The Revolutionary War1775-1783

Georgia Chooses Sides

• Along the coast of Georgia people were loyal to England

• In the backcountry they were loyal to America and revolution

Tories, Loyalists

Whigs, Patriots

Lexington and Concord

• April 19th, 1775 The Battle of Lexington and Concord started the American Revolution

• “Minutemen” vs British Troops• Royal government in Georgia begins to fall

apart.

Royal Government Comes to an End

• 1775 - “Provincial Congress” aggress to boycott trade with Great Britain

• Whigs take over militia• Jan 1776, Whig arrest Gov Wright of

GA• Escapes to Britain

Royal Government Comes to an End

• Georgia creates a new Government• Temporary Constitution• Preamble proclaims popular

sovereignty

War and Peace

• Prepared for war and Peace• War – Created an army with George

Washington as General• Peace – Create a petition to King

George to stop hostility

British Response

• King George refused petition• Spring 1776 Second Continental

Congress voted to end British Rule

Declaration of Independence

• Georgia sends two delegates to Continental Congress in Philadelphia

• July 4th, 1776• Signed Document to end British Rule• Georgia delegates Button Gwinnett,

Lyman Hall and George Walton

Declaration of IndependenceDocument written by Thomas Jefferson• 1. All men are created equal• 2. Everyone is born with certain rights

that government cannot take away – namely life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• 3. Government gets its power from the people.

• 4. People can do away with a government they no longer approve of.

Declaration of Independence• Declaration ends with “these United

Colonies are ...Free and Independent States.”

• State is another word for nation

Reaction to the Declaration of Independence

• News did not reach GA for a month• 1,500 Tories leave GA• Patriots happy

Georgia's First Constitution• Needs a permanent government• Write a constitution• Feb 1777 create new constitution

Separation of Powers• 3 seperate branches of power• 1. legislative• 2. executive• 3. judiciary• Legislative has too much power

Separation of Powers• Unicameral • One house

Government• “House of

Assembly”

Branches of Georgia Government

legislative ExecutiveJudicial

House of Assembly

Georgia Government

Problems with New Government

• Governor had little power• 1 year term for gov• Legislative elected for 12 years

Washington’s HeadachesOnly 1/3 of the colonists were in favor of a war for independence [the other third were Loyalists, and the final third were neutral].State/colony loyalties.Congress couldn’t tax to raise money for the Continental Army.Poor training [until the arrival of Baron von Steuben.]

Military Strategies

Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line].Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies.

The American

s

The BritishBreak the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So.Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally.“Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.

War Comes to Georgia

• 1/3 Whigs• 1/3 Torries• 1/3 neutral• 1776-78 Whigs in charge take Torries home

and property• Torries Try to attack the British at St.

Augustine Fort and lose

War Comes to Georgia

• Army of 2,000 British from NY vs.700 Partiot Georgians

• Patriots lose• 100 dead• 450 captured• James Wright returns to run GA

Slaves Join the Fight

• Austin Dabney and other slaves fight for Patriots

• Most slaves fight for Britian• Britian offers freedom to any slaves

who joins the fight against the colonists

Slaves Join the Fight

• Slaves used as spys by British• Quamino Dolly led British invasion by

showing them a swamp pass• After war 10,000 Africans had to back

to slavery for siding with the British

Battle of Kettle Creek

• Early 1779, Kettle Creek in Wilkes county

• Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke led Patriots on attack

• Gain much needed supplies and lifted the morale of the Georgian troops

Siege of Savannah• Fall 1779• Americans aided by France try to retake

Savannah• Count Casimir Pulaski was killed during

a cavalry attack-Polish Foreign Patriot• British lose 40• Americans lose 1,000 mostly French• Savannah stays in British control to the

end of the war

The End of the War

• 1780 Britian holds most of Georgia• Whigs and Tories fight in the

backcountry• 1781 Whigs recapture Augusta• In Yorktown the British surrender to

General George Washington

The End of the Warin Georgia

• 1782 British and 2,000 Tories and their slaves leave Georgia

• War Ends with the Treaty of Paris in 1783

• Britian had to return Florida to Spain at the end of the war

• Unfriendly Indians still in Georgia boundaries

Summary

• Explain the significance of people and events in Georgia on the Revolutionary War; include Loyalists, patriots, Elijah Clarke, Austin Dabney, Nancy Hart, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton, Battle of Kettle Creek, and siege of Savannah.