Full Unit 4 Study Guide

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Battles: (Attacking force) v. (Defending force); (Victor)

First Shots

• Thomas Gage (British) v. Minutemen (American); British Victory

• Following the First Continental Congress, the colonies had begun stockpiling arms

• Alarmed, the British General Thomas Gage dispatched ~700 British soldiers from Boston to capture a colonial arms depot at Concord

• Paul Revere and other riders warned the countryside of the British advance, alerting colonial minutemen to the impending British 

• Minutemen: Colonial militia ready to “stand at a minute’s notice” 

• The British were met by minutemen at the town of Lexington, between Boston and Concord

• First shots of the war are fired (the “shot heard ‘round the world”)

• The minutemen were not as well-trained as the professional British troops, and scattered and ran 

• British advance on Concord

• Concord (Apr 19, 1775)

• Thomas Gage (British) v. Minutemen (American); American Victory

• When the British arrived at Concord, they burned buildings suspected of housing the colonial arms stockpile

• This alarmed many colonists and drew attention from colonists in the surrounding area 

• Turned many colonists against the British, out of fear that their houses and property were at risk as well

• The British skirmished with minutemen a second time, and decided to retreat back to Boston 

• The British faced heavy resistance on their way back to Boston, being ambushed by colonists the entire way back

• Set a precedent that the British remained safe in cities, but faced danger when venturing into the countryside

• Colonists surround Boston

 

• Patriots and Loyalists

• John Adams estimated that in 1776, the American population was split into thirds over the issue of independence

• Patriots (⅓)

• Wanted independence from Britain

• Consisted mainly of urban merchants, southern planters, and middle-class artisans (more upscale people)

• Were more knowledgeable in Enlightenment ideas

• Would benefit from independence from Britain

• Loyalists (⅓)

• Wanted to remain part of the British Empire

• Feared anarchy, were suspicious of upper-class patriots, and distrusted the Patriots’ use of violence and intimidation 

• Had economic, familial, or social connection to Britain 

• “Which is better— to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away, or by three thousand tyrants one mile away?” - Mather Byles  (change is scary)

• Apathetic (⅓)

• Didn’t really care either way 

• Known as “fence sitters”

• Violence occurred between the groups, especially in the southern colonies— shows how the war was not just a revolution, but also a civil war between the colonists

Second Continental Congress 

• Following the First Continental Congress, delegates met again in Philadelphia in May of 1775, this time with all 13 colonies

• George Washington is named Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, being chosen over others with more experience 

• The choice was symbolic since Washington was a Virginian, showing the unity among the colonies, and that this wasn’t just Massachusetts going to war

• Washington also looks the part— he kept showing up to meetings in full military uniform 

• Olive Branch Petition (July 1775)

• Expressed loyalty to the King, but asked for the removal of oppressive legislation

• Was supported by the majority of delegates (moderates), led by John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, and sought reconciliation with Britain

• Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms

• Justified the colonies taking up arms against Britain 

• Was supported by radicals such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts and Patrick Henry of Virginia, who pushed for unity and independence

• Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition (August 1775)

• Was written by King George III in response to the Battle of Bunker Hill

• Rejected the Olive Branch Petition

• Proclaimed that the colonies were in open rebellion, and called for the support of all British colonies to put down the rebellion and to root out any potential for further revolt

Early Battles

• Quebec (Dec 31, 1775)

• Benedict Arnold (American) v. British; British Victory

• The Americans attempted to invade Canada to prevent its potential as a staging ground for British attacks on the US

• Attack failed, and the Americans were driven back with heavy casualties

• Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation (Nov 1775)

• In November of 1775, Britain promised freedom to slaves and indentured servants that joined the Loyalist cause

• 1,000 slaves that fled their Patriot owners served in the Ethiopian Regiment

• Was indicative on Britain’s unwillingness to fully commit to fighting in the war, as they were still heavily in debt and did not want to fund raising another large army 

• Pushed slave-owning southerners towards the revolution

• Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775)

