The Revolution

Advantages & disadvantages of Rebels

• +• 15-20% pop= loyalists• Worst CA• Rebels out# loyalists &

neutrals

• -• Militia got lucky at

Concord, Lexington & • Breed’s Hill• Militia had to re-organized

from above• Farmers – family men 1st

want short term of service • Pay low, no pension• 10k enlisted by Dec 76

Other problems:

• 7k short term militia on loan from provincial govts

• Congress has no power to raise taxes or draft men– Requisitions from states needed 4 both

• GW spends much of his time pleading for supplies

• Army in constant danger of dissolving

War Aims

• Americans• To keep from being

forced to surrender

• British• To conquer rebellion• To punish traitors• To re-establish

control

First campaigns

• Boston still under siege• Expedition sent to capture CA from Brits

– Failed after bad winter siege– No help from Canadians

• SC, Charlestown- Brit made mistakes; failed to take a single fort– Logs, dirt– w/drew after 10 hr duel– Left So. Alone

• Boston siege strengthened on N. side– British w/d to CA March 76: ‘Evacuation of Boston’

Americans declare independence

• Brits supplement army w/ Hessian mercenaries– Brit commanders: Gen. Howe & Adm. Howe

• 32,000 troops• Goal: divide and conquer- cut through colonies

– Middle NY– Mop up pockets of resistance

• Br NY, Long Island (Aug 76)– Big force: 32K troops, 10k sailors

• V. Amers & GW w 23k inexperienced militia• Big Brit attack,

– Amers retreat– Brits offer peace talks, only want surrender

End of first battle:

• Sept: British attack pushes Amers off Manhattan

• Nov: Amers w/d to NJ• Dec: Cross Delaware River PA

– Amers camp

• Brit capture NY & RI in Dec– Winter: Amer forces dwindle- starving,

desertions– Need a victory

Trenton, NJ:

• Caught a garrison asleep/ drunk & take 900 prisoner

• About New Years: attacked Brit at Princeton, quick victory & w/d

How does British strategy falter in 77? Why?

• Howe makes it personal… should have gone to meet Burgoyne coming down from CA – Goal: separated N from S, now: to divide the Hudson

valley– Instead Phillie to get rebel capital w/ large loyalist

population • GW big guerrilla attacks: on the way: Brandywine Creek• 1 week later: German town – same way

– No meeting head on (they are prepared for that)

– Looks like American defeat• But slows attack on Phil so that

– Burgoyne captured at Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain

• B. Arnold & Horatio Gates – Same strike & hide strategy

• Result:– Burgoyne & 10,000 regulars surrender

• At Saratoga

Saratoga = turning point

• London sees loss is possible

• Offer:– Renunciation of taxation– Repeal of intolerable acts– Suspension of all acts s. 63

• Not enough

Why it is too late for peace

• All rebel leaders guilty of treason

• If we don’t hang together… (Franklin)

France

• Sees possible American victory– If so- may later move back into interior

• Sends munitions, supplies thru fake trading co– Beaumarchais

– After Saratoga• Agree to alliance• If Amers refuse to negotiate w/ Brits

– In case of war, neither France nor Amers cd make peace w/o consent of other

– France gives up claims to territory on continent

Last phase 1778-81How did English strategy change

• Brit w/d from Phillie to NY– Prep major So. Offensive

• Amers drill in PA, Valley Forge– Baron Von Steuben

• Following Brits to NY– 1 attack: B. Monmouth Courthouse, June 78

• Brit get to NY safely

– France to help regain RI, scattered by storm• Fleet winters in WI; protect possessions

No French support• Amer privateers harass along NE coast

– New Amer navy (4 ships) raids English coast• Towns, ships

• Expect French to return– GW @ White Plains, NY– Fall 79: back to France

• Br occupy GA• NY garrisoned

– Br take Charlestown, SC May 1780– ½ Br go N to take Amer army 2 Camden, NC– ½ to NY

• Amer guerilla warfare in S– Under Nathaniel Greene & Daniel Morgan– Win @ King’s Mnt, NC– Again @ Cowpens early 81

British surrender

• Can’t stretch out supply lines forever– Br retreat to Yorktown, VA– Cornwallis camped at peninsua’s end

• Btn 2 rivers (mistake)

– GW & Rochambeau S frm NY• Small force left to fool Clinton

– Mad Anthony Wayne frm W– La Fayette S from NY b4 GW– Barras from RI by boat

• Escapes Br fleet @ Newport

– De Grasse frm WI• Wins battle – drive Br fleet NY

• Cornwallis surrenders Oct 19, 81

Spain

• Ltd role– France agreed to continue till Spain won

Gibralter– Captured W FL from Br– Blockaded Gibralter

How did we win the war?

