Chapter 4 - The American Revolution

Chapter #4, Section #3 - The Struggle for Liberty

I. Supporting the War Effort
A. Washington's chief task as commander-in-chief was to raise troops (recruiting)
1. 230,000 served in Continental Army
2. 145,000 served in militias
3. Average soldier - young, poor, received low pay, harsh conditions, dangerous job
4. Fighting for home and freedom
B. Finding and maintain soldiers would be a constant challenge
1. Continental Congress required states to supply soldiers
2. Wealthy men could pay others to serve in their place
C. Recruiting African Americans
1. Southerners disliked
2. Washington banned them from serving at first
3. British permitted them to serve and thousands joined
4. Caused Washington to change policy and allowed them to serve
D. Women
1. ran farms and businesses while husbands gone
2. raised money, made clothes
3. served as messengers, nurses and spies
4. Mary Ludwig Hayes (Molly Pitcher)
a. Battle of Monmouth - took husband's place after he was wounded
b. observed by Gen Washington
5. Deborah Sampson - woman who dressed as a man and fought several battles
II. Defeats and Victories
A. Canada
1. Some leaders wanted to make Canada 14 colony
2. General Richard Montgomery - captured Montreal in Nov 1775 while on his way up St. Lawrence to Quebec
3. General Benedict Arnold - led troops through Maine up to Quebec (different route than Montgomery). Ist attempt to take city failed. Waited for Montgomery. Both armies attacked during a blizzard on New Year's Eve 1776 and failed.
4. Hopes for taking Canada failed
B. New York City
1. Washington moves troops from Boston to NYC anticipating British attack
2. Gen Howe with 32,000 well trained/equipped regular troops against Washington's 23,000 poorly equipped militia men lose Long Island.
3. Washington kept retreating and lost a lot of men and equipment while fighting British in NYC. Eventually Washington retreated across Hudson River into NJ.
4. Nathan Hale - during a mysterious fire that broke out in NYC the British captured Hale who was working as a spy. Before his hanging Hale's last words were: "I regret that I have only one life to lose for my country".
C. New Jersey
1. Washington only has 6,000 troops remaining. Many of these have contracts that expire Dec 31, 1776. Hard to obtain enlistments if continuously losing. Defeat seemed likely without sudden change of events.
2. Gen Howe leaves NJ in hands of Hessian soldiers - German mercenaries (troops who fight for pay) at Trenton, NJ.
3. Thomas Paine writes another series of motivating pamphlets called the American Crisis to inspire Revolutionary cause.Washington has it read to his troops: "these are times that try men's souls".
4. Washington gambles and goes on the offensive. Launches surprise attack at Hessians on the day after Christmas 1776.
5. Hessians did not expect an attack due to holiday and major storm.
6. Battle of Trenton - Patriot victory. 900 Hessians captured. No Patriots killed.
7. Gen Charles Cornwallis sent by Gen Howe to chase Washington.Washington leaves Trenton by at night...but leaves his campfires lit to fool British.
8. Washington unexpectedly meets a British regiment at Princeton that was to join forces with Cornwallis.
9. At first Washington's troops run away. However, Washington personally leads counter attack putting himself 50 yards from British muskets.
10. Battle of Princeton becomes another Patriot victory. Many new soldiers enlist in the Continental Army...veterans re-enlisted
D. Saratoga, NY
1. Gen John Burgoyne attempts to cut off new England from other colonies.
2. Strategy (a plan for fighting battle/war) was to invade from Canada, retake Ft.Ticonderoga and sweep South to Albany.
3. Gen Howe was to sail up Hudson to meet him in Albany
4. While Burgoyne was traveling from Ticonderoga to Albany his 6,000 men were routinely ambushed by Patriots. Muddy conditions, thick brush and obstacles from Patriots slowed his progress.
5. Howe instead moves south to capture Philadelphia.
6. Burgoyne's army out of supplies and food surrender to Gen Horatio Gates on Oct 17, 1777.
7. Battle of Saratoga - was turning point of war. Morale soared and it paved the way for French assistance.
III. Help from Europe
A. French were jealous of British for winning French and Indian War. Were happy British experiencing trouble with revolting colonies.
B. Thanks to Ben Franklin's negotiating skills France, Spain and Holland pledged assistance to colonies.
C. Two Remarkable Europeans
1. Marquis de Lafayette - Frenchman recruited by Franklin. Served in Continental Army under Washington. Served as Major General. Gave a great deal of his money and wrote letters encouraging other Frenchmen to do the same.
2. Baron Friedrich von Steuben - Prussian military officer who taught colonial army drill at Valley Forge, PA. Patriot Army became much more disciplined and professional from his influence.
D. Help from France
1. Ben Franklin persuaded King Louis XVI to support American cause after victory at Saratoga.
2. French invest heavily on Patriot side. They provide: supplies, money, soldiers, and navy. Key factor in British defeat.
E. Help from Spain.
1. Spain joins war effort in 1779.
2. Bernardo de Galvez - governor of Spanish Louisiana. Leads an army from New Orleans east to Pensacola, FL to harass British forts.
IV. Pennsylvania
A. Fall of Philadelphia
1. Battle of Brandywine -
a. British disembark in Chesapeake Bay to attack Philadelphia.
b. Washington unsuccessful in stopping British as Brandywine.
2.Battle of Germantown
a. Washington tries to re-take Philadelphia by attacking British here during early morning darkness
b. Troops get lost due to darkness and fog. Some get held up by a Germantown mansion named Cliveden where dozens of British soldiers had taken refuge. Patriots unable to defeat British and resume attack.
B. Winter at Valley Forge
1. Dec 1777 Washington settles his 12,000 men at Valley Forge, PA
2. Very low on supplies especially food and clothing
3. Cold and bitter winter for Army
4. Bickering between states and Continental Congress kept supplies from arriving.
5. 2,000 of his men died from malnutrition and starvation
6. Survivors learned drill from von Steuben and became more professional
7. Washington puts Gen Nathanial Greene (best general) in charge of quartermaster
8. British spent winter in city of Philadelphia - lived life of luxury.
C. Gen Clinton replaces Gen Howe
1. Gen Clinton is recalled to NYC
2. Leaves Philadelphiawith 10 miles of war booty.
3. Washington attacks him at Monmouth, NJ in June 28, 1778
4. Gen Lee leads Patriot attack and retreats army
5. Washington relieves Lee and personally regroups army to lead counter-attack. Puts himself with 200 meters of British muskets.
6. Clinton retreats to NYC at night.
7. Battle of Monmouth - considered a tie for both sides. Von Stueban's training makes a big difference.
V. War at Sea and in the West
A. War at Sea
1. Patriots no match for British Navy - most powerful in world.
a. 1775 - 270 war ships
b. 1783 - 468 war ships
2. Patriots build a small navy 8 ships, establish a Continental Navy and Marine Corps during 1775/6
2. Seize British naval supply base on Nassau, Bahamas
3. Attack British supply ships (not Man-of-Wars)
B. John Paul Jones
1. Fled Scotland and came to America to escape murder charges.
2. Developed a reputation for capturing British supply ships.
3. Admired by French and given 7 French vessels to command.
4. Greatest victory was his defeat of HMS Serapis by his flag ship Bonhomme Richard (named in honor of his friend Ben Franklin)
5. Continental Navy used fewer than 100 ships which captured/sunk 200 British ships.
C. War in West
1. Land was controlled by Indians. Both sides tried to enlist their help.
2. George Rogers Clark - frontiersman/surveyor.
a. led a group of frontiersmen along Ohio River.
b. Captured British forts at Cahokia and Kaskaskia along Mississippi River.
c. Led a surprise attack on Vincennes, Indiana during flooding of nearby river. Using a lot of flags and trickery he made it appear to British that he had a lot more men than he really had. Got British to surrender without firing a shot.

