Giddes APUSH Chapter 8

**I combined a few terms**

"Minute Men"

20,000 swarmed around Boston to coop up w/outnumbered redcoats during Lexington + Concord (April 1775); known to be ready within minutes to fight/defend

Second Continental Congress

met in Philly (May 1775); all 13 states were represented; conservation element still strong (even tho there were shootings in MA); no well-defined sentiment for independence (just wanted to fight until king + Parliament redressed the grievances); delegates adopted measures to raise money + create army + navy

George Washington

selected to head army besieging Boston; tall, dignified VA planter, served w/o pay, patient, + never rose above rank of colonel; largest command only ~1200 men; not a true military genius (lost more battles than won) but gifted w/powers of leadership + strength of character

Ethan Allen

he + Arnold led a tiny American force in May 1775 that surprised + captured British fort Ticonderoga + Crown Point (on lakes of upper NY); gunpowder + artillery found were to be used for Boston siege in the following winter

Benedict Arnold

he + Allen led a tiny American force in May 1775 that surprised + captured British fort Ticonderoga + Crown Point (on lakes of upper NY); gunpowder + artillery found were to be used for Boston siege in the following winter

Fort Ticonderoga

involved in a surprised capture along w/Crown point by Allen + Arnold; located on lakes of upper NY; gunpowder + artillery found were to be used for Boston siege in the following winter; American win

Crown Point

involved in a surprised capture along w/Fort Ticonderoga by Allen + Arnold; located on lakes of upper NY; gunpowder + artillery found were to be used for Boston siege in the following winter; American win

Bunker Hill ("Breed's Hill")

June 1775; colonists seized it; menaced enemy in Boston; British (under General Howe) were blundered bloodily when launched a frontal attack w/3,000 men; Americans were 1500 + moved down advancing redcoats w/frightful slaughter; store of gunpowder ran out, so forced to abandon; British in the end exhausted their forces in America (British win)

"Olive Branch Petition"

Continental Congress adopted this in July 1775 to profess American loyalty to the crown + begged king to end hostilities; king rejects it a month later

King George III

rejected Olive Branch Petition + claimed that skirmishes are punishable by death; hires thousands of Hessians to help crush revolting colonists

Hessians

german soldiers who George III hired to crush rebellious colonists; came from german principality of Hesse; Americans called all Euro mercenaries this; exaggerated reputation for butchery; proved to be good in mechanical sense but they were more concerned about money than duty

Richard Montgomery

Irish-born general who led invading colonists; formerly of British army (was a general); pushed up the Lake Champlain route + captured Montreal; at Quebec joined army of Arnold; failed to land a successful attack on Quebec + killed; whole invasion into Canada was a major failure; Canadians didn't show desire to welcome American colonists cuz of Quebec Act

Evacuation Day

March 1776; still celebrated annually in Boston when the British were forced to leave Boston + taking king's friend w/them

Loyalists

colonists who were loyal to the king; aka "tories" after dominant political faction; 16% of the American ppl + were more numerous among older generations; most numerous in areas where Anglican church as strongest (NYC, Charleston, Quaker Penn + NJ); least numerous in NE where self-govt was especially strong + mercantilism was weak; "no quarter for tories"

Thomas Paine

author of Common Sense who wrote abt govt's nature + anticipated TJ's declaration that a lawful state is one that derived its powers from consent of the governed

Common Sense

written by Paine in 1776 abt the a govt's nature; anticipated TJ's declaration that a lawful state is one that derived its powers from consent of the governed ; thought king was a royal brute; best seller (120,000 copies sold in a few months); tried to convince Americans that their true cause was independence + w/o it, there can't be foreign assistance

Republic

a political society where power flowed from people rather than monarch; Paine said that all govt officials should derive their power from popular consent; Paine had ultra democratic approach + thought that individuals in such society needed to sacrifice their personal interests for public good; not everyone supported Paine + though that there should be an end to hereditary aristocracy but NOT an end to social hierarchy

Richard Henry Lee

member of Philly Congress; from VA; on June 7, 1776 said that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states"; decision was start of declaration of independence + end to British relations

