american military history

tactics

how battles are fought and won

operations

planning and conduct of a campaign

campaign

series of battles

strategy

how a nation uses its military forces to win a war

doctrine

officially sanctioned ideas and methods that govern a way an army fights

three legacies from anglo/american military tradition

respect of military; fear of standing armies; militia

bill of rights 1689

king cannot raise a standing army; right to bear arms

Lexington and concord

April 1775; first fighting of the american revolution

what did Lexington and concord make the British realize?

police action in the colonies to quell rebellion was not enough

battle of bunker hill actually happened where

breed’s hill

battle of bunker hill

June 1775; tactical British victory; strategic British loss

why was battle of bunker hill a strategic British loss

it made Americans feel like they could win the war

advantages of Americans

fighting on their own ground; ideological and religious motivations; militia; need to stand their ground

american disadvantages

weak central authority; no army/navy; threat of indians/slave rebellions; loyalist dissent; militia with short enlistments

british advantages

world’s greatest navy; professional army; ideological conviction of obeying the king

british disadvantages

far from home; weak leadership; need to control a vast expanse of territory

battle of long island

summer 1776; GW american, Howe brit; tactical american loss

why did GW fight for NY in summer 1776?

political reasons; escapes with army intact

battle of Trenton - Christmas

1776 - restores morale; tactical victory

battle of Princeton

January 1777; restores american control of NJ

operational result of the trenton-princeton campaign

british withdraw almost completely from NJ

strategic result of trenton-princeton campaign

restoration of american morale

saratoga commanders

Americans Horatio gates and Benedict Arnold; British John Burgoyne

saratoga results

turning point of the revolution; american tactical victory, French decide to ally with the US

Philly campaign

brandywine in september 1777 and germantown in October 1777

brandywine was bad bc

outflanked, american defeat

what was the significance of the battle of Brandywine?

the american army performed respectably well in conventional tactics; Washington can replace his losses and Howe cannot

germantown

Washington uses a complicated plan to try and surprise British, results in a tactical defeat

significance of germantown

american troops do respectably well; Washington can replace losses and Howe cannot

why does Washington defend Philly

political reasons again, its the “capital”

valley forge

training arc- Greene and Steuben

Monmouth

1778; army does well; Charles Lee is courtmartialed for being a LOSER

ways the revolution was different in the south

militia is crucial; character of an insurgency; involvement of natives; exceptional brutality; involvement of blacks

american control seen as early as when?

1774 in the south

Moores creek bridge

Whig control of the south; convincing victory at a British attack

cherokee campaign

1776 battle of esseneca; whig militia win

savannah

December 1778; British capture and follow the river into the backcountry; hope that loyalists would help but they don’t

kettle creek

February 1779; loyalist militia vs Andrew Pickens

kettle creek results

important patriot victory; required British abandon Georgia backcountry

significance of kettle creek

British needed to show they could protect loyalists, but are incapable of doing so

British lock in on the south

1780; capture charleston in may; american disaster

key sc militia commanders

Thomas Sumter; francis Marion; andrew pickens

kings mountain

October 1780; militia v militia; Ferguson tries conventional tactics, whig militia uses backcountry tactics; american victory

cowpens, backcountry sc

January 1771

cowpens significance

show the role of the militia in conventional battle; disaster for the british

ways the militia is important

gathered supplies; mobilized manpower; gathered intelligence; win conventional battles with unconventional tactics

guilford court house

tactical defeat for Americans; militia unable to be used like in cowpens

why was guilford court house ultimately an operational defeat for the British, despite it being a tactical defeat for the Americans?