• William Howe (British) v. William Prescott (American); Pyrrhic British Victory

• Following Lexington and Concord, the colonists had surrounded Boston and fortified the high ground on Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula, north of Boston, threatening British ships in Boston Harbor

• British General William Howe is tasked with removing them, and decides on a frontal, uphill assault on Breed’s Hill

• The colonial commander, William Prescott, running low on supplies and ammunition, gives the famous order, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”

• The British suffered heavy casualties and sent repeated waves up the hill, but ultimately caused the colonists to retreat when they had run out of supplies

• The British strategy reveals the British attitude that the rebels causing the rebellion were simply a very vocal minority

• The British hoped that a single overwhelming victory would scare the colonists and bring an end to the war

• The British were unwilling to commit to a full-blown war, since it would be intolerably expensive

• Fort Ticonderoga (May 10, 1775)

• Ethan Allen & Green Mountain Boys (American) v. British; American Victory

• The cannons from Fort Ticonderoga would be taken and moved to Boston on sleds through the snow by Boston bookseller Henry Knox

• British Evacuation of Boston (Mar, 1776)

• George Washington (American) v. William Howe (British); American Victory

• The recently appointed Washington had joined the colonial army surrounding Boston

• Washington orders the cannons brought from Fort Ticonderoga by Henry Knox to be set up on Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston with the ability to fire on British troops in the city

• Howe, realizing that he was vulnerable and had been caught with his pants down, evacuates the city and retreats to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

• Written in January of 1776

• By the end of 1775, many colonists remained divided on the issue of independence, but British immigrant Thomas Paine tips public opinion towards the revolution 

• Paine was a true believer in Enlightenment ideals and revolution, and would later also be involved in the French Revolution 

• Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, called for independence and a republican form of government

• Attacked monarchy, the idea of hereditary succession, and argued that the colonies could sustain themselves without Britain

• Severed the perceived cultural ties between the Colonies and Britain

• Was incredibly popular and widely read, becoming the second best selling book in the colonies at the time, only surpassed by the Bible 

Declaration of Independence

• Background

• June 1776 - Richard Henry Lee (grandfather of Robert E. Lee) of Virginia states in a resolution “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to, free and independent states”

• Congress chooses Thomas Jefferson of Virginia to write the Declaration of Independence, since he was known to be a good writer (and also the fact that he was from Virginia, further showing unity among the colonies)

• Audience:

• Future Americans

• The British— formally declared independence and listed the grievances the colonists had with Britain  (“this is what you’ve done wrong”)

• The colonists, especially those who are currently fence sitters 

• European powers such as the French and Dutch; looking for possible support, alliances, or recognition

• Structure

• If you want to read it in its entirety: Declaration of Independence

• Was divided into 5 sections:

• Preamble:  An overview telling Britain that they were breaking away from them (and why)

• Theoretical Core:  Explaining the basis as to why the colonies were separating and why their reasons for separation were valid (heavily influenced by and used Enlightenment ideas)

• Wrongs of the King:  Lists the grievances that colonists have with the King, showing that they no longer believe that the King will “save” them; inditing the King for his pattern of abuses of rights

• Featured such hits as:

• No Taxation Without Representation  (“For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:”)

• Navigation Acts (“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:”)

• Revenue Act of 1767 (“He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.”)

• Quebec Act (“For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:”)

• Administration of Justice Act (“For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:”)

• Quartering Act (“He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.”)

• Massachusetts Government Act (“For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:”)

• And more!

