Chapter 8 - America Secedes from the Empire

Congress Drafts George Washington

==George Washington== ==was elected by the Second Continental Congress to lead the Continental Army==

Bunker Hill and Hessian Hirelings

Colonists had mixed feelings about their independence from 1775-1776: some wanted to fix their differences and others wished to fight the British
In June of 1775, the colonists captured Bunker Hill and the British took it back, at the price of heavy casualties
The Second Continental Congress released the “Olive Branch Petition” which declared American loyalty to the English and King and asked him to stop future hostility
- The “Olive Branch Petition” was rejected which caused Americans to choose to fight to become independent or to submit to the oppression British rule
King George III declared that the colonies were in rebellion in August of 1775 and hired German Hessians to reinstate order to the colonies

The Abortive Conquest of Canada

British burned Falmouth in October of 1775
Colonists attacked Canada, hoping to add it as a 14th colony and remove the possibility of the British establishing a base there with the attack failing with the death of General Richard Montgomery
The British burned the town of Norfolk, Virginia in January 1776

Thomas Paine Preaches Common Sense

Americans continued to deny intentions for independence due to a deeply ingrained loyalty to the British empire
Many Americans continued to see themselves as a part of the transatlantic community with Britain as the mother country
Colonial unity was weak with open rebellion being quite dangerous
==Thomas Paine== ==released a pamphlet called Common Sense in 1776==
- Argued that it was time for the colonies to outgrow need for English domination and instead be granted independence

Paine and the Idea of "Republicanism"

==Thomas Paine== ==called for the creation of a new political society==: a republic political society in which power came from the people themselves which was outlined in his pamphlet, Common Sense
Some patriots favored a republic ruled by a “natural aristocracy”

Jefferson's Explanation of Independence

Richard Henry Lee proposed, at the Second Continental Congress that the colonies declare their independence
==Thomas Jefferson== ==was given the position of drafting the Declaration of Independence==
The Declaration was formally approved by Congress on July 4, 1776
- The Declaration of Independence was more of an explanation as to why the colonists wanted their independence from Great Britain

Patriots and Loyalists

Loyalists were known as “Tories”
16% of the American population consisted of the Loyalists with most Loyalists near where the Anglican church was the strongest with it being established in New York City, New Jersey, Charleston, and Quaker Pennsylvania which was the smallest in numbers in New England
The Patriots were known as “Whigs”
Patriots were mostly where Presbyterianism and congregationalism thrived which was New England
Most of the colonists were either apathetic or neutral during the American Revolution
Patriotic militias were successful in winning the “hearts and minds” of the American colonists

The Loyalist Exodus

The Loyalists (Tories) weren’t extensively persecuted prior to the Declaration of Independence
The Tories were subjected to ridicule, hangings, and imprisonments after the Declaration which led to many loyalists fleeing the British

General Washington at Bay

The British focused their forces in New York City and not Boston which was was due to Boston being evacuated in March of 1776
==General Washington== ==and his men were overpowered by the British troops at the Battle of Long Island in 1776==
- During the battle of Long Island, Washington and his men sought refuge and escaped to Manhattan Island
On December 26, 1776, General Washington ==crossed the Delaware River in order to surprise and capture a thousand German Hessians hired by the British King in Trenton==

Burgoyne's Blundering Invasion

London officials’ plan for capturing the Hudson River Valley in 1777 would sever New England from the rest of the states and effectively immobilize the American cause
The London officials’ plan consisted of the main invading force, led by General Burgoyne, pushing towards Lake Champlain from Canada, Howe’s troops in New York would be able to advance up the Hudson River if needed, and the third force commanded by Colonel Leger would come in from the west by Lake Ontario and the Mohawk Valley
==Burgoyne== ==was forced to surrender his command at Saratoga on October 17, 1777 to American General Gates==
Burgoyne’s surrender made it possible for Americans to receive the necessary aid from France which was a turning point in the war

Revolution in Diplomacy?

The French wished to support the American goal for independence
- The French hoped to weaken the British Empire
The Continental Congress drafted a Model Treaty that dictated that Americans would only have a commercial trading connection with France meaning that there would be no political or military connections
The British offered the Americans home rule after the British lost at the Battle of Saratoga
The French feared that the Americans and British would reconcile which led the French to create an open alliance with the Americans, meaning that the French would take part in the fight against Britain for American independence

The Colonial War Becomes a World War

In 1779, Spain and Holland allied against Britain
Catherine the Great led the creation of the Armed Neutrality
The Allied remaining neutral European countries against Britain
Britain decided t o evacuate Philadelphia and focus their strength in New York City

Blow and Counterblow

General Benedict Arnold turned out to be a traitor against American in 1780
==General Nathaniel Greene== ==was successful in clearing out the majority of the British troops that were in Georgia and South Carolina==

The Land Frontier and the Sea Frontier

The Iroquois were forced to sign the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1784 with it being the first treaty between the U.S. and Indians
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix ceded most of Native American land to the Americans
==George Rogers Clark== ==came up with the idea of capturing the British forts that were located in the Illinois country==
==John Paul Jones== ==is known as the father of the navy==
- Used the tactic of privateering
==Privateering== ==is when privately owned and crewed vessels are authorized by a government during war to attack and capture enemy vessels, men, cargo, and such==
- Privateering diverts the enemy’s manpower from the main war effort, brings in needed gold, harassed the enemy, and was effective in raising American morale through the provision of victories when there weren’t many

Yorktown and the Final Curtain

The U.S. government was nearly bankrupt from 1780 to 1781
British General Cornwallis retreated to the Chesapeake Bay Colony in Yorktown to wait or seaborne supplies and reinforcements
Admiral de Grasse joined the Americans in an assault of Cornwallis using the sea
Washington, along with the French army and Admiral de Grasse was successful in cornering Cornwallis and forcing him to surrender on October 18, 1781

Peace at Paris

A Whig ministry which was more favorable to the Americans, replaced the Tory regime in 1782
The conditions of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 consisted of British formally recognized the independence of the United States, Florida being given to Spain, now independent America consisting of territory that stretches to the Missiippi on the the west, to the Great Lakes on the north, and to Spanish Florida on the South
- The Yankees would be able to retain a share of the fisheries in Newfoundland and the persecution of Loyalists would come to an end
Congress was to make the recommendation to state legislatures that confiscated Loyalist property was to be restored
States promised to put lawful obstacles in the way of Loyalist property collection