RF-+Chapter+8+Notes

Chapter 8 Notes - George Washington is appointed to be the general of the Colonial Army. - GW was chosen because he was from Virginia and the Second Continental Congress needed Virginia on their side. - War of Loyalists and Patriots - some colonists did not want independence (mainly the rich) - The American colonists professed to be fighting merely for reconciliation. - Thomas Paine: Common Sense - represents the majority of the colonists (common, middle class) - finally gives them a voice and gets them off the fence on whether they want independence or not, convinces them to want independence. - 120,000 copies in 3 months - eventually leads to the constitution - Congress establishes a malitia force in Concord, Massachussetts. - hide it from Br. troops (Thomas Gage) in surrounding woods around Lexington Rd. - after Br. troops find nothing in a search for this malitia, they shoot several rebels and are attacked on their way back to Boston by the hidden malitia on the road (guerilla war fare). - Malitia takes Bredds hill (June 17, 1775) - Br. troops storm the hill and after 3 waves and loss of amo by the rebels, they take it with 1,000 Br. casualties. - Colonial Army goes to Cambridge. - Paine comes up with "Republicanism" (1775) - June 7,1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved that "these United Colonies are and of right ought to be, free and independent states". - July 2, 1776, Lee's motion was adopted. - July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence was signed - After Boston was evacuated, Br. troops made New York their new base of operations. - December 25, 1776, GW crossed the Delaware with 2,400 men to surprise the Br. forces in NJ, and won. (turning point of the Revolution). - 1778, Colonies and Frace form an alliance. - Spain, France, and Holland join in against Britain in 1779. - 1781, Greene leads Carolina Campaign - 1781, Frech/Colonists force Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown - North's ministry in England collapses in Br. in 1782. - Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 - Britain formally recognizes the independence of the United States - Gives US the Miss. Rv., the Great Lakes, and Florida. - Treaty of Fort Stanwix was signed in 1784.