Cornwallis was forced to retreat to Yorktown and abandons the south

Yorktown

October 1781; Washington and the French pin Cornwallis

significance of Yorktown

convinced British parliament to give up on the war; last big battle

american navy was made up of

schooners; state navies; congress commissioned privateers; continental navy; continental marines

significance of the continental navy

established a fighting naval tradition

John Paul jones

bonhomme richard; captured a British ship; built proud american naval tradition

continental marines

1775; small division serving with the navy

legacies of the american revolution

brave free people could defeat a professional army; beginnings of a professional american military; military and patriotism; civilian control over military

Newburgh conspiracy

Washington quelled a potential military coup; resigned after war

articles of confederation

no federal army; congress cannot tax; no executive branch; weak federal gov

constitutional guards against centralized military power

division of power between congress and president; divided between federal army and state militias; third amendment (no quartering)

dual army tradition

american setup of having both a federal army and militias

whiskey rebellion

1794 Washington calls state militias under federal control to suppress internal rebellion

significance of Washington’s conduct in the whiskey rebellion

use of the state militias without violating personal liberties and adherence to the calling forth act/congressional authority

calling forth act

1792, steps a president has to take to mobilize state militias for federal service

impressment

the capturing of american sailors by British and French and conscripting them into their own navies

XYZ affair

1798, French demanded bribe money from diplomats, Americans upset, result of Quasi Naval War

Quasi Naval War

1798-1800 undeclared war where France and the US attacked each other’s merchant ships; agreement reached in 1800

Orders in Council

1807; British announcement that neutral ships can’t trade with Europe

Chesapeake Leopard Affair

British attack a US warship; peaceful coercion policy

how did the US try to escape being caught between France and Britain

force them to respect rights through economic reprisals; didn’t work

reasons for war of 1812

war hawks; orders in council; impressment; belief that british were funding Indian attacks on the frontier

war hawks

led by Henry clay and John Calhoun; nationalist and expansionist; pressured war with the British

problems America had entering the war of 1812

unprepared military; lack of funding; US not united in the war effort

who opposed the war of 1812

federalists and the New England states; would be the downfall of the Federalist Party

Niagara front

1814; battle of Chippewa, Lundy lane; tactical victories for american regulars against British regulars; shows capability

new crop of talented american officers

Jacob Brown; Winfield Scott; Alexander Macomb; Andrew Pickens

Chesapeake campaign

battle of bladesburg; militia is useless but the marines and sailors do well

Baltimore

fort mchenry; British could not get it to surrender; Francis Scott key writes the star spangled banner

lake Champlain

Plattsburgh; British unable to continue campaign by land

New Orleans

Jackson v. Pakenham; huge dub for the Americans; operational halt of British advance

three importance things about the New Orleans battle

Americans heard of the battle before the peace treaty of Ghent; Jackson became a national hero; solid control of Mississippi River

results of war of 1812

broke Indian power east of Mississippi River; solidified independence; reaffirmed the militarism/patriotism connection

reaffirmations of militarism/patriotism post-1812

opposition to national war effort seen as treason; built american naval tradition; star spangled banner becomes national anthem

group sizes smallest to biggest

unit; company; battalion; regiment; brigade; division; corps; army

noncommissioned officer ranks

corporal; sergeant; first sergeant; sergeant major; petty officer

naval officer ranks (lowest to highest)

ensign; lieutenant; lieutenant commander; commander; captain; commodore; rear admiral; vice admiral; admiral

commanding officer ranks (lowest to highest)

2nd lieutenant; 1st lieutenant; captain; major/lieutenant colonel; colonel/brigadier general; major general; lieutenant general; general

Evaluate the capabilities, performance, and importance of the militia in the American Revolution

King’s Mountain - use of terrain; gathering supplies and intel in the cowpens campaign; subduing loyalists in the south, kettle creek
militia important but not vital; negatives are unreliable, short enlistment, can’t plan campaigns

Tension in America between the need for an effective military and the fear of centralized power. What are some ways in which the US attempted to resolve the tension between 1775–1815

constitution, dual army tradition, whiskey rebellion, Newburgh conspiracy

primary role of the military until 1890

provide protection from indians on the frontier