• Lord North left Mar. 82– George wants to continue war; – Ministry does not

• Sent agents to France to meet Amers• US wants recognition of indep

– Boundaries at MS River, 31st par & current N. border

• Fr want right to advise & approve– Secretly meet w/ Br & encourage w. boundary way east of MS

& for E, F & Sp to divvy up interior

• We find out; secret negots w/ Brits, signed Nov 30, 82– Peace of Paris 1783

Experimental Period 1776-89

• Education:– Critical for electorate– Revival

• More secondary schools, more colleges– 1776- 9– 1789- 18

• Attempt to make Math, Grammar more practical, less theory

Sep of Church & State

• Fear of governance by Church– Most states still support Protestant churches

• Taxes

– VA: Jefferson asserts • No man compelled to frequent or support• Basis for Religious Freedom

Issue of equality• All men created equally- uneasy…

– Disallowed importation of slaves– N frees– Many S’ free slaves, but no S. State ended slavery– Hostile to aristocracy

• Titles, nobility, societies (elitist)• Society of Cincinnati (former Continental officer’s club)• Medical Society in CT tried to get licensure to raise

standards• Property- wealthy merchants lost heavily (blockade)• Farmers who sold supplies to Cont. Army did well• Confiscation & sale of loyalist land

– Redistributed property– Increased # land owners

Equalizing effect on voting laws

• Property qualifications lowered except MA

• GA & PA open up to all– Bacon’s Rebellion: stake in society

• Major purpose of government: protect property

• Only property can free you from landlord & employer– Who owns him owns his vote

Importance of property…cont

• Liberty from equality• No mass of propertyless like in Europe

– Bcs authority wd concentrate in hands of few:• Tyranny

– To keep authority in hands of majority

• Pursuit of Republicanism:– New states= republics

• W govs set up under old charters• New constitutions• Legislatures more powerful (reps of people)• PA & GA didn’t have an upper house 1780s

Rights protected

• Free religion

• Free press

• Trial by Jury

• MA const. ratified 1780

Purpose of state constitutions

• To limit gov by law of the will of the people– Majority rule– Flaw: if legislature can amend- not will of the

people

Why avoid a national gov?

• Believed that republics need to be in small areas• Or central legislature wd be too remote• Idea: # sm republics in a federation – limited for

specific purposes• Origin: Cont. Cong 1774

– Ran nation after 76– Delegates from states appt’d annually.

• 1 vote per state• Majoirty rule• Existed by common consent

Problems of federation

• Growing nationalism

• Weak alliance of 13 less effective than 1 in 4n affairs

• Need is clear– Sticking points:

• Expenses & voting- how appropriated• Western policy

Articles of Confederation• Written Nov 77

– 1 vote per state– States tax selves by land values– States keep western lands– Keep sovereignty, freedom, independence– Get all rights, powers not given to Congress

• Powers of congress: – Declare war/ peace– Requisition states 4 $$– Coin money– Establ post office– Appoint military officers– Borrow/ issue paper money– Fix weights, measures– Regulate Indian affairs,– Settle slave disputes

Western Land Question• MD wouldn’t ratify till settled

– Most states don’t fully represent western region– W resent E dominated govs– Some charters didn’t grant western land

• Those states want Congress to control W land

– Jealousy, mistrust– Speculation in land bt from Indians

• Opposed by VA’s OH Co: all want claims recognized• Many overlap

– Revenue from land sales at stake– No personal tax!– Landless states wd be depopulated!

• Solution: TJ led VA to offer all land N. of OH river to congress 2 B divided into Republican states

• Most other states gave up land claims too

Problems under A of C• 1783-89

– Couldn’t carry out responsibilities– Lacked powers

• No courts• No way to enforce decisions• No power to tax to pay expenses• No right to regulate trade• No exec. Dept.• 3 secretaries appointed to manage matters• No capital or permanent residence• States ignore requisitions for funds• Unless 7 states were rep’d decisions had to be

unanimous

Financial problems under A of C

• Paper $ worthless by end of war• After peace France stops sending supplies• States refuse to add 5% tariff on imports• NW ord 1785: 5 new states to be surveyed

into townships– 6 mi sq– 36 lots, 1 sq mi each (640 acres)– Sold at 1$ min per acre- specie– Land offices in each state

NW Ord 1787• Gov, secretary & ct of 3 judges appt’d by

congress• Pop = 5k freemen; rep legislature can be

established– Actions approved by gov, appt’d by congress– Can send rep to congress, no vote

• Whole area divided into 3-5 territories• Pop = 60k, can be admitted as equal to original

13 states– No slavery in NW– Freedom of worship– Schools to be estab’d

Signif

• Ordinances of 1785-1787:policy for territorial expansion for whole 19th century

National Humiliation

• Obvious problems: weak, poverty• Europeans intrigue to push W boundary

back to Appalachians• England holds military outposts in NW

– US too weak to push them out– E justifies claim: US violation of treaty

• Nobody can make laws impeding collection of private debts from before war

• Congress must recommend states return loyalist property

– Didn’t comply

More humiliation:• US cannot raise or pay for an army• England tried to make deal w/ Ethan & Levi Allen

to take VT (abo to be a state)• VT claimed by both NH & NY• SW: Spain grasping for area to be KY-TN

– Settlers 100K by 1790 depend on access to MS R. at New Orleans (Sp)

– FL spanish since 1783; LA since 1763– Sp forts on MS river up to St. Louis, MO

• Spain closed MS R 1784 to try to force Amers into being Sp citizens (already anti Easterners)– Secessionist movements in KY & TN– Sp gets US recognition of MS R rights: Jay Treaty