Chapter 5 Apush

yorktown

- 1781 the last major battle of the revolutionary war was fought near yorktown virginia on the shores of chesapeake bay - strongly supported by french naval and military forces, Washington's arm forced the surrender of a large british army commanded by general charles cornwallis

Initial american losses and hardships

- 1st 3 years of the war 1775-1777 went badly for washington's poorly trained and equipped revolutionary army - it barely escaped complete disaster in a battle for new york city in 1776 in which Washington's forces were routed by the british - by end of 1777, the british occupied both new york and Philadelphia - after losing philadelphia, Washington's demoralized troops suffered through the server winters of 1777-1778 camped at valley forge in PENNS. - economic troubles added to the patriots bleak prospects - british occupation of american ports resulted in 95% decline in trade between 1775 and 1777 - goods were scared and inflation was rampant - the paper money issued by congress, known as continentals, become almost worthless

Lexington and Concord

- April 18 1775 General Thomas Gage, the commander of the British troops in Boston, sent a large force to seize colonial military supplies in the town of concord - warned of the british march by two riders, Paul Revere and William Dawes, the milita (or Minutemen) of Lexington assembled on the village green to face the British - the americans were forced to retreat under heavy british fire; 8 of their numbers were killed in the brief encounter - who fired the 1st shot of this first skirmish of the american revolution? - the evidence is ambiguous and the answer will probably never be known - continuing their march, the british entered Concord, where they destroyed some military supplies - on return march to Boston, the long column of British soldiers was attacked by 100s of militiamen firing at them from behind stone walls - british suffered 250 casualties - and also considerable humiliation at being so badly mauled by "amateur" fighters

Thomas Paine's argument for independece

- January 1776 a pamphlet was published that quickly had a profound impact on public opinion and the future course of events -the phamplet written by thomas paine , a recent english immigrant to the colonies, argued strongly for what until then had been considered a radical idea - entitled common sense, Paine's essay argued in clear and forceful language for the colonies becoming independent states and breaking all political ties with the british monarchy - Pain argued that it was contrary to common sense for a large continent to be ruled by a small and distant island and for people to pledge allegiance to a king who's gov was corrupt and whose laws were unreasonable

Loyalists Tories

- Revolutionary war was in some respects a civil war in which anti-British patriots fought pro-british loyalists - those who maintained their allegiance to the king were also called tories (after the majority party in parliament) - almost 60,000 american tories fought next to british soldiers, supplied them with arms and food and joined in raiding parties that pillaged patriot homes and farms - members of the same family sometimes joined opposite sides - for ex while Ben franklin was a leading patriot, his son William joined the tories and served as the last royal governor of N.J - how many american tories were there? - estimates range from 520,000 to 780,000 - roughly 20-30% of the population - in N.Y, N.Y, and georgia they were probably in the majority - toward the end of the war, about 80,000 loyalists emigrated from the states to settle in canada or britain rather than face persecution at the hands of the victorious patriots - although loyalists came from all groups and classes, they tended to be wealthier and more conservative than the patriots - most gov officials and anglican clergy in america remained loyal to the crown

The declaration of independence

- after meeting for more then year, the congress gradually and somewhat reluctantly began to favor independence rather than reconciliation - on june 7 1776 Richard Henry Lee of virginia introduced a resolution declaring the colonies to be independent - 5 delegates including thomas jefferson formed a committee to write a statement in support of Lee's resolution - the declaration drafted by jefferson listed specific grievances against George III's gov and also expressed the basic principles that justified revolution - "We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - the congress adopted lees resolution calling for independence on july 2, jeffersons work, the declaration of independence was adopted on july 4 1776

Fighting Begins

- angrily dismissing the petition of the 1st continental congress, the king's gov declared Mass. to be in a state of rebellion and sent additional troops to put down any further disorders there - the combination of colonial defiance and British determination to suppress it led to violent clashes in Mass. - what would prove to be the first battles of the american revolution

