Chapter 5 The American Revolution FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

Chapter 5: The American Revolution

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS • Five Major Decisions 1. Rejected a plan for colonial union under British authority 2. Endorsed a statement of grievances 3. Approved resolutions for colonists to make military preparations for defense in Boston 4. Nonimportation, Nonexportation, Nonconsumption agreements 5. Agreed to meet again the following spring

THE CONCILIATORY PROPOSITIONS • 1775 • Colonies would tax themselves at Parliament’s demand • Lord North hoped this would help to divide American moderates and cause colonists to pull apart • By the time colonists learn about these measures the first shots of the war had already been fired

LEXINGTON & CONCORD • General Thomas Gage • Knew about colonial preparations • Received orders to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock

LEXINGTON & CONCORD • Gage suspected a large store of gunpowder to be located in Concord (18 miles from Boston) • April 18, 1775 • Gage sent 1, 000 soldiers to Concord • William Dawes and Paul Revere warned the colonists

LEXINGTON & CONCORD • Lexington Green • Cpt. John Parker • Shots were fired • 8 Militia men killed • 10 wounded • The British advanced to Concord

LEXINGTON & CONCORD • British troops discovered the large store of gunpowder gone • They burned what was left • Exchange at the North Bridge • Outnumbered Regulars fell back to Concord • British troops were harassed by colonists all the way back to Boston

THE STATES UNITED • January 1776 • Thomas Paine Common Sense • 15 months prior • Emigrated from England • Paine wanted to focus American anger • Sold more than 100, 000 copies in a few months • Moved America toward independence

THE STATES UNITED ■Second Continental Congress ■ All colonies except GA sent delegates ■ Full Independence? ■ Modest Reform and early reconciliation?

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE • The First Phase: New England • Bunker Hill • Heavy damage to the British military • British determined Boston was not suitable for war • Too many Patriots • Tactically Indefensible ■ Olive Branch Petition – July 8, 1775 ■ Last conciliatory appeal to the King

THE STATES UNITED ■General George Washington ■ 43 years old/VA Aristocrat ■ Most experienced American officer ■ Admired/Respected/Trusted ■ Took Command = June 1775 ■ Military shortcomings ■ Leadership = Exceptional ■ Army of ~10, 000 vs Greatest Military in the world

THE STATES UNITED • Most Americans were moderate: • Main Pushes to Revolution: • War Costs - Human and Monetary • British recruitment of slaves, natives, etc. • Rejection of the Olive Branch Petition

THE STATES UNITED ■The Declaration of Independence • Thomas Jefferson ▪ Ben Franklin ▪ John Adams

THE STATES UNITED ■Responses to Independence • Colonies called themselves “states” • Wrote formal constitutions • Articles of Confederation • Adopted November 1777 • Continental Congress = Coordinating agency • Extremely decentralized • No Taxation

THE STATES UNITED ■Mobilizing for War • Without Britain – Supplies are difficult to find • Government Arsenal = Springfield, MA (1777) • France provided most of the weapons used • Financing the War • Not much “hard money” available • Citizens can’t afford bonds / other investments • Government forced to issue paper money • Inflation = huge problem • Ultimately borrowed from other nations

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE • American Advantages • Fighting on their own ground • Patriots deeply committed • Foreign Aid • British Advantages • • World’s best navy Highly trained army Better military leaders Many more resources

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE • The First Phase: New England • Bunker Hill • Heavy damage to the British military • British determined Boston was not suitable for war • Too many Patriots • Tactically Indefensible ■ Olive Branch Petition – July 8, 1775 ■ Last conciliatory appeal to the King

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE • Invasion of Canada ▪ Benedict Arnold / Richard Montgomery • Held Quebec • Franklin tried to secure alliance • Canadians did not want to join US

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■The Second Phase: The Mid-Atlantic Region • Gen. William Howe arrived with 32, 000 British soldiers • Gen. George Washington had ~19, 000 • Britain pushed the Continental Army to Pennsylvania

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■The Battle of Trenton:

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■The British Strategy: • Cut the United States in two pieces • Howe – move up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany • Burgoyne – move down from Canada along the Mohawk and upper Hudson Rivers • Howe abandoned the plan – decided to attack Philadelphia instead • British troops held Philadelphia • Washington established winter quarters at Valley Forge • The Continental Congress was moved to York, PA

WINTER AT VALLEY FORGE

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■ British succeed in New York, then suffer defeats ■ Burgoyne seized Ft. Ticonderoga ■ Enormous store of gunpowder and supplies ■ Benedict Arnold took Ft. Stanwix in New York ■ Bennington, VT John Stark defeated Burgoyne and he withdrew to Saratoga ■ Congress replaced Philip Schuyler with Horatio Gates

