HIST 1483 1st Edition Lecture 11Outline of Last LectureI. Events Leading Up to the American RevolutionII. Clicker QuestionsOutline of Current LectureI. The American RevolutionII. Clicker QuestionsCurrent LectureI. The American RevolutionA. A civil war for independenceB. In the spring of 1775, British general Thomas Gage received secret orders to arrest and imprison the leaders of the rebellion in the Massachusetts colony1. This is the beginning of what becomes an insurgency and MA was declared to be a state of rebellioni. New leadership was sent to the colony: Generals William Howe, Henry Clinton, John Burgoyne to suppress the rebellion in New England (and, more generally, the American colonies)2. Gage was unable to capture the rebel leaders (including Samuel Adams, John Hancock) because word of his orders was leaked and the rebel leaders were warned ahead of time so they fled Bostoni. He sent a column of 700 men to Concord (20 miles NW of Boston) to capture the patriot gunpowder and supplies that were known to be stored therea. Before he could get to Concord he had to pass through Lexington(1) On April 19th, Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the countryside warning of the British march(2) The small force of colonial militiamen (Captain Parker and 70 men) met the advancing British on Lexington GreenThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.(i) The colonists were determined to stand to deliver a warning to the British that they were trespassing on the property of British subjects(ii) As a militiaman turned to leave, a shot was fired and British troops opened fire killing 8 and wounding many others b. British troops marched on to Concord and began burning the capture gun casements that they had acquired (1) Enraged colonials (over 200) from the countryside converged on Concord and the battle began(i) The colonists were swarming and firing on the British troops who were an easy target (their muskets were inaccurate)(ii) The British began to retreat back to Boston but the redcoats (British) suffered 270 causalitiesii. This really sets off the American Revolution and convinces the generals that a full-scale rebellion is underway in the coloniesa. The generals decided that a powerful frontal assault on the rebels was needed to show them the force of British arms because after Lexington and Concord, colonial forces poured into unofficial military camps that were springing up and around Boston(1) They began to fortify their positions on the hills that overlooked Boston (Breed’s Hill, Bunker Hill) and the British generals decided that they had to be driven off for the security of their forces and to demonstrate the force of British arms(2) On June 17th, 2,500 British troops advanced up Breed’s Hill and successfully drove the rebels off (Known as the Battle of Bunker Hill) though they suffered over 1,000 causalities (i) Patriots lost over 400 men(ii) Bloodiest single battle in the entire war(iii) Dampened a lot of the colonists’ enthusiasm for the rebellion(iv) The British gained little traction because they failed to go after them(a) This was just a showdown on the outskirts of Boston. Soon Bostonwould once again ring with thousands of armed and angry colonials (who, by the way, had no real legitimacy, leadership, rationale, or organization)(b) The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in the springof 1775C. The Second Continental Congress1. Extralegal, no legitimacy in the eyes of Britain2. Delegates sent to Philly voluntarily to discuss the growing crisis (could it be avoided? Should it be avoided?)3. Was divided into two factions: one favoring independence from Britain (a radical notion, mostly people from Boston) and one led by John Dickinson who was a moderatei. Dickinson was from PAa. Felt that there were other ways of repairing the breachb. Still saw themselves as British citizens and loyal subjects of the king (loyalists)c. Dominant throughout 1775(1) Since moderates were dominant, the congress attempted to mend the riffwith England by assuring the royal government that the colonists still regarded themselves as loyal British subjects(i) They also assured Britain that their military forces were strictly defensive (ii) This did very little(a) In the fall of 1775, the British government was planning a full military mobilization(b) In December, Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act which blockaded American ports, allowing the British navy to seize American ships (c) Lord North hired German mercenaries (Hessian soldiers) to put down the “open rebellion” in the coloniesii. The question of independence couldn’t be resolved immediately a. The delegates were proceeding without any legal authorityb. Individual colonies cooperated only out of necessity(1) Nothing to hold them together other than a common causeiii. In January of 1776 Tomas Paine’s Common Sense was distributeda. Widely distributed (120,000 copies in 3 months, 25 editions) and definitely impacted the discussion of Independenceb. Dynamic, forceful language that communicated a sense of urgency for independence which Paine said was inevitablec. Also argued the virtues of Republican government persuasively(1) He saw this superior to the right of the king and denounced the British monarchy, calling it ridiculousd. Raised uncertainty: What would happen…iv. On June 7, 1776 Richard Henry Lee from Virginia presented a series of resolves urging separation and the creation of a national governmenta. By June 20th the congress had created a committee to draft a plan on union which became known as the Articles of Confederation which was ultimately adopted(1) American Revolution made America break away from England but it did not create the United States of America(i) The Constitution comes much laterv. The Articles of Confederation Government proved to be poor in the crisis of war because the central government was only the congressa. They had no enforcing power(1) Taxation was voluntaryb. Wasn’t even approved by the states until November of 1777 or ratified until the war was almost overc. More pressing was the decision of independence from England(1) 2 big questions: what kind of government? Would this lead to direct independence from England?(2) Thomas Jefferson was part of the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence(i) It declared the right of the people to govern