T HE A MERICAN R EVOLUTION The Revolutionary Era Chapter 4, Section 2-4

W ASHINGTON ’ S H EADACHES Only 1/3 of the colonies were in favor of a war for independence The other third were Loyalists 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)

T HE L OYALISTS V. P ATRIOTS Most New Englanders and Virginians were patriots Feelings were mixed in the Middle Colonies and especially New York Loyalists were strong in southern colonies like Georgia and South Carolina

L OYALISTS /P ATRIOTS Government officials or people that belonged to the Anglican Church were mostly loyalists Landowners, merchants, and doctors were on both sides Debtors, small farmers, and shopkeepers were Patriots

L OYALISTS It was dangerous to be a loyalist in many places Local patriots harassed Loyalists, attacking their farms and property Several regiments of Loyalists fought with the British, others left the country, and some just avoided politics

M ILITARY S TRATEGIES Gradually wear down the British through sustained pressure Guerilla tactics (ambushes, sabotage, raids, etc) Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies Break the colonies in half by getting between the North and South Blockade ports to prevent the flow of good and supplies from an ally “Divide and Conquer” – Use the Loyalists The AmericansThe British

A DVANTAGES AND D ISADVANTAGES Advantages Believed in the cause that they were fighting for Disadvantages Military not well trained Fewer soldiers No Navy Very little money Shortages (food, clothes, amo, etc.) Advantages Red Coats – will trained British soldiers who wore red uniforms Had more supplies and experience Disadvantages Hired German soldiers who had no loyalty to the cause Royal Navy declined after the French and Indian War AmericansBritish

American women were active in boycotts and protests Women disguised themselves as men in order to fight Women worked as couriers, scouts, and spies Women did laundry and were nurses They kept homes, shops, and farms running while men were fighting T HE R OLE OF W OMEN

African Americans fought on both sides The British Army and Northern Patriot Militias offered slaves freedom in return for service The Continental Army did not accept African Americans to fight at first The need for soldiers overcame that prejudice T HE R OLE OF A FRICAN A MERICANS

New England regiments have the most African American soldiers There are more free African Americans there Connecticut and Rhode Island had only all-black regiments African Americans generally got the same pay, clothing, and rations as whites They were only given small duties and low ranks T HE R OLE OF A FRICAN A MERICANS

Iroquois League helped the British Thought the British victory would slow American settlements French and Indian War had weakened the league Sometimes Loyalists and Native Americans fought together T HE R OLE OF N ATIVE A MERICANS

T HE B ATTLE OF B UNKER H ILL June 17, 1775 “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” 1,000 British soldiers and 400 American colonists were killed or wounded The British win The battle gives colonists confidence in their ability to fight against the British army because of their brave defense

General Howe is the British Commander in America Most of the battles in the first few years are centered in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania R EVOLUTIONARY B ATTLES IN THE N ORTH

General Howe tries to make peace He and his brother Admiral Richard Howe write to Washington Offers a pardon to the rebels if they give in and promise loyalty to the British Washington refuses the peace offer R EVOLUTIONARY B ATTLES IN THE N ORTH

In Europe, armies did not fight in the winter Howe’s men settle in parts of New Jersey, Princeton and Trenton The Hessians (Germans who fought for the British) guarded Trenton R EVOLUTIONARY B ATTLES IN THE N ORTH

B ATTLE OF T RENTON

The British are very short of supplies and men Burgoyne and his men are surrounded at Saratoga by American forces He tries to break though but can’t British end up surrendering A B RITISH S ETBACK AT S ARATOGA

***The Battle of Saratoga is considered the turning point in the war The victory at Saratoga convinces France to support the American cause A B RITISH S ETBACK AT S ARATOGA

Some European officers join the American cause Baron Frederich von Steuben of Prussian Army trains with Washington’s troops Marquis de Lafayette – 20 year old French noble also helps Washington’s troops H ELP A RRIVES FROM E UROPE

A LLIANCE WITH F RANCE France wants to see Britain lose part of its empire They have always been enemies They want their power in Europe to be restored Helped at first by sending gunpowder, artillery, and muskets Americans sent Benjamin Franklin to France He (with the help of the Battle of Saratoga) got France to sign two treaties One formally recognized America as a nation The other promised military help

H ELP FROM S PAIN Spain joins the war in 1779 as an ally of France Bernardo de Galvez was the Spanish governor of Louisiana After Spain declares war on Britain, Galvez attacks British forts On the Mississippi Along the Gulf Coast in West Florida

B RITAIN ’ S “S OUTHERN S TRATEGY ” Britain thought there were more Loyalists in the South Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving British win a number of small victories, but cannot keep the countryside The plan fails because Patriots are strong in Virginia, many Loyalists were scared to help, and the Patriots used guerilla warfare

V ICTORY AT Y ORKTOWN Washington sends Lafayette to Virginia to stop Benedict Arnold (who is a traitor to America) Lafayette forces the British troops that were in Virginia to the coast July 1781 – British take their troops to the Yorktown Peninsula

A S IEGE AT Y ORKTOWN Washington sees an opportunity to trap the British Creates a blockade to prevent British ships from rescuing their men Lafayette keeps Britain’s army from leaving by land by trapping him on the peninsula

A S IEGE AT Y ORKTOWN Britain has 7,000 troops The French and American army who come to fight him have 17,000 troops Battle of Yorktown lasts 3 weeks Britain surrenders at Yorktown on October 19, 1781 to end the fighting

B RITISH S URRENDER AT Y ORKTOWN

T HE T REATY OF P ARIS The treaty was signed on September 3, 1783 Britain formally recognizes the United States as a nation Declares the Mississippi River the boundary of the United States Britain agrees to leave its forts in the West Spain and France make peace with Britain Spain regained control of Florida

T HE T REATY OF P ARIS

R EVOLUTION C HANGES A MERICA Changes in America after the war… Politics become more democratic More men get the right to vote Some states said all male tax payers could vote Others said if you owned any kind of property (not just land) the man could vote

R EVOLUTION C HANGES A MERICA Changes in America after the war… The Revolution introduces more ideas of equality Declaration says “All men are created equal” They would not be ruled by a monarch or an upper class again

W OMEN ’ S R IGHTS Equality still did not include American women The words in the Declaration of Independence only applied to white males Women still could not sign contracts or own property A married woman’s property belonged to her husband

T HE S LAVERY Q UESTION Many African Americans fought in the revolution because they thought they had earned their freedom Many groups worried about the morality of slavery Philadelphia 1775 – Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Benjamin Rush form an anti-slavery organization Quakers and Mennonites opposed slavery 1780 – Pennsylvania passes a law to gradually abolish slavery

T HE S LAVERY Q UESTION The South was slower to change their opinions on slavery Forced Thomas Jefferson to remove the section about anti-slavery in the Declaration Some southern states passed laws to limit the slave trade

I MPACT ON R ELIGION New laws favored separation of church and state In Virginia, Thomas Jefferson writes a Statute for Religious freedom “No man shall be compelled to frequent [attend] or support, any religious worship, place, or ministry.”

A N EW N ATION Money problems The war cost a lot of money Congress borrowed money from foreign nations They had to pay this money back

A N EW N ATION Sovereignty Problems Colonies wanted to remain sovereign (govern themselves) They did not want to create a national government If they don’t have a central government it will be hard to deal with debt and other national issues

E SSENTIAL Q UESTIONS What determines the outcome of war? What are the economic effects of war? How does the perspective on war change with gender, race, or social status?