The Revolutionary War
Krister Swanson - History M25 - Moorpark College
Questions About Independence
- Women, Blacks, Indians
- Protection from French Spanish and Indians
- War is part revolution, part civil war, guerilla war
Second Continental Congress
- Convene one month after Lex & Concord
- Assumed authority, not legal authority
- Dual Task: Must raise & supply army and try to reconcile with
GB
- Radicals, moderates and Tories (loyalists)
- Massachusetts among most radical
- Washington chosen to lead army
- Issues $2m (without backing) in paper currency to fund army
- Created army, declared war, and issued currency in a matter of 2
months
Early Fighting of the War
- Bunker Hill: costly British victory after several assaults on
Breed’s Hill wear down colonists
- Howe keeps troops in Boston rather than pushing into countryside
- Washington tries to build discipline & structure among MA
troops
- 2nd CC offers Olive Branch Petition, rejected by GB
Building Case for Independence
- Paine’s Common Sense
- Republican democracy (people vote to choose rulers who represent
them)
- Consensus for Independence grows - debate focuses on specifics of
D of I
- D of I lays out ideology & grievances
Colonial Army
- Americans trying to form local militias into national army
- Try to use 3 year enlistment, women play key support role
- Blacks allowed eventually in limited roles
- Lacks discipline & professionalism of British, but highly
motivated
War Unfolds
- GB wants to divide & conquer – focuses on rebellious states
(MA & VA)
- Americans struggle, Trenton (12/1776) one bright spot
- War goes North, Americans win upset at Saratoga (10/1777)
- GB occupies Phila & Americans winter at Valley Forge
- Brutal war in West between Loyalists & Indians vs. Radicals
- GB decides to press war in South
- British take Georgia & install Loyalist government - look to
push north
- May, 1780: British take Charleston, Cornwallis establishes
military government
- War turns to guerilla warfare - British get stretched thin
- Cornwallis heads to VA - where he is pinned down by French &
Americans and surrenders
Home Front
- Committees of correspondence take over local government functions
- Workload of women changed dramatically
- 20-40% still loyalists throughout war - branded as traitors
- Real fear for many of democratic tyranny
- Financial instability
- Price fixing leads to black market, Corruption abounds
Peace Settlement
- Ultimately British lose because of problems with supplies &
help we get from France
- Colonies get freedom
- West boundary is Mississippi
- Indians ignored, their battle continues