Thomas Jefferson

tall, freckled, sandy-haired VA lawyer; recognized as a brilliant writer, so given task to write Declaration of Independence; congress appointed a committee to come up w/formal statement of separation from britain + task was given to him

Declaration of Independence

written by TJ + approved by congress on July 4, 1776; contained formal explanation for America's separation from empire like loss of natural rights + all misdeeds of George III

"Natural rights"

idea that all humans are born w/rights including right to life, liberty, + property; included as one of the reasons for independence

Declaration of the Rights of Man

a french declaration that was set 13 years after declaration of independence

Patriots

aka Whigs after opposition faction in Britain; ministry replaced Tory rule of Lord North; American rebels who fought against Loyalists + British soldiers; rebel militia appeared + conducted political ed; in areas where British couldn't maintain large military; convinced colonists that British army was unreliable + that they should just join the cause; harassed small British force; most numerous in NE

Benjamin Franklin

supported Patriot side but his son (William Franklin - last royal governor of NJ) was a loyalist

Samuel Adams

one of the leaders of the American Revolution; considered a part of younger generation who make revolutions energetic purposeful, + militant people surged forward; cousin of John Adams

Patrick Henry

a leader of the American Revolution + spoke before the VA Assembly saying "Give me liberty or give me death"

Battle of Long Island

August 1776; americans were outgeneraled + outmaneuvered; panic seized raw recruits; cuz of wind + fog; Washington escaped to Manhattan Island, crossed Hudson river to NJ, and reached Delaware River w/Brit close at heels; Washington's enemy General Howe decided not to speedily crush the weakened American force cuz country was rough + supplies were coming slowly, + didn't like winter fights (British win)

William Howe

general + enemy of Washington in Battle of Long Island; decided not to speedily crush the weakened American force cuz country was rough + supplies were coming slowly, + didn't like winter fights

Battle of Trenton

Dec 25-26, 1776; on Christmas day at night, Washington's soldiers stealthily began crossing the Delaware River, marched 9 miles South + surprised/captured 1,000 Hessians who were sleeping off Christmas celebration; provided morale boost

Battle of Princeton

Jan 1777; a week after Battle of Trenton; Washington slipped away (leaving his campfires burning) + defeated smaller British detachment at Princeton; another morale boost; British evacuated into central/southern NJ; washington then headed to winter headquarters in Morristown (American win)

John Burgoyne

British general aka "Gentlemen John"; led main invading force + pushed down Lake Champlain route from Canada; if needed, his troops would go up the Hudson River + meet near Albany

Barry St. Leger

colonel who commanded 1/3 + much smaller British force to help capture Hudson River; would come in from west of Lake Ontario + Mohawk Valley; forced defeated by Americans at Oriskany

Battle of Lake Champlain (Valcour Island)

British would try to recapture fort Ticonderoga in 1776; gen Burgoyne; for plan (to gain control of north + south waterways through NY + sever NW from rest of states) to succeed, win control of Lake Champlain; Arnold assembled whatever fleet he could + stalled time; Brit were victorious, but time was won (winter came so plans to control NY waterways put on hold until Spring 1777) (British win)

Battle of Brandywine Creek

Fall 1777; one of the 2 battles Washington was defeated in while keeping a wary eye on British in NY + quickly transferred his army to Philly (British win)

Battle of Germantown

fall 1777; one of the 2 battles Washington was defeated in while keeping a wary eye on British in NY and quickly transferred his army to Philly (British win)

Baron von Steuben

Prussian drillmaster who whipped (taught) American soldiers how to successfully fight the British

Valley Forge

Penn site of Washington's Continental Army camp during winter of 1777-1778

Battle of Oriskany

St. Leger defeated by American forces; British army trapped; Arnold shot in the leg; Americans driven back here; American win

Battle of Saratoga

turning point of revolution; very important cuz it convinced France to give American military support; lifted American spirits + ended the british threat in NE by taking control of Hudson River; showed the Fre that Americans had potential to beat Britain; Americans won

Horatio Gates

american general whose troops defeated the British at saratoga

Model Treaty

drafted by Continental Congress in summer 1776; guided the American commissioners abt the dispatch to the Fre court; John Adams described its basic principles (no political connections no military connections, + only a commercial connection)

