Declaration of Independence: Grievances

• A list of grievances against King George III of Britain, from the Declaration of Independence.

King George III's Actions

• Plundered seas, ravaged coasts, burnt towns, and destroyed lives of colonists.
• Employed foreign mercenaries, acts of cruelty & deception "scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages".
• Forced captured colonists to fight against their own people.
• Dismissed petitions for redress, proving himself a tyrant unfit to rule free people.

Attempts to seek resolution with Britain

• Colonists warned the British people about the King's oppressive actions and appealed to their sense of justice.
• The British ignored these appeals and they had no option but to separate.

Declaration of Independence

• Colonies declare themselves to be free and independent states.
• States have the power to make war, peace, alliances, trade, and all other powers of independent nations.
• The representatives pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to support the declaration.

The Declaration's significance

• The Declaration of Independence was brought back into modern circulation by Lincoln.
• Showed that slaves need to be free because “All Men are Created Equal”.

Patriot Military Strategies

• War of attrition: Avoid outright defeat, prolong the conflict to exhaust the British.
• Guerilla tactics: Utilize unconventional warfare methods.
• Alliances: Seek support from Britain's enemies, notably France.

British Military Strategies

• Block ports: Disrupt colonial trade and supply lines.
• Divide and conquer: Undermine colonial unity by dividing the colonies.
• Isolate colonies: Position soldiers between the North and South to hinder communication and cooperation.
• Control Hudson River: Strategic importance for controlling movement and supplies.
• Gain Loyalist support: Encourage undecided colonists to side with Britain.

Key Dates of the American Revolution

• June 7, 1776: Resolution on independence was made by Richard Henry Lee.
• July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence was officially declared.
• August 27, 1776: First major military engagement after the declaration.

Phases of the War

• Phase 1: New England (Lexington, Bunker Hill)
• Phase 2: Mid-Atlantic (British take the offensive, hiring German Hessians)
• Phase 3: South (British shift focus after failing to win in the Mid-Atlantic)

General Howe's Actions and the Battle of Long Island

• General Howe retreated from Boston and gathered reinforcements in Halifax.
• Howe attacked Washington's troops on Long Island, NY, forcing a Patriot retreat to Brooklyn.
• Fog miraculously allowed the colonists to evacuate across the East River.

Manhattan and Retreat to Delaware

• Colonists burned Manhattan as they retreated.
• Howe pursued Washington's army to Delaware throughout the fall.

Psychological Warfare

• General Howe unnerved the Americans using a fox call every morning with his hunting horn/bugle.
• Washington felt defeated.
• Thomas Paine composed "The Crisis" to inspire the troops and colonists.

"The Crisis"

• Written to those whose souls were being tried in the tough times.
• Argued that things are only worth fighting for when it gets tough and victory is more glorious when earned through hardship.

Trenton and Princeton

• "The Crisis" boosted morale and army size.
• December 25, 1775: Washington's troops crossed the Delaware River and surprised Hessian soldiers in Trenton.
• January 3: Washington attacked Princeton, catching the British off guard again.
• These victories boosted confidence.

Challenges of Unity

• Colonies saw themselves as individual entities, not as a nation.
• Fear of a large-scale republic and centralized authority.

The Confederation Congress

• Was the 1st government and was later known as the Confederation Congress/Articles of Confederation.
• Congress only had legislative power and each state had one delegate.

Powers Granted to Congress

• Power to have an army.
• Power to declare war and make treaties.
• Power to coin money.
• Power to create a post office.

Weaknesses

• No executive branch (no president), no judicial branch.
• 9/13 majority required to pass a law.
• Unanimous vote needed to change the Articles.
• Could not raise taxes to pay for the army.
• Could not collect tariffs or regulate trade.
• States remained sovereign due to fear of repeating mistakes with Britain.

War Funding Issues

• Government sold war bonds - money now, money back later with interest.
• Congress printed money "Continentals."
• States printed their own money, leading to confusion.
• England forged Continentals.

War Profiteering

• People took advantage of the crisis for personal gain, prioritizng profit over patriotism.
• They sold goods to the British and defective products to the Patriots.

Robert Morris

• Succesful businessman and member of the Continental Congress.
• Financed his own currency called Morris Notes.
• He borrowed money in his own name.
• Was implicated in profiteering and died penniless.

