1. The War for Independence
LESSON 2
The War for Independence

2. The First Shots of the Revolution
On April 19, 1774, the first shots of the Revolution were fired during a confrontation between British “Redcoats” and colonial Minutemen in the town of Lexington, Massachusetts.
The British were on their way to nearby Concord to seize weapons they believed were stored there.
Fighting took place throughout the day as more Minutemen arrived and faced British reinforcements.
Despite being outnumbered, the colonists managed to kill nearly 300 British soldiers, while fewer than 100 militiamen were killed or wounded.
The British retreated to Boston … The Revolution had begun.

3. The Battle of Lexington

4. South Carolina Prepares for War
South Carolina Patriots created the Provisional Congress to replace all legislative bodies.
The Provisional Congress formed the Council of Safety.
The Council of Safety oversaw the state militia and managed government business when the congress wasn’t in session.
Congress established a five-man secret committee.
The committee prepared for war in secret and intercepted the mail of British officials.

5. Patriots and Loyalists
The creation of the Continental Congress meant the royal government had no power in South Carolina.
Patriots wanted independence from Britain and supported the Continental Congress.
Loyalists wanted a peaceful resolution, not independence.
Every colony had Loyalists.
South Carolina had the second largest population of Loyalists; New York had the most.
As a result, the Revolution was not just a war between the colonies and Great Britain. It was also a civil war within the colonies.

6. Patriots and Loyalists
1/3 of the people were Patriots (supported independence)
1/3 were Loyalists (loyal to Britain; did not support independence)
1/3 did not care one way or the other
What role do you think geographic location and economic activity played in whether a person was a Patriot or a Loyalist?

7. Persuading the Backcountry
Most colonists in the backcountry were Loyalists
However, most of the backcountry people were not true Loyalists in principle, they simply wished to live their lives without government interference.
At the beginning of the Revolution, they thought the ruling colonists were worse than Britain.
The backcountry had little representation in the Provincial Congress and wanted more representation.
Because of this, South Carolina had more loyalists than any other Southern colony.

8. Persuading the Backcountry
Why might the backcountry folks have thought the lowcountry folks were hypocrites?

9. The Fighting Begins Fighting began in 1775 in the Northern colonies.
Americans won a decisive victory at Saratoga, NY
Turning point in war – Americans welcome alliance with France.

10. Turning Point – Saratoga, NY

11. The fighting continues…
Key conflicts of the American Revolution took place in SC and affected the state and outcome of the War.
Fighting began in 1775 in the Northern colonies, but after the British loss at Saratoga, they decided to try a new strategy…take the South.
Britain changed their military strategy an concentrated their troops in SC because of the strength and activity of the Loyalists there.

12. Bloodshed in South Carolina
In the summer of 1775, South Carolina’s leaders signed Treaty of Ninety Six with Loyalists in the backcountry. Both sides agreed to neutrality.
Neutrality ended in November, when fighting broke out between Patriots and Loyalists in the backcountry.
It was the first blood of the American Revolution to be spilled in South Carolina.
The Council of Safety sent 2,500 men to capture Loyalists.
Loyalists didn’t resist again until Britain could help.

13. South Carolina’s New Constitution
The Provisional Congress wrote a new constitution for the colony in 1776.
The constitution created a temporary government until the conflict with Britain could be resolved.
A new General Assembly replaced the Provincial Congress.
The balance of power between the lowcountry and the backcountry was anything but balanced.
126 lowcountry representatives in the legislature compared to 76 backcountry representatives.
John Rutledge became South Carolina’s first president.

14. Victory at Fort Moultire
The first battle with the British in South Carolina was on Sullivan’s Island, near Charles Town’s harbor.
This was a major victory for the Patriots.
Britain lost more than 200 men. Patriots loss fewer than 40.
The strong palmetto log fort helped protect the colonists from Britain’s cannon fire.

15. Victory at Fort Moultrie
To remember the victory, the Patriots added a palmetto tree to their blue flag, creating today’s state flag.

16. War in the South Carolina
South Carolina had to worry about the British and the Cherokee.
As Patriots fought Loyalists, the Cherokee begin to raid settlements along the frontier.
Britain supported the Cherokee raids, promising to return control of western lands if Britain won the war.
South Carolina soldiers defeated the Cherokee in the Second Cherokee War.
The resulting treaty cost the Cherokee almost all of their land.

