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Chapter 8 – America Secedes from the Empire still not ready for independence after Lexington and Concord – just keep fighting, maybe there would be a redress of grievances started raising $ and creating an army and navy Congress Drafts George Washington largest command was 1200 men, but people trusted him Bunker Hill and Hessians still loyal to king while raising an army and fighting with red coats May 1775 – Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold led a group to capture Ticonderoga and Crown Point in upstate NY o gained gunpowder and artillery June 1775 – seized Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) o 1500 colonists had the advantage over 3000 Britons o once gunpowder was out, abandoned the hill July 1775 – 2nd Continental Congress – Olive Branch Petition o American loyalty to the crown o beg king to prevent more violence August 1775 – George III proclaimed colonies in rebellion o started hiring German mercenaries (Hessians) – reputation for brutality Canada? Fall 1775 – colonists invaded Canada – thought French would want to join the fight o colonists looked offensive instead of defensive o Gen. Richard Montgomery captured Montreal met Benedict Arnold at Quebec – troops were in no shape (December) and were beaten o French-Canadians didn’t want to join the colonies – treated well by the Quebec Act of 1774 January 1776 – Brits set fire to Norfolk, VA February 1776 – colonists defeat loyalists at Moore’s Creek, NC March 1776 – evacuation of Boston June 1776 – colonists victorious at Charleston Harbor (SC) Common Sense colonial disunity and rebellion was dangerous – still not talking about independence Paine – colonists’ resistance to independence was opposed to common sense o Why should England (a small island) control the continent of America? o called for a republic – power from the people for all government officials democratic town meetings in New England, committees of correspondence sacrifice of self-interest to the common good o end hereditary hierarchy, but not social – fear that liberty would destroy social order Declaration of Independence June 7, 1776 – Lee made a motion that the colonies should be free in Congress o passed on July 2, 1776 o needed to get all colonies on board and get attention of possible sources of foreign aid Jefferson – explained the push for independence o all people have natural rights – beyond those granted by government role of government to protect such rights – if not, people are justified in revolution o listed grievances – taxation without consent, no trial by jury (admiralty courts), maintaining army in peacetime, cutting off trade, burning towns, hiring mercenaries, inciting the Indians o patriots were treasonous Patriots vs. Loyalists colonist vs. colonist British could only control where it had a massive military presence otherwise, militia would infiltrate and spread ideas Loyalists – older, wealthy, educated – why would they want to change?; kings officers; Anglican clergy and their congregations o NY, Charleston, NJ, and PA (Quakers – pacifists) o few in New England – used to self-government with town meetings Loyalists Leave imprisoned by patriots, some even hanged about 80,000 left while several hundred thousand mild loyalists stayed 50,000 helped the British in one way or another o spies, incited the Indians, kept patriots at home to protect families General Washington at Bay Boston evacuated, so British set up headquarters in NY o 500 ships, 35,000 men (vs. 18,000 troops for Washington) Battle of Long Island – summer/fall 1776 – colonists didn’t stand a chance because soldiers were untrained and panicked o escaped to Manhattan then retreated to the Delaware River o Gen. Howe did not pursue the colonial forces – could have won the war early did not want to deal with a winter campaign o Washington crossed Delaware River with troops on December 26, 1776 – captured 1,000 Hessians Burgoyne’s Invasion capture Hudson River Valley in 1777 – split New England from the rest of the colonies Burgoyne’s troops come down from Canada to meet Howe’s troops near Albany o Col. St. Leger’s troops would come from Mohawk Valley (Lake Ontario) Arnold had kept forces at Lake Champlain – British had to control it to keep supplies o took so much time to stop him that Brits had to stay in Canada for the winter Burgoyne’s progress was slow because of baggage and difficult to clear a path through forest o militia hitting them all along the way – guerilla warfare Howe attacked Philadelphia instead of going to NY – wanted to stop Washington’s army to clear the path o defeated colonists at Brandywine and Germantown, then settled in Philly o Washington went to Valley Forge for the winter – few supplies but were trained properly Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga in October, 1777 to Horatio Gates o turning point in the war foreign aid starts to come in because other countries realize the colonists might actually defeat Britain o Parliament offered the colonies home rule within the empire – too little, too late France wanted British to lose the colonies – valuable possession taking up the American cause – liberal ideas coincided with ideas of Rousseau secretly supplied firearms and gunpowder after Lexington and Concord o open aid could cause Britain to declare war on France – not ready for another fight didn’t want colonies to reunite with Britain after Saratoga – had to seize the moment 1778 – treaty of alliance World War Americans kept the war effort alive until 1778 – needed the rest of the world to step up in order to bring down the British empire o 1778-1783 France provided weapons, $, equipment, ½ of America’s armed forces, and nearly the entire navy British could not blockade anymore because they did not control the sea left Philly to regroup in NY June 1778 – Washington attacked withdrawing troops at Monmouth, NJ – indecisive o 1/3 of Hessians left the war Traitor and New Plans 1780 – Arnold did not think the colonial leadership was taking him as seriously as they should o plotted with British to sell out West Point – colonists figured it out in the just in time British decided to start in the South and work their way up through the colonies o more loyalists – bitter battles between patriots and loyalists in the Carolinas o 1781 – Gen. Nathanael Greene – delayed the battles with Gen. Cornwallis by standing to fight then retreating lost battles, but won the campaign – cleared most troops from GA and SC Land Frontier and Sea Frontier 1777 – bloody year on the frontier o Tuscaroras and Oneidas – Americans o Senecas, Mohawks, Cayugas, and Onondagas – British Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant – believed British would restrict expansion west if they won controlled Western PA and NY until 1779 navy – just a few ships – John Paul Jones o really just interrupted British merchant shipping, not the British navy privateers – 70,000 – captured about 600 British ships o men who could have been part of the war effort o brought in gold and raised morale with tales of victories Yorktown 1780-1781 – worst years o inflation with the government bankrupt – repay debts at 2.5 cents/dollar Cornwallis waited at Yorktown on the Chesapeake Bay for supplies and reinforcements o Washington marched from NY (300+ miles) to attack with Rochambeau’s French troops o Admiral de Grasse blockaded the sea after defeating the British navy o troops were ½ American and ½ French (virtually all sea power was French) o PM North saw this as the end, George III planned to continue the war fighting continued for more than one year after Yorktown Peace at Paris March 1782 – Lord North’s Tory government fell, Whigs took over – much more sympathetic to patriot cause Americans – Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams – instructed by Congress not to make a separate peace, should consult with French on everything o French and Spanish had interests in the continent – did not want a strong, independent America Jay made a separate peace with London to prevent the French and Spanish from taking all land west of Alleghenies o British formally recognize independence of US with boundaries at the MS River, Great Lakes, and Florida o America had to stop persecuting loyalists and recommend to states to give back confiscated loyalist land