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■Britain and the Iroquois • 1776 – Iroquois declared neutrality • Not all in the Iroquois Confederacy were content to remain neutral • Mohawk siblings – Joseph and Mary Brant • Persuaded the Mohawks, Seneca, and Cayuga to join the British • The Oneida and Turcarora tribes backed the Americans • The Onondaga split into several groups

• • Thayendanegea Konwatsiaienni (Joseph Brant) (Mary Brant)

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■Securing Aid from Abroad • Militia Diplomats • Pivotal French Aid Benjamin Franklin (Portrait Gallery)

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■ The Final Phase: The South • Revolutionary Consequences of the Southern Campaign • Nathanael Greene • Yorktown British surrender to Washington (Library of Congress)

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■ Winning the Peace • Treaty of Paris – Sept. 3, 1783 ■ Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams ■ instructed not to make a separate peace, should consult with French on everything ■ Jay made a separate peace with London to prevent the French and Spanish from taking all land west of Alleghenies

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE ■ Winning the Peace • Treaty of Paris – Sept. 3, 1783 • British formally recognize independence of US with boundaries at the MS River, Great Lakes, and Florida • America had to stop persecuting loyalists and recommend to states to give back confiscated loyalist land

WAR AND SOCIETY ■Loyalists and Minorities • The Loyalists’ Plight • 30% of white pop. • ~100, 000 fled to England • expensive • Some fled to Canada

WAR AND SOCIETY • Weakening of the Anglican Church • Mostly Loyalists • Quakers were unpopular due to pacifism and Quakerism began to wane • Strengthening of the Catholic Church • French allies mostly Catholic • Immigrants = Irish • Vatican provided America hierarchy

WAR AND SOCIETY ■The War and Slavery • African American Desire for Freedom • South Carolina 30% defected to British military • Escaped during occupation • 1770 = 60% of the pop. • 1790 = 40% of the pop.

WAR AND SOCIETY Slaves began to resist white control • North = religion + revolutionary ideals = antislavery ideas • South = used religion to justify slavery • South = believed enslavement = white liberty

WAR AND SOCIETY ■Native Americans and the Revolution • Results: • Weakened Native holding on lands • Attitudes toward tribes = worsened • Whites resented tribes whom sided with Britain • Image of the “noble savage” developed • Redeemable if they assimilate • Thomas Jefferson

WAR AND SOCIETY ■Women’s Rights and Women’s Roles • Women left to run farms and businesses • Towns developed populations of impoverished women • Women sometimes rioted and looted and launched attacks on British troops for their Quartering

WAR AND SOCIETY ■Women of the Army ■ Women flocked to join the army as “camp followers” ■ Provided auxiliary services ■ cooking/laundry/nursing/etc.

WAR AND SOCIETY ■Women of the Army

WAR AND SOCIETY ■Women of the Army ■ Traditional gender distinctions were blurred in camps ■ Women became intermittently involved in combat ■ Molly Pitcher – took her husband’s spot at a field gun after he fell

WAR AND SOCIETY • Revolution did not change peacetime roles • Women began to question “rights of man” • Judith Sargent Murray – 1779 • Essay about boys / girls minds being equal education for all • Benjamin Franklin / Benjamin Rush • Education for women

WAR AND SOCIETY • Pre-Revolution Colonial Society: • Unmarried Women: • Same legal rights as a man • Married Women: • Virtually no rights • Can Not: • own property • engage in any legal transactions • Buy/sell/sue or being sued • Write wills • Get divorced

WAR AND SOCIETY • Revolution: • Strengthened Patriarchal Structure • Kept women under male control • “Republican Motherhood” • New country = new citizenry • Mothers had to raise good citizens • Teach about republican values

WAR AND SOCIETY ■The War Economy • American trade suddenly on its own • No protection from British vessels • No access to British markets • England itself…

WAR AND SOCIETY ■New Patterns of Trade • Caribbean/South America/Asia • Traded furs and hides for manufactured goods • Interstate commerce • States began domestic manufacturing • Homespun fabrics / Guns / Ammunition

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS ■American political ideology ■Assumptions of Republicanism • • • Citizenry needed to be independent land owners Also needed civic virtue to maintain govt. Few aristocrats ruin the government Talent and energy replace heredity Some will be wealthier than others, but all earn success

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS ■Persistent Inequality ■Always a “working class” ■Black workers = no rights ■Native Americans = killed/displaced ■Never full opportunity birth still matters

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS ■The First State Constitutions • Written Constitutions and Strong Legislatures • Executive power must be limited • PA eliminated Executive Branch • Governors could not dismiss the legislature • Legislative and Executive branches are separate • Did not embrace direct popular rule • GA/PA Only 1 popularly elected house • Upper/Lower Chambers • Property requirements for voters