American Indians

- at 1st american indians tried to stay out of the war - eventually attacks by colonists prompted many american indains to support the british, who promised to limit colonial settlements in the west

Peace Efforts

- at 1st congress adopted a contradictory policy of waging war while at the same time seeking a peaceful settlement - many in the colonies didn't want independence, for they valued their heritage and britians protection, but they didn't want a change in their relationship with britiain - in july 1775 the delegates voted to send an "Olive branch petition" to king george III in which they pledged their loyalty and asked the king to intercede with parliament to secure peace and protection of colonial rights - king george angrily dismissed the congress plea and agreed instead to parliaments prohibitory act (august 1775) which declared the colonies in rebellion - few months later, parliament forbade all trade and shipping between britain and colonies

The Articles of Confederation

- at Philadelphia in 1776, as Jefferson was righting the Declaration of Independence, John Dickinson drafted the 1st constitution for the U.S as a nation - Congress modified Dickinson's plan to protect the powers of the individual states - the AOC, as a document was called, was adopted by Congress in 1777 and submitted to the state for ratification

State Governments

- by 1777, 10 of the former colonies had written new constitutions. - most of these documents were both written and adopted by the states legislatures - in a few of the states (Maryland, Penns., and N.C) a proposed constitution was submitted to a vote of the people for ratification (approval) - each state constitution was the subject of a headed debate between conservatives, who stressed the need for law and order, and liberals, who were most concerned about protecting individual rights and preventing future tyrannies. - although the various constitutions differed on specific points, they had the following features in common:

Military Actions

- congress adopted a declaration of the causes and necessities for taking up arms and called on the colonies to provide troops - G.W was appointed the commander-in-chief of a new colonial army and sent to boston to lead the Mass. militia and volunteer units from other colonies - congress also authorized a force under Benedict Arnold to raid Quebec in order to draw canada away from the british empire - an american navy and marine corps was organized in the fall of 1775 for the purpose of attacking British shipping

Actions of the Congress

- delegates voted on a series of proposed measures each of which was intended to change British policy without offending moderate and conservative colonists - Joseph Galloway proposed a plan, similar to the Albany Plan of 1754, that would have reordered relations with Parliament and formed a union of the colonists within the British empire - by only 1 vote, Galloway's plan failed to pass - instead the convention adopted these measure 1. it endorsed the Suffolk Resolves, a statement orginally issued by Mass. The Resolves called for the immediate repeal of the Intolerable Acts and for colonies to resist them by making military preparations and boycotting british goods 2. it passed the declaration and resolves. Backed by moderate delegates, this petition urged the king to redress (make right) colonial grievances and restore colonial rights. In a conciliatory gesture, it recognized Parliaments authority to regulate commerce 3. It created the Continental Association (or just Association) a network of committees to enforce the economic sanctions of the Suffolk Resolves 4. It declared that if colonial rights were not recognized, delegates would meet again in May 1775

Accomplishments

- despite its weaknesses, the congress under the articles did succeed in accomplish the following: 1. Winning the war. the U.S gov could claim some credit for the ultimate victory of Washington's army and for negotiating favorable terms in the treaty of paris with britiain 2. land ordinance of 1785. congress establish a policy for surveying and selling the western lands. the policy provided for setting aside one section of land in each township for public education 3. northwest ordinance of 1787. for the large territory lying between the Great Lakes and Ohio River, the congress passes an ordinance (law) that set the rules for creating new states. the northwest ordinance granted limited self-gov to the developing territory and prohibited slavery in the region

Women

- during the war, both the patriots and loyalists depended on the active support of women - some women followed their men into the armed camps and worked as cooks and nurses - in a few instances, women actually fought in battle, either taking their husband's place, as Mary McCauley (Molly Pitcher) did at the Battle of Monmouth, or passing as a man and serving as a soldier, as Deborah Sampson did for a year - the most important contribution of women during the war was in maintaining the colonial economy - while fathers, husbands, and sons were away fighting, women ran the family farms and businesses - they provided much of the food and clothing necessary for the war effort - despite their contributions, women remained in a second-class status - unanswered went please such of those of Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams : "I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors"