• Wrongs of Parliament and the British People: Further explains the colonists’ frustrations with the lack of response & action taken by the British government (and people)

• Colonists also have been trying to get the attention of British citizens, but to no avail

• Warned them of unwarrantable & unfair legislation & jurisdiction

• Reminded them of circumstances that caused migration to colonies

• Appealed to justice & magistracy

• Explained why they needed to rekindle and mend holes in their relationship (they’re all English)

• Therefore, the colonists need to separate and view the British as the rest of mankind (enemies in war, friends in peace)

• Declaring Independence:  Formally declares that the US is an independent and sovereign state with the power to do things that other independent nations can do; shows Britain that the colonists are serious about separating & trying to gain global recognition as an independent nation 

• The US would now have the power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do other things independent nations do

• The signers of the document pledge to each other their lives, fortune, and honor (“We Must All Hang Together, or Most Assuredly, We Will All Hang Separately” - Ben Franklin)

• Jefferson had originally included a passage blaming the King for slavery, which was later dropped 

• Jefferson knew that it would be immensely hypocritical to include it (since he was a slave owner himself)

• The southern colonies would likely have walked out on the revolution if the issue of slavery was raised and questioned 

• Ideas

• Enlightenment ideals

• People have natural rights, the purpose of government is to protect those rights (Locke)

• If the government fails to protect those rights, the people have a right to revolution in order to replace that government with one that will protect their rights (Locke)

• Popular sovereignty: good governments get their authority from the consent of the governed (Rousseau) 

• Impact on History

• Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945) 

• Includes quotes from the American Declaration of Independence

• Is also structured in a similar way to our Declaration of Independence, trying to appeal to the US for support 

• Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789 - French Revolution

• “The most beautiful middle finger ever given” - John Brus

The Empire Strikes Back

• Battle of Long Island (Aug 1776)

• William Howe (British) v. George Washington (American); British Victory

• Over July and August, 32,000 British troops under William Howe leave Halifax in a massive fleet and land on Staten Island in an attempt to capture NY

• British army features Hessian mercenaries (from Prussia, hired by the King)

• Washington’s Continental Army of 10,000 attempt to protect the city by setting up defenses in Brooklyn on Long Island

• The American troops expect another frontal assault in the style of Bunker Hill but are instead flanked & outmaneuvered by the British

• Easternmost route of Jamaica Pass remained undefended, and was exploited by General Clinton, relying on loyalist farmers

• Was a disaster for Washington

• Luckily, Howe halts the British attack at nightfall, showing the arrogant British attitude (and their tradition of Napoleonic warfare), and their underestimation of the colonists

• Washington is almost captured, but miraculously manages to escape under cover of darkness and fog to Manhattan

• Water is a huge barrier in the 18th century, and was extremely difficult to cross (you either swam or went on boats)

• Americans were lucky because the British navy was being held back by the wind, and were unable to go upriver to bombard American positions

• Washington then retreats across New Jersey to Pennsylvania in order to protect Congress at Philadelphia

• The British capture New York City and make it their base of operations

• Significance: Washington learns that he needs to

• 1. Know where the enemy is
• 2. Know the landscape
• 3. Defend everything
• 4. Stop fighting Napoleonic style

Hessians

• Hired German mercenaries

• ~5000 Hessians were present at the Battle of Long Island

• Would also be sent to Trenton, New Jersey during the winter of 1776-1777 to keep an eye on Washington (who had retreated to Pennsylvania for the winter)

• Showed that the British needed more manpower to fight the war, yet also wanted to cheaply defeat the colonies

• Britain’s eventual goal was to regain control over the colonies and bring them back into the Empire; there was an incentive to wage a limited war and prevent collateral damage 

• Did not want to antagonize the colonists too much; this fails, as the colonists feel betrayed at the British use of foreign mercenaries against what they viewed to be Britain’s own subjects

• Very skilled (remember Prussia? yeah… they’re very good at fighting wars) & merciless

• Most American soldiers immediately surrendered & pleaded for mercy

• Retreat to Pennsylvania

• After the Battle of Long Island, Washington and his remaining army retreat to Pennsylvania to defend Congress, which was at Philadelphia 

• The British redeploy their forces in New Jersey 

• Hessians are sent to Trenton to keep an eye on Washington, who is right across the Delaware River

• A string of British outposts are set up between New York and Trenton, including at New Brunswick and Perth Amboy

• Washington’s army was facing a crisis

• Morale was at an all-time low— the colonists were just crushed at Long Island (dispelling the idea that they could easily match the British)