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS ■Revising State Governments • Many state governments were ineffective • Too democratic • Massachusetts created a Constitutional Convention • The group would only meet to write the document • They would never meet again

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS ■Another change in revising governments ■Massachusetts • Stronger Governor • Elected directly • Fixed salary • Veto Power • Late 1780’s all states had strong executives and strong upper houses in the legislature

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS • 1786 - Virginia • Statute of Religious Liberty – separation of church and state • Written by Thomas Jefferson

THE CREATION OF STATE GOVERNMENTS • Toleration and Slavery • NE and PA abolished slavery early • SC/GA banned importation of new slaves • Slavery survived • Racial inferiority • Economic investment • Lack of alternatives

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ■The Articles of Confederation • Adopted in 1777 • Congress was the only national authority • Authority to conduct wars • Foreign relations • Appropriate, borrow, and issue money

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ■The Articles of Confederation • The Confederation lacked adequate power • Could not tax individuals • Could not draft troops • Could not regulate trade • For troops and taxes Congress needed to make formal requests to state legislatures

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ■The Articles of Confederation • To ratify amendments – all 13 states had to approve • State representation questioned under A. o. C. • Small states wanted equal representation • Large states wanted representation based on population

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT • NY / VA had to give up western lands to the national government • Articles finally ratified in 1781 (lasted until 1789)

DIPLOMATIC FAILURES • Treaty of Paris 1783: • Britain had agreed to evacuate American lands • • Britain continued to occupy forts along the Great Lakes Britain never made restitution payments to slave owners Britain also placed restrictions on their markets Conflict over western border • 1784 – Congress sent John Adams to London to resolve issues – no headway

DIPLOMATIC FAILURES • Articles of Confederation largest achievement = western lands • 1776 – a few thousand people lived in the Appalachians • 1790 – 120, 000 lived in the Appalachians • How should they be incorporated into the political structure of America?

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT • The Ordinance of 1784 • 10 self-governing districts • Pop. = smallest state – apply for statehood

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT • Ordinance of 1785 – The Grid • System to sell western lands • 36 rectangular townships • 4 townships = owned by the US • Auctioned = No less than $1/acre • Money used for public schools • Land speculators bought up most land • Average people could not afford it

THE SEARCH FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT • Northwest Ordinance (1787) • • Original ordinances favored land speculators Abandoned the 1784 districts (townships) Created a single “Northwest Territory” Territory could be divided into 3 to 5 areas • Apply for statehood: • Pop. = 60, 000 • Freedom of religion • Trial by jury of residents • Prohibited slavery

INDIANS AND WESTERN LANDS ■Indians and the Western Lands • Much of the western territory claimed by Indians • Congress tried to resolve these issues • Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee signed treaties • All agreements proved ineffective • 1786 – Iroquois repudiated an earlier treaty – threatened to attack western lands

INDIANS AND WESTERN LANDS ■ 1790 – 1791 Miami Indians – led by Little Turtle ■Defeated the US forces in two battles near Ohio ■Nov. 4, 1791 630 Americans died at the Wabash River ■Greatest victory Indians would ever achieve against whites ■The Miamis refused to make peace and permitted no further settlement

INDIANS AND WESTERN LANDS ■ 1790 – 1791 Miami Indians – led by Little Turtle

INDIANS AND WESTERN LANDS ■Battle of Fallen Timbers - 1794 • • • “Mad Anthony” Wayne Led 4, 000 soldiers into the Ohio Valley Defeated the Indians in the area

INDIANS AND WESTERN LANDS ■Battle of Fallen Timbers - 1794 • Resulted in the Treaty of Greenville • The Miamis ceded many new lands to the United States • In exchange formal acknowledgement of land claims they retained

DEBTS AND TAXES ■Debts and Taxes • Postwar Depression 1784 – 1787 • Congress had no good way to raise money • Political Disputes over Economic Issues • Robert Morris/Alexander Hamilton/James Madison called for 5% duty on imported goods

DEBTS AND TAXES ■Debts and Taxes • Postwar Depression 1784 – 1787 • Congress had no good way to raise money • Political Disputes over Economic Issues • Robert Morris/Alexander Hamilton/James Madison called for 5% duty on imported goods

SHAY’S REBELLION • Rebellion in western Massachusetts: • Farmers = foreclosures and tax delinquencies • Captain Daniel Shays and followers demanded: • That the state issue paper money, lighten taxes, and suspend property takeovers • (Similar to the Populists in 1870’s) • Hundreds of angry agitators attempted to enforce these demands. • Massachusetts = raised a small army • Skirmishes occurred: • 3 Shaysites were killed • 1 wounded—the movement collapsed

SHAY’S REBELLION • Shays crushed, the memory remained: • The Massachusetts legislature passed debtor-relief laws • Shays’ outburst caused fear for upper-class • Civic virtue and liberty pushed aside for greed