America Secedes from the Empire

 First Continental Congress in 1774  Only Georgia missing  Creation of the Association: complete non- importation and non-consumption  Violent to resisters

 First military engagement (April 19 th,1775)  British given orders to capture and destroy supplies  Wanted to capture Sam Adams and Hancock  Stocks and men both moved location  700 Britain led by Thomas Gage defeated 75 minutemen at Lexington and forced them to Concord  Minutemen were warned and defeated Redcoats and Concord and forced them back to Boston

Paul RevereWilliam Dawes Samuel Prescott

 Gives sole credit to Revere  Revere only completed first part of mission  Prescott only one who made it to warn colonists in Concord

 May 10 th, 1775  Olive Branch Petition  All states present  Raise money to establish an army and navy  George Washington chose as general of Revolutionary Army

 June 1775  The first official battle in the Revolutionary War.  Fought in Charlestown, Massachusetts.  Possession of Bunker Hill (Breeds Hill)  There were three times that the British attacked.

 Thousands of German troops hired  “Hessian flies”  Good soldiers, but not loyal

 In October 1775, the British burned Falmouth (Portland), Maine.  Colonists made an failed attack on Canada in hopes that it would close it off as a possible source for a British striking point.  In January 1776, the British set fire to Norfolk.

 Common Sense (1776) - argued that the colonies had outgrown any need for English domination and that they should be given independence.

 On July 2, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia's resolution of declaring independence was passed.  It was the formal declaration of independence by the American colonies.  Thomas Jefferson was appointed to draft up the Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration of Independence was formally approved by Congress on July 4, 1776.

 Loyalists were called "Tories“  Patriots were called "Whigs."  Loyalists -16% of the American population.  Loyalists were most numerous where the Anglican church was strongest.  The Patriots were numerous where Presbyterianism and Congregationalism flourished-mostly in New England.

 August 1776  British General Howe landed fleet off of Staten Island  Washington unaware of main army surrounding behind them  Washington and his men escaped to Manhattan Island.  On December 25, 1776: Crossing of the Delaware

 Burgoyne (British) wanted to separate N.E from southern colonies  British won small battles initially  Surrendered at Saratoga on October 17, 1777 to American general Horatio Gates (Burgoyne's Blunder).  This win made it possible for the urgently needed foreign aid from France.  Turning point in war

 Winter camp 77 & 78 for Washington and troops  Critical shortages  Firecake – flour and water  Inadequate clothing and food

 Started as British supporter  Commander of West Point  Offered to hand fort over to British for money  Became brigadier  Went to Canada, then England  "Let me die in this old uniform (Colonial) in which I fought my battles. May God forgive me for ever having put on another"

 From , the U.S. government fell nearly bankrupt.  British General Cornwallis fell back to Chesapeake Bay at Yorktown to await seaborne supplies and reinforcements.  George Washington, along with Rochambeau's army, and Admiral de Grasse cornered Cornwallis.  He was forced to surrender on October 19, 1781.

 Franklin, Adams and Jay  Florida given to Spain  Colonists granted generous boundaries, stretching to the Mississippi on the west, to the Great Lakes on the north, and to Spanish Florida on the south.  Yankees were to retain a share in the priceless fisheries of Newfoundland.  The Loyalists were to no longer be prosecuted.  Congress was to recommend to the state legislatures that confiscated Loyalist property be restored.

Jay, Adams, Franklin, Laurens, and William T. Franklin