The War for Independence 1775 1783 WED October 8 Key Terms Olive Branch Petition Lord Dunmore s Proclamation Common Sense Battle of Saratoga X Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben X Nathanael Greene Yorktown Republican Motherhood Lexington and Concord 1775 Evening of April 18th 1775 British general Thomas Gage the guy in control sends out troops from Boston to collect rebel supplies They were supposed to go to Lexington and Concord mostly Concord When word gets out Paul Revere and William Dawes warns that the British are coming Going to warn people that the British soldiers are marching In Lexington the militia of Lexington are going to gather after they hear of this news The militia made up of farmers old men young boys not at all well trained Want to be there when the troops come like a sign Morning of April 19th gather and form ready A fight ensues The British fire at the militia Eight 8 militia members dead They had to cross through that area anyways News of what happened at Lexington Concord spreads so quickly that by the time British soldiers reach Concord minutemen appear and small battle ensues Minutemen called that because they were a group of people who quickly Battle of Concord The shot heard round the world On their trip back to Boston the British soldiers were pretty much attacked the entire came together time on their way back May 1775 Second Continental Congress going to meet in Philadelphia Meet to discuss about what happened how to respond to what happened at At the Sec Continental Congress there were some delegates who wanted peace Lexington and Concord didn t want to fight Create the Olive Branch Petition what s going on A document sent to the King George III to try and find a peaceful solution to Like the one last chance to finding a peaceful resolution The other group of delegates at the Second Continental Congress wanted war revenge Believed they have been attacked They are going to vote and create a Continental Army Primarily made up of militia For the people who wanted peace They got their wish The Olive Branch Petition Created the army as a sort of compromise Since we have an army we need a commander in chief George Washington going to gain command of Continental Army George Washington Commander of the Continental Army Wanted this commander position Came to the Second Continental Congress meeting dressed in his military uniform subtle promotion Taller than the average man and wanted the role looked the part of a leader Primary reason why chosen because he is from Virginia one of the original colonies Perhaps because he s more objective Favors the US already Chosen because he is from Virginia and not Massachusetts Chosen for political reasons where he was from and what that meant When Continental Congress met they still don t declare war or independence from George Washington going to make a lot of early mistakes in the Revolution But as the war goes on GW and his army becomes symbols for the As long as they are still fighting the colonists felt like they has a chance for revolutionary movement that independence Britain Lord Dunmore s Proclamation Issued at the end of 1775 Royal Governor of Virginia Proclamation let s slaves have their freedom if they fight with the British Reaction created by his proclamation Puts the colonists on the fence to push them over the edge to support the colonists Going to create unity amongst the colonists A colonial bond 1776 Important for a couple of reasons Thomas Paine his essay Common Sense He was a radical Englishmen Believed too much central authority bad In the essay make his opinion known Argues that the war should be about the colonists fight for their independence from the British Also to go against the monarchical system of power replace with democratic style of government Common Sense so important because Moment when colonists stop fighting for their rights as British citizens and then finally fight for their independence Going to completely change public opinion King George III going to decline the Olive Branch Petition Summer 1776 Second Continental Congress gets back together The Cont Congress going to create a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence 1776 This committee is made up of a couple of men Thomas Jefferson VA Primary author of Declaration of Independence 1776 John Adams MA Roger Sherman CT Robert Livingston NY Benjamin Franklin PEN British Army vs Continental Army Continental Army Advantages 4 July 2nd 1776 Second Continental Congress vote for independence This was the date when the Declaration of Independence was ratified Up until this point the colonists wanted to be British But now fighting AKA revised to the point for independence Strong ideological motivations for fighting Invested to the cause Vast territory Cont Army s biggest advantage Know the land well Dual army tradition Militia growing up with the experience of the really good ones in the army Some of them were Veterans in the Seven Years War had experience of some sort know the land and fighting style of the target British policies increased resistance If moral of the colonists was ever low just wait for the British to implement more resistance Make the colonists angry They are going to let their troops steal food from the colonists home Disadvantages 6 Small population Especially when compared to the larger population of the British No regular army The Continental Congress is not formally trained No navy No way to inhibit supplied Can t get from coast to coast Lack of financial resources Won t be able to pay their soldiers Won t be able to borrow money from allies Allies unsure if the side they are supporting is worth the investment Also don t want to piss off the British Problem of supplies Strong Loyalist populations Mainly two places New York South Carolina wouldn t want to fight with them British Army Advantages 4 Large population Professionally trained army More discipline Large navy The British will have to come through the water to reach the Americas Access to more resources Disadvantages 5 No strategic heart to the colonies Not as invested in the land No specific place for them to attack Don t know the whole land Underestimated the colonists 3 Military potential Underestimate the skills that the colonists Ability for sustained resistance How long the colonists are can actually deliver capable of fighting Rebels were not a minority Underestimate the number of Loyalist British favor to Radicalists Problem of occupation Manpower