First Continental Congress to Independence

What was the response of the Colonists to the passing of the Intolerable Acts?

56 delegates from all colonies, bar Georgia, met in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia
- Delegates were elected by those who composed the colonial legislature

How long did the first Continental Congress last?

From the 5th September to 26th October 1774. (51 days)

Why did Georgia not send delegates to the first continental congress?

They were facing a war with local native tribes, and as such did not want to jeopardise potential British assistance

What were the Suffolk Resolves?

A set of resolutions made in 1774, urging Massachusetts citizens to boycott British goods until the intolerable acts were repealed

Who was elected first president of the first Continental Congress?

Peyton Randolph

What action did the first Continental Congress take?

They sent a letter to George III explaining the issues of the colonies
- They also demanded the repeal of the Intolerable Acts in the face of Boycotts - specifically the Quebec and Administration of Justice Acts (effected all colonies)

What happened after the first Continental Congress's demands were refused?

They set out to meet again in May 1775

How did the Colonists start to divide following the first Continental Congress?

They split into Patriots and Loyalists, with public opinion being divided

What were the characteristics of Patriots?

Most served in the Continental Army
- Led by the Sons of Liberty and Continental Congress
- Organised Protests and Boycotts
- Wanted Independence from the British Empire
- Used various mechanisms to attempt to convert more to their cause

What were the characteristics of Loyalists?

Some had fought in the British Army
- Most were servants of the King of close allies
- They sometimes went back to Britain
- Remained British subjects

Who were the minutemen?

Patriot militia ready to fight on a minute's notice (armed civilians)

What were the events leading to up to the British arriving at Lexington?

General Gage (governor of Massachusetts) learnt that minutemen were stockpiling cannons and gunpowder in Concord
- He sent 700 soldiers to destroy the supplies, they were sent at night so as to surprise the patriots
- The patriots found out and Paul Revere and William Daws rode on horseback shouting "the regulars are coming out"
- They arrived just before sunrise

What were the events of the Battle of Lexington (April 1775)?

Once the British had arrived at Lexington, they were met by ~70 minutemen
- The British told them to leave, and as they turned, a shot was fired
- Both sides started fighting, leading to the death of 8 minutemen, and 1 British soldier, whilst 10 minutemen were also wounded

What was so significant about the Battle of Lexington?

Despite only being 15 minutes long, it marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War

What were the events of the Battle of Concord (April 1775)?

Whilst the British searched for the stockpiled cannons and gunpowder, ~4000 minutemen gathered in Concord
- Fighting broke out with the minutemen forcing the British back to Boston
- More than 250 British soldiers were wounded or killed before the British reached Boston
- News spread quickly, and Militias gathered in Boston trapping the British

What was the 2nd Continental Congress?

It was a meeting at State House, Philadelphia, with all colonies represented
- Led by Hancock, and joined by new members like Jefferson and Franklin

When did the 2nd Continental Congress meet?

10th May 1775

What was the role of the Continental Congress to begin with?

It acted as a de-facto government raising troops and resources to fight

How did the Declaration of Independence come into being?

A committee was elected, who wrote a document that was sent to the King - it was passed on the 4th July 1776
- Jefferson wrote the majority of it
- It removed the condemnation of Scottish people, and created a list of charges against the King
- removed a denunciation of the Slave trade, as this would offend Southern delegates, and unity was needed

What happened at the 2nd Continental Congress?

They initially sent an Olive-Branch petition to the Crown on the 8th July 1775 - many at this point were still loyal
- They also set up the Continental Army on the 14th June 1775, led by Washington

What was the response to the Olive-Branch petition?

George III rejected it, and arranged a naval blockade around the entirety of the Colonies - were not self-sufficient
- As the colonists had been boycotting before, this did not harm the British
- In response to this, Payne publishes 'Common sense' which sells 500,000 copies in its first year

What were the events leading up to the battle of Bunker hill (June 1775)?

On June 16th, the militias built a fought on Bunker hill, giving them the ability to fire cannons at the British soldiers in Boston
- British would need to climb up the hill to attack them

What were the events of Bunker hill (June 1775)?

Gage sent 2400 British troops up Breed's hill
- Colonists held their fire, and then start to fire upon them
- On the 3rd wave, the British broke through
- Colonists lost 450, British lost 1000

What was the British strategy at the start of the war?

They had wanted to annex Massachusetts, however the Battle of Bunker hill put an end to this, as it demonstrated to the British that the Americans could do damage to them

How did British strategy change in 1776?

They wanted to capture New-York as it was protected port, strategic location (mouth of Hudson), and the Hub of anti-British sentiment
- On the 15th September, this aim was completed
- This was one of the first instances in which was became evident to the majority of Americans
- British placed 35,000 troops in New York

What were American tactics at the start of the war?

