The American Revolution Top 10 uncomfortable truths about

The American Revolution

Top 10 uncomfortable truths about the American Revolution https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=br. ZPDo. Ey. Eh. A

�Liberty , part I �https: //www. youtube. com/wat ch? v=XEMQSdhvtx 0&t=1310 s

Table discussion How were Britain’s North American colonies governed? (refer to your Tindall and Shi notes)

Cause of the American Revolution: Policy of “Salutary Neglect” � definition: producing good effects; beneficial. �Salutary neglect is an American history term that refers to the seventeenth- and eighteenthcentury British Crown policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws meant to keep American colonies obedient to England. �(from Wikipedia—ha ha!!)

Effect on the colonies �How do you think the English policy of “salutary neglect” and allowing some forms of self government for the colonies might have contributed to colonial resentment against England? (Think about this in conjunction with the policy of mercantilism? )

Cause of the American Revolution The Proclamation of 1763 �Proclaimed that land west of the Appalachian Mountains temporarily off limits to settlements. �British halt westward expansion to minimize costs in maintaining a military force to secure the Frontier. �Colonists upset. Especially those who had bought shares in companies or bought land in the newly captured territories. �However, this does create a fragile peace between the British and the Native Americans.

Cause of the American Revolution British Prime Minister William Pitt decides to fund the war through the British Treasury and through loans. This relieves the American colonists from fronting the bill for the war. However, after the war is over, Britain must settle its debts and pay for a standing army in America. In order to do this they decide to have the colonists bear some of the burden for their own defense.

Patriots or Insurgents? What does the author say were the various motivations of the patriots? Were these concerns generally personal/local or universal (across the colonies? ) What common assumptions about the causes of the American Revolution does the article question? Whom did slaves generally support. Why? Whom did Native Americans generally support? Why?

Lexington and Concord “The shot heard ‘round the world” https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ftqrv 4 l 55 -c

Opposing Military Strategies The Rebel Colonists • • • Outlast the British with a strategy of attrition [the British had a long supply line]. Avoid major battles against a more powerful army to wear the British down Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies (France). The British • Split New England (major area of rebellion) off from rest of the colonies • Blockade ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies, esp. from France. • Use domestic allies: loyalists, Native Americans, and slaves.

The Rebels ► Continental Army (commanded by George Washington). Regular army. Conditions were harsh and problems with supplying the troops. Desertions were common. The number of troops went up and down dramatically. ► Militia (irregular troops): more of a home guard, often fought Native Americans and loyalists on the frontier. Used guerrilla tactics more (ambush, small-scale combat) ► Native Americans: Though most fought with the British, some tribes sided with the rebels.

The British ► Regular Army (Redcoats) : highly trained and disciplined in European-style combat ► German Mercenaries: many from province of Hesse (hence the name Hessians) ► Loyalists: colonists who remained loyal to Britain. 20%30% of population. A significant portion of these people were African American. About 20, 000 loyalists were armed by the British ► Native Americans: Many fought with the British. They fought for their homeland their freedom. Not “for” the British

Loyalist Strongholds Perhaps 20 -30 percent of the population were active loyalists

Who were the loyalists? ► Small farmers, artisans and shopkeepers, (poor) southerners on the frontier ► Indentured ► British Servants officials ► Some wealthy merchants tended to remain loyal ► Anglican ministers, especially in Puritan New England.

African Americans ► 500, 000 out of a population of about 3 million in the colonies. Most were slaves in the south but there was a significant number of free blacks. ► British promised freedom to slaves who joined their cause (Virginia Gov. Lord Dunmore’s proclamation of 1775). Eventually 50, 000 slaves (10%) did flee and many joined the British. Most were put to work as laborers but in some were formed into fighting units. ► Continental Army at first refused to enlist blacks, but after the British issued their proclamations, the rebels reversed that policy and granted freedom to slaves to who did join. 5000 African Americans served in the Continental Army. ► These policies were largely designed to weaken the other side, not to free slaves. Rebels were all for freeing the slaves of loyalists, and the British wanted to free the slaves owned by Patriots.

Virginia Assembly Response to Lord Dunmore ► WHEREAS lord Dunmore, by his proclamation, dated on board the ship William, off Norfolk, the 7 th day of November 1775, hath offered freedom to such able-bodied slaves as are willing to join him, and take up arms, against the good people of this colony, giving thereby encouragement to a general insurrection, which may induce a necessity of inflicting the severest punishments upon those unhappy people, already deluded by his base and insidious arts; and whereas, by an act of the General Assembly now in force in this colony, it is enacted, that all negro or other slaves, conspiring to rebel or make insurrection, shall suffer death, and be excluded all benefit of clergy: We think it proper to declare, that all slaves who have been, or shall be seduced, by his lordship's proclamation, or other arts, to desert their masters' service, and take up arms against the inhabitants of this colony, shall be liable to such punishment as shall hereafter be directed by the General Convention. And to that end all such, who have taken this unlawful and wicked step, may return in safety to their duty, and escape the punishment due to their crimes, we hereby promise pardon to them, they surrendering themselves to Col. William Woodford, or any other commander of our troops, and not appearing in arms after the publication hereof. And we do farther earnestly recommend it to all humane and benevolent persons in this colony to explain and make known this our offer of mercy to those unfortunate people.

