Lake Champlain. The following year, he played a crucial role in bringing about the surrender of British General John Burgoyne's (1722-92) army at Saratoga. Yet Arnold never received the recognition he thought he deserved. In 1779, he entered into secret negotiations with the British, agreeing to turn over the U.S. post at West Point in return for money and a command in the British army. The plot was discovered, but Arnold escaped to British lines. His name has since become synonymous with the word "traitor."

Colonial Victories in 1776

Boston campaign (1774-76) Invasion of Quebec (1775-76) New York and New Jersey campaigns (1776-77) Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War (1775-83)

What concessions did Americans have to make in the treaty of Paris?

Britain acknowledges the United States (New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia[14]) to be free, sovereign, and independent states, and that the British Crown and all heirs and successors relinquish claims to the Government, property, and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof; Establishing the boundaries of the United States, including but not limited to those between the United States and British North America; Granting fishing rights to United States fishermen in the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence; Recognizing the lawful contracted debts to be paid to creditors on either side; The Congress of the Confederation will "earnestly recommend" to state legislatures to recognize the rightful owners of all confiscated lands and "provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties, which have been confiscated belonging to real British subjects" (Loyalists); United States will prevent future confiscations of the property of Loyalists; Prisoners of war on both sides are to be released; all property of the British army (including slaves) now in the United States is to remain and be forfeited; Great Britain and the United States are each to be given perpetual access to the Mississippi River; Territories captured by Americans subsequent to the treaty will be returned without compensation; Ratification of the treaty is to occur within six months from its signing. Eschatocol. "Done at Paris, this third day of September in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three."

What did the British plan to capture the Hudson River Valley consist of?

Burgoyne's plan revolved around an invasion of 8,000 British troops from Canada, who would move southward through New York by way of Lake Champlain and the Mohawk River, taking the Americans by surprise. General Burgoyne believed he and his troops could then take control of the Hudson River and isolate New England from the other colonies, freeing British General William Howe to attack Philadelphia.

General Charles Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG, PC (31 December 1738 - 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. In the United States and the United Kingdom he is best remembered as one of the leading British generals in the American War of Independence. His surrender in 1781 to a combined American and French force at the Siege of Yorktown ended significant hostilities in North America. He also served as a civil and military governor in Ireland and India; in both places he brought about significant changes, including the Act of Union in Ireland, and the Cornwallis Code and the Permanent Settlement in India. Born into an aristocratic family and educated at Eton and Cambridge, Cornwallis joined the army in 1757, seeing action in the Seven Years' War. Upon his father's death in 1762 he became Earl Cornwallis and entered the House of Lords. From 1766 until 1805 he was Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot.[1] He next saw military action in 1776 in the American War of Independence. Active in the advance forces of many campaigns, in 1780 he inflicted an embarrassing defeat on the American army at the Battle of Camden. He also commanded British forces in the March 1781 Pyrrhic victory at Guilford Court House. Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown in October 1781 after an extended campaign through the Southern states, marked by disagreements between him and his superior, General Sir Henry Clinton. Despite this defeat, Cornwallis retained the confidence of successive British governments and continued to enjoy an active career. Knighted in 1786, he was in that year appointed to be Governor-General and commander-in-chief in India. There he enacted numerous significant reforms within the East India Company and its territories, including the Cornwallis Code, part of which implemented important land taxation reforms known as the Permanent Settlement. From 1789 to 1792 he led British and Company forces in the Third Anglo-Mysore War to defeat the Mysorean ruler Tipu Sultan. Returning to Britain in 1794, Cornwallis was given the post of Master-General of the Ordnance. In 1798 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant and Commander-in-chief of Ireland, where he oversaw the response to the 1798 Irish Rebellion, including a French invasion of Ireland, and was instrumental in bringing about the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. Following his Irish service, Cornwallis was the chief British signatory to the 1802 Treaty of Amiens and was reappointed to India in 1805. He died in India not long after his arrival.

What happened to the estates of many of the fugitives?

