AP US HISTORY

September 5 – 9 2016 Short Week

Historical Period

Historical Period THREE 1754 - 1800

TUESDAY (Open House is tonight)

  • Discuss the events leading to the Boston Tea Party and the British reaction (POL-1)(NAT-1)
  • Analyze key documents related to Colonial Tensions

MaterialsFormat

PPT/DocumentsLecture-discussion, group activity

Student Skills

Chronological Reasoning (1, 3)

Comparison and Context (5)

Historical Interpretation (7, 8)

Set

  • The years 1770 – 1774 probably represented the last attempt to avoid general bloodshed and revolution by the Parliament. The 1770 Boston Massacre was really a public relations nightmare for the British and a victory for American Whigs (the nickname that Patriots adopted taken from the name of the liberal party faction in Britain). The “massacre” truly created a sense of colonial unity for the first time in the sense that what occurred in Boston now meant something elsewhere.
  • The basic arguments had been the right to tax and the right to consent to those taxes. Now it meant more. Now it meant that Americans could be fired upon and no real repercussions would be felt. In 1774 another tax measure took center stage
  • As we saw last week the Townshend Duties, despite intent of the innocuous taxation, they created a furor. The colonial reaction was once again boycotts and protests and, once again the British backed down. They removed all Townshend Duties…. Except one

Procedure

The Tea Act 1773

  1. Unlike the other measures designed to raise money, this one had a different intent
  2. The British East India Company was in dire straits. If this company were to collapse it would ripple across the economy at a time of already high inflation.
  3. The Intent: Dump cheap tea on the American market to save the company
  4. The famous colonial reaction……or overreaction was the Boston Tea Party

The Coercive Acts 1774 a.k.a “the intolerable acts” represented a stern British Reaction to the Sons of Liberty’s protest. Parliamentarians howled for revenge and even some American supporters there were hard pressed to see the logic. The acts below were designed to finally show rebellious Bostonians who was boss.

  1. Port Bill: closed the harbor to all traffic until the cost of the tea was replaced. (It was symbolically paid for when the US and Britain allied in WWII).
  2. Second Quartering Act: Allowed British troops to commandeer unused property for the billeting of troops
  3. Administration of Justice Act: Called the “murder act” by colonists placed Boston under martial law and allowed for any hearing for a British soldier who killed a colonist to be held outside of the colonies
  4. Mass. Gov’t Act: suspended right of self-government
  5. **Quebec Act: This was NOT one of the Coercive Acts but colonists lumped it into the Intolerable Acts. It was something of bad timing with good intent by Parliament. It granted a higher level of self-government and the right to worship openly as Catholics in French Canada.

The First Continental Congress Meets

  1. Organize Protests (all except Georgia)
  2. The Suffolk Resolves: The two most important resolutions are below
  1. boycott British imports, curtail exports, and refuse to use British products;
  2. pay "no obedience" to the Massachusetts Government Act or the Boston Port Bill;
  3. demand resignations from those appointed to positions under the Massachusetts Government Act;
  4. refuse payment of taxes until the Massachusetts Government Act was repealed;
  5. support a colonial government in Massachusetts free of royal authority until the Intolerable Acts were repealed;
  6. urge the colonies to raise militia of their own people.

Conclusion

For both sides the Tea Party had lasting results. The British decided to become more aggressive and in response the colonists, far from backing down probably realized that relaxation of tensions was now impossible. Tomorrow we will see how this turned into violence.

Homework for Wednesday

Using your Textbook Complete the following sections

Thinking Like a Historian Beyond the Proclamation Line pp164 - 165 questions 1-4

American Voices: the Debate of Representation and Sovereignty pp 172 - 173

WEDNESDAY

  • Examine the outbreak of bloodshed in April 1775 (POL-1) (CUL-1)
  • Compare and Contrast forces in the American Revolution (NAT-1,2) (POL-1)

MaterialsFormat

PPT/lecture-discussion

Student Skills

I Chronological Reasoning (1, 3)

II Comparison and Context (4, 5)

IV Historical Interpretation (7, 8)