List of Rights

- each constitution began with a "bill" or "declaration" listing the basic rights and freedoms, such as a jury trial and freedom of religion, that belonged to all citizens by right and that state officials couldnt infringe (encroach on)

victory

- faced with a larger war, Britain decided to consolidate its forces in america - british troops were pulled out of Philadelphia, and new york became the chief base of british operations - in a campaign through 1778-1779 the patriots led by george rogers clark captured a series of british forts in the illinois country to gain control of parts of the vast ohio territory - 1780 the british army adopted a souther strategy, concentrating its military campaigns in virginia and the carolinas where loyalists were especially numerous and active

the revolutionary war

- from 1st shots fired on lexington green in 1775 to the final signing go a peace treaty in 1783, the american war for independence or revolutionary was was a long and bitter struggle - as americans fought they also forged a new national identity as the former colonies because the USA - about 2.6 million people lived in the 13 colonies at the time of the war - maybe 40% of the population actively participated in the struggle against britain - they called themselves american patriots - around 20-30% sided with the british as loyalists - everyone else tried to remain neutral and uninvolved

Social Change

- in addition to revolutionizing the politics of the 13 states, the War for Independence also profoundly changed american society - some changes occurred immediately before the war ended, while others evolved gradually as the ideas of the Revolution began to filter into the attitudes of the common people

African Americans

- initially G.W rejected the idea of African Americans serving in the patriot army - however, when the british promised freedom to enslaved people who joined their side, washington and congress quickly made the same offer - approximately 5,000 african americans fought as patriots - most of them were free citizens from the north, who fought in mixed racial forces, although there were some all-african american units. - african americans took part in most of the military actions of the war, and a number, including Peter Salem, were recognized for their bravery

Separation of Church and states

- most states adopted the principle of separation of church and state; in other words, they refused to give financial support to any religious group - the anglican church, which formerly had been closely tied to the king's gov , was disestablished (lost state support) in the south - only 3 new england states - N.H, Connnecticut, and Mass. - did the congregational church continue to receive state support in the form of a religious tax - this practice was finally discontinued in New England early in the 1830s

Treaty of Paris

- news of cornwallis's defeat at yorktown was a heavy blow to the tory party in parliament that was conducting a war - the war had become unpopular in britain, partly because it placed a heavy strain on the economy and govs finances -lord north and other tory ministers resigned and were replaced by whig leaders who wanted to end the war - in paris 1783 a treaty of peace was finally signed by the various belligerents - the treaty of paris provided for the following (1) britiain would recognize the existence of the US as an independent nation (2) the mississippi river would be the western boundary of that nation (3) americans would having fishing rights of the coast of canada (4) americans would pay debts owed to british merchants and honor loyalist claims for property confiscated during the war

The American Revolution and Confederation 1774-1787

- quote: O! Ye love mankind! Ye that dare oppose not only the tyranny but the tyrant, stand forth! Evert spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe... O! receive the fugitive and prepare in time an asylum for mankind. Thomas Paine, Common Sense 1776 - Parliaments passage of Intolerable Acts in 1774 intensified the conflict between the colonies and G.B - In the next 2 years, many americans reached the conclusion - unthinkable only a few years earlier - that the only solution to their quarrel with the British gov was to sever all ties with it - How did events from 1774 to 1776 lead ultimately to the revolutionary outcome?

