The American Revolution and Its Meaning

1
The American Revolution and Its Meaning
2
Strategy
3
Yorktown

• After Saratoga, England changes strategy and
  moves South
• Could serve as a vase for attacking the North
• Many Loyalist in the South
• Howe is replaced with Clinton
• Early victories convince him Southern strategy is
  the way to go!
• Charleston, SC falls to the British
• Howe goes back to New York replaced with
  Cornwallis
• Gen Horatio Gates and Nathanael Greene is in
  charge of American forces in South

4
At Cowpens

• Little Battle 3, 000 men
• American Gen Daniel Morgan vs. British Gen
  Tarleton (Patriot movie)
• Morgan picked a spot so that the men had to fight
• Victory for Americans

5
Guildford Court House

• Took place in Greensboro, NC
• Pyrrhic victory for Cornwallis
• Most of army has been destroyed

Greensboro, NC National Park
6
Cornwallis leaves South Carolina

• Headed for Virginia
• Joined with Benedict Arnold
• Washington and Rochambeau discuss going after
  Cornwallis
• Word comes from West Indies, de Grasse will
  arrive with French fleet!
• American troops head for Virginia with 16,000 men

7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Yorktown

• Lay siege to Yorktown
• Cornwallis is trapped
• British navy not coming
• Cornwallis sues for peace
• The World Turned Upside Down
• News reaches England
• We have had enough
• Parliament votes to cease offensive and begin
  peace negotiations

10
(No Transcript)
11
Factors which lead to Victory

• Fought on home ground
• Help from the French ( and navy)
• Help from Military leader
• Friedrich Von Steuben trained boys at Valley
  Forge
• Marquis de La Fayette got French to support war
• Time on their side
• Loyal support from Continental Congress
• War unpopular in England
• British too dependent of German mercenaries
• Vast land

12
Peace Terms

• American commissioners
• John Jay
• Benjamin Franklin
• Henry Lawrence
• William Franklin
• England recognized American Independence
• Gave land all the way to the Mississippi River

13
After the War for Independence.
14
Was it a revolution?
15
No things stayed the same

• New government resembled the colonial government
• Economic relations stayed the same British
  biggest trading partner
• Landless did not get land
• Slaves (in south) remained slaves
• Native Americans still left out
• Women roles very much the same

16
Yes things were different

• New Constitution called the Article of
  Confederation to run the gov. of the new country
• Representative assemblies held the most power
  not the king
• Property qualification lowered or dropped
• Little power held by the federal government
• Democratic ideas spread
• Northern States free slaves

17
John Adam on the War for Independence

• "Revolution was effected before the war
  commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and
  hearts of the people . . . . This radical change
  in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and
  affections of the people was the real American
  Revolution."