Effects of the American Revolution

The American Revolution impacted society. From 90,000 Loyalists, 20,000 became former slaves, and 45,000 became refugees in Canada. The Revolution created 2 new regions: Dominion of Canada, and United Stated of America. Indians made treaties with USA. Indians had to give up massive amounts of lands (Tennessee and Kentucky lands) so the British would not attack them. By 1790, there were 100,000 people already living in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The Revolution impacted women. Women were called "Republican Mothers". Abigail Adams, John Adams's wife, fought for women's right and wrote a letter to her husband saying to remember and consider women when John was writing the Constitution. She wanted laws of protection. John Adams did not pay attention to the letter. Women couldn't vote, only widows. They couldn't have/own property or make contracts.

African Americans were also affected by the Revolution. 1 of every 5 Americans were from African descendants. The Revolution encouraged the slaves to fight for their freedom. Lincoln declared slavery was illegal in the South. About 5,000 slaves joined the Continental militia. About 50,000 slaves escaped to join the British. Emancipation came to the North States, but failed in the South. 5% of the population in the North were slaves, while in the South, 1/3 of the population were slaves. Virginia and Maryland released their slaved in a practice known as manumission.

Battle of Yorktown

There were 4 main factors that contributed to the Patriot's success:
- The British made tactical mistakes
- The British misunderstood the political nature of the conflict
- The Patriots were highly motivated by George Washington's leadership
- The Patriots received crucial assistance from the French


During the late summer, on September 15, 1781, Washington marched his troops south to Yorktown. Cornwallis plans plans to get to Yorktown and receive support ships from New York. Washington's plan was to block the entrance for the ships and preventing Cornwallis to escape or get ammunitions. Now they had to rely on the French to block the entrance and trap Cornwallis and he had to surrender. The coordination they had in order to trap him was luck for the patriots.

General George Washington, commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops, begins the Battle of Yorktown against British General Lord Cornwallis and 9,000 British troops at Yorktown, in the most important battle of the Revolutionary War. The french fleet departed for the Chesapeake Bay. Washington realized that it was time to act. He ordered Marquis de Lafayette and an American army of 5,000 troops to block Cornwallis' escape from Yorktown by land while the French naval fleet blocked the British escape by sea.

By September 28, Washington had completely trapped Cornwallis and Yorktown with the combined forces of Continental and French troops. After three weeks, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781, ending the War for Independence. Cornwallis did not attend the formal surrender ceremony, held on October 19. Instead, General Charles O'Hara carried Cornwallis' sword to the American and French commanders. Although the war persisted on the high seas and in other theaters, the Patriot victory at Yorktown ended fighting in the American colonies. Peace negotiations began in 1782, and on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, formally recognizing the United States as a free and independent nation.

Abigail Adams

       Abigail Adams is was born on November 22, 1774 and died October 28, 1818. She is married to the second President of the United States, John Adams. She is best known for simply being the "First Lady" back then, also for the stance she took for women's rights in the letters to her husband. But she should be known as a competent farm manager and financial manager. She was educated at home, but she learned quickly and read widely.

       Her marriage with John Adams was loving and warm. She had four children before John became involved in the Continental Congress. During the time that John wasn't around the house anymore, Abigail was left with doing everything at home. Abigail managed the family and the farm. During the war, Abigail also served as the primary educator of the children, including the future sixth president, John Quincy Adams.

      When Adams served in Europe as a diplomatic representative of the new nation, Abigail decided to join him. John Adams served as Vice President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and then as a President 1797-1801. Abigail spent some of her time at home, she had to manage her family, financial affairs and part of her time in the federal capital. After John retired from the public life at the end of his presidency, he and his wife, lived quietly and happily in Massachusetts.

Treaty Of Paris (1783)

   
       Through the fall and following winter, British colonies in the Caribbean fell to enemy forces. So this made Lord North's government fell in late March 1782 and was replaced by Lord Rockingham. They saw that North's government had fallen, so Benjamin Franklin, who was the American ambassador in Paris, took action. He decided to write to Rockingham expressing a desire to begin peace negotiations. He understood that making peace was necessary, so he elected to give it an opportunity. This pleased Franklin and his  negotiators.

      Although Cornwallis and his men surrendered at Yorktown in the Fall of 1781 was what marked the end of the Revolutionary War. However that didn't end the War officially and there still were minor battles between the British and the colonists for another two years. This war has been going on for way too long and it needed to end soon before it caused even more damage that it has caused already. An official treaty was needed to finish this war for once and for all.

