Revolution Notes—Day 3
War on the Frontier
Though there was much back and forth fighting, George Rogers Clark succeeded in taking the British Fort Vincennes in the wilderness of the Great Lakes/Ohio region.
This victory gave the Americans a hold on the region. The region had an area over half the total size of the 13 states.
Fort Detroit remained in British hands.
Bernardo de Galvez, Spanish Hero
Spanish governor of Louisiana
Galvez supplied Clark with funds.
Galvez also raided British forts on the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
As a result, the Mississippi River was open to American ships.
Galvez had a victory at Mobile in 1780.
Galvez had a victory at Pensacola-Spring 1781.
With this victory he won land for Spain.
Galvez helped the Patriots by creating a second war front… thus taking some pressure off of the American army. (Galveston is named after him)
(2nd3rd4th5th6th)
War at Sea
John Paul Jones was an American privateer.
Privateer – privately owned, armed ships that captured merchant vessels.
Jones commanded the ship, Bonhomme Richard.
It was named after the French version of Ben Franklin’s character, Poor Richard.
Jones patrolled along the British coast.
Very few American captains took their ships into British waters.
Jones attacked the British warship, Serapis, and sustained much damage.
When asked by the British commander if he would surrender, Jones said “I have not yet begun to fight.”
He won!
Not many others took war into British waters.
War in the South 1778-1781
After 3 years of fighting, British were no nearer to victory than in 1775.
France’s entry into the war had forced Britain to defend the rest of its empire.
Example: British had to move troops from the American colonies to defend the West Indies.
British generals decided on a new strategy—They would shift the focus of the war on to the South.
They hoped to benefit from many Southern Loyalists.
They also (correctly) expected slaves to join them—mainly for freedom.
At least 50,000 slaves served the British as guides, spies, and laborers.
From the winter of 1778 to the end of the war, nearly all major battles took place in the South.
November 1778—British captured Savannah, Georgia, leading to the capture of all of Georgia.
Patriot Setbacks
British then captured second major port, Charleston, South Carolina.
When the city’s 5,500 Patriot defenders surrendered, the Patriots lost almost their entire southern army.
New British forces under General Lord Cornwallis set out to secure the South Carolina countryside.
Led to bitter fighting.
Loyalists and Patriots formed guerilla bands.
They carried out vicious raids on each other.
Many times “No Quarter” was called and all prisoners were killed.
Francis Marion, also known as the “Swamp Fox” led raids for the Patriots and would hide in swamps.
Americans, led by General Gage, were defeated at Camden, South Carolina.
Spies and Plots
With the disaster at Camden, Patriot spirits sunk to a new low.
September 1780—General Benedict Arnold, a hero at Saratoga, joined the British side.
He had secretly agreed to let the British take over the fort at West Point, New York.
His plot was discovered and the fort was saved.
He supposedly did this for money to pay off his debts.
There were many other traitors including a secretary of Benjamin Franklin.
The Tide Turns in the South
In 1780, Washington placed Nathanial Green in charge of the Southern army.
He began a policy of mercy toward Loyalists.
He won Cherokee Indians over to the American side.
Green’s forces wore the British down by making them chase the Patriot forces through the countryside.
When they fought, the British were beaten down.
The End of the War
As war went into 6th year, in Britain the war effort was losing support.
Last year of war was fought mostly in Virginia.
Britain’s Lord Cornwallis had set up a base at Yorktown on Chesapeake Bay.
From there he could receive supplies from New York.
French forces came to the American’s aid.
About 6,000 French troops under command of General Jean Rochambeau landed in Rhode Island.
Washington and Rochambeau marched south with their armies.
French ships blocked off Yorktown from the sea, and drove back the British supply ships.
American and French ships bombarded Yorktown.
Cornwallis realized the situation was hopeless.
October 19, 1781 –Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000.
The Battle of Yorktown convinced Britain’s leaders to begin peace talks with Americans.
In November, 1783, eight years after Lexington and Concord, the last British troops left New York.
Why Americans Won:
British generals made errors in judgment.
Britain’s rivals helped the Patriots. (mainly the French)
British could not control the countryside.
Patriots had more to fight for.
Cost of the War:
25,000 Americans and 10,000 British died fighting.
Others died for other reasons… the cold, lack of food, disease, in prison camps.
The U.S. went into debt to finance the war.
Treaty of Paris 1783
Established that:
1. The U.S. was independent.
2. Boundaries extended west to the Mississippi River, north to Canada, and south to Spanish Florida.
3. The U.S. would receive fishing rights off of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
4. Each side would repay debts owed before the war.
5. British would return any slaves they had captured.
6. Congress would recommend that states give back property taken from loyalists.
(2nd)
Neither side lived up to the treaty….
The U.S. didn’t repay prewar debts.
The U.S. didn’t return Loyalist property.
The War and Social Changes
Revolutionary war brought about important changes in American society.
Land ownership could now expand west of the Appalachian mountains.
Revolutionary leaders got rich off of taking over loyalist property.
Effects of American Revolution
Inspired the French Revolution of 1789
Ideas of the Declaration of Independence
Debt from French war with Britain
Poland struggled for freedom.
Even in our own time, groups fighting against oppression and colonialism refer to the ideas of the American Revolution.