Studied by 64 people
Hyper fact checked using people's notes and online sources Use LEARN multiple choice or FLASHCARDS for most effective studying IMO. Credit due to Sofia's Bang em Up notes for filling in holes in my notes
What were some British advantages?
Most powerful navy
Established government and credit (money)
Loyal and disciplined army
Extensive wealth
Hessian mercenaries
Experience monarch
What were some British disadvantages?
Had to transport supplies and troops across the Atlantic (costly)
British leaders split on how to conquer the colonies
Parliament was out of touch with colonies and important officers weren’t competent
Little/no help from other nations
Did not know the land well
What were some American advantages?
Had a cause (for independence!)
Their home turf
Had support from foreign powers (French)
Superior guns (long rifle vs brown bess)
Only had to defend and push the British out
What were some American disadvantages?
No real government
(Congress did not have much except moral authority)
No navy (French helped later)
Dependent on states for troops and funds
Army lacked discipline and supplies
gunpowder, guns, cannons, rations
What was the overall British strategy?
Isolate colonies from the rest of the world and each other, then divide and conquer in 3 phases.
What was the overall American strategy?
GW developed a Fabian strategy. Never gamble whole army on major battles, only fight small skirmishes. Outlast the British who had a costly supply line. Win by not losing
What was phase 1 of the British strategy?
Attacked the source of rebellion, New England and mainly Massachusetts.
What started the fighting in Lexington and Concord?
General Gage secretly marched on Concord in order to seize rumored rebel ammunitions. Minutemen responded via Revere’s Middlesex Alarm and started firing at each other in Lexington.
What was the outcome of the fighting at Lexington and Concord?
The British split up to look for the supplies in Concord, but it had already been moved. So they had to retreat to Boston under heavy fire. As more and more minutemen arrived, they put Boston under siege.
What happened at Fort Ticonderoga (1775)?
Ethan Allen’s “Green Mountain Boys” and Benedict Arnold’s volunteer militia secretly marched on the fort and demanded they surrender. The British complied and the colonists obtains supposedly 80 canons and a bunch of guns and ammo.
Why did the British (Gage and Howe) attack Bunker Hill so fiercely?
The position commanded Boston Harbor and would let the British break out of the siege.
What was the result of the Battle of Bunker Hill? Why was it important?
The colonists repelled 2 out of 3 British assaults on the fort while being outnumbered with very limited ammo and equipment. While the colonists had to retreat in the end, they inflicted 228 losses on the British while only receiving 140 losses (Pyrrhic Victory). This raised morale since the war no longer seemed impossible.
Who led an attacked on Montreal and Quebec to take pressure off Boston and rally French support? (and failed)
Ethan Allen’s “Green Mountain Boys” attacked Montreal and Benedict Arnold tried to take the cities after they refused to support the revolutionary war. They eventually lost and got pushed back
What ends the Siege of Boston?
Henry Knox drags (supposedly 79??? other sources say 59) to supposedly Roxbury Heights (other sources say Dorchester heights) to overlook Boston and force the British to retreat on their ships.
What was phase 2 in the British Strategy?
Attack the Middle Colonies to divide them and cut off New England from the rest of the colonies.
What causes the Battle of Long Island?
After the British abandon Boston (Howe also replaces Gage), they need a new port in the middle colonies. New York was chosen since it has many loyalists and the Hudson River.
How does the Battle of Long Island play out?
British land at Staten Island with 20,000 soldiers in total. GW fortified in Brooklyn Heights and planned to draw the British in and then bombard them with artillery set up by Knox near Brooklyn. But, Loyalists helped Clinton move 10,000 soldiers through the Jamaica Pass and flank GW.
How did the Battle of Long Island end?
GW retreats to Manhattan with the help of John Glover and the Marblehead Fishermen and some timely dense fog. They row the entire army across to Manhattan without being detected due to the weather.
Who is Nathan Hale and what were his famous words?
A famous Patriot spy (he spied on the British) and was caught and hung. He says “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country”
What was the USS Turtle?
First submarine, but it really sucks
Why did GW desperately need a decisive victory around the time of the Battle of Trenton?
The continental army had enlistment problems already and many contracts were about to expire. Also to raise morale
When did GW read “The American Crisis” by Thomas Paine to his soldiers?
3 days before the fighting at the Battle of Trenton (December 23, 1776)
Why did GW choose to attack the Hessians at Trenton on Christmas?
