American Revolution: Key Battles, Leaders, and Strategies

2nd Continental Congress: (1775 to 1781)

ongress votes for independence on July 2, 1776

August 2nd most members signed the declaration

Tomas Paine thinks it is "Common Sense" (Phamphlet) to declare independencde

Thomas Jefferson's Independence Justifications

They must separate to "dissolve political bands"

They should be equal to England to be "a power of the Earths"

All men are created equal→The right is a natural part of us

The government is formed with the consent of the people

If violated they have the right to revolution

Virginia Constitution Ideas:

Virginia Constitution Ideas:

George Mason→Virginia Political Speaker

Wrote about Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness

John Locke→ Enlightenment thinker

2nd Paragraph: Need of Consent

Government is based on the people

Thomas Jefferson takes these ideas for the Declaration of Independence

George Mason

Virginia Political Speaker

Wrote about Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness

John Locke→

Enlightenment thinker

2nd Paragraph: Need of Consent

Government is based on the people

What were their reasons for staying loyal to Britain?

*20% of white Americans were loyalists* (Mostly Merchents)

They had some business with Britain and couldn't afford to ruin their business

**40% were neutral → they don't care who wins because it doesn't affect them bc farmers

**40% were patriots → fought against Britain

Women's Involvement:

Women gained managerial experience→Ran farms/businesses for husbands.

Some women dressed like men→ Fought as "Daughters or Liberty"

Abigail Adams told husband John 'remember the ladies' → we will not obey any laws in which we had no voice in creating.

Native American allies:

Cherokee and Mohawk allied with the British/Tuscarora

Oneida allied with the Americans

Virginia Royal Governor Lord Dunmore offered freedom to slaves who fought for British

20,000 slaves joined the British side.

General Washington didn't recruit this way

British Strengths

Powerful Navy

#s

Large trained army

Hessian Merchants

German "Pay" soldiers

British Weaknesses

3000miles from home

Little Supplies

No local knowledge

Overconfident

Soldiers were city dwellers -not used to camping in forests / fields

Officers are not always sharp - no fighting knowledge. Bad battlefield decisions

British

Strategies Change Over Time

Start trying to control Boston

Start trying to seperate NY from NE

Try to separate North + South in South

American strengths

Know the terrain/fighting on home turf

Help from Lafayette + Hamilton

Washington learns w/ time

Allies form

France

Spain

Netherlands

Farmers w/ musket

Von Steuben helps train

Weaknesses Americans

GW not experienced

Poorly paid soldiers

Numbers fluctuate

90-day enlistment bc have to take care of farm

No European fighting methods

Amiercans

Washington Learns from his mistakes

Earlier: Defend and Survive

Later: Trap British→Outsmart

Surprise attacks because they didn't have #'s like British

Most Americans had muskets to hunt - could only afford 50 yard accuracy muskets

Washington :

Appointed by secondal congress bc he was only colonial with battle experience however not many victories in experience

1st Continental Commander in Continental Army

Treaty of Paris 1783:

Officially ended the Revolutionary War

Decided the borders of The United States

redrew boundaries of America

Franco-American Treaty (1778):

France recognized U.S. independence

France sent troops, navy, and money

Turned war into a global conflict.

Lexington & Concord

1775 : It was the "Shot heard round the world"

Started the fighting

Paul Revere "Warning Ride:"

Bunker Hill

1775 : Had a lot of British casualties

Showed the colonists would fight

Olive Branch Petition

Request sent to Parliament by Continental Congress for peace → British said no

Want them to take back coercive acts

Dorchester Heights

GW fires artillery from a high point

Fires onto British Supply camp (Boston)

Convinced British to leave Boston

British went to NY

scares the British out of Boston - shows Washington getting better

Brooklyn/Long Island

Major American Defeat to British General Howe

GW was able to escape at night

Trenton

Attack by GW at dawn (Day after christmas)

Hessian Garrison of 15,000 in bad shape

3 points of attack

Took prisoners

Princeton

GW takes control of another Hessian Garrison

Kicks out the British

Only 2-3 days

Brandywine Creek

GW loses the battle

Leads to the winter of Valley Forge

Saratoga

3 Day Battle

British 3 prong strategy fails

General Howe disobeys orders

US General Gate defeats British

Forms a French and American Alliance

Valley Forge

Harsh Winter

Trained by Baron von Steuben→Army Improves

Camden (SC)

British General Conrwalls defeats the American Nathinial Greene

Cowpens (SC)

US defeat the British Calvary

Sends the British to Virginia

Yorktown

(Needed Battle of Saratoga because they needed the French allies)

GW + French Army vs General Cornwalls

French Navy run by DeGrase

French Artillery run by Rochambeau

**It was a siege → Surrounded British

Lasted 1 month

British strategy

How G.W overcame that

British tried to control Boston

The battle of Dorchester Heights (success)

George Washington used the element of surprise to log artillery on them

Battle of Trenton happened after Dorchester and also used element of surprise →Washington marched over Princeton and took over (success)

British strategy

How G.W overcame that

Battle of Saratoga (success)

British 3 pronged strategy fails, and U.S defeat British

Forms a French and American Alliance

British take over the south in Georgia

Cowpens victory forced the British towards Virginia

Tom Paine

- british guy to live in american

Common sense for american to declare independence

-u r 3000 miles away from britain so y shouldn't u be independent if geography is

Pamphlet that it makes sense that american become independent

British stragtegy

British - go to boston and split colonies, then go to ny and split colonies, and south because loyalists were there and wanted to divide colonies and thought they'd get americans support they went to ga/sc/va - americans force them there

Lowest point in war

winter in brandy forge

Lost brandycreek

No supplies, meds

Weren't many battles fought in winter

-How did George Washington evolve as commander that eventually won the war and independence?

earn from losses

Battle of L.I. - lost to Howe (British commander of Brooklyn)

Dorchester Heights - 1st win for george washington and forced

Increased G.W knowledge

12/26/1776 Trenton/Princeton - comes morning after xmas when everyone hung over and attacks them - hit where least expect : he saw cornwallis - leader of hessians mercenaries from Germanies and they were elite - Cornwallis comes to Trenton when Washington there then Washington goes to Princeton when he was gone and attacks and wins princeton and trenton

Cross the Delaware River

Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill,

1st 3 battles of revolutionary war

Olive Branch Petition

We had not gained independence yet

July 1775

a request for a peace treaty b/c fight had just begun and repealed coercive acts - King said no deal they are rebels

Saratoga importance

France saw this as a sign to go with Americans

Franco American Treaty, Battle of Camden (S.C.), Cowpens (S.C.), Battle of Yorktown and Aftermath .- with french finally paid off, last significant battle

Siege of yorktown - british trapped bc french shut down bay

Ritual of surrender

European tradition in battle - if u were winner u would accept ur opponents sword as a sign of them accepting defeat

A symbol of defeat and respect - losers surrender their sword and as a respect winners said u could keep it the sword

Washington improving battles

Battle of Trenton and Princeton proved Washington improving and first biggest victories

Nathaniel Green

Battle of Cowpens; losers at Camden but winner at Cowpens - drove British towards Yorktown - funneled Cornwallis towards Vg ending them up in Yorktown