Overview

  • The outbreak of war took everyone by surprise. The more moderates in 2nd Continental Congress (which had just convened in May) wanted to draft and send what came to be called the “Olive Branch Petition”adopted by the Continental Congress in July 1775 in an attempt to avoid a full-blown war with Great Britain. The petition affirmed American loyalty to Great Britain and entreated the king to prevent further conflict. The petition was rejected, and in August 1775 the colonies were formally declared in rebellion by the Proclamation of Rebellion drafted by Parliament. Most of the radicals like John Adams called these guys “trimmers” sort of a 18th century version of “punks.” Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence spoke for the majority when it was issued July2, 1776 (no one seems quite sure why we celebrate on July 4th)
  • The first fighting onApril 19, 1775 at Lexington and Concord would be more characterized as a riot than a battle. The Minutemen (Massachusetts Militia) had been warned of the approach by British troops and no one is sure who fired first. On the retreat to Boston the British lost half of their fighting strength. The remainder were actually trapped in Boston until relieved and evacuated by The Royal Navy. It became evident that they could no longer hold this position following the June 17, 1775 battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill)
  • Was this a David versus Goliath story where a miracle occurred and God choose the more righteous side for victory? Is there a debate over who was the Goliath? Today we will briefly compare the two sides both for advantage and disadvantages. In the final analysis which factors will have the most weight in the conflict?

Procedure

I The British (Non-military)

  1. Despite the fact that the British economy was in trouble it was still vast. Not only could the British rely upon their own factories, money, transportation, they also had a vast empire.
  2. The British population in England (military age and workers) was much larger than that of the colonies.
  3. The British could still count on some native relationships (The Iroquois confederacy was split but still had some power and Cherokees of the south were also strong). The tribes would have preferred a British victory because they were still far away while the Americans were local.
  4. The British political structure (Parliament and King, defined military structure) represented an established chain of command.
  5. The British did not really have European allies. Most would loved to have seen them defeated. Because the Hanover kings were of German descent they could still rely upon some mercenary soldiers from their home region. Hessians were hated more than the British among the colonists.
  6. Loyalists (Tories) formed nearly 1/3 of the total population.

Military Factors

  1. The soldier in the field (age, training, esprit des corps) was generally professional. But of course they were trained in European style combat.
  2. The Generals (Officers and Generals, training, esprit des corps) were nobles who were trained in the old feudal tradition where they were seen as the leaders. As we will see, this did not make them effective leaders.
  3. The Royal Navy and merchant marine were unchallenged by any nation especially one that really had no naval power at all.
  4. In the realm of strategy and tactics the British should have had the advantage. But being a noble does not qualify one automatically to be a great leader.

II The Americans (Non-military)

  1. The economy (factories, money, transport) of the colonies was almost completely dependent upon trade with Britain. There were almost no factories and the Americans had always used British pound notes. The Americans did have internal transportation but the roads were horrible. There were several navigable bodies of water but were unusable in the winter.
  2. The American population (military age and workers) were small compared to the British. And about only 1/3 were true revolutionaries (called Whigs).
  3. Native Relationships (Tuscaroras and Oneidas) did support the Americans but that was a small group.
  4. The political structure (states and 2nd Con. Congress) was forming on the fly. As we will see later the system that was forming was very unusual.
  5. European allies, particularly the French, were itching to see the British taken down a notch.

Military Factors

  1. The American soldiers in the field (age, training, esprit des corps) was devoid of most of the materials necessary for victory. Yet they also had the one advantage that the British did not, they were literally fighting for survival. Defeat would mean execution for the officers and men.
  2. The Generals (Training and esprit des corps) were mostly untrained and those who were had been veterans of the British military. This was advantageous because they understood their plans. But one factor should be noted; we had George Washington.
  3. The American Navy? While the US had only a few ships, they were well led and fought some decisive battles (John Paul Jones was the most famous American admiral)
  4. There were some intangibles as well. The Americans had the cause of liberty while the British fought to imprison the colonists Wars of independence are always difficult to win if you are on the other side (like our experience in Vietnam)! The home field advantage was also important. The Americans knew the lay of the land.

Conclusion

Though the British seemed to hold all advantages this would not matter in the long run. Next week we’ll see that several of the factors on the American side will outweigh British advantages.

Homework

Instructions: prepare for a timed quiz on the sections above and pp: 168 - 179 in your text.

THURSDAY

  • Quiz on Washington, the Canada offensive, Thomas Paine, Analysis of the Declaration of Independence
  • Analyze primary sources on the Declaration of Independence (POL-1) (CUL-1)

MaterialsStrategy/Format

Text and quiz formAssessment/research and reading comp.

Student Skills

Chronological Reasoning (2)

Comparison and Context (3,4)

Historical Arguments (6,7)

Historical Interpretation (8)

Homework

Follow the link below and answer the questions associated with the documents. There are about 2 questions per source

FRIDAY

  • Examine three key battle of the American Revolution

MaterialsStrategy/Format

PPT and videoLecture-discussion

Introduction

  • As we saw yesterday, the British army for all of its strength and experience had some very critical institutional weaknesses. The commanders were used to blind obedience and their men often had no real will to fight. Furthermore some generals had no tangible experience. They were simply nobles and men of privilege. Some, like General Howe had no real interest in fighting fellow Englishmen.
  • The supply line for this war for Britain was thousands of miles away in Britain or from Canada. In either case, tactics were forced to follow the terrain. Meanwhile the Americans had interior supplies (though not a lot) and could more easily strike the British supplies travelling overland on terrible (often non-existing roads) or by sea when American privateers could catch an unprotected ship.
  • For the average British regular there was no real incentive to fight. Patriotism doesn’t last long in this style war and public opinion’s life span is even shorter (look at recent history).
  • Today we are going to look briefly at three battles as examples. All three are US victories and that’s not to say that victories were all that common. Most could be judged as draws in that neither side really won but both were exhausted and retreated.