They were Guerrilla tactics under the eye of Washington
- Lexington and Concord, Americans fired from behind trees and stone walls, catching the British off-guard
- Initially, America is not very successful (leading to British underestimating Washington)

How did the British fare at the start of the revolutionary war?

They coped quite well... initially
- However, after a while, resourcing issues started to become apparent
- Poor leadership who were very cautious
- insufficient transportation
- Massive corruption
- Lack of Coherent strategy
- These led to a lack of loyalist support, whilst the British were forced to fight a form of guerrilla warfare to bring the Americans out

Why was it difficult to reach a compromise by the start of 1776?

British determination against the state of rebellion
- People did not want to fight against the Americans, but Lord North and George III forced it
The Actions of the Sons of Liberty
- Unwilling to compromise over the intolerable acts (specifically Boston Harbour), British did not want to reward their behaviour
No unity
- Arnold had defected
- Olive-branch petition demonstrated a lack of want for war
- Creation of a continental army, may have just been to show that everyone was represented, not just those in Boston under the Sons of Liberty

How many men did the Colonists put out against the British? and what was their morale like?

Initially, there was quite high morale and enthusiasm
- Massachusetts had 12 regiments, Connecticut mobilised 6,000 men, and 16,000 from New England
- However, enthusiasm waned when they realised the challenge
- Colonies had to entice soldiers with offers of cash, goods, or short enlistments
- Enlisted black-men with over 5,000 baring arms

What were the states of the militias at the start of the war?

Initially adopted a British system in which all men from 16-60 had to bare arms
- Militia companies were mobilised for no more than 90 days at at time
- Older than soldiers, with limited training and combat experience
- Washington said that being able to depend on them was 'assuredly resting on a broken staff'

How did the decleration of independence come into existence?

At the 2nd Continental congress, representatives from all colonies agreed to go to war.
- To make it official, they elected a committee who wrote the Decleration of Independence, with it being officially passed on July 4th
- Denunciation of slavery was removed as to not offender southern states

What did Jefferson write in the decleration of independence?

The King did not look after the interests of the Americans.
- Likely to have been influenced by Locke and 'natural law' and 'natural rights'
- He also added that we had unalienable rights, governments received their power from consent of the goverened, and the people have the right to overthrow a government

By 1776, how much of the population supported the King?

Just 20%, 40% were neutral, and 40% were pro-independence

What are the 4 parts of the decleration of independence and what do they entail?

Part 1: Ideals for writing this document
- The decleration sets forth the Founders' beliefs about the purposes of government. It explains how government is created. It is one of the best statements of the ideals of our nation.
Part 2: Arguments
- This list the rights of the citizens. Explaining that in a 'republic' , the people form the government to protect their rights.
Part 3: List of Grievances or Complains
- This lists the colonists' grievances and complains such as the intolerable acts, Quebec Acts, Boston Massacre, and Mercantilism
Part 4: Conclusion
- The Bond between Great Britain and the Colonies is gone
- This section declares that the colonies are "Free and independent states" with full power to make war, form alliances, and trade with others.
- We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honour.

What was the context of the Battle of Long Island?

British troops landed in Staten Island in July 1776
- 30,000 British soldiers, with just 20,000 colonists defending the Island (low morale)
- First post-independence battle

Why was the Quebec Act so important to the Americans?

Anti-Catholicism had been one of the factors uniting the US and UK, this made the Americans think the UK were pro-Catholic
- Anti-Catholicism was particularly pertinent in America, as it described the illegitimate exercise of power, and American hostility to French and Spanish power

What was the aftermath of the Battle of Long Island?

The British defeated the Colonists with no casualties
- However, howe ordered his troops to stop for 2 days at the main defensive lines
- Had he not done this, half the American army could have been destroyed

What was the Context of the Battle of Trenton?

Small but pivotal battle on the 26th December 1776 in New Jerey
- 2,400 Americans vs 1500 Hessiens
- 22 British deaths vs 2 American deaths

What was the aftermath of the battle of Trenton?

Captures the Hessians in a heavy defeat for them
- Gained a lot if needed ammo and supplies
- Killed their Commander, Colonel Rall
- Killed all other Hessian colonels
- Americans had a huge morale boost, when it was needed, as the war at this point was going badly

How was the American revolution inspired by the Enlightenment?

People try to apply the scientific approach to aspects of society
- Political scientists propose new ideas about government
- Philosophers advocate the use of reason to discover truths
- Philosophers address social issues through reason
> These ideas inspire the colonists, who were pissed about the idea of taxation without representation, especially in light of higher taxes following the 7-years war

What were the strengths of the British Army?

- Strong, well trained army and navy
- 400% larger than the American military
- Strong central government with available funds
- Support of colonial loyalists and Natives
- Allowed slaves to join, in return for their freedom - led to 30,000 slaves leaving Virginia alone

What were the weaknesses of the British army?

