Chapter 6
the fall of Charleston
ID: 1779, Clinton sailed from NY to Charleston. Americans in Charleston (although sick with smallpox) held out for a while until General Ben Lincoln is forced to surrender. S: The British began to see themselves winning the war as they establish garrisons at key points in the south.
the Declaration of Independence
ID: 1st draft by Thomas Jefferson was shown to Congress on June 28th, then edited and published on July 4th. Focused on the king's wrongdoings (instead of Parliament because Americans felt they were not governed by it). S: Held long-term importance to this day; the delegates who voted to accept it were committing treason and really pledging their lives, fortunes, and honor to each other.
William Dawes, Paul Revere, and Dr. Samuel Prescott
ID: 3 messengers dispatched by Bostonians to rouse the countryside. S: Gathered a group of 70 militiamen to greet the British upon their arrival on the Lexington common.
the Battle of Oriskany
ID: A battle that forced the redcoats and Indians in the Mohawk River Valley to turn back before they could link up with Burgoyne's army. S: Split the Iroquois Confederacy, although they'd (the 6 Nations) pledge to remain neutral in the war.
The Crisis
ID: A pamphlet by Thomas Paine. S: Emphasized how difficult the times were.
loyalists
ID: About 1/5 of Americans who firmly rejected independence. S: Often (during the war) congregated in cities held by Br. army, then moved to areas in the British Empire or laid the foundation for British settlement in Canada.
the Second Continental Congress
ID: An assembly meant for considering the ministry's response to the Continental Association turned into the Congress. Organized the colonies for war - authorized paper money printing, established a committee to supervise relations with foreign countries, strengthened the militia, created the Continental Army & chose its generals. S: Would take over directing the army, in place of the MA provincial army. Organized the colonies for war.
Thomas Jefferson
ID: An educated man and great writer, member of the House of Burgesses. Loved his family and home. S: Was chosen to write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence.
General Nathanael Greene
ID: Appointed by Washington to command the southern campaign. Favored a conciliatory policy (those who'd supported the British but wanted to join the American army, could). Told his troops to be fair to captives and not loot loyalist property. Re-established civilian authority in the provincial congresses of GA and SC. Wanted little Native American involvement. S: Effective steps in American control regaining of the south.
the retaliatory expedition of General John Sullivan
ID: Because the Iroquois who were allied with the British had previously raided frontier villages in PA and NY, Americans organized a retaliation effort under General John Sullivan. They burned Iroquois crops, orchards, and settlements. S: In response, many Native Americans sought food and shelter north of the Great Lakes. Many settled in Canada and never returned.
Burgoyne's New York campaign
ID: Burgoyne hoped to have his army meet up with another army at Albany. The combined force would join Howe's army and take NY. Victory at Ticonderoga, but one army turned back after a clash at Oriskany, and Americans had victory at Bennington, VT, wiping out 800 of Burgoyne's German mercenaries. Surrendered at Saratoga. S: Ended with British surrender, and Burgoyne's 'dawdling' gave the American troops time to prepare.
Benjamin Franklin
ID: Chosen to strengthen relations between the Americans and the French. Dressed plainly as to remain conspicuous among King Louis XVI's court. Presented himself as a rep. of Am. simplicity. S: His efforts helped for two treaties to be signed in 1778.
Joseph Galloway
ID: Conservative representative from Pennsylvania who proposed a formal plan of union in which Parliament and a new American legislature would have to jointly consent to all laws involving the colonies. S: His proposal was rejected after heated debate.
the Battle of Yorktown
ID: Cornwallis moved north to VA where his army combined with Benedict Arnold's. Cornwallis moved to the peninsula between the York and James Rivers, fortifying the city and waiting for aid. Washington moved French and American troops to attack from NY. De Grasse's naval fleet arrives just in time to defeat British. S: Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781, signaling the end of the revolution.
George Washington
ID: Dignified, conservative, respectable, unpeachable integrity. One of the largest slaveholders in VA. Committed to representative government. Remarkable stamina, military experience, tall, stately & commanding presence. Good judgment, steadiness, and discretion. S: Unanimously chosen as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
the Declaration of Rights and Grievances
ID: Document by Congress (worked out by John Adams) that declared that Americans would obey Parliament, but only for everyone's best interests; colonists would resist all taxes in disguise (e.g. Townshend duties). S: Set the tone for colonial protests/stance on the cause for independence and brought a unified decision for the reason they should fight for independence.
endemic diseases in the Continental Army
ID: Dysentery, various fevers, and most importantly, smallpox, plagues troops as they tried to fight. Redcoats and European immigrant soldiers were often already immune, as smallpox was an endemic in Europe. S: Washington called for all soldiers to be inoculated, which was risky - could die from the procedure, and if not, would be incapacitated for weeks. It was worth it and caused fortification of the army.
the Treaty of Paris
ID: Formally signed on September 3rd, 1783, granting America unconditional independence and laying its territorial boundaries. S: Vaguely worded clauses caused trouble for years to come.
the Battle of Camden
ID: Horatio Gates' army was crushed by Lord Cornwallis' troops in SC in August 1780. S: Only increased American rage and will to fight harder.
The Battle of Cowpens
ID: January 1781 - Daniel Morgan (trusted aide of Greene) routed the crack British regiment Tarleton's Region at Cowpens. S: Helped the American war strategy.
the Battle of Breed's (Bunker) Hill
ID: June 17th - the Br. attacked the Americans, driving them from trenches atop the hill in Charlestown (misnamed battle). S: British victory, although they had over 800 wounded and 228 killed. The Americans had lost less than half of that.
the battles of Lexington and Concord
ID: Lexington: A ragtag army of 70 men met Br. forces on the common - Americans were going to withdraw after realizing they couldn't stop the British advance, but there was a shot, then the British fired - 8 Americans dead, 10 wounded. Concord: A larger militia killed 3 British men, 9 wounded. S: By the end of the battle of Concord, casualties were 272 & 92, in the colonists' favor.
