Modern Military History Unit 1

Roanoke Island

first British settlement attempt in 1585, settlement mysteriously abandoned

Jamestown

first English settlement in Americas, founded in 1607, survived due to leader John Smith + local Powhatan tribe and tobacco

List the original 13 colonies

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia

What are the 3 colony groupings?

New England, Middle, Southern

New England colonies

long, harsh winters + short growing season, economy based on sea

Middle colonies

mild winter, longer growing season, economy based on grain farming and animal husbandry

Southern colonies

hotter climate, long growing season, economy focused on plantation growing cash crops

How did the French and Indian War begin?

disputed territory near Lake Erie in Ohio River Valley leading to conflict between George Washington and French forces

Which side do most natives except the Iroquois fight for?

French

What was the turning point for the British in the French and Indian War?

William Pitt is put in charge of running the war in England, spending excessively

Treaty of Paris (1763)

treaty ending French and Indian War, gaave British French lands in North America, set Proclamation of 1763

What issue plagued the Empire after the 7 Years’ War?

debt, sought to solve through taxing colonies

Sugar Act (1764)

lowered tax on foreign molasses to increase collectability

Stamp Act (1765)

all legal documents require offical stamp

Stamp Act Congress

meeting of colonial representatives in NYC to protest Stamp Act

Sons of Liberty

underground instigative group formed in response to Stamp Act including prominent members like Adams, Revere, etc.

Townshend Acts

tax on imported lead, glass, paint, and tea

Boston massacre

tension began with thousands of troops sent to Boston, incident where mob formed around guard, solider’s gun goes off, 5 killed and 6 injured

Boston Tea Party

British removed tax on tea only in Britian to help struggling EIC, over 50 colonists responded by dressing as natives and dumping thousands of lbs of tea into Boston harbor

Intolerable Acts

made to punish Boston, allowed extradition of criminials to England to face trial, colonists had to house British troops

First Continental Congress

12 colonies (except GA) decided colonies would fight back if British used force

Lexington

(April 1775) first battle of war of redcoats vs colonial militia, “shot heard around the world”

Concord

British caught in retreat from Lexington attempted to raid militia storage, pushed back to Boston

Dates of the Revolutionary War

1775-1783

Who was the commanding general for the British at the beginning?

General Thomas Gage

Battle of Bunker Hill

rebels given orders to capture Bunker Hill but fortify Breed’s Hill, Gage orders soliders to march up, British win but at major cost

Second Continental Congress

delegates meet in Philadelphia, send Oliver Branch Petition to ask for return to peace, George rejects, GW gains supreme command of Continental Army

What are the two types of American soliders?

Continental Army (professional), Militia

Loyalists

“Tories”, loyal to crowl, about 20% of colonists

What was the British strategy in the Revolutionary War?

army and Navy cut off and isolated Northeast from rest of colonies, reliance on loyalists down south to boost ranks

What was the composition of the British army?

grenadiers, light infantry, line companies

Common Sense

pamphlet written by Thomas Paine attacking King George and calling for independence with Enlightenment thought

Henry Knox

chief artillery officer for Continental Army, first Secretary of War

What battle was Washington’s first victory?

siege to Boston, aided by knox

Declaration of Independence

approved/created by Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776, headed by Jefferson

Battle of Brooklyn

largest battle of American Revolution, Patriots forced to retreat

What was the context leading up to the Battle of Trenton?

Washington’s army had been on the retreat for a while, needed a big win to convince men to keep fighting and sign another contract

What is the significance of the Battle of Trenton?

major morale booster

Marquis de Lafayette

French aristocrat dedicated to cause of freedom, volunteered to win himself military glory in America, like a son to Washington

Battle of Saratoga

turning point in war, surround General Burgoyne at Saratoga forcing surrender, solidified French support

Valley Forge

where Washington made winter camp in Pennsylvania, bitter cold + lack of food and supplies lead to lots dying, low point for army

Who came to train Washington’s men?

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

What shift did the British make to their strategy in 1778?

focused on the South beginning with Georgia

Battle of Monmouth

last major battle in northern states, narrow British escape and American victory

John Paul Jones

naval hero, attacked British merchant ships and civilian targets in North Sea, “Father of American Navy”

General Benedict Arnold

early America’s best general, bitter over being overlooked for promotion, name synoymous with traitor

Battle of Cowpens

turning point in the South from British victories to defeat, push British back north to Virginia

Battle of Yorktown

final battle, American + French army and navy surrounds British force

Treaty of Paris (1783)

confirmed US independence and set new boundaries for nation