Confiscated.

October 19, 1781

Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown

Battle of Bunker Hill

Costly British "victory" in 1775 over Colonial forces at a site near Charleston, Massachusetts

Why did Cornwallis go to Chesapeake Bay?

During the early months of 1781, both pro-British and separatist forces began concentrating in Virginia, a state that had previously not experienced more than naval raids. The British forces were led at first by the turncoat Benedict Arnold, and then by William Phillips before General Charles, Earl Cornwallis, arrived in late May with his southern army to take command. In June he marched to Williamsburg, where he received a confusing series of orders from General Sir Henry Clinton that culminated in a directive to establish a fortified deep-water port (which would allow resupply by sea).[8] In response to these orders, Cornwallis moved to Yorktown in late July, where his army began building fortifications. The presence of these British troops, coupled with General Clinton's desire for a port there, made control of the Chesapeake Bay an essential naval objective for both sides.

What did this harsh treatment cause Loyalists to do?

Flee their homes

What was significant about the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point?

Fort Ticonderoga formed a major French strongpoint during the French and Indian War (1756-1763). While it never fell to British forces, it was surrendered upon the French defeat. From then on, Fort Ticonderoga was manned by a skeleton British garrison and soon fell into disrepair.

Battle of Saratoga

Fought eighteen days apart in the fall of 1777, the two Battles of Saratoga were a turning point in the American Revolution. On September 19th, British General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. Though his troop strength had been weakened, Burgoyne again attacked the Americans at Bemis Heights on October 7th, but this time was defeated and forced to retreat. He surrendered ten days later, and the American victory convinced the French government to formally recognize the colonist's cause and enter the war as their ally.

What went wrong for the British?

General Burgoyne's plan went into effect during the summer of 1777 and was initially a success—the British captured Fort Ticonderoga on June 2, 1777. However, the early success failed to lead to victory, as Burgoyne overextended his supply chain, which stretched in a long, narrow strip from the northern tip of Lake Champlain south to the northern curve of the Hudson River at Fort Edward, New York. As Burgoyne's army marched south, Patriot militia circled north, cutting the British supply line. Burgoyne then suffered defeat in Bennington, Vermont, and bloody draws at Bemis Heights, New York. On October 17, 1777, a frustrated Burgoyne retreated 10 miles and surrendered his remaining 6,000 British forces to the Patriots at Saratoga. Upon hearing of the Patriot victory, France agreed to recognize the independence of the United States. It was, of course, France's eventual support that enabled the Patriots' ultimate victory. The defeat at Saratoga led to General Burgoyne's downfall. He returned to England, where he faced severe criticism and soon retired from active service.

Battle of Trenton

General George Washington's army crossed the icy Delaware on Christmas Day 1776 and, over the course of the next 10 days, won two crucial battles of the American Revolution. In the Battle of Trenton (December 26), Washington defeated a formidable garrison of Hessian mercenaries before withdrawing. A week later he returned to Trenton to lure British forces south, then executed a daring night march to capture Princeton on January 3. The victories reasserted American control of much of New Jersey and greatly improved the morale and unity of the colonial army and militias.

What was the main reason Washington was chosen?

His life, from the time he first became a soldier to the moment in which he gave his farewell speech to the men who fought for him during the Revolutionary War, he operated with such command and respect that it was only obvious that he would be persuaded by his peers to represent this new nation as its inaugural leader. George Washington, at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, bid farewell to his men and retired from his post as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Upon his retirement, Washington and his wife Martha went back to Virginia to live on their estate at Mount Vernon. However, their stay at Mount Vernon was not long as Washington was soon convinced to preside over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia which led to the formation of the Constitution and the creation of the office of the President of the United States. Washington's peers, during the weeks it took to form the Constitution, seemed to always have in mind that Washington was the leader for which they wanted to fill the role of the first President of the United States. Washington was eventually and unanimously elected the President of the United States of America. To this day, George Washington is the only President to have received 100% of the electoral vote.