- Large distance separated Britain and America - 2-4 month voyage
- Poor supply lines, limited their ability to move more than 15 miles away from navigable waters
- Troops unfamiliar with terrain
- Weak leadership, and corruption in high places
- Sympathy of British politicians to the American cause
- High burden of debt incurred in previous wars, crippled its military economy

What were the strengths of the American Army?

-Familiarity of home ground
- Leadership of Washington and other officers - promotion was based more on meritocracy
- Militias were good for keeping supply of food up for Americans - whilst they were no regular soldiers, with high motivation, and good leadership, they could fight well
- High morale, with the idea of defending their country
- Very mobile

What were the weaknesses of the American army?

- Most soldiers untrained and undisciplined
- Shortage of food and ammo
- Inferior navy
- No central government to enforce war-time policies
- Both its organisation and staff suffered from ills that afflicted the whole military system
- Poor promotion structure, mean there were rivalries and problems leading to frequent resignations

What was the American stratergy for the war?

- Outlast the British
- Defend the colonial lands and drag out the war
- Guerrilla tactics
- Try and create an alliance with France

What was the British stratergy for the war?

- Divided and Conquer
- Use loyalists, seize property, encourage slave revolts
- Split the Northern and Southern colonies
- Blockade ports to prevent trade

Why did the British lay seige and Burn New York?

It was the 'capital' at the time (there was no official capital)
- 32,000 Brits beat 19,000 Americans

What were some of the issues within the British command?

There was a lack of unity
- Demonstrated by the British government sending half of General Howe's army to Canada in 1776
- Further shown by General Howe's obsession with capturing Philadelphia, instead of working with Burgoyne and St. Leger - led to their defeat and a series of victories including New York, and Bennington

How 'big' was the American army by 1776?

It went from 60,000 men in 88 battalions prior to this to 110 battalion.
- However, this was only on paper, in reality, it never broke 30,000 as the continent couldn't support a bigger army

How big did Britain attempt to get their army in 1776?

Tried to get to 50,000 men, and used German Hessian mercenaries to do it
- This was due to the high attrition rate, with Britain being forced to use prisoners

What did Guy Carleton do?

In 1775, he had failed to defend Fort Saint-Jean from the continental congress, however in December he directed hte successful battle of Quebec
In 1776, he was attempting to follow up on the repulsion of Canada earlier in the year
- He was delayed by Arnold on the lakes, and although he beat Arnold, was unable to reach Ticonderoga in time to start a seige
- Stopped Britain from having an advance base to launch a campaign
- Refused to allow Natives to join his army, as he feared them attacking non-combatants - significant as this would have boosted his numbers, whilst also removing the colonists geographical knowledge advantage

What did the invasion of Montreal demonstrate?

There was no opposition to it
- It demonstrated the widespread nature of the American revolution, and British difficulties in defeating it
- Lack of opposition demonstrated the sympathies towards it

What year did France get involved?

1778

What was the Context of the Battle of Saratoga?

12,000 Americans vs 6,600 British
- 90 Americans killed vs 440 Brits

What happened at the battle of Saratoga 1777?

British defeat led to the surrender of an entire army
- This came after the abandonment of Natives
- Dug in following an initial victory, but relief from Clinton did not come, as he got occupied on the way
- Surrendered due to high casualty levels, low rations, and being outnumbered 2:!
- Is a turning point of the war, and leads to France's involvement
- This war was the turning point that led to Benedict Arnold's defection

What was the Context of the Battle of Yorktown?

28th-19th October 1781
- 6000 French troops and 10,000 Americans vs 8,000 British troops and 2,000 Hessians
- American army commanded by Washington, whilst British was commanded by Cornwallis

What was the outcome of the Battle of Yorktown?

Americans capture 7,000 British troops
- 90 Americans and 200 Brits killed
- Marked the end of the war, with parliament voting to end military operations and start peace operations in light of the British defeat

What happened following Parliament's vote to end the war?

Britain started to evacuate its troops in 1782
- This was followed by the resettlement of 30,000 loyalists to Nova Scotia in 1783
- Washington resigned as Commander in Chief, and returned to Virginia
- The treaty of Paris was signed a year later

What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris 1783?

Americans gained all land east of the Mississippi, north of Florida, and South of Canada
- Americans given fishing rights around Canada and Nova Scotia

- Britain also signed separate agreements with France, Spain, and the Netherlands
- This led to the loss of Minorca, but the gain of the Bahamas and Grenada

What was the context of the Battle of Cowpens?

1781 South Carolina
- 1900 Americans vs 1150 Brits
- 25 Americans killed vs 110 Brits

What happened at the Battle of Cowpens?

British were beaten based on poor tactics from the British, and good American stratergy.
- American troops took part in "Tarleton's Quarter", which involved bayoneting British soldiers who had surrendered, as they thought Tarleton (British commander) had intentionally killed surrendered Americans