Chaim (Haym) Salomon

• Member of the SOL.
• Double agent for the colonial army.
• Worked with Morris to help fund the war effort.
• Died penniless in debtors' prison.

Saratoga

• Battle was a turning point in the war.
• British aimed to cut off supplies and troops to New England.

The British Plan

• 3 Parts, all starting in Canada: LCL St. Legar cuts across Mohawk Valley, General Howe moves up the Hudson River, General Burgoyne cuts the colonies.

Why Battle Plan Didn't Work

• Howe sailed south because his ego was bruised and he wanted to capture Washington.
• LCL ST. Legar went the wrong way.
• Burgoyne was the only one to show up.

Details of Saratoga

• Commander Gates became the hero for his win.
• Benedict Arnold saved the battle.
• Arnold was shot and could no longer serve in the military.
• Howe captured Philly.

French Alliance

• French secretly helped: critical to the war.
• Ben Franklin in Paris convinced France to help.
• Franco American Treaty made in 1778.
• France gave loans to the Patriots, allowed privateers, and gave ships to Patriots.
• French helped because they hated England.

Other Support

• Spain helped Americans
• Lafayette from France and Von Steuben from Prussia.

Valley Forge (Winter 1777-1778)

• Just outside of PA because of the British.
• 2500 men died of exposure.
• Baron Von Stuben arrived and made the troops into a fighting force.

US Navy

• Not much to talk about.
• French navy kept them away at sea.
• John Paul Jones invaded England to freak out the British.
• He founded US Navy and created flag that stated "Don't tread on me."

Location of Battles

• Most battles were fought at forts along the Appalachian mountains and not near the coast.
• George Rogers Clark lead colonists fighting closer to the west: gained territory.
• End of the Leauge of Iroquois.

Treaty of Fort Stanwix

• Iroquois gave claim to land in Ohio which ended Patriot fighting with Native Americans in this area.

Black Soldiers and the American Revolution

• First man killed in Boston massacre was a black escaped slave.
• Why would Black soldiers fight if they were not going to gain freedom when at the start of the revolution, they were 20% of the population.

Controversy over Black Enlistment

• South would not fight if Blacks were fighting with them and GW was weary of giving slaves guns.
• South called GW's hypocrisy as he claimed that they were slaves to British but themselves owned slaves.
• Abigail Adams pointed out the hypocrisy.

Dunmore Proclamation 1775

• A virginan would be targeted if they didn't fight for Britian, and that all servants/slaves who showed up to fight would be free.

Result of Proclamation

• Almost immediately 200 slaves ran away to fight for the British. About 14,000 blacks sailed to Nova Scotia after the war.
• Now Virginians were even angrier at Brits.
• Even with this proclamation black slaves were feeling that maybe, just maybe they will get their freedom too if they fight on the patriots side.
• There was an Ethiopian Regiment that fought for the British
• Colonal Ty (Titus) was a famous black soldier.

Alexander Hamilton

• Wanted black soldiers and for them to be free after serving for the Patriots.
• Black patriot spies in General Cornwallis's own house.
• "E pluribus unum" - out of many, one- out of many people the goal was to have one people/one nation.

Issues for Black Combatants

• GW did not want black men to enlist, but needing more soldiers he said ok, but blacks can not be in regiments with whites.
• After the war some slaves faced continued slavery.
• Cotton gin in the early 1800's kept slavery going.

Benedict Arnolds Betrayl

• Was successful in the Patriots winning 2 prevous battles but was bad at taking orders, being arrogant.
• Washington convinced the others that they should give him second chances cuz he is a good military guy, and give him command of West point NY where they train soldiers.
• Secretly shared intelligence with commander Clinton of the British
• The messages were carried by John Andre and intercepted by Patriots.
• Arnold became a traitor and fled to fight for the British.

British Move South

• British change their strategies and move out of north and move to the southern area.
• They hope that the Carolinas and Georgia will be easily taken.
• Hit colonists economically in order to have the loyalist to rise up and help.
• Easy win in Savannah and Charleston

British Officer Tarleton

• Destroyed fields, houses, attacks civilians and kills them
• Even hurts loyalist, causing some to turn into Patriots.

Battle of King's Mountain NC

• Had Loyalist fighting against Patriots
• Patriots won.

