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