• Many of the troops’ enlistments in the Continental Army were due to expire at the end of the year— with such low morale, it was feared that many soldiers would choose to return home rather than re-enlist

• Thomas Paine writes The Crisis

• The Crisis

• Written by Thomas Paine in December of 1776 

• Chastises those who are thinking about leaving (Summer Soldier and the Sunshine Patriot) and motivates them by reaffirming the common enemy and that it would be a great triumph if they beat the British in this state

• Important because it convinces enough soldiers to re-enlist but Washington desperately needs a victory to boost morale

Ten Crucial Days

• Battle of Trenton (Dec 26, 1776)

• George Washington (American) v. Hessians (British); American Victory

• The Crisis convinces enough soldiers to re-enlist but Washington desperately needs a victory to boost morale

• He decides to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night in a snowstorm and attack the Hessians at Trenton at dawn

• Was a risky and daring move, since rivers were dangerous in that you can’t retreat across them as easily

• Washington takes the Hessians by complete surprise and within 90 minutes, 900 Hessians are captured

• Begins the “Ten Crucial Days” from December 25, 1776 to January 3, 1777 and a remarkable reversal of fortune for Washington and the Continental Army

• Second Battle of Trenton (Jan 2, 1777)

• Charles Cornwallis (British) v. George Washington (American); American Victory

• Following the American capture of Trenton, Charles Cornwallis moves his men from New Brunswick toward Trenton and attacks Washington on January 2nd

• Washington manages to repulse the attack, which only stops due to darkness

• Cornwallis arrogantly plans to resume the next day and “bag the old fox in the morning”; in a similar blunder to Howe at Long Island

• Battle of Princeton (Jan 3, 1777)

• George Washington (American) v. Small British Force; American Victory

• Washington stealthily retreats out of Trenton, maneuvers around Cornwallis and attacks British troops stationed in Princeton

• Howe orders Cornwallis back to New York, leaving troops in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy 

• Washington moves his men to Morristown, New Jersey to spend the rest of the winter; Morristown was a strategic location in that it was high enough for Washington to observe British troop movements in New York, as well as defend against a possible British attack

Three Pronged Attack

Plan of Attack

• In an effort to cut New England out of the war, the British developed a plan for a three-pronged attack across New York

• The Three Prongs:

• John “Black Jack” Burgoyne would march his army south from Canada toward Albany, taking control of the Hudson River

• Barry St. Leger would sail down the St. Lawrence River into Lake Ontario, and with a force of Iroquois, march east toward Albany

• Howe would leave New York and march up the Hudson River toward Albany 

• Saratoga (Oct, 1777)

• Benedict Arnold & Horatio Gates (American) v. John Burgoyne (British); American Victory

• Burgoyne moved quickly, recapturing Fort Ticonderoga in July of 1777, but slowed down as he moved farther away from his base in Canada and as his supply lines grew longer 

• Americans began felling trees to block his path

• Burgoyne’s long and vulnerable supply lines began to be attacked, leaving the British cut off and desperate for food and supplies; Burgoyne decides his only course of action was to reach Albany 

• Burgoyne is surrounded by American armies under Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Saratoga in October of 1777; Burgoyne surrenders his 5,000 man army

• Was an immensely significant victory, as it helped convince the French to ally with the United States against the British

• The French would play an enormous role in the British defeat, as they had a navy which could attack the British on many fronts across the globe, turning a regional rebellion into a world war

• Is often considered the turning point of the American Revolution

• Fort Stanwix (Aug, 1777)

• St. Leger (British) v. Benedict Arnold (American); American Victory

• St. Leger was halted by American militia and scared away by Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Fort Stanwix 

• Philadelphia Campaign

• Instead of following the Three-Pronged Attack, Howe attempted to end the war with a swift blow against the American capital at Philadelphia

• A British fleet carried his army up the Chesapeake Bay to attack Philadelphia from the south