He predicted they would be tired from partying. (Not really true, they were just exhausted from being on the lookout for an attack for weeks)
What happened at the Battle of Trenton?
GW crossed the Delaware again with his army in 3 groups. The main force made it to Trenton but the other two didn’t. They caught the Hessians off guard and won within 2 hours with minimal causalties. Seized lots of equipment and rations.
(Hessians thought Washington would not sail in those bad conditions)
Who painted “Washington Crossing the Delaware?”
Emanuel Leutze
What did GW do in order to keep some of his soldiers after Trenton?
He paid for their salaries with his own savings. 1500 of them stayed and 3500 came from Pennsylvania (maybe Virginia).
What happened at the Battle of Princeton?
GW had to retreat from Trenton after winning and Cornwallis recaptured it. GW is pinned against the Delaware and chooses to fight the British. He leaves behind some soldiers and canons to make it seem like they are digging in. Then he sneaks behind Cornwallis with reinforcements and catch him off guard.
What did GW learn after Trenton and Princeton?
Never to gamble with his full army in large battles. Instead only fight small skirmishes so he could never lose his entire army at once.
What happens at Fort Bennington?
British attack Fort Bennington to seize weapons from the colonists. John Stark and his skilled NY woodsmen militia push back Burgoyne.
What happens at Brandywine?
GW moves to defend Philadelphia but fails due to British canon bombardment and a flank attack by Howe (He was helped by loyalists again). Some cannons are seized by British at Brandywine creek. GW and his army are able to easily run away and evacuate Congress as they give up Philadelphia. He then is forced to camp at Valley Forge to protect them through the winter later on.
What happens at Germantown?
GW goes to attack British who are moving to Germantown after taking Philadelphia (Loyalists alert them again). GW almost wins because of their superior numbers, but loses since confusion leads to troops shooting at each other. British then regroup and fight back. (not a clear win or lose)
What does GW do after the loss at Germantown?
Blames it on bad luck and distorts the casualty count to keep morale high
Why did the British lose at Saratoga?
2 of the 3 groups did not show up (Howe and Clinton were late). So Burgoyne gets cocky and tries to fight with his 6000 soldiers alone and loses badly to: Philip Schuyler, Horatio Gates, and Benedict Arnold
Why was the Battle of Saratoga so important?
Demoralized the British army and parliament greatly, did not think the colonists were pushovers anymore
Incites the Franco-American Alliance, a turning point in the war
Gates gets really famous, so ppl start questioning GW and Arnold gets butt hurt
What were the 2 whisper campaigns that wanted to replace GW with Gates called?
Mifflin Maneuver (In congress) and the Conway Cabal (among military)
What were Lord North’s peace agreements? (don’t arrive until after the Franco-American Alliance lol)
Promises not to tax colonies and not screw with them. Colonists likely would not have agreed anyways since they were too deep into war.
What was the situation at Valley Forge in the winter of 1778-1778?
GW’s continental army has to camp there in order to protect Congress. Suffered a lot due to little supplies and rations, along with little support from Congress. 2000ish soldiers were killed by disease
What helped the soldiers preserve at Valley Forge?
Inspired by GW suffering along side them and refusing a hut until everyone else was out of tents. Wives came to assist soldiers by making food and clothing. Lafayette brought funds and French combat experience. Greene provided supplies near the end
THE CAUSE (spirit for independence)
Who helped train the Continental Army at Valley Forge?
Baron Von Steuben trained the army with Prussian discipline. He helped fuse their their spirit with discipline
Who gives up Philadelphia back to the Colonists?
General Clinton replaces Howe and leaves Philadelphia and goes back to NY
What happened at the Monmouth Courthouse?
GW orders Lee to go flank at Monmouth Courthouse. But Lee doesn’t like GW too much and screws up on purpose. GW court martials him.
Minor details:
Tempe Wick hid her horse from British when they looted her house
Molly Pitcher (Real name Mary Ludwig Hayes) supplied water for canon crew and shot canons when a member got injured
What happened at the Cherry Valley Massacre?
Native groups mostly sided with the British since they seemed stronger. British sponsored raids in Cherry Valley, killed 32 people. GW went to punish the Natives and burned over 40 native settlements (really just made Natives more reliant on British cuz homeless).
Iroquois were neutral
What was phase 3 of the British’s strategy?
They moved south in order to get access to the cash crops and thought there would be more loyalists to help them. (not true lol)
Why did the British attack Savannah and Charleston?
