1. Unit 3 Lecture The American Revolution
US History
Unit 3 Lecture
The American Revolution

2. Two Great Struggles Military Conflict with Great Britain
Political Conflict within America
Independence?
Structure of New Nation
Big Questions (slavery)

3. Independence v. Reconciliation
Second Continental Congress
At first, Reconciliation
Move Toward Independence
British recruitment of Indians, slaves, “Hessians”
Common Sense (January 1776)
Declaration of Independence

4. Declaration of Independence
Two Parts
Locke’s Contract Theory (also Rousseau)
Gov’ts to protect natural rights
List of Grievances & Crimes
What the king & Parliament had done wrong

5. Balance Sheet British Advantages American Advantages
Military Superiority
army and navy
Resources of Empire
Better central command
Home field
Greater commitment to cause
(Later) Foreign Aid

6. Money & Soldiers Needed
How to pay for war?
States not contributing much (Congress had no power to tax)
Continental currency worthless
Solution: borrow from other nations
What about the army?
No centralized command
Solution: GW put in charge

7. Phase One: New England Boston American attacks on troops in 1775
British victory at Bunker Hill
British troops eventually withdrew in 1776

8. Phase Two: Mid-Atlantic 1776-1778
British mistakes and bad luck likely lost the war here
General Howe (British)
Took NYC
Moved into NJ
American victories at Princeton & Trenton

9. Phase Two: Mid-Atlantic
Next British Strategy: Divide US in two
Burgoyne (British) down from Canada
Howe (British) up from New York
Failed Plans
Howe stayed in PA
Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga (October 1777)
Saratoga = Critical Point
British offer of home rule
French recognition of US (February 1778)

10. Phase Three: The South 1778-1781
British hope: To appeal to loyalists & slaves To the contrary: Support for independence increased as British troops moved through South (Meanwhile, stalemate in North) British surrender at Yorktown (October 17, 1781)

11. The Peace Players: USA, Great Britain, & France
US negotiated separately with Britain
Treaty of Paris (September 1783)
American independence
Land from Canada to Florida (not including), Atlantic to Mississippi River

12. War & Society Loyalists 1/5 – 1/3 of the colonial population
Up to 100,000 fled
Anglican church weakened; other denominations strengthened

13. War & Society
Slaves
North: All but NY & NJ abolished slavery by end of war
South: Slavery survived
Text: Conflict between liberty and slavery not as obvious as it is to us today

14. War & Society Native Americans White demand for Western land increased
Indians treated as conquered people
Paternalistic attitudes developed
Women
New roles, but little changed
Patriarchal system strengthened
Role of women as mothers valued
Teaching of republican virtues

15. War & Society Economy Growing American independence
Trade with other nations
Interstate trade