• After defeating Washington at Brandywine Creek and Germantown, the Howe captured Philadelphia, causing the Continental Congress to flee west to York, and then Lancaster 

• Brandywine Creek (Sep 11, 1777)

• William Howe (British) v. George Washington (American); British Victory

• The Continental Army comes out of Morristown to defend Philadelphia

• Washington is soundly defeated in a pitched Napoleonic-style battle, reinforcing the notion that the Continental Army cannot stand up to the British in conventional battles  

• Germantown (Oct 4, 1777)

• William Howe (British) v. George Washington (American); British Victory

• Washington is soundly defeated in another pitched Napoleonic-style battle, reinforcing the notion that the Continental Army cannot stand up to the British in conventional battles 

Valley Forge

• Valley Forge (Winter 1777-1778)

• 20 miles from Philadelphia

• The 12,000 men of the Continental Army wintered in horrible conditions

• It was a particularly bad winter, and the troops suffered from low supplies & inadequate shelter

• Demonstrated how the Continental Congress didn’t have the power to raise revenue and properly supply the Continental Army

• Approximately 3,000 men died and a further 1,000 deserted (as many as the losses of two years of fighting)

• Baron Von Steuben

• An aristocrat sympathetic to the American cause and a former Prussian military officer

• Offers to train the army, increasing discipline and competency among the soldiers

• Other contributions included establishing the army as a system that rewards based on merit, rather than social class (which had been the system in the British Army)

• Army that leaves Valley Forge is better trained, more professional, and filled with dedicated soldiers

• Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778)

• George Washington (American) v. Henry Clinton (British); Inconclusive/Draw

• William Howe was relieved of command in April of 1778, and was replaced by Henry Clinton

• The British feared that the new American alliance with France made New York City vulnerable to attack from French fleets 

• Clinton is ordered back to New York

• Marches his army towards Sandy Hook, where he intended to meet the British Fleet to return him to New York

• Washington shadowed Clinton on his march, and finally attacked at Monmouth Courthouse (present day Freehold, NJ)

• It was an extremely hot day, causing many to die of heatstroke

• Washington’s army managed to fight Clinton to a draw; instead of reengaging the following day, Clinton decides to withdraw to Sandy Hook and make his way to New York

• Though a draw, it was in many ways a win for the Americans, as it constrained the British to New York

• Also proved that the Continental Army was capable of standing toe to toe with the British in a napoleonic battle now

The Tide Turns

• The French alliance breathed new life into the American effort

• The war had become unpopular in Britain, and the defeat at Saratoga persuaded the King and Parliament to take more conciliatory measures 

• The United States was offered dominion status within Great Britain, being allowed to largely govern itself but still be loyal to the crown 

• Parliament had repealed the Tea Act in 1773, and repealed laws that restricted trade with the colonies 

• Patriots, however, remind committed to independence

• Spain would also join the war against the British in 1779, though they never directly allied with the United States since it was a concern that then their own colonies would seek independence  

War in the West

• Battle of Vincennes (Feb, 1779)

• George Rogers Clark (American) v. British; American Victory

• Captured the British fort and supply depot at Vincennes (present day Vincennes, Indiana)

• Sullivan’s Expedition (Jun - Oct, 1779)

• John Sullivan & James Clinton v. Native Americans; American Victory

• Was part of the effort against Native American tribes in the west such as the Shawnee, Delaware, and Cherokee, who were being supplied by the British

• The expedition raided and destroyed Native American villages throughout Pennsylvania and western New York

War in the South

• Change in British Strategy

• By 1780, the British needed a new strategy and looked to the South, full of Loyalists, to change the course of the war

• Shift in strategy was also motivated by geography

• Part of France’s strategy was to capture British sugar islands in the Caribbean; deploying to the south would allow the British to more easily respond to French threats

• Also helped defend against potential Spanish attacks to recapture Florida (Spain had joined the war in 1779 against the British)

• Philipsburg Proclamation (June 1779)