Trenton and Princeton December1776-Jauary 1777 (we will omitted Princeton for brevity sake)

  • In the fall of 1776, Washington was in desperate straits, having been defeated in Long Island, and having to retreat from New York City, which being surrounded by water, was found to be indefensible from the British with their naval mobility and larger force. Leaving most of the army under Major General Charles Lee, in Westchester, he crossed into New Jersey.
  • The army was in bad shape having few rations and little ammo. Washington moved south first to Newark, and waited for the NJ militia to rally. Few showed up. For the past several months the men of NJ were supposed to alternate serving a month on duty in the militia, and now they were fed up with it, and stayed with their families. Most of the 1 year enlistments were up and men were leaving the army daily. Washington needed something to hold his army together.
  • The Hessians in Trenton were in an exposed position, and it was known that they would heartily celebrate Christmas on the night of Dec. 25th Washington decided on a predawn attack on the 26th, while the troops and officers were tired, and hopefully some suffering hangovers.

The Battle

  • Washington ordered the troops ferried across just after dark, but a storm arose, first snow, then freezing rain, snow and hail.Washington's aide, Col. John Fitzgerald wrote at 6 PM as the troops started across: " It is fearfully cold and raw and a snowstorm is setting in. Delayed by the storm, Washington's troops did not get across until 4 am, well behind schedule for a predawn attack.
  • At 8 AM Washington's party inquires of a man chopping wood where the Hessian sentries are, just outside of Trenton. He points to a nearby house, and the Hessians pore out and begin to open fire. The battle of Trenton is on. Moving quickly and driving in the pickets, both columns move in on the small town of Trenton. The Hessians are caught completely unprepared.
  • The Hessian officers tried to rally and form their troops, but the Americans moved too quickly for them. The Hessians are constantly disrupted by fast moving American units, charging in and moving to cover all routes in or out of the town. American cannon are placed on a rise that controls the two main streets of the town, and the Hessian formations are unable to form properly. They try to get some of their own cannon into action but these are captured before they can do any damage. The Americans moved rapidly and aggressively, closing in on the Hessian.
  • Hessian Commander Rall was shot and would later die and this quashed any chance of a counter attack. Many Hessians escaped in small groups, but 868 are captured. 106 are killed or wounded. The American army lost perhaps 4 men wounded and 2 or 3 frozen to death, captured 1000 arms, several cannon and ammunition and stores.The fighting lasted only 90 minutes.

Significance

  • The Revolution now had a chance, morale was improved, and the people once again believed they could stand and face the enemy troops. The British outrages in the invasion of NJ had turned many previously on the fence to the side of the rebels, paper money was acceptable once more and the rebel government and army found support again. Washington had learned to fight not the main British army, but its outposts, forcing the British to give up any effort to control the hinterlands of America. The French government, encouraged by the British defeats, released supplies to the American war effort. In England, the royal government started losing support for the war.

The Battle of Saratoga October 1777

  • In hopes of crushing the American rebellion before foreign powers might intervene, the British concocted a plan to invade New York from their base in Canada in 1777. Essentially, two armies would follow waterways into the Rebel territory, unite and capture Albany, New York. Once the town was in their possession, these British forces would open communications to the City of New York, and continue the campaign as ordered. Furthermore, the British knew that a victory would isolate New England and rally loyalist support

The Battle

  • Although the invasion had some initial success with the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the realities of untamed terrain soon slowed the British triumphant advance into an agonizing crawl. Worse for the British, a major column en route to seek supplies in Vermont was overrun, costing Burgoyne almost irreplaceable 1000 men. Hard on the heels of this disaster, Burgoyne’s contingent of Native Americans decided to leave.
  • American forces under Horatio Gates jumped the unsuspecting British column. British General Burgoyne had to withdraw to his force to an area near a river and the following day tried to withdraw northward toward safety. Hampered by bad roads made worse by frigid downpours, the British retreat made only eight miles in two days to a small hamlet called Saratoga; Gates’ army followed and surrounded Burgoyne and his army. With no other option Burgoyne capitulated on 17 October 1777

Significance