Sasso US I
After TJ’s work, the American colonies begin to refer to themselves as states Each province treats itself as a sovereign entity Most states will develop state constitutions by 1781, however a national constitution is hard to develop Most Americans aren’t entirely sure that they want a national government This is a pretty big issue, since waging a war requires some element of central direction
Organizing the war effort is a formidable task for the new state govts and the weak Continental Congress Have to figure out a way to finance the war Have to raise and equip an army Very difficult to accomplish these tasks Taxing seems to be a simple solution, but that’s not the case The Continental Congress doesn’t have the authority to tax State govts generally choose not to tax
Hard currency (gold/silver) is extremely scarce in America Congress will request money from each of the states, but will only receive a small % of what they ask for Congress will try to borrow funds by issuing bonds, but most people tend to invest their money in other ways As a last resort, Congress will issue paper money (Continentals) This isn’t the best choice in the world, but desperate times lead to desperate measures No value to the money, which leads to extreme inflation Many American farmers and businessmen would much rather do business with the British, because they would pay in hard currency
Raising the army is only slightly easier Big initial surge of patriots, but that will eventually tail off People will become reluctant to volunteer States will have to pay bounties or draft Militias will be very important, but they do present some difficulties
1/5-1/3 of the white population stayed loyal to England during the war Many cultural and ethnic minorities felt they would not be protected in a “new” America Some people just felt that England would surely win Loyalists will be mercilessly harassed; up to 100,000 citizens will flee Many choose to go to England, but that’s not always a great choice Canada becomes another popular destination
For many slaves the war meant freedom England will offer emancipation for slaves that serve in the British military When the fighting shifts to the Southern states, British armies will emancipate thousands This is probably the worst nightmare for Southern plantation owners Eventually the America military will provide similar terms of service
Yet again, there is a lot of uncertainty for the Native Americans Both the Americans and the British want them to stay neutral Some Natives will perceive the British as the lesser of two evils Some will launch attacks of their own on both sides Their position is considerably weakened Many internal divisions as well
Many women will begin to step to the forefront in their towns/villages/city Have to step up in place of the men who will be fighting Begin to take control of farms and businesses Some will attack British soldiers they were supposed to quarter in their homes Other women will directly contribute to the war effort Many will fill auxiliary roles at battle camps Others will find themselves in combat Many women will begin to question their position in society
However, little will change for women at this stage Single women had certain legal rights, but married women had none Coverature- policy in English common law, that was adopted in Colonial America Everything a married women may possess or earn would be transferred to her husband Married women have no property rights, so they would be unable to engage in legal transactions Can’t vote, can’t divorce, no legal authority over their children, etc. It will be awhile before all of this changes
England is a precarious position, but still is a far better position to win than the Americans It has a far superior military It has far more money It has a structured and stable government However- tactical errors doom the English Overconfidence, dependency on mercenaries, and ineffective leadership all prove to be detrimental to the British war effort