According to the book, what was Washington's most valuable contribution?

His military contributions

Native American Allies with Americans

Iroquois Navajo Apache Osage Nation Shoshone Miami people Ponca Ho-Chunk Omaha people Yakama Arikara Sac and Fox Nation Modoc people Chiricahua Goshute Shawnee Tribe Otoe

January 1776

Jan 2 1st revolutionary flag displayed Jan 2 Austria ends interrogation torture Jan 5 Assembly of New Hampshire adopts its 1st state constitution

What was Jefferson's task?

Jefferson Becomes the First Secretary of State In the fall of 1789, Jefferson accepted an appointment from President George Washington to become the new nation's first Secretary of State. In the early 1790s, Jefferson, who favored strong state and local government, helped start the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose the Federalist Party, which wanted a strong national government. Jefferson Becomes the Vice President In the presidential election of 1796, Jefferson ran against John Adams and received the second highest amount of votes, which according to the law at the time, made him vice president. Jefferson ran against Adams again in the presidential election of 1800, which turned into a battle between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. Jefferson beat Adams; but, because of a voting problem, Jefferson tied with Aaron Burr. The House of Representatives broke the tie and Jefferson became the President Jefferson Becomes Third U.S. President

June 7, 1776

Lee Resolution

Loyalists vs Patriots

Loyalists: Afraid of lack of order respect for strong forms of govt. mostly conservative Colonists are by law British and should obey British law Britain seen as epitomy of civilized world Taxes are due because the French and Indian War was fought by Britain for their benefit. Colonies profit greatly from trade with Britain Colonies are too far from Britain to have representatives in Parliament; it is not practical. Patriots: There are things the government can't take away, like land and possessions Taxation takes away these properties No Taxation without representation Many colonists fought in the French and Indian War as well British personnel are causing riots, violence, and death.

General Nathaniel Greene

Nathanael Greene (August 7 [O.S. July 27] 1742 - June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). He emerged from the war with a reputation as commanding General George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer, and is known for his successful command in the Southern theater of the war. Born in Warwick, Rhode Island, Greene was elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly and ran his family's foundry. He came to oppose British rule in Rhode Island and formed a militia in 1774. The Second Continental Congress appointed Greene to the rank of brigadier general in the Continental Army in 1775, and promoted Greene to major general in 1776. He served as Washington's subordinate in the New York and New Jersey campaign and the Philadelphia campaign, and was the Continental Army's Quartermaster General from 1778 to 1780. In December 1780, Greene was appointed to command the Continental Army in the southern theater of the Revolutionary War, replacing General Horatio Gates. He engaged in a successful campaign to harass the British forces under General Charles Cornwallis, limiting British control of the South to the coastal areas. After the war, he declined appointment as Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union central government and received land grants from the several Southern states. He died at age 43 at his Mulberry Grove Plantation in Chatham County, Georgia in 1786. Many places in the United States are named after Greene.

October 1775

Oct 8 Officers decide to bar slaves & free blacks from Continental Army Oct 13 First US Navy forms when Continental Congress orders construction of a naval fleet Oct 16 Portland, Maine burned by British

Battle of Long Island

On August 27, 1776 the British Army successfully moved against the American Continental Army led by George Washington. The battlewas part of aBritish campaign to seize control of New York and thereby isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. Washington's defeat could have led to the surrender of his entire force, but his ingenuity instead allowed him to escape and continue the fight.

Bunker Hill/Breed Hill

On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War (1775-83), the British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Although commonly referred to as the Battle of Bunker Hill, most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed's Hill.

What instructions had they been given by Congress?