Battle of Cowpens SC

• Patriots were outnumbered, but still had better battle tactics.
• Patriot commander Nathaniel Green believed that they just need to wear down the British.
• Managed to draw the British away from supply line and win.

Battle of Yorktown

• Cornwallis camped in Yorktown because he thought he was safe using British ships to get supplies out on water.
• The Patriots blocked all routes and it was a bloody war.

British Surrender

• Cornwallis was "sick"
• Sent second in command to give their sword to Washington's 2nd in command showing disrespect.
• King George III was not happy about this.

Treaty of Paris 1782

• America sat with French, Spanish, and British to figure out terms of treaty and how to settle the land.
• USA had friction with Spain and France over the same wanted land.
• "Foreign policy is driven by national self-interest"
• The guys representing USA are John Jay, John Adams, and Ben Franklin
• John Jay decided that the USA was going to cut a treaty only with the British

British Agreement with USA

• Brits agreed to allow USA be a free country.
• New boundaries = Atlantic/usa east coast all the way over to Mississippi river east, great lakes to north.

Motivation for Treaty

• Make sure France and USA are not friends.

Early Post War USA

• They would say the USA ARE
• Each state acted as individual states/rulers
• They each had their of individual treaties.

Issues of the New Country

• Each state had debt
• Individual government did not have all the funds for the state
• Communication took too long

National Government Issues

• National government had very limited power: 1 vote per state, could not enforce laws, or have no court.

Time of Collapse

• USA lasted 5 years.

The Land Ordinance of the 1785

• Convinced the states that extend west to give land up to the federal government
• Federal government sold land for revenue.

Land Ordinance of the 1785

• Every 6 mile made up as township
• Each township is 36 miles.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Steps to becoming a state:

• Once a territory has 5000 adult males, then they can have representation in congress. They can only become a state when they reach 60,000 adult males.

Laws

• They agree to public Education and to have prohibition of slavery, in order to give opportunity to to make a living.

Problems and Weaknesses with Confederation

• There were still British and Spanish forts in our territory.
• Didn't get rid of it because did not have man power.

Disputed Territory

• Spain thinks they are legit for being there and they need NEW ORLEANS to transport their ships on Mississippi river.

Foreign Affiars

• Had no authority of trading with any other country.

post Revolutionary War economic depression

• Lost most obvious market and there are not free agreements with other countries.
• States are competing each other by bringing the trade prices down.
• Trading deficit and also major inflation happening.

Annapolis Convention

• They held a convention to discuss the article and not many states showed up only 5
• Talked about making something happen in Philly.

Shay's Rebellion

• There was economic depression in the farm areas and they are asked to pay tax
• Daniel shays takes arm
• GW said to GW what a terrible message that we can't govern ourselves

Convectional Convention

• Make sure the states were all there such as GW and Ben Franklin and etc.
• Jefferson can't be there be he our of the country and people don't invite high head people to the room.
• Ri was worried about the states loosing to much power.
• At the meeting there was a lot of secrecy.

Meeting

• Edmund started it of saying they need a government that needs a real government
• Gov. Morris said we need a natl government, or else we are all gonna lose
• Made 7 sections of the consitution.

Branches of government

• Legilsative
• Executiive
• Judical

Legislative Checks and Balances

• Each branch has checks/balances
• Checking the legislature and tells them everything is legal ot
• Checking President by vetoing.

Great Compormise

• Bicameral
• Senate equals power from each state
• How of representatives percentage. 3/5 compromise Slave power used to control congress and the presidency Regulation in Congress
• No tariffs or taxes for the states

Congress

• The election of a leader the thought the people wouldn't be to smart the make the decisions.
• There was state rights and powers. Compromise, where create equal but the college. There limits for one to be a president so long only 50% of the people are there.

Federalists and AF

• Madison and halmilgton
• Believed that government maintains order, can guarantee trade, state has rights.
• People will not have a voice to say there feeling. They afraid of losing their feeling with the states.

Federalists Papers

Used because they were getting criticize and they had a lot of connections to the media station. They wanted to be equal on all the views. A quorum means the number of the needed for offical business to begin.

The Constitution

Was writing and then the went off to be voted on at the states where then, they sent back to the states to vote.

Federalists Were Located

Near all the port cities because import taxes affect them directly

Details the grievances against King George III, including plundering seas, employing mercenaries and ignoring petitions. The Colonies declared themselves independent states with full powers after failed attempts at resolution.