• Issued in June of 1779 by Henry Clinton

• Expanded Dunmore’s Proclamation of 1775, promising that any slave that left their rebel master would receive protection, freedom, and land from Britain (regardless of whether they fought for the British or not)

• Whose promises would remain unfulfilled, as the Treaty of Paris required that all former slaves be returned 

• Savannah and Charleston

• Henry Clinton (British) v. Americans; British Victories 

• Savannah was captured in December of 1778, and Charleston in May of 1780

• Cornwallis took control over British forces in the South and began to move inland from Charleston 

• South Carolina

• Battle of Camden (Aug 16, 1780)

• Horatio Gates (American) v. Charles Cornwallis (British); British Victory

• Cornwallis defeated a smaller American force under Horatio Gates

• Gates is left fleeing for his life from the battlefield, and would be replaced by Washington with Nathanael Greene

• Battle of King’s Mountain (Oct 7, 1780)

• Patriot militia (American) v. Loyalist militia (British); American Victory

• The British had recruited a large Loyalist militia, which was tasked with protecting Cornwallis’ advance into North Carolina

• The Patriot militia launched a surprise attack on the border of the Carolinas and decimated the Loyalists in an overwhelming victory, forcing Cornwallis to retreat back into South Carolina

• Battle of Cowpens (Jan 17, 1781)

• Daniel Morgan (American) v. Banastre Tarleton (British); American Victory

• Greene had decided to split the southern Continental Army into two smaller parts to force Cornwallis to do the same and to fight on multiple fronts

• Daniel Morgan, commander of one of the two American forces, led his army to threaten a British fort; Cornwallis dispatches Banastre Tarleton to stop Morgan

• Morgan led Tarleton to overextend into a trap, decimating the British army

• Francis Marion

• Nicknamed the “Swamp Fox”

• Led guerilla-style attacks against Cornwallis’ supply lines stretching back to Charleston, which grew longer by the day

• Cornwallis eventually orders his army to detach themselves from their heavy and slow supply chain in an effort to catch up with the faster American armies 

• North Carolina

• Battle of Guilford Courthouse (Mar 15, 1781)

• Charles Cornwallis (British) v. Nathanael Greene (American); Pyrrhic British Victory

• Cornwallis met Greene at Guilford Courthouse after a months-long wild goose chase across hundreds of miles of wilderness in the Carolinas 

• Cornwallis throws all he has at the Americans, and the battle quickly devolves into a brutal melee

• Fearing defeat, Cornwallis orders his artillery to fire on the chaotic battlefield, causing Greene to retreat, but at the same time causing heavy British casualties due to friendly fire

• Retreat to Virginia

• Cornwallis decides to move north into Virginia, where he will take advantage of social divisions in the tidewater

• Clinton orders Cornwallis to dig in, so Cornwallis begins fortifying the coastal town of Yorktown 

• Benedict Arnold, who had switched sides mid-war, had just burned Richmond, the capital of Virginia, in January of 1781

The Endgame

• Battle of the Chesapeake (Sep 15, 1781)

• Admiral de Grasse (French) v. British; French Victory

• De Grasse, on his way from France, sails to Virginia with a fleet of 28 ships and a force of 3,000 French troops to attack Cornwallis, who had dug in at Yorktown

• Washington had originally been hoping that De Grasse would’ve landed near New York, so he could recapture New York City from the British

• However, Washington complies with French General Rochambeau and Admiral De Grasse’s plan to attack the British at Yorktown, and marches his army south to Virginia

• The French fleet clashes with the British fleet stationed in the Chesapeake Bay, defeating the British and gaining control over the Chesapeake

• Battle of Yorktown (Sep-Oct 1781)

• George Washington & Rochambeau (American/French) v. Charles Cornwallis (British); American/French Victory

• A combined American-French force laid siege to Cornwallis at Yorktown 

• Washington had originally planned for a frontal assault, but ended up going with Rochambeau’s plan of a siege