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress prepares instructions and guidance for the agents appointed to negotiate a treaty between the United States and France. The agents were also instructed to request immediate assistance in securing arms. Covert French aid began filtering into the colonies soon after the outbreak of hostilities between Britain and America in 1775. Silas Deane, a Connecticut delegate to the Continental Congress, left for France on a secret mission on March 3, 1776. The Committee of Congress for Secret Correspondence, consisting of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Harrison, John Dickinson, John Hay and Robert Morris, instructed Deane to meet with French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, Count de Vergennes, to stress America's need for military stores and assure the French that the colonies were moving toward "total separation" from Great Britain. Deane managed to negotiate unofficial assistance from France, in the form of ships containing military supplies, and recruited the Marquis de Lafayette to share his military expertise with the Continental Army's officer corps. However, it was not until the arrival of the suave Benjamin Franklin and the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 that the French became convinced that it was worth backing the Americans in a formal treaty. On February 6, 1778, the Treaties of Amity and Commerce and Alliance were signed; they were ratified by the Continental Congress in May 1778. One month later, war between Britain and France formally began when a British squadron fired on two French ships. During the American Revolution, French naval fleets proved critical in the defeat of the British, which was assured at the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781.

Loyalists

People still loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution.

Patriots

People who supported making a new country.

Second Continental Congress

Political authority that directed the struggle for independence beginning in 1775.

Model Treaty

Sample treaty drafted by the Continental Congress as a guide for American diplomats.

Declaration of Independence

Signed in 1776 by US revolutionaries; it declared the United States as a free state.

What were the reasons France got involved?

Simply, revenge. Both England (after 1707, Britain) and France were rising powers in the 17th century, and by century's end their interests began to clash around the world, leading to a series of wars. These wars often had underlying premises, but very quickly the Anglo-French rivalry asserted itself and became the main focus of these wars: James II's attempts to reclaim his crown in 1690-97, the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1714), the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), etc. This all culminated in the Seven Years War (1756-1763), which some historians consider the first truly world war, which pitted Britain and its allies (Prussia, Portugal, etc.) against France and its allies (Austria, Russia, etc.). On most (though not all) fronts, Britain and its allies won spectacularly, especially resulting in the British conquest of French North America (i.e., Canada). This is why when relations soured between Britain and its British colonies in North America after 1765, France remained neutral but was quite pleased. It did not enter the war officially until the American rebels managed to defeat a British army at Saratoga, NY in 1777, proving that they could win some battles. France declared war against Britain and sent money, supplies and soldiers to America to aid the Americans - but France always feared that the Americans would give up early and negotiate an end to the war with London, leaving France on its own to fight Britain. This was a constant source of tension between Paris and the Americans during the war, forcing Washington to constantly reassure the French that they would never abandon their cause, though some Americans like Ben Franklin used these French fears to extract more loans from Paris. Military victory came with combined Franco-American forces capturing Cornwallis' army at Yorktown, VA in 1781, but negotiations dragged on for two more years between the allies and Britain in part because Spain had also joined the war on the French side - had even sent an army from Florida led by General Galvez, after whom Galveston, TX is named, across the southern states and he was preparing to attack British-ruled Jamaica when the war ended in 1783 - but Spain had failed to capture Gibraltar back from the British, and wanted to continue the war. Finally, in 1783, the French secretly advised the Americans to do exactly what the French had feared earlier; make a separate peace with Britain to end the war.

Describe the political society Paine wanted.

Society, according to Paine, is everything constructive and good that people join together to accomplish. Government, on the other hand, is an institution whose sole purpose is to protect us from our own vices. Government has its origins in the evil of man and is therefore a necessary evil at best. Paine says that government's sole purpose is to protect life, liberty and property, and that a government should be judged solely on the basis of the extent to which it accomplishes this goal.

What happened next for France?

