Download THE CAMPAIGN OF 1776

THECAMPAIGNOF1776
FIGHTINGTHEAMERICANREVOLUTION
DEFENDINGNEWYORKCITY
•
ApriorityaftertheSecondContinentalCongressratifiedtheDeclarationof
Independence.
•
BattleofLongIsland(BrooklynHeights)
•
ABritishrout…4:1casualties
•
Americasdecisiontodeclare
Independencewasscrutinized!
•
Asignofthingstocomeinthe
Campaignof1776
GENERALHOWEFAILSTOCAPITALIZE
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WhileWashingtonhopedtobuildaformidablearmy,BritishGeneralWilliam
HowerepeatedlyfailedtopursueWashingtonandhismen,allowingthemto
escapeandbuildreinforcements.
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Thisisoneofthemoresignificantelementsofthecolonistsvictory.
•
BritishclaimfortatWhitePlainsandcapture2,800men.
WASHINGTONENDURESINCREDIBLE
LOSSES
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Atonepointhelost18straightconflicts…hewasforcedtoabandonNewYork
toNewJersey.
•
InNewJerseyloyalistswerebusysigningloyaltyoathstoavoidpunishment
bytheBritish—theyexpectedthecoloniststolose.
•
Washingtonwasindesperateneedofawin!
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Natureofcolonialenlistments?
GENERALCHARLESLEE?
•
ManyinCongressbegantoquestionWashingtonafterthelossesofseveral
keyforts.TheyignoredthefinancialrestraintsWashingtondealtwithand
focusedonBritishdefectorCharlesLee.
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Traitorandcourt‐martial
CONGRESSFLEESPHILADELPHIA!
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ThemeetingsatCarpenter’sHallwere
nolongersafe.
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The2nd ContinentalCongressmovedaround
quiteabit!Baltimore,York(PA),Lancaster(PA)
AVICTORY…NOTAMOMENTTOOSOON
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12/24/1776
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TheBattlesofTrentonandPrinceton
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Causeofvictory?
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Restorationofmorale
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Madepeopleforgetfall
ofFortsWashingtonandLee
RECRUITINGSOLDIERS
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The$20bountywasnotenoughtorecruitmen.
•
Themoneywasworthlessandtheamountinsufficient.
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Thearmyhadtobeexpanded
•
Offeringthenewrecruitsa100acreoflandgiftiftheywere
successful…turnedthetide
WEAPONWOES
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UnliketheBritishwhoseweaponsweremorestandardized,theContinental
Armyhadawidevarietyofweaponstheycalledupon.Someregimentsused
asmanyas7differenttypesofammunition.
•
Pennsylvaniariflesbecametheweaponofchoice,buttheyweredifficultto
getinlargenumbers.ThisriflewasfarmoreaccuratethaneventheBritish
arms.
ANATIONALEFFORT
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Gunpowdermillspoppeduponalmosteveryriverbank,asthecolonists
churnedout200,000lbs ofpowderduringthewar.
•
Thiswasstillnotenough,theyrequiredassistancefromforeigncountries
likeFrance.
1777:BRITISHSTRATEGY
•
TheBritishplannedamajorcampaign
for1777.Theplanwastoisolateradical
NewEnglandfromtherestofthe
colonies.
•
Britishforcesbegantoexperience
challengessuchassupplyingtheirforces
withoutcolonialassistance.
•
ShipmentsfromEnglandwere
inconsistentandinmanycases
insufficient.
•
GeneralHowebecame“cautious”.
COLONIALCOMEBACK
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DespiteearlychallengesinsecuringPhiladelphiaandtheContinental
CongresstheColonistsenjoyedastrong1777.
•
AsthewarmovedinlandawayfromthepowerfulBritishnavytheBritish
struggled.
•
Partofthatcouldbeattributedto“Gentleman”JohnnyBurgoyne,a
flamboyant…needyBritishGeneral
•
Scorchedearthpolicy
ATURNINGPOINT:JANEMCREA
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LoyalistsentimentwascrucialtotheBritish
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ThatsentimentwascompromisedbytheMcRea incident.
