The Revolutionary War

From Enlightenment to Revolution

• Enlightenment: “To challenge the authority”

• Voltaire: Freedom of Speech and religious freedom

• Montesquieu: Separation of Powers

• Locke: “Natural Rights” Rights given to everybody that can’t be taken away

Bringing the Ideas to Life!

• Declaration of Independence

• Locke to Jefferson

• “When the govt. does not protect the people’s rights, it is the right of the people to abolish the govt. and create a new one!”

After Lexington & Concord

• 20,000 colonists surround Boston

• Washington has men, needs supplies

• Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen seize artillery from Ft. Ticonderoga

• Washington drives British from Boston

• They will be back!

British overconfidence

• Did not guard Ft. Ticonderoga

• British ask for 20,000 troops, King gives 4,000

• Bunker Hill: Frontal assault

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Well-disciplined army• Had supplies, money• Best Navy in the world• Native American allies• Helped by mercenaries

• War not popular in England

• Fought in America

• No supplies, money• No Navy• Untrained army

• European allies• “Home-field Advantage”• Fighting for a reason!

British Americans

Battle Chart-Lex. & Concord

• April 18th & 19th 1775

• British attempt to seize arsenal;Shots fired, high #’s of British casualties

• Americans

Bunker (Breed’s) Hill: June 17th 1775

• British choose frontal assault, storm 3 times; Americans run out of ammo. British gain hill at big cost; Proved American’s desire.

• Who won: ?

New York: July 1776

• British retake New York and Washington begins retreat to New Jersey

• British

Trenton & Princeton: Dec. 26th, 1776 & Jan. 1777

• Washington uses “Victory or Death” surprise attack; captures 1000 Hessians;2nd victory at Princeton helps recruit soldiers

• American

Saratoga: Oct. 1777

• Arnold & Gates crush Burgoyne; British surrender 6,000 troops. Victory persuades French to join American. Arnold does not get credit.

• American

Valley Forge: Winter 1777

• Brutal winter; French and other leaders (Von Stueben) help train army

• ?

Charleston: 1780

• British capture 5,500 Americans. Worst defeat of war.

• British

“South”: 1780-81

• Nat Greene and the Americans avoid large-scale battles and let Cornwallis/British chase them=wears them out.

• NA

Yorktown: Oct. 1781

• Washington and Rochambeau (French) surround and bombard Cornwallis; force British to surrender. Americans win the war.

• American

Treaty of Paris 1783• Britain recognizes US as independent

• Northern border set at NE to Miss. Rv (Great Lakes)

• Miss. Rv. Was western border (Spain to west)

• Florida returned to Spain

• Britain to withdraw troops (?)

• Loyalists property & rights restored