Starting with the Siege of Yorktown, Benjamin Franklin never informed France of the secret negotiations that took place directly between Britain and the United States. Britain acknowledged that the United States owned all the land south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River, except for Florida (which went to Spain). However, since France was not included in the American-British peace discussions, the alliance between France and the U.S. was weakened. Thus the influence of France and Spain in future negotiations was limited. Ratification of the Treaty of Paris, 1783. The British delegation refused to pose for the picture The war formally ended in September 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. France gained (or regained) territories in the Americas, Africa, and India. Losses in the 1763 Treaty of Paris and in the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) were in part regained: Tobago, Saint Lucia, the Senegal River area, as well as increased fishing rights in Terra Nova. Spain regained Florida and Minorca, but Gibraltar remained in the hands of the British. Because the French involvement in the war was distant and naval in nature, over a billion livres tournois were spent by the French government to support the war effort, raising its overall debt to about 3.315 billion. The finances of the French state were in disastrous shape and were made worse by Jacques Necker, who, rather than increase taxes, used loans to pay off debts. State secretary in Finances Charles Alexandre de Calonne attempted to fix the deficit problem by asking for the taxation of the property of nobles and clergy but was dismissed and exiled for his ideas. The French instability further weakened the reforms that were essential in the re-establishment of stable French finances. Trade also severely declined during the war, but was revived by 1783. The war was especially important for the prestige and pride of France, who was reinstated in the role of European arbiter. However, Great Britain, not France, became the leading trading partner of the United States. The French took pride in their cultural influence on the young country through the Enlightenment, as attested by Franklin and Jefferson, and as embodied in the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the United States Constitution in 1787. In turn the Revolution influenced France. Liberal elites were satisfied by the victory but there were also some major consequences. European conservative Royalists and nobility had become nervous, and began to take measures in order to secure their positions. On May 22, 1781, the Decree of Ségur closed the military post offices of the upper rank to the common persons, reserving those ranks exclusively for the nobility.

What happened next for Britain?

The American Revolution (1775-83) is also known as the American Revolutionary War and the U.S. War of Independence. The conflict arose from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain's 13 North American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown. Skirmishes between British troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord in April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and by the following summer, the rebels were waging a full-scale war for their independence. France entered the American Revolution on the side of the colonists in 1778, turning what had essentially been a civil war into an international conflict. After French assistance helped the Continental Army force the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, the Americans had effectively won their independence, though fighting would not formally end until 1783.

Battle at Saratoga WHO WHEN WHERE and OUTCOME

The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led a large invasion army southward from Canada in the Champlain Valley, hoping to meet a similar British force marching northward from New York City and another British force marching eastward from Lake Ontario; the southern and western forces never arrived, and Burgoyne was surrounded by American forces in upstate New York. He fought two small battles to break out which took place 18 days apart on the same ground, 9 miles (14 km) south of Saratoga, New York. They both failed. Burgoyne found himself trapped by superior American forces with no relief in sight, so he retreated to Saratoga (now Schuylerville) and surrendered his entire army there on October 17. His surrender, says historian Edmund Morgan, "was a great turning point of the war because it won for Americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory." Burgoyne's strategy to divide New England from the southern colonies had started well but slowed due to logistical problems. He won a small tactical victory over General Horatio Gates and the Continental Army in the September 19 Battle of Freeman's Farm at the cost of significant casualties. His gains were erased when he again attacked the Americans in the October 7 Battle of Bemis Heights and the Americans captured a portion of the British defenses. Burgoyne was therefore compelled to retreat, and his army was surrounded by the much larger American force at Saratoga, forcing him to surrender on October 17. News of Burgoyne's surrender was instrumental in formally bringing France into the war as an American ally, although it had previously given supplies, ammunition, and guns, notably the de Valliere cannon which played an important role in Saratoga. This battle also resulted in Spain joining France in the war against Britain. The battle on September 19 began when Burgoyne moved some of his troops in an attempt to flank the entrenched American position on Bemis Heights. Benedict Arnold anticipated the maneuver and placed significant forces in his way. Burgoyne did gain control of Freeman's Farm, but it came at the cost of significant casualties. Skirmishing continued in the days following the battle, while Burgoyne waited in the hope that reinforcements would arrive from New York City. Patriot militia forces continued to arrive, meanwhile, swelling the size of the American army. Disputes within the American camp led Gates to strip Arnold of his command. British General Sir Henry Clinton moved up from New York City and attempted to divert American attention by capturing two forts in the Hudson River highlands on October 6, but his efforts were too late to help Burgoyne. Burgoyne attacked Bemis Heights again on October 7 after it became apparent that he would not receive relieving aid in time. This battle culminated in heavy fighting marked by Arnold's spirited rallying of the American troops. Burgoyne's forces were thrown back to the positions that they held before the September 19 battle and the Americans captured a portion of the entrenched British defenses.