Reaction in one Maryland County ► “The insolence of the Negroes in this county is come to such a height, that we are under a necessity of disarmi them which we affected on Saturday last. We took abou eighty guns, some bayonets, swords, etc. The malicious and imprudent speeches of some among the lower classes of whites have induced them to believe that the freedom depended on the success of the King's troops. We cannot therefore be too vigilant nor too rigorous with those who promote and encourage this dispositio in our slaves. ”

Phase I: The Northern Campaign [1775 -1776] After driving the British out of Boston, the rebel army was ravaged by smallpox, failed to take Quebec and retreated. Summer 1776: huge British force routs Americans and takes New York City.

he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidelpowers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, & murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against thelibertiesof one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the livesof another.

Phase II: Middle Atlantic [1777 -1778] British capture Philadelphia Americans win battles in New Jersey British decisively defeated at the Battle of Saratoga (Oct 1777) Washington’s army suffers a grim winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Oct 1777 Battle of Saratoga upstate Y)N(key battle) The rebels win and the British army under Gen. Burgoyne surrenders. . France enters the war on the Americans’ side.

Before Saratoga there was the Battle of Bennington (VT) Aug 16, 1777 Major rebel victory, helped set the stage for the Burgoyne’s defeat at Saratoga. Forces from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont (Green Mountain Boys) destroy British and Hessian forces

My ancestor. . . Henry Walbridge fought and died in the Battle of Bennington “Henry Walbridge who was amiable in the social, esteemed in the Christian, faithful in the civil and brave in the military life. Gloriously fell in the cause of American Freedom in the Battle of Bennington on the th 16 of August 1777. ”

His brother Ebenezer Walbridge fought at also served there. He had also fought in the French and Indian Wars. He served on Benedict Arnold’s disastrou attack on Quebec and went on to become a general lead Vermont forces in a confrontation with NY force

“In Memory of Gen. Ebenezer Walbridge who departed this life Oct the 3 rd, 1819 in the 82 nd year of his age. He was an affectionate husband, indulgent father and friend to all mankind. He died in full belief of the glorious resurrection in and through the atonement of Jesus Christ our Lord. ”

Valley Forge: Winter 1777 -78: 25% of Washington’s Army died from exposure and disease. It was considered a “moderate” winter. Low temp in December was 6 degrees and low temp in March was 8 degrees.

Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1779 -1781]

The threat of slave revolts ► 1739 Stono Rebellion in South Carolina ► Slave holders freaked out ► Executed rebels and put their heads on pikes

Britain’s “Southern Strategy” • Britain thought that there were more Loyalists in the South. • Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving. • The British won a series of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!]

War in the South was particularly brutal… ► Washington's military commander in the lower South, Nathanael Greene, dealt with disloyalty by a policy of concessions to some, brutality to others. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson he described a raid by his troops on Loyalists. "They made a dreadful carnage of them, upwards of one hundred were killed and most of the rest cut to pieces. It has had a very happy effect on those disaffected persons of which there were too many in this country. " Greene told one of his generals "to strike terror into our enemies and give spirit to our friends. "

The Battle of Yorktown (1781) Count de Rochambeau Admiral De Grasse

American Prisoners held in rotting ships in the harbors outside of NYC, Philadelphia, Charleston. Prisoner Ship HMS Jersey. More Americans died in prison during the Revolution than died in combat.

-Rev. Thomas Andros ► "The lower hold and the orlop deck, were such a terror, that no man would venture down into them. Humanity would have dictated a more merciful treatment to a band of pirates, who had been condemned and were only awaiting the gibbet, than to have sent them here. . While so many were sick with raging fever, there was a loud cry for water; but none could be had, except on the upper deck, and but one allowed to ascend at a time. The suffering then from the rage of thirst during the night, was very great.

8, 500 -11, 000 colonists died in British prisons during the Revolution. Perhaps twice as many as died in combat.

Loyalists after the Revolution ► About 100, 000 Loyalists left the 13 colonies, including William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin. Many of these were former slaves ► Most settled in Canada. Some eventually returned, although several state governments excluded the Loyalists from holding public office.

North America After the Treaty of Paris, 1783

After the Revolution ► The Paris Peace Treaty required the Congress to restore property confiscated from Loyalists. In the Carolinas, where hatred between rebels and Loyalist was especially strong, few Loyalists regained their property. In New York and the Carolinas, the confiscations from Loyalists resulted in something of a social revolution as large estates were parceled out to yeoman farmers.