The Revolutionary war U.S. History 10

First Continental Congress Sept. 1774 in Philadelphia, PA All colonies there except GA 5 major decisions made: 1. rejected collective colonial assembly under British rule 2. statement of grievances 3. preparations for military defense 4. stopped trade with Britain 5. agreed to meet again

Lexington and Concord April 18, 1775 Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes Brits going for ammo depot in Concord Fighting in Lexington

Second Continental Congress Independence Hall, Philadelphia What were they fighting for? 1. independence: John Adams, Sam Adams, Henry Lee (VA) 2. conciliation: John Dickenson (PA) What caused 2nd Cont. Cong. to decide on independence? 1. human and financial costs of war 2. Brits recruiting natives, slaves & mercenaries 3. felt like Brits were rejecting reconciliation 4. Prohibitory Act: closed colonies to overseas trade

2nd Cont. Congress - Documents Olive Branch Petition: conciliatory towards Brits “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of taking up Arms” July 6, 1775 “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine 1776 - corruptness of monarchy - “satellite to rule the sun”

Declaration of Independence 1. restated theories of John Locke: government to protect life, liberty and property (pursuit of happiness) 2. listed crimes of the king 3. equality of man?

Advantages/Challenges British Colonists Advantages Best navy and army Command structure Money Supplies Ability to blockade Home turf Commitment to cause Foreign aid Blunders by Brit. Military George Washington Challenges Distance away from home Soldiers unmotivated Dealing with battles outside N.A. Military blunders Financing war Guns & ammunition Currency (lack) Borrowing money Decentralized military

Phase 1: New England 1775-1776 Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) - British win, but with huge losses Colonial siege of Quebec - Benedict Arnold Brits burning towns Brits hire Hessians (German mercenaries) Brits realize the war will be much harder than expected

Phase 2: Mid-Atlantic Region (1776-1778) Battle of Long Island, NY Gen. William Howe (Brit) 32,000 men Gen. Washington 19,000 men Brits settle into New York - Washington retreats to N.J.

Battle of Trenton, N.J. - Christmas night 1776 - Washington crosses Delaware - defeats Hessians in Trenton - drove Brits from Princeton

http://www. youtube. com/watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJdu_ortw0k&feature=related& safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

British strategy in 1777 is to cut U.S. in two Howe takes Philly Washington fails to take Germantown and winters in Valley Forge

Battle of Saratoga - Gen. Burgoyne (Brit.) campaign in the North - Benedict Arnold (colonial) relieved Ft. Stanwix & cut off valley in advance of the Brits - General Gates surrounds Burgoyne at Saratoga and Burgoyne surrenders. - TURNING POINT: b/c of this victory, France allies itself with the American colonists

The War at Sea Colonial Navy= very limited Letters of marque – licenses issued by American Congress to private ship owners so they could attack British merchant ships John Paul Jones – American Naval Officer who said, “I have not yet begun to fight.”

Phase 3: The Southern Campaign Savannah, GA taken by Gen. Clinton (Brit) and GA comes back under British rule (Dec. 1778) Charleston, S.C. taken by Clinton (May 1780) Gen. Cornwallis (Brit) left in command of Charleston.

Farmers and mountain men in the south began forming militias and fighting back. By 1781, the Brits only controlled the major cities, and none of the backcountry

The End Battle of Yorktown - French army and navy arrives to help colonials - Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold (now Brit) moved into Virginia - Washington and French allied cornered him at Yorktown, VA (Sept 1781) - Cornwallis surrenders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvGAE1JcGV4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

The Treaty of Paris Signed on September 3, 1783 U.S. recognized as a new nation Mississippi River considered western border Britain gave Florida back to Spain France got back colonies in Africa and Caribbean Nov 1783 – last troops leave NYC