IX. An American Revolution 1776-1781 Notes

These broad definitions widely cover the topics discussed in the American Revolution. (The American Revolution Begins, Victory in a Year of Defeat, A French Alliance, The Final Campaign, and the Treaty of Paris 1783). Information in these key terms and definitions are pulled from the lectures and https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history

Hessians

German mercenaries hired by Great Britain to put down the American rebellion.

General George Washington

Commander in chief of the Continental Army since June 15, 1775 during the Revolutionary War.

General William Howe

Commander in chief who was appointed to lead British forces. (1729-1814)

Battle of Long Island

(August 27-29, 1776) Sir William Howe appointed his forces on Long Island to gain command and connection of New York City and the Hudson River. Since the Americans lacked experience and numbers, they lost against British forces.

Battle of Trenton

With the intent of raising revolutionary morale after the British's capture of New York City, General Washington gathered his men for an attack. (December 25, 1776) Washington led his soldiers to Trenton, New Jersey, across the Delaware River, and surprised Hessians by attacking at Christmas time. This victory gave the Continental Army control of Delaware and New Jersey.

Battle of Princeton

(January 3, 1777) General Washington, once again, broke 18th century military protocol by attacking outside of the summer months. This unexpected fight after the season had ended gave the Continental Army another much-needed victory and reinforced the idea of having General Washington as a commander.

Grand Union Flag

This flag is considered to be the first national flag of the United States. On June 14, 1777, the flag was replaced by the “Old Glory.” The change in the flag signified the amount of new states that entered the union while representing the first 13 original colonies.

Saratoga Campaign

(June 14, 1777-October 17, 1777) Led by John Burgoyne, his army would march south from Montreal and converge with two other forces at Albany to cut the rebellion in two by isolating New England. This northern campaign ended in disaster after Burgoyne's forces were surrounded by colonial militias at the Hudson River in Saratoga, New York.

Battle of Saratoga

(September 19, 1777-October 7, 1777) With Burgoyne's surrender at this battle, the victory of this war was a major turning point as the colonial victory secured an alliance with the French.

Battle of Brandywine Creek

In August 1777, General Howe led 15,000 British troops to Chesapeake Bay in an attempt to take Philadelphia, where the Continental Congress met. This battle resulted in British victory against Washington's soldiers and granted British with the control of Philadelphia, forcing the Continental Congress to flee.

Battle of Germantown

On October 4, 1777, in an attempt to recover the territory of Philadelphia, General Washington, on the night of October 3rd, set his plan in action to surprise and destroy the British force. Washington's army had lost against General Howe’s army.

Valley Forge

During the winter of 1777-1778, Washington and his men camped at Valley Forge to pressure the British who had occupied the city of Philadelphia. With the lack of supplies and the spread of disease, soldiers began to desert or run away from their duties. 2,500 out of the 11,000 soldiers encamped at Valley Forge had died from starvation, malnutrition, and disease.

King Louis XVI

A King of France who recognized American independence and formed a military alliance with the nation as well as provided them with gunpowder, money, and soldiers/naval forces. This King wanted to aid the colonists to avenge the loss of the Seven Year War and recover lost territory.

Treaty of Amity & Commerce

(February 6, 1778) French recognized the United States as an independent nation from Britain and promoted trade between France and the United States.

Treaty of Alliance

(February 6, 1778) Created a military alliance against Great Britain, specifying/defining American independence as a condition of peace.

Siege of Charleston

(March 29, 1780 - May 12, 1780) British forces, led by General Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis, besieged American forces, led by General Benjamin Lincoln, for control of Charleston. General Benjamin, who led the effort for the revolutionaries, surrendered his entire force. British victory allowed Great Britain to establish a military government in Charleston under the command of General Henry Clinton.

Battle of King Mountain, NC

On October 7, 1780, a fierce firefight occurred that pitted Loyalist militia elements under the command of British major Patrick Ferguson against 900 patriots. The victory from American Patriots over the Loyalists raised Patriot morale during the revolution because it was the first major patriot victory after British's invasion of Charleston. Thomas Jefferson called the victory of this battle "The turn of the tide of success."

Battle of Guilford Courthouse, NC

(March 1781) General Cornwallis, determined to destroy Nathanael Greene's army, chased Greene as he retreated into North Carolina. This battle was won by British General Cornwallis but they suffered extensive losses.

Benedict Arnold

A military officer, born in the Americas, who fought for the Continental Army and in May 1775, led a group of rebels against Fort Ticonderoga in New York. However, in 1780, improvement in morale staggered when it was found out that he had abandoned the fight for America's freedom and joined forces with the British.

Siege of Yorktown

General Cornwallis positioned his troops in Yorktown, Virginia, where he expected the Royal Navy to transport his army to New York. However, American and French forces swarmed the peninsula on September 28, 1781, preventing Cornwallis from retreating through the sea. In October of the same year, Americans began the battle for Yorktown and on October 19, Cornwallis surrendered.

American Diplomats

These people, to the peace negotiations in Paris in 1782-1783, were instructed by the Second Continental Congress to consult with the colonies' French allies and make no separate peace arrangements with the British.

End of Colonial Rule

On February 27, 1782, the House of Commons voted to end the war in America, and in April 1782, notable figures, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay began an informal peace negotiation in Paris. This treaty, (Treaty of Paris 1783), was finalized by officials from Great Britain and the United States on September 3, 1783. Passing this treaty ended the American Revolution