Lord Dunmore's proclamation
ID: Lord Dunmore - the British governor in VA - offered to free any bondspeople who would leave their patriot masters and join the Br. forces. S: He hoped to use them to help in the fight against the revolutionaries, & disrupt the Am. economy by taking away planters' labor forces. Only about 1,000 initially took the offer, but it led to Congress' change of a policy that kept Afr. Americans from enlisting in the army. Not a serious threat at the start of the revolution.
Lord North and Lord George Germain
ID: Made 3 central assumptions about the war: 1) the large British force (along with Hessians) would ensure a quick victory, 2) treated the war as a European conflict - would capture key cities, then defeat the revolutionaries while suffering few casualties, and 3) a military victory would restore all American loyalty. S: All 3 assumptions were wrong: 1) Americans were strongly committed to resistance, and battlefield defenses wouldn't stop them, 2) less than 5% of Americans lived in the key cities, and 3) military victory wouldn't make thousands change their mind. Their policy to restore allegiance came too late.
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse
ID: March 1781 - Greene confronted British troops under Lord Cornwallis in NC. Cornwallis held victory, but most of his army was destroyed. He was forced to retreat to Wilmington to get supplies and troops from NY by sea. Greene returned to SC where he forced the redcoats to retire to Charleston. S: Major gain of the war for Americans.
the First Continental Congress
ID: Meeting of delegates from each of the colonies to define Am. grievances and develop a plan for resistance, and articulate a constitutional relationship with Great Britain. S: Their decisions were on behalf of and would affect all Americans and relationships with Britain, as well as other nations.
the Battle of Saratoga
ID: Oct. 17, 1777 - Burgoyne was surrounded, and surrendered his entire force (more than 6,000 men). S: Very significant battle of the war, great victory for the Americans (Washington/General Horatio Gates).
the battles of King's Mountain
ID: October 1780 - A back country force held victory over redcoats and loyalists. S: A victory for America, strengthening the army's morale.
Common Sense
ID: Pamphlet by Thomas Paine with widespread influence. Took an enraged tone rather than reserved, spoken in common radical language. Supported the establishment of a republic and no reliance on a king or nobility. Confidence in American strength once independent. S: Led to decisions by the 2nd Continental Congress that the colonies form new governments to replace the old colonial charters.
Joseph and Mary Brant
ID: Siblings and Mohawk leaders who wanted an alliance with the British in order to protect their land from colonist settlement. S: Each Iroquois nation divided and it caused the collapse of the Iroquois confederacy.
the Franco-American alliance
ID: The alliance between the French and America aided by Benjamin Franklin ending with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Fr. recognizes Am. independence and establishes trade), and the Treaty of Alliance (neither French nor America would establish peace with Britain without consulting each other first). France gave up any North American territory. S: The alliance gave Am. 2 major benefits: 1) France sent troops, naval vessels, arms, ammunition, clothing, and blankets, and 2) Britain had to fights on 2 fronts and couldn't only focus on America. Spain later entered (allied with the French, but not America) = global war against Britain.
esprit de corps among officers of the Continental Army
ID: The high spirit, morale, and perseverance of the soldiers in the Continental Army. Despite war conditions, they viewed themselves as professionals who "sacrificed personal gain for the good of the entire nation." Didn't want to be traitors like Benedict Arnold. S: Kept the army strong and going despite hardships.
Sir William Howe
ID: The new commander who wanted to transfer his troops from Boston to NYC. The patriots fired cannon and the British & loyalists abandoned Britain. S: Set up another step towards American independence.
Sir Henry Clinton
ID: Took Sir William Howe's position in overseeing the regrouping of British forces in America. Ordered the evacuation of Philadelphia in June 1778, captured St. Lucia which became a major war base. Captured Savannah and Augusta easily. S: Made it appear that a southern strategy would result in British success.
Howe's Philadelphia Campaign
ID: Took a very long time and difficult travel methods to move his troops only 40 miles closer to Philadelphia. The armies clashed at Brandywine Creek and Germantown (both British victories) although the Americans were still standing strong. S: Revolutionary army gained confidence and would keep fighting. Howe's delay gave Washington's troops time to prepare for his arrival.
the battles of Trenton and Princeton
ID: Trenton: Early December 26th - Washington's troop captured greater than 900 Hessians and killed 30, while suffering only 30 casualties themselves. Princeton: Another swift attack and victory. S: Raided American spirits and gained more control, allowing Washington to set up quarters at Morristown, NJ.
the New York campaign
ID: Washington marched his troops to NY to defend Manhattan from Howe's troops. British won battles at Brooklyn Heights and Manhattan Isalnd. The city fell to the British. S: Caused Washington to retreat to PA through NJ, and redcoats to take control of NJ.
the New Jersey campaign
ID: Washington's troops retreated to PA and Britain took control of most of NJ, where they met with little opposition. S: Led to more attacks by both sides.
the Newburgh Conspiracy
ID: When Washington's officers threatened mutiny, he warned them of this and ended the problem with an active and involved speech on patriotism. S: Kept people unified and in order.
camp followers
ID: Women or widows who were too poor to survive alone and followed their men in the army. Were cooks, launderers, and nurses for rations and low pay. S: Made an almost unruly assembly that was hard to control, but showed the nearly unlimited amount of American support and manpower.
