American Revolution Flashcards

Flashcards about the American Revolution

What was Washington's strategy at the start of the war?

Washington revived American hopes by overwhelming a sleepy force of Hessians at Trenton on Christmas night 1776 and a British force at Princeton on 3 January 1777.

What was the situation at the end of 1776?

The year 1776 closed with the British having won a major victory, occupying New York, and restoring royal authority in eastern New Jersey.

What was Washington's situation at the end of 1776?

Washington had avoided disaster, won two small victories, and his army wintered at Morristown in north New Jersey.

What was the British strategy for 1777?

British strategy for 1777 called for a three-prong crusher: Howe to attack north from NYC to Albany, General John Burgoyne to advance from Montreal down the Hudson River to Albany, and Colonel Barry St. Ledger to advance eastward from Oswego to Albany.

Where did Howe defeat Washington in 1777 and subsequently occupy?

Howe whipped Washington again at the Battle of Brandywine on 11 September 1777 and occupied Philadelphia for the next 9 months.

What was the significance of the Battle of Saratoga?

At Saratoga, New York, a British army under General John Burgoyne surrendered to American general Horatio Gates on 17 October 1777. Nearly 6,000 British troops grounded their arms, marking a turning point in the war in America's favor.

What was the result of the Battle of Saratoga?

After Saratoga, France extended diplomatic recognition to the United States (Treaty of Friendship and Commerce February 1778) and sent an army, more arms, a fleet, and money to advance American independence.

Who trained the Continental Army at Valley Forge?

Baron von Steubon trained the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Why is John Paul Jones famous?

In 1779 Captain John Paul Jones won fame when his ship Bonhomme Richard defeated the Royal Navy's 50-gun Serapis off the coast of England.

What percentage of slaves were evacuated by the British and given freedom?

2% of the 500,000 slaves in North America were evacuated by the British and given freedom at war's end.

What was Washington's strategy after 1778?

After 1778, Washington's strategy was to avoid major battle and keep the main Continental Army Intact. Washington hoped to wear out British endurance in a war of Attrition.

What was the worst American defeat of the war?

American forces suffered their worst defeat when General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered 5,000 men and the city of Charleston, South Carolina, to the British in May 1780.

Who won the Battle of Camden?

On 16 August 1780, Cornwallis crushed a combined force of Continentals and militia at the Battle of Camden.

What was the significance of the Battle of King's Mountain?

Scots-Irish militia defeated loyalists at the Battle of King's Mountain on 7 October 1780. The battle crushed loyalism in the south and forced Cornwallis to postpone invasion of North Carolina.

What happened at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse?

In 1781 Cornwallis went after Greene. Greene retreated north to the Dan River then recrossed it to face Cornwallis. In one of the bloodiest encounters of the Revolution, the outnumbered British force won the Battle of Guilford Courthouse (15 March).

What was General Greene's strategy in the South?

General Nathanael Greene had used guerrilla war in the south to cow loyalists. He had also lured the British into marches of exhaustion that divided their forces. Green never won a battle, but his strategy wore out the British and regained North and South Carolina for the Patriot cause.

Where did the fighting end?

The fighting ended at Yorktown. A French fleet under Admiral De Grasse sealed off the Chesapeake Bay. Sixteen thousand American and Cornwallis troops marched into Virginia under Washington's command and trapped General Comallis. After a two-week siege, 7,000 British soldiers were surrendered on 19 October 1781.

What happened to the Loyalists after the war?

About 60-70 thousand Loyalists abandoned their property and had moved to England or Canada during and after the war.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation had power to conclude treaties, but no power to tax, no judicial, and executive power was minimal.

How did Shay's Rebellion influence the government?

A 1786 revolt in Massachusetts by debt-ridden farmers known as Shays Rebellion convinced the Founders that the Confederation had to be transformed into a more powerful national government.

What phrase did Washington feel was necessary to curb the excessive liberty seen in Shay's Rebellion?

Washington mentioned the need for 'coercive power' to curb the excessive liberty seen in Shay's Rebellion.

What was the attitude of the 55 Framers at the Constitutional Convention?

The Framers sought a stronger central government as pragmatic realists, fearing too much democracy.

What kind of system did the Founders favor?

The Founders favored a federal system that reserved a high degree of autonomy to the states while also assigned power to the national government.

What was the Great Compromise?

The "Great Compromise" solved the problem of representation in Congress by giving big states seats in the lower house based on population while all states, big and small, would get 2 senators each.