       Then the Treaty Of Paris was proposed and was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. Under the terms of the Treaty, Britain recognized the independent nation of the United States of America. They also agreed to remove all of the troops from the new nation. The treaty set new boarders for the United States, including all land from the Great Lakes on the north to Florida on the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Mississippi River. The US agreed to allow British troops that were still in America to leave and agreed also to pay all the debts they owed to Great Britain. The United States agreed not to persecute the loyalists that were still in America and allowed those that had left America before, to return.

George Washington

George Washington was born in 1732 into a planter family from Virginia. There, he learned body of knowledge for a Virginia gentleman, morals,  and manners. He pursued his two interests; western expansion and military arts. When he was a teen, he fought the first skirmishes of what grew later into the French and Indian War. George served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and managed his own land around Mount Vernon from 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution. He married a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis. Washington had a busy and happy life. Like others, he felt pressured/exploited by the British.

George Washington was elected to be the commander of the Continental Army in the Second Continental Congress on Philadelphia in May 1775. On July 3, 1775, he took his soldiers and embarked on a war that was to last for six years. When the war had just started, he started thinking that they had to harass the British, so he told Congress "We should on all Occasions avoid a general Action, or put anything to the Risque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn. "

Washington wanted to retire and live in Mount Vernon, but he saw that Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not working well. So he returned and became a prime mover in the steps that lead to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. The Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President. When the French Revolution led to a major war between France and England, Washington refused to accept at all the recommendations of his Secretary of State (Thomas Jefferson), and his Secretary of the Treasury (Alexander Hamilton). Instead, he insisted upon a neutral state until the United States could grow stronger.

Battle of Bunker Hill

    
       On June 17, 1775 the British defeated the Patriots at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Even though the Americans lost, this battle provided them with a confidence boost. This battle is referred as "The Battle of Bunker Hill" but it actually occurred nearby Breed's Hill. The colonials had proven themselves strong enough to defeat the British army, a force superior in training, equipment and organization. On April 19,1775 the citizens of Boston found themselves between two armies. On June 15, the colonists learned that the British planned to occupy Charlestown and so to make them angry they decided to act first.

       The next morning, the British were stunned to see the Americans threatening them. In the 18th century, British military custom demanded that the British attack the Americans, even though the Americans were in a higher position militarily. Major General William Howe, who led the British forces, could have surrounded the Americans with the ships at sea, but instead he decided to march his troops uphill. Howe believed that the Americans would retreat in the face of smashing, head-on attack, but he was so wrong.

       Howe's majesty's ship opened fire on the Americans. Early in the afternoon, 28 barges of British soldiers crossed the Charles River and stormed the hills. The Americans waited until the British were within 15 paces and then released a bloody fusillade. A lot of British troops were either killed or wounded and the rest retreated down the hill. Again, the British rushed the hill for a second time and again the same thing happened the first time they rushed the hill. They tried one last time, a third time, and by this time, the Americans were running low on ammunitions so they had to fight with their bare hands. The British eventually took the hill, but at a great cost. Of the 2,300 British soldiers who had gone in the first place 1,054 were either killed or wounded.

Lord William Howe

Lord William Howe was a British commander that wanted to prove that his British army was invincible. He was born on was born August 10, 1729. His grandmother had been the mistress of King George I. As a result, Howe and his 3 brothers were the uncles of King George III. On January 4, 1756, Howe was appointed major of the newly formed 60th Regiment, and traveled with the unit to North America for operations against the French.

On March 1776, British army decides to attack New York City. After several nights Lord Howe took over New York City on September 15, 1776 with 30,000 British and German soldiers. They almost entirely crushed the poorly trained Continental Army. Washington decided to get revenge and attacked a group of German soldiers that belonged with the British army at midnight on December 26, 1776. They were in a garrison stationed near a place called Trenton. As a result, Howe pulled back many of his outposts.

Howe defeated Washington at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11. Outnumbering the Americans, Howe captured the city(New York City) without a fight eleven days later. In the fall of 1777, Lord Howe won over Washington and got Philadelphia. Later on June 1778, they evacuate Philadelphia into New York City. On the way to New York City they fought with George Washington's army on Monmouth. British are attacked by the Continental Army, so they turn their attention to the south colonies.