• The British are cut off from resupply or reinforcement

• Cornwallis frantically asked Clinton for reinforcements several times before and after the siege had begun, but by the time Clinton had departed from New York, it was too late

• Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781

• Effectively ended the war, as the British public lost faith in the war effort, though peace would not be reached for another 2 years

• Clinton remained in New York, while Washington struggled to keep the Continental Army together until the Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Over the course of 1782 and 1783, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, John Jay, and John Adams negotiated the peace settlement 

Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Article 1: Britain acknowledges the United States and the states comprising it to be free, sovereign, and independent states and relinquishes all claims to it

• Article 2: Establishes the boundaries of the United States as the Mississippi River in the east, and Canada to the north

• Such a concession of land showed the strong position the Americans were in at the negotiation table

• Individual states begin to claim the new land due to the weak central government (see map below)

• Article 3: Gives fishing rights to the United States in the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland

• Also showed how America has bargaining power for them to have fishing rights in British controlled Canada

• Article 4: Recognized the lawful contracted debts to be paid to creditors (those that loaned money) on each side

• Article 5: Congress will recommend to state legislatures to recognize the rightful owners of all confiscated lands and provide restitution of property to Loyalists

• Article 6: The United States will prevent the future confiscation of property and the prosecution of the Loyalists

• Article 7: Prisoners of war on both sides were to be released. Property of the British army, including slaves, would be returned

• Shows how the British promises in the Philipsburg Proclamation and other promises of freedom were kinda bogus and not kept

• Article 8: Great Britain and the United States are each given to the given perpetual access to the Mississippi River

• Shows the importance of the Mississippi River and its use as a navigational waterway

• Article 9: Future-proofs the treaty— Since news takes a long-ass time to travel in the 1700’s, any further changes in the map between now and when news arrives of the Treaty in North America will be returned to what is described in the treaty 

• Article 10: Signing and ratification of the treaty will occur within 6 months 

• Hostilities must cease between France and Britain in order for the treaty to go into effect 

Founding a Nation

• Washington’s Resignation

• At the end of the war, Washington resigns from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

• King George III said that if Washington resigned, he “will be the greatest man in the world” 

• Significant since that at the end of the war, Washington held all the military power in the United States, and could have become the King of America if he wanted 

• Showed his humility and dedication to Republicanism and the creation of a democratic government

• Articles of Confederation

• An overcorrection of British tyranny; the Articles of Confederation leave the central government with so little power that it cannot function

• Was the first constitution of the United States

• Constitution: A document that sets up the structure, processes, and rules of government

• Provisions:

• Article I: We’re gonna be called the United States of America

• Article II: All states are independent of one another; state governments will retain all powers not given to the national Congress 

• Creates a Confederacy: a union of sovereign states united for a common purpose

• Features strong state governments and a weak central government

• Article III: States agree to maintain a friendly relationship; they will defend one another in times of trouble and protect their shared liberties and mutual welfare

• Article IV: Free inhabitants can move freely among the states and conduct business without extra taxes, states will extradite fugitives, and all records and judicial rulings applying to individuals in one state must be accepted by others

• Article V: Every year, state legislatures will send representatives to the national congress 

• Each state shall send no less than two representatives and no more than seven but each state will have one vote in Congress

• Resulted in unequal representation of the people, as more citizens of more populous states would be less represented than those of less populous states 

• Article VI: No state can enter into a formal alliance with any foreign power. Neither states nor Congress shall give any title of nobility to anyone in the United States. Two or more states cannot enter into their own treaty. States cannot maintain standing armies or navies without Congress’s approval. Unless invaded, no state shall wage war without permission from Congress

• Article VII: In times of war, state legislatures will appoint all officers under the rank of colonel and maintain their armies

• Article VIII: To pay for war, states will receive money from the national Treasury in proportion to the amount of land they own; State legislatures will collect the taxes needed to fund the Treasury

• Article IX: Powers of Congress 

• Article X: A committee of states will be given the power to run the United States during the congress is in recess

• Article XI: Canada will be allowed admission into the United States. Any other colony requesting admission will need 9 votes in Congress. 

