The American Revolutionary War 17751781

1
The American Revolutionary War (1775-1781)
2
British Advantages

• Brits had greater numbers of troops
• Brits had an organized navy
• Brits were used to American soil. They had fought
  there before
• Lines of communication werent a problem
• The Brits had no European wars going on at this
  time

3
Issues for the British

• Logistics
• Needed loyalists help friendly port
• Brits had to consider politics and public opinion
  in Britain

4
Organization of American Military Effort

• Washington chosen to lead why?
• American soldiers had experience
• Asked men to enlist for 1 yr terms
• Each colony/state was asked to put together a
  state line
• Colonies were also responsible for providing food
  and money to the continental army.

5
American Issues

• Did not hit recruitment goals
• Only 1/3 of the amount of gun powder requested
• Get all 13 colonies to work together. Something
  they are not used to doing
• How to pay for war?

6
Outbreak of War - 1775

• After Bunker Hill the British occupy Boston
• Washingtons army is south of the city
• Ft. Ticonderoga
• British evacuate Boston
• Quebec

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War in 1776

• New York is captured by British
• Plan was to split the colonies control the
  Hudson River
• Warm water port
• Washingtons army decreased
• British plunder New Jersey countryside
• Americans win at Trenton
• One year term of most of Washingtons army was
  about to expire

8
Recruitment

• Congress authorized an army of 75,000
• Needed longer enlistment times
• Offered western lands

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War in 1777 the 3 Pronged Attack

• General Howe NYC
• North along Hudson
• General St. Leger Montreal
• West to L. Ontario, then due east
• General Burgoyne Montreal
• South along L. Champlain down Hudson
• All would meet in Albany.

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Results of 3 Pronged Attack

• Howe attacked Philadelphia to take the American
  capital
• St. Leger was defeated at Oriskany
• Burgoyne was defeated at Saratoga
• Colonial troops commanded by Horatio Gates
• Benedict Arnold cut off the British wounded

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Results of Saratoga

• Turning point of the war
• Brits lost an entire army
• Burgoyne did not get another command
• Howe resigned
• Americans got their first big victory
• French decide to enter the war

Horatio Gates
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Treaties with French Spring 1778

• Treaty of Amity and Commerce
• Treaty of Alliance

13
Two Important Foreign Generals

• Marquis de Lafayette
• Baron von Steuben (pronounced Stoy-ban)

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Benedict Arnold

• Arnold denied promotion
• Congress failed to reimburse him for expenses
  from the Quebec campaign
• He was court-martialed for failure to perform his
  duties
• This left him bitter and desperate for money
• Betrayal
• West Point
• John Andre

15
War in the South

• Brits hoped to find more loyalists
• Brits take Charleston, SC in 1780
• The South was much more of a patriot v. loyalist
  (Tories) fight.

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Generals

• Americans
• Nathaniel Greene
• top notch general, maybe best American general
• Daniel Morgan
• hard-fighting, hard-drinking backwoodsman
• tough guy
• British
• Lord Charles Cornwallis
• Ranking British general aggressive, good
• Colonel Banastre Tarleton
• Commanded cavalry dragoons
• A bit of a dandy, but a fierce fighter - vicious
• Battle of Waxhaws
• He killed Americans trying to surrender

Nathaniel Greene
Daniel Morgan
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Battle of Cowpens

• Americans strategy is to hit and run
• Cornwallis chases Greenes army
• Tarleton chases Morgan
• Morgan outfoxes Tarleton at Cowpens

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Problems on Both Sides

• Neither side could sustain a war much longer.
• American issues 1780-81
• Economic depression printed too much money
• there was no money to pay the troops or recruit
• Army wasnt discharging guys or giving furloughs
• Led to mutinies
• Could not hold the army together much longer
• B. British Issues 1780-81
• The length of the war was a drain on the people
  in London
• Was getting expensive to fight the war
• London was on the brink of civil war between
  protestants and Catholics

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Yorktown

• Cornwallis base at Yorktown
• Washington and Rochambeau from NY
• Lafayette from Maryland
• DeGrasse and the French Fleet
• Siege of Yorktown

Lord Cornwallis
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Treaty of Paris - 1783

• Terms
• British concessions to America
• _______________________________________________
• _______________________________________________
• _______________________________________________
• _______________________________________________
• American concessions to England
• _______________________________________________
• _______________________________________________
• Miscellaneous
• Both nations agreed to open navigation of the
  Mississippi River up to everyone.

21
Post War Issues

• Army stayed active after the war
• Keep an eye on the Brits
• Needed back pay and officer pensions
• Congress made these promises out of desperation
• The government was broke

22
Newburgh Conspiracy

• Officers threaten to revolt
• Officers offer to support Washington in a coup,
  but Washington refuses
• Payouts are not completed until 1820

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Pros and Cons of Revolution

• Cons
• 5 of all who fought were killedonly the Civil
  War had a higher percentage
• The financial strain was enormous. There was a
  legitimate question as to whether the country
  would survive
• Not all terms of treaty were honored
• Pros
• America won independence
• America has military and political heroes
• United the colonies