17. Civil War in the South Carolina
Conflict between the lowcountry and the back country leads to a South Carolina civil war.
Britain wanted to ally with South Carolina’s Loyalists.
Britain took control of Charles Town in 1780.

18. Siege of Charleston March 29, 1780
Charles Town fell after a long siege by the British that kept supplies out
severe blow to the colonies
the greatest loss of manpower and equipment of the war for the Americans
gave the British nearly complete control of the Southern colonies

19. African Americans in the Revolution
The American Revolution impacted the lives of slaves as much as their white owners.
Many slaves were loyal to their owners and helped fight the British. Others fought for the British, who promised freedom to slaves.
Sadly, African Americans in South Carolina were not offered freedom in exchange for their service.
Most South Carolinians did not want to allow slaves to join the military because they were afraid the slaves would rebel if they had guns.

20. British Brutality Rallies Patriots
With propaganda images of the Boston Massacre, the Patriots were motivated to fight back.
Because of these brutal images, Many Loyalists joined the Patriot cause.
British behavior led many South Carolinians to engage in partisan warfare.

21. Partisan Leaders: Hit & Run Attacks
Thomas Sumter: the “Fighting Gamecock.” Harassed the British, disrupted supply lines & organized the backcountry.
Andrew Pickens: the “Wizard Owl.” Used guerrilla warfare & disrupted supply lines & communication.
Francis Marion: the “Swamp Fox.” Attacked British forces and disappeared into the swamp.
William Harden: employed guerilla warfare.

22. Battle of Camden
Patriots took another major defeat at the Battle of Camden in 1780.
The defeat signified that almost all of South Carolina was under the control of the British.
American forces were defeated because the SC militia were unprepared at Camden and fled when British forces appeared.
As a result, the commanders of the Continental regulars could learn a lot from Partisan soldiers.
They began training American soldiers in partisan warfare tactics.

23. The Battle of Camden

24. The Tide Turns
Beginning in 1781, the Patriots began to have more victories, partly due to partisan warfare.
The civil war between Patriots and Loyalists continued in the upcountry.
Patriots won major battles at Kings Mountain and Cowpens

25. Battle of Kings Mountain

26. Battle of Kings Mountain
After British victory at Camden, Cornwallis sent Major Patrick Ferguson, Commander of Loyalists, into SC Up-country to rid area of Patriots.
Ferguson was ambushed by North & South Carolina mountain-men at Kings Mountain on Oct 7, 1780.
Using guerrilla warfare, Patriots killed Ferguson along with 1,100 of his men.
British tried to surrender, but were offered no quarter by Patriots in retaliation of harsh treatment British had given Patriots throughout SC
Kings Mountain is considered turning point of war in the south. Patriots won control of the Upcountry and from this point on, British began retreating from interior of SC.

27. Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens – YouTube (2:18)

28. Battle of Cowpens
Jan. 17, 1781: showed cooperation of regular Continental Army and partisan forces.
Partisans had a reputation of turning tail and running (think Camden Cowards). Americans counted on this reputation for the battle plan.
Partisans, led by Andrew Pickens, led attack and then pretended to flee, tricking British into thinking Americans were retreating. Instead, partisans lured British forces into guns of regular American army.
British were defeated and were forced to begin leaving South Carolina.

29. Battle of Eutaw Springs
September, 1781
Not the last of 137 battles fought in SC, nor a technical victory
the irreplaceable British troop losses made it strategically the final major battle in SC
Was considered a win Patriot cause and morale
Ended the British’s southern campaign; troops were forced to leave South Carolina for good.

31. The Final Days
Within a month of the Battle of Eutaw Springs, the British army surrendered at Yorktown.
As a result of the American Revolution, many Loyalists in South Carolina fled to Canada and the Caribbean

32. The Final Days—The Battle of Guilford Court House

33. Female Revolutionaries
Patriot women had to run farms and businesses while male family members were away.
Some women worked as spies, nurses, and messengers to help with the war effort.
Other women sacrificed their homes and took great risk to help.
Despite all, the ideals of the the Declaration of Independence did not include women.

34. Victory at Yorktown
The British surrendered in August 1781 at the Battle of Yorktown.
But the revolution didn’t end in South Carolina until
Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war
The United States was officially its own nation.