The American Revolution

The American Revolution

Introduction

  • America's victory against Britain was unexpected, considering Britain's status as the most powerful nation at the time.
  • Declaring independence led to significant consequences, as the colonists went to war with their primary partner.

Divided Loyalties

  • Not all colonists supported independence from Britain.
  • Only about 1/3 of colonists actively supported the patriots.
  • Some colonists preferred to remain neutral.
  • Others, known as Loyalists, wanted to stay loyal to the British crown.

Continental Army's Initial Struggles

  • The Continental Congress appointed George Washington as the general of the Continental Army.
  • The Continental Army faced initial challenges and did not win a single conflict in the first six months.
  • The soldiers were poorly trained, poorly equipped, and sometimes forced into service by local authorities.

British Forces and Strategy

  • British General William Howe arrived in New York with 10,000 experienced and well-trained troops.
  • Approximately 50,000 American Loyalists joined the British ranks.
  • Washington realized that a war of attrition was the only way to win, aiming to prolong the conflict until the British lost the will to fight.

African Americans in the War

  • Initially, Washington hesitated to enlist African Americans in the Continental Army.
  • The British offered freedom to enslaved people who fought for them, prompting Washington to make the same offer.
  • Over the course of the war, approximately 5,000 black men fought for the patriot cause.
  • Most were free men from the North, but some were enslaved people from the South fighting alongside white soldiers.

Turning Points and Foreign Assistance

  • A turning point occurred when Washington led his troops across the Delaware River on Christmas Eve 1776 and won a victory against Hessian soldiers.
  • The most significant victory for the patriots was at Saratoga in September 1777.
  • Benjamin Franklin had been in France trying to convince them to join the patriot cause, but France was hesitant until the victory at Saratoga.
  • Following the victory at Saratoga, Franklin persuaded the French to ally with the Americans.
  • A year later, Spain and the Netherlands also entered the war against Britain, spreading British resources and increasing the cost of the conflict.

Victory at Yorktown and Treaty of Paris

  • With the aid of French guns and ships, the final battle of the war was fought at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781.
  • Supported by French naval and military forces, Washington and the Continental Army defeated the British, forcing their surrender.
  • In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed by all parties, officially ending the war.
  • In the treaty, Britain recognized America as an independent nation with its western boundary established at the Mississippi River.