Chapter4,Sec.3 The Revolutionary War is on!

The Declaration of Independence  Signed at the war’s start, not at the end  The main idea is to justify a revolution that has already begun  The people that will gain the most from this will be upper class white businessmen and land owners

Key points of the Declaration  The King is called a tyrant-pretty much describes all monarchies  Our personal rights/freedoms have been denied  Taxation with out representation  You restrict our ability to meet  Military presence in the colonies

Key points-cont.  England cut off their trade(Intolerable Acts)  We were at peace-King’s fault!  It appeals to the “ common people” in England-We are reluctant to break our bonds with you  Jefferson “regrets” taking out slavery part of Declaration-but it had to be removed to get a unanimous vote

Abigail Adams  All men would be tyrants if allowed  Do not be like your ancestors  You dominate your wives,own slaves  You better watch out!  All men are created equal- as long as you are not black,an Indian,or a woman

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!!!! The heavyweight world power vs. the undermanned,ill-equipped challenger

The World Power-England  Pop. 10,000,000  World Empire  Organized,well equipped army  Control ports  Huge navy  Weak,pompous leaders  Far from home

The Challenger-America  Pop.2,500,000  Militia-type army  Determined,but badly disorganized  Not a lot of resources  Great,inspired leaders  Possible allies in France/Spain-why?

The War in the Middle States  Summer-1776-Britain decides to seize N.Y.C.  Cut N.E. off from rest of the colonies Gen. Wm. Howe, Adm.R. Howe,32,000 troops sail into N.Y. harbor  Army will include mercenaries(paid to fight)  Hessians(from Hesse,Germany)

Middle states,cont. Washington and his 23,000 untrained,ill- equipped troops are soundly defeated Washington’s army(what’s left of it) are pushed across the Delaware River Only 8,000 men are left

Battle of Trenton  Dec.25,1776  Washington leads 2,400 men across nearly frozen Delaware R. in small boats  They march 9 miles to Trenton,N.J.,surprise the hung-over Hessians,capture 900men,6 cannons  8 days later subdue 1200 British in Princeton,N.J.  Make camp in no. N.J. encouraged,confident

Fight for Philadelphia 1777  Gen. Howe(ENG)  Wants Phil.,American capital  He succeeds,settles in,Loyalists welcome him

Saratoga  Gen. Burgoyne(ENG) wants to attack from the north,from Quebec  Plans to meet up with Gen. Howe in Albany,N.Y.-goal is to isolate N.E.  His 4,000 men,3,000 mercenaries,1,000 Mohawks,will get bogged down in swamps, underbrush

Saratoga,cont.  He will be attacked by Gen.Gates(AMR) and the continental army  They keep attacking, British are losing hundreds in every battle  AND….His pal, Gen. Howe is in Phil. And not coming to help him  1777-Amer. Army surrounds Burgoyne at Saratoga and he will surrender  From this point on,British will keep troops close to the coast,near supplies,guns

Remember that French/Indian War?  Nov.1778  French secretly supplying the patriots  The victory at Saratoga makes France believers!  They support the revolution,sign a treaty of co-op  They will not be at peace w/France until Britain recognize Am. independence

Valley Forge, Pa.  This is the low point for continental army  French aid slow to arrive-why?  Cont. army-cold,hungry,frostbite,much suffering  British troops,in Phil., warm,well fed  10,000 amer. Troops,2,000 will die

George Washington  6’2”  Great horseman  Would face fire alongside his men  Endure cold,hardship-just like his men did  Great tactician-sm.army could defeat larger force  He will be idolized at war’s end

Financing the War  Like all wars,citizens will suffer also  Gov’t. runs out of gold,silver  Print paper money,more and more  Value of paper $ goes down, prices go up- this is what we call inflation  Britain blockades the coast

Finances,cont.  Americans have few factories that can make guns,ammo  Need to smuggle arms from Europe  PROFITEERING-The act of selling scarce goods for profit  Merchants will hoard goods,sell bad products

1781  Robert Morris  Appointed Superintendent of finance  Haym Salomon-his friend  Both rich,they raise $ to pay soldiers in gold

Women Fighters  Everyday life left to women(who of course are not “equal”) they manage farms. business, etc.  Follow their men to battles-cook.sew,etc.  Make ammo from metal in their houses  Some risk their lives on battlefield

Africans,slaves,natives  Some slaves will escape,pass as free in cities  Some will fight for patriots  Some will join natives  Most natives will stay out of the way