Native American Allies with British

The British effectively employed Indian allies in the northern theater of war. In late 1811, Americans had unwittingly helped to forge the Anglo-Indian connection by attacking an extensive intertribal confederation on Tippecanoe Creek where the charismatic Shawnee Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa had established a headquarters at Prophet's Town. There William Henry Harrison dispersed the Indians and claimed victory, but he had actually driven Tecumseh into the arms of the British.

Why was England so generous?

The British were so generous because at the time the peace terms were drafted, Britain was trying to seduce America from its French alliance, so it made terms as alluring as possible. Hopefully, future trade and avoid future war.

What was the main contribution of the American Navy?

The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. The fleet cumulatively became relatively substantial through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, when considering the limitations imposed upon the Patriot supply pool. The main goal of the navy was to intercept shipments of British matériel and generally disrupt British maritime commercial operations. The initial fleet consisted of converted merchantmen because of the lack of funding, manpower, and resources, with exclusively designed warships being built later in the conflict. The vessels that successfully made it to sea met with success only rarely, and the effort contributed little to the overall outcome of the war. The fleet did serve to highlight a few examples of Continental resolve, notably launching Captain John Barry into the limelight. It provided needed experience for a generation of officers who went on to command conflicts which involved the early American navy. With the war over and the Federal government in need of all available capital, the final vessel of the Continental Navy was auctioned off in 1785 to a private bidder.

In what ways was the American Revolution a minority movement?

The Declaration of Independence was framed and signed by a small, elitist, self serving, self righteous group of wealthy slaveholding landowners who didn't want to pay taxes. Most colonists didn't have much to gain from the Declaration - it was the Jeffersons, Washingtons, and their ilk that stood to gain the most, particularly in terms of personal power and wealth.

How did the French secretly help the Americans from the beginning?

The French harbored a significant bitterness toward England following its loss to the British in the Seven Year's War. Although France felt no great loyalty to the American Colonists, it did relish the thought of exacting revenge on England. France secretly began supplying the Colonial army with money, munitions, tents and uniforms early in the Revolution. Benjamin Franklin, representing the Colonies, spent a great deal of time in France persuading King Louis XIV to commit itself fully to the American cause.

King George III and Hessians

The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, under Frederick II, an uncle of King George III, initially provided over 12,000 soldiers to fight in the Americas. ... Because the majority of the German-speaking troops came from Hesse, modern Americans sometimes refer to all such troops of this war generically as "Hessians".

Battle of Philadelphia WHO WHEN WHERE and OUTCOME

The Philadelphia campaign (1777-1778) was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress. British General William Howe, after unsuccessfully attempting to draw the Continental Army under General George Washington into a battle in northern New Jersey, embarked his army on transports, and landed them at the northern end of Chesapeake Bay. From there, he advanced northward toward Philadelphia. Washington prepared defenses against Howe's movements at Brandywine Creek, but was flanked and beaten back in the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. After further skirmishes and maneuvers, Howe was able to enter and occupy Philadelphia. Washington then unsuccessfully attacked one of Howe's garrisons at Germantown before retreating to Valley Forge for the winter. Howe's campaign was controversial because, although he successfully captured the American capital of Philadelphia, he proceeded slowly and did not aid the concurrent campaign of John Burgoyne further north, which ended in disaster at Saratoga for the British, and brought France into the war. General Howe resigned during the occupation of Philadelphia and was replaced by his second-in-command, General Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton evacuated the troops from Philadelphia back to New York City in 1778 in order to increase that city's defenses against a possible Franco-American attack. Washington harried the British army all the way across New Jersey, and successfully forced a battle at Monmouth Court House that was one of the largest battles of the war. At the end of the campaign the two armies were roughly in the same positions they were at its beginning.