Chapter 4 - The American Revolution

Section #4, Chapter #4 - Independence

I. War in the South
A. British became frustrated at losses in North. New goal was to invade the South.
1. Perceived more Loyalists in Southern states
2. Planned to free slaves and enlist them in British Army
B. Brutal Fighting
1. 1. More American Loyalists fight for Patriot cause due to:

a. British destroyed property and farms as they marched through South
b. Colonel Banastre Tarleton refused to take prisoners - causing great fear
2. 1778 - Savannah, Georgia was first to fall to 3,500 Redcoats. Put in place a new colonial gov't
3. 1780 - Charleston, SC was next. Gen Clinton's invasion force was 14,000 troops.
He captured city and took 5,400 POW's.
C. A Failed Attack
1. General Gates led a force of 4,000 men to take Camden, SC.
2. Most men, including Gates, ran away. Patriots suffer 3,200 casualties
3. Washington appoints his best General - Nathaniel Greene to take over Southern Army
D. Guerrilla Warfare
1. Patriots with few men switch tactics to hit and run.
2. Francis Marion (Swamp Fox) - best Patriot fighter in South.
a. Organized Marion's Brigade (group of guerrilla soldiers)
b. used surprise attacks to disrupt British supplies and communication routes.
II. Battle of Yorktown
A. Early 1781 - war was not going well for Patriots
1. Benedict Arnold, best war fighting general turned traitor. Plans to turn over West Point and General Washington

2. Gen Greene starts to build up army and begins harassing Gen Cornwallis 7,200 men in South.
3. Cornwallis who lost a lot of supplies chasing Greene seeks refuge in port town of Yorktown, VA with hopes of being re-supplied by British fleet.
4. Washington sees a chance to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown.
a. Sends his troops from NJ to help.
b. Asks French commander, General Comte de Rochambeau, to march his 4,000 soldiers from Rhode Island to VA to help trap Cornwallis.
c. Washington coordinates with Admiral de Grasse to have his French fleet parked outside Yorktown to prevent Cornwallis from escaping/being resupplied.
d. Cornwallis realizing he was outnumbered (16,000 vs. 8,000) and trapped without supplies surrendered his army.
B. Last major battle of Revolutionary War
III. Treaty of Paris
A. Ben Franklin led negotiations for peace treaty
B. British lost will and money to fight
C. Delegates took 2 years to reach an agreement
D. Contents of Treaty
1. British recognize U.S. independence
2. Set U.S. border at Canada (North) and Mississippi River (West)
3. British return Florida to Spanish (acquired during French and Indian War)
4. George Washington returned home after 8 years of fighting (had only been home once prior). Very popular...could have been king but refused.