Ratification

- ratification of the articles was delayed by a dispute over the vast American Indian lands west of the Alleghenies. - Seaboard states such as R.I and ML insisted that these lands be under the jurisdiction of the new central government. -when virginia and N.Y finally agreed to cede their claims to western lands, the articles were ratified in march 1781

Voting

- right to vote was extended to all while males who owned some property - the property requirement, usually for a minimal amount of land or money, was based on the assumption that property owners, had a larger state in government than did the poor and propertyless

The 2nd Continental Congress

- soon after fighting broke out in Mass, delegates to the 2nd continental congress met in philadelphia in may 1775 - congress was divided - one group of delegates, mainly from new england, thought the colonies should declare their independence - another group, mainly from the middle colonies, hoped the conflict could be resolved by negotiating a new relationship with G.B

Abolition of Aristocratic titles

- state constitutions and laws abolished old institutions that had originated in medieval europe - no legislature could grant titles of nobility, nor could any court recognize the feudal practice of primogeniture ( the first born son's rights to inherit his family's property ) - whatever aristocracy existed in colonial America was further weakened by the confiscation of large estates owned by Loyalists - many such estates were subdivided and sold to raise money for the war

Problems with the Articles

- the 13 states intended the central gov to be weal - and it was. - the gov faced 3 kinds of problems 1. Financial. most war debts were unpaid. individual states as well as the congress issued worthless paper money. the underlying problem was that the congress had no taxing power and could only request that the states donate money for national needs 2. Foreign. European nations had little respect for a new nation that could neither pay its debts nor take effective and united action in a crisis. Britian and spain threatened to take advantage of U.S. weakness by expanding their interests in the western lands soon after the war ended 3. Domestic. in summer of 1786, captain daniel shays, a Massachusetts farmer and revolutionary war veteran, led other farmers in an uprising against high state taxes, imprisonment for debt, and lack of paper money. the rebel farmers stopped the collection of taxes and forced the closing of the debtors courts. in january 1787, when shays and his followers attempted to seize weapons from the Springfield armory, the state militia of Massachusetts broke Shays's rebellion

Structure of Government

- the articles establish a central gov. that consisted of just 1 body, a congress. - in this unicameral (one-house) legislature, each state was given 1 vote, with at least 9 votes out of 13 required to pass important laws - amending the articles required a unanimous vote. -A Committee of States with 1 representative from each state, could make minor decisions when the full congress was not in session

Powers

- the articles gave the congress the power to wage war, make treaties, send diplomatic representatives, and borrow money - however, congress didn't have the power to regulate commerce or collect taxes - to finance any of its decisions, the congress had to rely upon taxes voted by each state - neither did the government have the executive power to enforce its laws.

The delegates

- the delegates were a diverse group, whose views about the crisis ranged from radical to conservative - leading the radical faction - those demanding the greatest concessions from Britain - were patrick henry of virginia and samuel adams and john adams of Mass. - the moderators included G Washington of virginia and John Dickinson of Penns. - the conservative delegates - those who favored a mild statement of protest - included John Jay of N.Y and Joseph Galloway of Penns. - unrepresented were the loyal colonists who would not challenge the kings government in any way

Slavery

- the institution of slavery contradicted the spirit of the Revolution and the idea that "all men are created equal" - for a time the leaders of the revolution recognized this and took some corrective steps - the continental congress abolished the importation of enslaved people, and most states went along with the prohibition - most northern states ended slavery, while in the south, some owners voluntarily freed their slaves - however, in the decades following the revolutionary war, more and more slaveowners came to believe that enslaved labor was essential to their economy - as explained in later chapters, they developed a rationale for slavery that found religious and political justification for continuing to hold human beings in life long bondage

The 1st continental Congress

- the punitive Intolerable Acts drove all the colonies except Georgia to send delegates to a convention in Philadelphia in Sep. 1774 - purpose of the convention - later known as the 1st continental congress - was to respond to what the delegates viewed as Britain's alarming threats to their liberties - most americans had no desire for independence - they simply wanted to protest parliamentary infringements of their rights and restore the relationship with the crown that had existed before the 7years war