Catherine the Great

empress of Russia who organized "Armed Neutrality"; demanded more respect for their rights + one of the maritime neutral of Euro who suffered from Britain dominance overseas

Armed Neutrality

organized by catherine the great + later called it "armed nullity"; lined up almost all the Euro neutral in an attitude of hostility towards British; revolutionary war is now fought in SA, caribbean, + asia

Battle of Monmouth

washington attacked British as they were trying to evacuate Philly + concentrate their strength in NYC; ppl collapsed/died from sunstrokes; indecisive battle; British manded to escape to NY but 1/3 of hessians deserted; washington stayed in NY surrounded by British (American win)

Comte de Rochambeau

commanded powerful Fre army of 6,000 troops in summer 1780 + arrived in Newport (RI); planned attack on NYC; american suspicions rose abt him since he was a previous enemy, but Fre gold + goodwill resolved it

West Point

key American fort on Hudson River that Arnold attempted to hand over to the British (was a traitor); commanded the Hudson River + attempted to be sold for 6,300 lbs + an officer's commission; attempt was detected + arnold fled to British

Battle of King's Mountain

late 1780 to early 1781; American rifleman wiped out a British detachment; turns tide in South; American win

Battle of Cowpens

Americans defeated smaller British force; turns tide in South; american win

Nathanael Greene

american general + quaker-reared tactician who used his tragedy of delay; lost the battle; exhausted Gen Cornwallis's force + succeeded in cleaning most of GA + SC of British troops

Charles Cornwallis

British general who had most of his troops exhausted by Greene in GA + SC; lost Battle of Yorktown + commonly known as the end of war in 1781

Joseph Brant

Mohawk chief + a convert to Anglicanism who believed that Britain would be victorious IF they restrained American expansion into west; sided w/British + ravaged large areas of Penn

Treaty of For Stanwix

1784; first treaty between US + Natives; under the agreement that the Natives would give up most of their land

George Rogers Clark

frontiersman + patriot who decided to seize British forced by surprise cuz British forts in Illinois country were scattered + vulnerable; 1778-1779 he w/~175 men floated down Ohio River + quickly captured the forts of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, + Vincennes; would lead British to giving up northern region of Ohio River

John Paul Jones

american naval commander whose main contribution was destroying British merchant ships which caused things to die down in British Isles

Privateers

"sailors of fortune"; privately owned armed ships (legalized pirates); allied by congress to prey on enemy ships; often responded w/patriotism + profit; 70,000 men sailed off + captured 600 British prizes, but British ended up capturing as many of these pirates; brought in needed gold, harassed enemies, + rose American morales w/victories; caused British shippers + manufacturers to added pressure on Parliament to end war

Admiral de Grasse

Fre admiral whose powerful fleet from the WI blocked British reinforcement by sea, allowing Washington + Rochambeau to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown

Battle of Yorktown

Oct 19, 1781; last major battle; Cornwallis + his troops were trapped in Chesapeake Bay by Fre fleet; stayed in that location in hopes for supplies + reinforcements; ended up being surrounded by Fre navy + American army; surrendered

John Adams

one of the 3 American peace negotiators meant to gather in Paris + contributed to treaty of Paris; 1st vice president + 2nd president; sponsor of American revolution in MA, + wrote the MA guarantee that freedom of press "ought not to be restrained"

John Jay

one of the 3 American peace negotiators men to gather in Paris + contributed to treaty of pd; noticed that Fra couldn't fulfill desires of both American + Spain; unwilling to pay Fra their dues + saw signs that the paris foreign office was going to betray America's trans-Applachain interests for those of Spa; decided to secretly make negotiations w/London + Britain ended up coming to terms w/America; preliminary treaty would be signed 1782 (1 yr before final signing)

Treaty of Paris of 1783

treaty ended the war, recognized the independence of the colonies, + granted colonies generous boundaries stretching to MI to Great Lake to Spa FL; America retained priceless fisheries of Newfoundland; Canadians weren't happy cuz Americans secretly made negotiations w/Britain instead