What was happening in the South?

The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central area of operations in North America in the second half of the American Revolutionary War. During the first three years of the conflict, the largest military encounters were in the north, focused on campaigns around the cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. After the failure of the Saratoga campaign, the British largely abandoned operations in the Middle Colonies and pursued peace through subjugation in the Southern Colonies. Before 1778, the southern colonies were largely dominated by Patriot-controlled governments and militias, although there was also a Continental Army presence that played a role in the defense of Charleston in 1776, suppression of Loyalist militias, and attempts to drive the British from strongly Loyalist East Florida. The British "southern strategy" commenced in late 1778 with the capture of Savannah, Georgia, which was followed in 1780 by operations in South Carolina that included the defeat of two Continental Armies at Charleston and Camden. General Nathanael Greene, who took over as Continental Army commander after Camden, engaged in a strategy of avoidance and attrition against the British. The two forces fought a string of battles, most of which were tactical victories for the British. In almost all cases, however, the "victories" strategically weakened the British army by the high cost in casualties, while leaving the Continental Army intact to continue fighting. This was best exemplified by the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Several American victories, such as the Battle of Ramseur's Mill, the Battle of Cowpens, and the Battle of Kings Mountain, also served to weaken the overall British military strength. The culminating engagement, the Siege of Yorktown, ended with the British army's surrender. It essentially marked the end of British power in the Colonies.

Who hurt Britain more than the American Navy?

The United States had maritime, rather than naval, strength. The American merchant marine had grown rapidly in size and importance after the Revolutionary War, and its range had greatly increased. However, there was no comparable expansion in American naval power because the new country did not seek command of the sea nor transoceanic commercial or political dominion. Indeed, the last American warship was sold in 1785.

Battle of Trenton WHO WHEN WHERE and OUTCOME

The battle was fought on the morning of December 26, 1776. The Battle of Trenton was won by the American forces. The battle pitted approximately 2,400 soldiers of the Continental Army, commanded by George Washington, up against about 1,400 Hessian soldiers commanded by Colonel Johann Rall. Hessian soldiers are paid German soldiers hired by the British government. The Americans attacked the Hessian soldiers garrisoned in what was then the small town of Trenton New Jersey. The surprise attack was made possible due to General Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River a few miles north of Trenton, New Jersey under extremely adverse weather conditions. This event was immortalized by the famous painting Washington Crossing the Delaware painted by Emanuel Leutze. The Hessian casualties were 22 killed and 83 wounded. Over 1,000 Hessians were captured. The American colonist casualties were only 2 killed and 5 wounded in the battle; however many died in the days following the battle due to illness brought on by exposure and exhaustion. The other Continental Army commanders, serving under Washington at the Battle of Trenton, were Major General Nathanael Greene, Major General John Sullivan, and Brigadier General Henry Knox. Interesting Battle of Trenton Facts The city of Trenton was not fortified thus leaving the Hessians vulnerable to attack. In fact the Hessian commander Rall did not take the advice of several of his officers to fortify the town. The Hessians were warned of an imminent attack but had let their guard down on the night of the battle believing the cold and icy weather conditions would make an attack impossible. The Hessian forces were caught off guard and were completely surrounded; after a short battle they surrendered. The Hessian commander, Colonel Rall, was fatally wounded during the battle and died later that day. All four Hessian colonels involved in this American Revolutionary War battle were killed. An interesting fact about this battle is that future president James Monroe fought in it and received a near fatal wound. General Washington had hoped to move on from Trenton and attack Princeton and New Brunswick both in New Jersey; however his troops exhausted and with reinforcements unable to join them he took his army back into Pennsylvania.

Why did Americans invade Canada?

