Brinkley Chapter 5

The American Revolution – Gordon S. Wood selected chapters

Review Guide

American and British advantages in the Revolution

American:

• Fighting on their own land

• Committed to the war

• Substantial aid from abroad

British:

• Best-equipped Navy and Army

• Access to resources

• Coherent structure and command

Bunker Hill - American underdogs, proving that they can handle fighting the British army, British suffered heavy casualitites

Benedict Arnold - The infamous traitor, didn’t believe that the Americans would win so he     went to the British side, he helped capture fort Ticonderoga before betraying the Americans

Washington’s nine-day wonder (Trenton and Princeton) - not supposed to go to war in winter but Washington did anyway, Victories in New Jersey (Trenton and Princeton)

Loyalists and the Revolution - ⅕ to ⅓ of the country, 100,000 fled, not much change to the country afterwords, Loyalists (loyal to the king) fought for the Brits

Slavery and the Revolution - The British allowed the slaves to leave, not for emancipation, but in hopes to disrupt the American War effort. Happened a lot in South Carolina, British pushed some slaves to revolt

Ironies of the Revolution - Americans were fighting for their own freedom and to preserve slavery

Native Americans and the Revolution - Many remained neutral, some went to the British side because they favored them, they knew this war could replace a ruling group. “Get on the good side”

Women and the Revolution - followed camp followers, respect as mothers sewing, cooking, cleaning etc.

“Molly Pitcher” - Was bringing water to the American soldiers and took her husband’s place at a cannon after he was unable to fight

“Remember the Ladies” - Abigail Adams writing to her husband John

Judith Sargent Murray - Women and men are equal especially intellecutually

Articles of Confederation - The original laws for the American states

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - Gave more land to the mississippi river, map

Three phases of the War

1. New England

2. The Mid-Atlantic region

3. The South

William Howe - british commander, replaced Gage

Richard Howe - british naval officer

Gen Burgoyne - British general coming down the upper Hudson Valley

Guerilla fighting - Fighting style introduced with small surprise attacks, not traditional battle lines

Nathaniel Green - one of the most respected American generals

Baron von Steuben - gay, taught the people at valley forge how to use hygene and baoinettes

Significance of Saratoga - a turning point in the war because the British surrender and France ally

Cowpens - small American army comes forward and the British shoot at them not knowing the rest of the army is around the corner (Sneak attack)

Yorktown - washington and rochambeau

Cornwallis - surrendered, world turning upside down

Treaty of Paris - Made by Paris and France, instituted freedom of the American people

Washington at Newburgh -

America under the Articles of Confederation -

State Constitutions especially Massachusetts’s following the Revolution

Shay’s Rebellion - farmer who rebelled against government for taxes

Constitutional Convention - writing the constitution and talking of making a central bill of rights, each state could already have their own

Who attended / who did not

Nonattendees (5)

1. Sam Adams

2. Thomas Jefferson

3. John Adams

4. Richard Lee

5. Patrick Henry

Attendees (5)

1. Governor Borris

2. James Wilson

3. James Madison

Madison’s Virginia Plan - Radical, man with a plan, short king

James Patterson’s New Jersey Plan - supported by small states, amended the articles of confederation by adding to the powers of congress but also maintained basic sovereignty of the states

The Connecticut Compromise- an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that provided for a bicameral legislature, with representation in the House of Representatives

Enumerated powers - Basically the rights of congress

• Powers to tax

• Borrow/coin money

• Regulate commerce

Federalism - Unusual division between legislative power (Wood 161)

3/5 compromise - of the slave population would be accounted for in taxation and representation in the house of represnentaives

Electoral college - representatives from each state

Supreme authority of the Constitution -

Federalist - Those who supported the new constitution,

Anti-Federalist - Those who opposed the new constitution, bill of rights, small states that think all of their rights and powers will be taken away

Constitution be approved

Bill of Rights - An additional document that went with the constitution to protect the individual rights of civilians

Most significant consequence of the American Revolution (According to Wood) -                         A Rambunctious middling democracy

We vote some people but others are elected