1. Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY
The
American
Revolution:
Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

2. On the Eve of the Revolution ?
Britain
Americans
Advantages ?
Disadvantages
British advantages:
Trained military,
wealth,
ships and army
Officers that were the best in the world
British Disadvantage:
Across the Atlantic Ocean,
Had to defend against the French in world colonial positions
American advantages:
On our own turf/soil
Knew the land
Fighting for a cause
American Disadvantage:
No way to collect money thru the central government
Few trained military personnel
No world support (allies, until France)

3. Loyalist
Strongholds
Look at the map to see where Loyalist (pro-British) sentiments were strongest

4. Washington’s Headaches
Only 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.
Second Continental Congress appointed George Washington as their commander of the military. His responsibility was to win the war. We went from Philadelphia (place of new govt) to Boston. Stayed at Cambridge (current day Harvard) too late to do anything for the Boston area.

5. Exports & Imports:
Imports – Colonists inflict their own pain with the NonImportation Act before the war.
Exports – After the Intolerable (Coercive Acts) and the beginning of the war, the colonists had trouble making money as they could not export items. This much more greatly impacted the New England as the cities needed money from their trades.

6. Military Strategies The Americans The British
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.
Break 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.
Read from the chart

7. Phase I: The Northern Campaign [1775-1776]
The American Revolution is divided into 3 phases of the war.
Prior to the war is Lexington and Concord
Phase I: The Northern Campaign
Battle to remember from state standards is Bunker (Breed’s) Hill

8. The British suffered over 40% casualties.
Bunker Hill (June, 1775)
Story of Bunker Hill:
Read from the slide; Will get the whole story from the notes.
The British suffered over 40% casualties.

9. Phase II:
NY & PA [ ]
Use notes from three phases of American Revolution

10. New York City in Flames (1776)
New York was not the New York we know today. It was mostly rural with farms and located at the end of southern Manhattan. It was still a major port

11. Washington Crossing the Delaware Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Battle of Trenton – on Christmas eve, the patriots crossed the Delaware to surprise the British and win the battle.
Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

12. A modern-day re-enactment
Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War?
Battle of Saratoga is the turning point of the war. French give support with troops, money, and supplies to help the colonists win the war. Without their help, the Americans would not have won.
A modern-day re-enactment

13. Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]
South was more pro – Britain than other sections of America.
Guerilla warfare was great advantage to the Southern campaigns.
Good generals out-foxed the British.
British alienated the locals by their treatment, as they tried to access information of their positions.
British interest in the colonies waned; as they did not get the support from British navy from the Caribbean as they expected. This forced Cornwallis to surrender.

14. Britain’s “Southern Strategy”
Britain thought that there were more Loyalists in the South.
Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving.
The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!]
Good US General: Nathanial Greene

15. The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Count de Rochambeau
Details of the battle.
See notes
Admiral De Grasse

16. Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Cornwallis did not surrender to Washington. His officer did.
The viewpoint of they were colonists still persisted.
Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

17. Why did the British Lose??? Over-stretched empire
British military mistakes
Over-estimated the loyalty of the “King’s friends” (not as many as predicted)
Infighting between the army and the navy parts of the British forces

18. North America After the Treaty of Paris, 1783
Details:
Acknowledging the United States to be free, sovereign and independent states, and that the British Crown and all heirs and successors relinquish claims to the Government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof;
Establishing the boundaries between the United States and British North America;
Granting fishing rights to United States fishermen in the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence;
Recognizing the lawful contracted debts to be paid to creditors on either side;
The Congress of the Confederation will "earnestly recommend" to state legislatures to recognize the rightful owners of all confiscated lands "provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties, which have been confiscated belonging to real British subjects [Loyalists]";
United States will prevent future confiscations of the property of Loyalists;
Prisoners of war on both sides are to be released and all property left by the British army in the United States unmolested (including slaves);
Great Britain and the United States were each to be given perpetual access to the Mississippi River;
Territories captured by Americans subsequent to treaty will be returned without compensation;
Ratification of the treaty was to occur within six months from the signing by the contracting parties.
Spain received East and West Florida under the separate Anglo-Spanish peace agreement

19. Articles of
Confederation
Government:

20. Wholesale Price Index: 1770-1789

21. Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist Strongholds at the End of the War

22. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
A unicameral Congress [9 of 13 votes to pass a law].
13 out of 13 to amend.
Representatives were frequently absent.
Could not tax or raise armies.
No executive or judicial branches.

23. State Constitutions Republicanism.
Most had strong governors with veto power.
Most had bicameral legislatures.
Property required for voting.
Some had universal white male suffrage.
Most had bills of rights.
Many had a continuation of state-established religions while others disestablished religion.

24. Occupational Composition of Several State Assemblies in the 1780s

25. Indian Land Cessions: 1768-1799

26. Disputed Territorial Claims Between Spain & the U. S.: 1783-1796

27. State Claims to Western Lands

28. Land Ordinance of 1785

29. Northwest Ordinance of 1787
One of the major accomplishments of the Confederation Congress!
Statehood achieved in three stages:
Congress appointed 3 judges & a governor to govern the territory.
When population reached 5,000 adult male landowners  elect territorial legislature.
When population reached 60,000  elect delegates to a state constitutional convention.

30. The United States in 1787

31. American Exports, To & From Britain: 1783-1789

32. Annapolis Convention (1786)
12 representatives from 5 states [NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA]
GOAL  address barriers that limited trade and commerce between the states.
Not enough states were represented to make any real progress.
Sent a report to the Congress to call a meeting of all the states to meet in Philadelphia to examine areas broader than just trade and commerce.

33. Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-7 Daniel Shays Western MA
Small farmers angered by crushing debts and taxes.

34. Shays’ Rebellion:

35. Shays’ Rebellion:
There could be no stronger evidence of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders.
-- George Washington