The purported reason for the War (and the final fuse that lit it off) was Britain's claim to the right to board US ships and remove any British deserters. In reality, though, it was an attempted land grab, plain and simple. The first of many attempted by the US, starting a long history of starting wars without considering the attitude of the citizens of the countries they invaded.

Why were Americans still not eager for independence?

They were afraid to start an all-out war because they were not as well-equipped as the British and many people still felt loyalty to the British crown.

How had colonists' experience with the Brititsh government prepared them for Paine's summons to create a republic?

They were through with the monarchy and were interested in a new type of government.

Treaty of Fort Stanwix

Treaty signed by the U.S. and the pro-British Iroquois granting Ohio country to the Americans.

Benedict Arnold

U.S. army general in the Revolutionary War who later turned traitor

Who were the American Peace negotiators?

Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee

Winter at Valley Forge WHO WHEN WHERE and OUTCOME

Valley Forge was the military camp 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia where the American Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-78 during the American Revolutionary War. Starvation, disease, malnutrition, and exposure killed more than 2,500 American soldiers by the end of February 1778. General George Washington sought quarters for his men with winter almost setting in, and with greatly diminishing prospects for campaigning. Washington and his troops had fought in early December what was the last major engagement of 1777 at the Battle of White Marsh (or Edge Hill). He devised to pull his troops from their present encampment in the White Marsh area (now Fort Washington State Park) and move to a more secure location for the coming winter.

Battle of Long Island WHO WHEN WHERE and OUTCOME

War: American Revolution Date: 27th August 1776 Place: New York, United States of America Combatants at the Battle of Long Island: British and the American Continental Army Generals at the Battle of Long Island: Major General William Howe led the British and Hessian troops against General George Washington and the American Continental Army. Size of the armies at the Battle of Long Island: 20,000 British and Hessian Troops against around 10,000 Americans. Uniforms, arms and equipment at the Battle of Long Island: The British wore red coats, with bearskin caps for the grenadiers, tricorne hats for the battalion companies and caps for the light infantry. The Hessians wore blue coats. The Hessian grenadiers wore the Prussian style brass fronted mitre cap. The Americans were without issue of standard uniforms and dressed as best they could. Both sides were armed with muskets and bayonets. Many men of the Pennsylvania regiments carried rifled weapons. Both sides were supported by artillery.The only cavalry at the Battle of Long Island was the British 17th Light Dragoons and some small Americans mounted groups. Winner of the Battle of Long Island: The British won the battle of Long Island, driving the Americans from Brooklyn and forcing them to evacuate New York.

Joseph Brant

a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution.

George Rogers Clark

a surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War.

How was 1780-1781 one of the darkest periods of the war?

before the last decisive victory; inflation was continuing; the government was bankrupt & Congress had been forced to repudiate its financial obligations on a 40 to 1 basis; disunion was increasing among the states & mutiny over back pay was spreading in the army

What were the fears of conservatives?

chaos and absence of order

Richard Henry Lee

delegate who introduced a resolution calling for independence to the Second Continental Congress

George Washington Strengths

he transformed himself, shedding his ambition and his self-seeking, to bring liberty to a people who were exasperatingly indifferent and reluctant to share sacrifice.

George Washington Weaknesses

his pride, his ambition, his acquisitiveness (some might call it greed), and his willingness to subordinate the weak to his ambition

Ethan Allen

leader of a Patriot group of fighters known as the Green Mountain Boys

How did Britain's strategy change as a result of France entering the war?

seize key southern posts, enlist the aid of loyalist militiamen, and move northward to pacify one region after another.

John Paul Jones

the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends and enemies—who accused him of piracy—among America's political elites, and his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day. As such, he is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the American Navy" (an epithet that he shares with John Barry and John Adams). He later served in the Imperial Russian Navy, subsequently obtaining the rank of rear admiral.

Lord Cornwallis

the commander of British troops in the South, best known for his defeat at the Battle of Yorktown

Abigail Adams

told husband John Adams to 'remember the ladies', one of the 1st women to speak on women's rights