Office-Holding

- those seeking elected office were usually held to a higher property qualifications than the voters

alliance with france

- turning point for american revolutionaries came with a victory at Saratoga in upstate New York in october 1777 - british forces under general john burgoyne had marched from canada in an ambitious effort to link up with other forces marching from the west and south - their objective was to cut off new england from the rest of the colonies (or states) - but Burgoyne's troops were attacked at saratoga by troops commanded by american generals horatio gates and benedict arnold - the british army was forced to surrender - the diplomatic outcome of the battle of saratoga was even more important than the military result - news of the surprising american victory persuaded france to join in the war against britain - France's king LOUIS XVI was an absolute monarch who had no interest in aiding a revolutionary movement - nevertheless, he saw a change to weaken his country's traditional foe, great britain, by helping to undermine its colonial empire - france had secretly extended aid to american revolutionaries as early as 1775 giving both money and supplies - after saratoga in 1778 france openly allied itself with the americans - a year later spain and holland also entered the war against britain - the french alliance proved a decisive factor in the american struggle for independence because it widened the war and forced the british to divert military resources away from america

Bunker Hill

- two months later on june 17 1775 a true battle was fought between opposing armies on the outskirts of boston - a colonial militia of Mass. farmers fortified Breed's Hill next to Bunker Hill for which the ensuing battle was wrongly named - a british force attacked the colonists position and managed to take the hill, suffering over a thousand casualties - americans claimed a victory of sorts, having succeeded in inflicting heavy losses on the attacking British army

Historical perspectives: how radical was the revolution ?

- was the american revolution (1) a radical break with the past or (2) a conservative attempt simply to safeguard traditional british liberties? - one approach to this question is to compare the american revolution with other revolutions in world history - in his anatomy of a revolution (1965) historian crane brinton found striking similarities between the american revolution and two later revolutions - the french revolution (1789-1794) and the russian revolution (1917-1922) - he observed that each revolution passed through similar stages and became increasingly radical from one year to the next - other historians have been more impressed with the differences between the remission experience and the revolutions in europe - they argue that the french and russian revolutionaries reacted to conditions of feudalism and aristocratic privilege that did not exist in the american colonies - in their view, americans did not revolt against outmoded institution but, in their quest for independence, merely carried to maturity a liberal, democratic movement that had been gaining force for years - in comparing the 3 revolutions, a few historians have concentrated on the actions of the revolutionary groups of citizens, such as the american sons of liberty - again there are 2 divergent interpretations: (1) the groups in all 3 countries engaged in the same radical activities, and (2) the americans had a much easier time of it than the french and russians, who encountered ruthless repression by military authorities - another interpretation of the american revolution likens it to the colonial rebellions that erupted in africa and asia after world war II - according to this view, the colonial experience in america caused a gradual movement away from britain that culminated in demands for independence - other studies of the military aspects of the revolution have pointed out similarities between american guerrilla forces in the 1770s and the guerrilla bands that fought in such countries as cuba in the 1950s and vietnam in the 1960s - recall that the british controlled the cities while the american revolutionaries controlled the countryside- a pattern that in the 20th century was often repeated in revolutionary struggles throughout the world - typically, as in the case of the american revolution, insurgent forces were weak in the cities, but strong in the surrounding territory - since the american revolution pre-dated the other modern revolutions it is compared to, its influence on them is a topic of study - seeing the american revolution in the context of other uprisings provides insights to help understand it better.

Organization of New Government

- while revolutionary war was being fought, leaders of 13 colonies worked to change them into independently governed states, each with its own constitution (written plan of government) - at same time, the revolutionary congress that originally met in Philadelphia tried to define the powers of a new central gov. for the nation that was coming into being

Separation of Powers

- with a few exceptions the power of state government were given to 3 separate branches: (1) legislative powers to an elected two-house legislature (2) executive powers to an elected governor and (3) judicial powers to a system of courts - the principle of separation of powers was intended to be a safeguard against tyranny --- especially the tyranny go a too powerful executive

look at picture on pg 92

92

Patriots

the largest # of patriots were from the new england states and virginia most of the soldiers were reluctant to travel outside their own region they would serve in local militia units for short periods, leave to work their farms, and then return to duty thus, even though several hundred thousand people fought on the patriot side in the war, G.W never had more than 20,000 regular troops under his command at 1 time his army was chronically short of supplies poor equipped and rarely paid