VICTORYATSARATOGA
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Thecolonistshadyettoexperiencetoamajor,knockoutvictory…that
changedinNewYork.
•
TheBattleofSaratogawasthatvictory.Thecolonistsroutedthe
outnumberedBritish.5,700men,includingBurgoynesurrenderedafterthat
defeat.
•
AlliancewithFrance.Thisvictoryledtoacrucialturningpointinthewar—
thealliancewithFrance.
•
Francewouldaddneededweaponsandcapital
•
FrancesignsatreatyrecognizingAmericanindependence,agreeingto
supporttheAmericansagainsttheir“commonenemy”.
THEKEY:FRANCO‐AMERICANALLIANCE
•
NolongercouldtheBritishfocusalloftheirattentiononthecolonists.They
hadtoworryabouttheFrenchabroad.
•
TheBritishresponsetothisandthevictoryatSaratoga…
•
Aprilof1778
• Britishsendanoffertothe2nd ContinentalCongressforreconciliation
• Repealteaactandcoerciveacts
• Consultcolonistsontaxation
• Suspendalllawsmadesince1763
• The2nd CCrefused.
THESOUTHERNSTRATEGY
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Britishforcesexpectedsupportfromthelargepercentageofloyalistsinthe
south.
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Manipulatedtheissueofslavery…anoddstance
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Hopedtoencourageslavestojointhecausewhilepreservingloyalsupport.
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Thecontinentalcongressstanceonslaverywassignificantinthisregard.
CAUSE…
VALLEYFORGE
• Duringthewinterafter
Saratoga(1777‐78),spirits
ranhigh,butfinancesand
suppliesranperilouslylow.
Washington'sarmyatValley
Forgewitnessedsomeofthe
worstprivationsoftheentire
warduetocorruptsuppliers
andgreedyfarmers,who
preferredtosellgraintothe
British—whocouldpayin
hardcurrency—ratherthan
totheirownarmy.
FOREIGNERSLENDAHAND
•
FriedrichvonSteuben
•
MarquisdeLafayette
THEPLIGHTOFLOYALISTS
• WhoIsaTraitor?
InJune1775,theFirstContinentalCongress
passedaresolutiondeclaringloyaliststobe
traitors.
• Overthecourseofthewar,houndedbypatriots
intheircommunitiesandharassedbylegislative
andjudicialactions,manyloyalistsfoundtheir
positionintolerable.Thousandsofloyalists
eventuallyfledthecountry,seekingsanctuaryin
EnglandorCanada.
PAYINGFORTHEWAR?
• Oneofthenation'sbiggestproblemswasfindingways
tofinancethewar.
• TheContinentalCongressprintedmoney,butitsvalue
fellrapidly.
• Onewaytopayforthewarwasthroughborrowing
hardmoneyfromwealthymen,whoweregiven
certificatesofdebtinreturn.
• Congressalsoresortedtopayingsoldierswith
promisesofland.
• Invain,thecongresstriedtostemtheinflationary
spiralbyinstitutingpricecontrols.
YORKTOWN
WINNERSANDLOSERS
• AlthoughthesurrenderatYorktownmarkedthe
officialendofthewar,itwouldbetwomore
yearsbeforeapeacetreatywassigned.Ittook
timeforbothsidestoacknowledgethattheend
finallyhadarrived,andneitherwantedto
withdrawfromthefielduntiltheothersidehad
aswell.
RESULTS
AmericanGains
•
TheAmericandiplomatsBenjamin
Franklin,JohnAdams,andJohnJay,
whonegotiatedthepeacetreaty,
securedfavorableterms:official
recognitionofAmerican
independenceandoftheUnited
Statesandtransferofallterritory
eastoftheMississippiRiver,
betweenCanadaandFlorida,tothe
newnation.
Losers
•
NativeAmericansandtheireffort
goesunrecognized.Theirlandsare
nowupforsiegebythecolonists.
•
Britainlosttheircolonialholdingsin
NorthAmerica(notCanada)
• Withthetreatyfinallysigned,the
BritishbegantheirevacuationofNew
York—inNewYorkCity,morethan
27,000soldiersand30,000loyalists
sailedonhundredsofshipsfor
Englandinlatefall1783.