They needed a port in the South to land troops.
What happened at the Battle of Savannah?
British took it easily with little resistance. Colonists regroup along with the French navy to try and retake it. They fail so badly that the French sail away in embarrassment to regroup.
One of the bloodiest battles of the war, 1000 french and colonists die total
What happened in the Bonhomme Richard vs Serapis naval battle?
John Paul Jones sails one warship along with some modified merchant ships to London and screws around to annoy them (goes down Thames river to scare them). Engages HMS Serapis, the ships pass by each other shooting canons. Then the ships get stuck together and they fight each other deck to deck
Why is John Paul Jones a badass?
Bro says “I have not yet begun to fight” when the enemy asks if he surrenders, then kicks their asses and captures the Serapis
What happened at Charleston?
Colonists lost super bad against the British siege. General Lincoln eventually surrenders to British after 6 weeks of siege.
5400 surrender, 4 ship losts, and Fort Sumter
What happened at the Waxhaw Massacre?
Buford gets wrecked by Tarleton’s Legion while going to support Charleston. The legion kills a bunch of people even tho they surrender. This pisses the colonists off a lot
Who was the “Brave Boy of the Waxhaws?”
13 year old Andrew Jackson (6th president).
told to shine boots, but spit on them instead, got a scar from a sword
What happened at Camden?
Gates humiliated himself when he took Camden against warnings from his officers and then all his men got diarrhea in a swamp. They ran away from the army and Gates had to chase after them.
Who roasts Gates about Camden?
Hamilton says “But was there ever an instance of a General running away as Gates has done from his whole army?”
What was different about Nathanael Greene compared to Gates and what where his strengths?
Greene was trusted greatly by GW and a great tactician. He was a Quaker, nick named “the fighting Quaker” because quakers usually didn’t fight.
What happened to Benedict Arnold?
good leader, but big ego and arrogant, liked expensive living.
Aaron Burr said “Utterly unprincipled and has no love of country or self-respect to guide him. He is not to be trusted anywhere but under the eye of a superior”
busy malding about lack of recongition and then marries a loyalist and then tries to betray at west point but fails
What happened at West Point 1780?
Important defensive position that blocks the British from going up the Hudson River. Arnold gains command of West Point and is going to sell it to the British, but his plans are found on the spy John Andre and he runs away to London.
What happened at Kings Mountain?
Greene wants revenge against Tarleton’s legion and refuse to accept the British surrender Colonists win while being outnumbered 1,100 vs 1,400 (not sure if this is right, but they were def outnumbered)
What happened at the Battle of Cowpens?
Tarleton’s Legion gets overrun by Daniel Morgan and the British surrender.
Morgan says “Hold your head high … girls will kiss ya”
people were naked? or something lol
What happened at the crucial Battle of Yorktown?
French navy led by DeGrasse block British navy from intervening, allowing GW to push British to the coast without fear of British navy support. Cornwallis tries to escape across the York River but failed bc of a storm. Yorktown is sieged for 13 days and Cornwallis surrenders
What did Cornwallis do at the surrender ceremony at Yorktown?
He sends his subordinate to do the surrender bc hes too embarrassed. His subordinate tries to surrender to DeGrasse (french guy) but is told to surrender to GW. GW then responds by sending his subordinate to receive the surrender.
What was the Newburgh Conspiracy? (American Cincinnatus)
Officers wants GW to become a king bc they are dissatisfied with Congress. But GW hears about this and straight up refuses. Then delivers a powerful speech about it. He was humble and said that he was only a steward in a larger experiment. He also expressed that decisions should be made by the people since that’s what they were fighting for in the first place. Anomaly in history
What was happened at the Treaty of Paris 1783?
John Adams, John Jay, and Ben Franklin went to negotiate.
British were more scared of French and Spanish so they did not mind giving the colonists a lot that much.
New Prime Minister Rockingham was favorable to colonies.
British took long term view and wanted good relationships with US
French tried manipulating US to dislike British by making it seem like the British were giving them less land, and secure more land for themselves
John Jay outplayed them and gets the US a ton of land
What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris 1783?
US is recognized as independent country
Gets territory east of Mississippi and under Great Lakes
British concede fishing rights in waters off Canada
British remove troops “at all convenient speed”
Debts between individuals can be settled in court
Americans will “suggest” to congress to return loyalist properties to British (doesn’t happen lol)
US and Britain agree to share Mississippi river (no spanish tho)
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