• Article XII: Congress will repay any money borrowed from individual states during the Revolution

• Article XIII: All states agree to abide by the Articles. To amend the Articles, Congress and all state legislatures must unanimously agree

• Powers of Congress and State Governments

• National Government (Congress)

• Declare and wage war

• Appoint military officers

• Make treaties and alliances and conduct foreign affairs

• Settle disputes between states

• Was an issue, since state legislatures are bias and can be unfair compared to courts

• Set weights and measures

• Establish post offices

• Petition, or request money from the states

• States won’t cough up the change to fund the central government, leaving the central government broke as a joke

• Feared tyranny over taxation

• Borrow money from foreign governments

• Sell western lands

• Direct the operations of land and naval forces

• Grant letters of marque and reprisal (privateers), punish piracy

• Coin money

• State Governments

• Taxation 

• Create a state court system

• Enforce laws passed by Congress

• Executive power 

• Today, executive power is held both by the Feds and the States (i.e. marijana is illegal on a federal level, but legal in certain states) 

• Regulate intrastate trade

• Coin money

• We end up with 14 different currencies; limits interstate commerce 

• Every other governmental power not claimed by Congress

• Weaknesses

• National government cannot impose or collect taxes

• National currency was worthless 

• The government was swamped in debt and couldn’t pay any of it off

• Economy was in shambles

• No national court system to resolve disputes between states

• No national executive to enforce laws

• No power to regulate trade among the states

• One vote per state in Congress, regardless of population

• Doesn’t represent the interests of the people equally, but it does equally represent the interests of the states equally

• Two-thirds majority required to pass laws

• 9 of 13 states - a supermajority 

• Regional differences may cause sectional/regional disputes; this provision tried to ensure that any legislation passed would have broad support across all regions 

• Unanimous consent required to amend (change) the Articles

Timeline

You probably won’t need to know exact dates; they are at times given here to illustrate chronology 

April 19, 1775 — Battles of Lexington & Concord

May, 1775 — Second Continental Congress meets

May 10, 1775 — Fort Ticonderoga is taken by Ethan Allen

June 17, 1775 — Battle of Bunker Hill

July, 1775 — Congress sends the Olive Branch Petition to Britain

November, 1775 — Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation

December 31, 1775 — Battle of Quebec 

January, 1776 — Common Sense is written by Thomas Paine

March, 1776 — British evacuate Boston after Washington sets up cannons overlooking Boston 

July 4, 1776 — The Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Continental Congress

August, 1776 — Battle of Long Island; Washington evacuates to Manhattan 

December, 1776 — The Crisis is written by Thomas Paine

December 26, 1776 — Battle of Trenton

January 2, 1777 — Second Battle of Trenton

January 3, 1777 — Battle of Princeton 

July, 1777 — Burgoyne recaptures Fort Ticonderoga 

August, 1777 — Battle of Fort Stanwix

September 11, 1777 — Battle of Brandywine Creek

October 4, 1777 — Battle of Germantown

October, 1777 — Battle of Saratoga 

November, 1777 — the Articles of Confederation are written

February, 1778— Baron Von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge 

April, 1778 — Howe is relieved of command; Clinton takes over running the show

June 28, 1778 — Battle of Monmouth 

December, 1778 — British capture Savannah, Georgia

February, 1779 — Battle of Vincennes

June 1779 — Philipsburg Proclamation

June - October, 1779 — Sullivan’s Expedition 

May 1780 — British capture Charleston, South Carolina

August 16, 1780 — Battle of Camden

October 6, 1780 — Battle of King’s Mountain

January 1781 — Benedict Arnold burns Richmond 

January 17, 1781 — Battle of Cowpens

March 15, 1781 — Battle of Guilford Courthouse

September 15, 1781 — Battle of the Chesapeake 

September - October, 1781 — Battle of Yorktown; Cornwallis surrenders

September, 1783 — Treaty of Paris (1783) is signed, ending the war