WHYENGLANDLOST?
• ManyfactorscontributedtotheBritishdefeat.Itwas
hardfortheBritishtosupplytheirarmy,especially
sincetheydidnotwanttoravagethecountryside.
• Atthesametime,theBritishfailedtobackthe
loyalistsandusetheirenergieseffectively.
• TheFrenchallianceandmilitarysupportthroughout
werecrucialtotheAmericanvictory.Finally,after
abdicatingcivilpowerinthecoloniesin1775and
1776,theBritishwereneverabletoregainit.
POST-WAR MILITARY HISTORY
•
What to do with the standing army?
Why was this such a great conflict?
•
Articles of Confederation
•
Washington’s stance and retirement
•
Is the military responsive to the new
Confederation Congress?
THE NEWBURGH CONSPIRACY
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Anger was simmering amongst former continentals…would they be rewarded by the
Congress?
•
Possible coup?
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Birth of civilian control of the American Military
MILITARY UNDER THE ARTICLES
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Most states preferred state run militias
•
Alexander Hamilton was given the task of forming a committee to explore the idea of a
national standing army.
•
States balked at the idea
•
Why would an army be needed was one argument?
• Defending the Western Frontier from Native Americans seemed to be the biggest issue
• Some feared a British response to Revolution
HAMILTON’S FINAL REPORT
•
•
•
An army was needed:
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25,000 men to defend Great Lakes and West
•
New England from Canadian attack
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Georgia and Carolinas from Native Americans
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A military academy to train officers
The problems?
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Fears of tyranny
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Funding the army
The outcome?
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Confederation refused it ran contrary to their vision
•
Most of these ideas would factor into the Constitution
•
Created a militia called the 1st American Regiment…
Birth of a Republic
 "our property is torn from us“
 Daniel Shays emerges as a spokesperson for suffering farmers and revolutionary war veterans.
 Persons were jailed for debt.
 Later outlawed—recently re‐enacted in Georgia.
 “value less currency”
 “Their breath steaming in the frigid air, over 1,200 local militia under the command of Major General William Shepard waited tensely for the attack on the United States Arsenal they had been told to expect at any time. Men who days earlier had handled manure forks, gripped muskets; others stood ready alongside two cannons hauled into position from the Arsenal's artillery park.”
 Cold and poorly equipped, the Regulators eagerly anticipated taking advantage not only of the Arsenal's stores but also the shelter it offered from the bitter cold. Many men carried only stout sticks or cudgels. The cannons and muskets stored at the Arsenal would solve this problem.
 MAP
 Punishment and Appeasement
 The bloodshed and death at Springfield horrified the people of Massachusetts and shocked observers abroad. An uneasy peace followed as thousands of men surrendered their weapons and took an oath of loyalty to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that would keep them out of prison and off the gallows.
 The Philadelphia Convention
 The violence and unrest in Massachusetts loomed large in the minds of the delegates crafting a new United States constitution at Philadelphia in the spring and summer of 1787. Could they create a free government of the people powerful enough to keep the United States from collapsing into anarchy?
 May, 1787, men representing every state except Rhode Island began arriving in Philadelphia to attend a "grand convention.“
 The 55 delegates included many of the most prominent men in the United States. For the next three and one‐half months, they endured oppressive heat in closed‐door (and window) sessions at the Pennsylvania State House, the same building in which the Continental Congress had voted for American independence almost 11 years earlier.
THE AMERICAN MILITARY AND THE
CONSTITUTION
•
As the delegates met, the purpose was to create or modify their current government to account
for the security of the nation.
•
They decided the Articles were not capable of being modified.
•
Military Elements of the Constitution
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Article I: Congress can establish an army and navy and pay for both with taxes
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Article II: The President was the commander in chief of the new army
• Consent for the highest officers were to come from the Congress
• States maintained the right to maintain their own militias—a check on the power of
the standing army
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Bill of Rights:
• 2nd Amendment: preserved rights of militia by guranteeing the right of citizens to bear
arms.
• 3rd Amendment: citizens don’t have to quarter troops