chapter 3 Independence

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  • Created by: loupardoe
  • Created on: 10-02-18 13:09

the outbreak of war

  • winter 1774-5 - Gage sent spies through Massachusetts to assess the strength of colonial resistance and discover where the rebels had stockpiled their weapons
  • february 1775- sent troops to Salem to seize munitions
  • outnumbered by militiamen
  • forced to withdraw

lexington and concord

  • gage received no help from Britain and no instructions
  • 14th April- Dartmouth's letter ordered him to arrest rebel leaders and authorised him to use force to disarm the population
  • Gage was ready to act
  • 18th april- sent 700 men from Boston to Concord to seize rebel arms and arrest leaders of the Provincial Congress
  • massachusetts militia were informed of British intentions by Paul Revere, William Dawes and Dr Prescott (members of the committee of safety)
  • 19 april- british troops found their path barred by 70 minutemen at Lexington
  • shots were fired and 8 colonists were killed
  • british pushed on to concord
  • they encountered a larger militia force
  • heavy exchange of fire
  • destroyed military stores
  • failed to arrest rebel leaders
  • troops turned back to boston
  • assailed by americans firing from the cover of stone walls and woods
  • arrival of relief force- held the militiamen at bay at Lexington
  • resumed the retreat to bosotn
  • suffered 273 casualties
  • americans lost only 92 men
  • within a week 20,000 new england militia besieged boston

the results of Lexington and Concord

  • transformed the political dispute into a military struggle
  • galvanisd military preparations throughout the colonies
  • new york threw itself behind massachusetts
  • pennsylvania voted to raise 4300 men
  • 10 may- militiamen seized Fort Ticonderoga
  • crown point fell 2 days later

the second continental congress

  • 10 may 1775, Philadelphia
  • 65 delegates from 13 colonies
  • 50 served in 1774
  • Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson
  • congress took charge of the conduct of the war
  • assumed responsbility for the army around boston
  • impressed a quota on each colony to raise a continental army of 20000 men
  • mid june- voted to issue 2 million in paper money to finance the force

the appointment of George Washington

  • congress unanimously appointed him to command the continental army
  • looked the part
  • six foot three inches tall
  • natural aristocratic manners
  • worn his militia colonel uniform at all the congressional meetings
  • military experience in the seven years war
  • from virginia
  • expected to help cement colonial unity
  • wealthy planter
  • owned 35000 acres
  • allay fears of radicalism

efforts at reconciliation

  • most colonial conventions had instructed their delegates to seek reconciliation with britain
  • 6 july- congress adopted a Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking up Arms
  • listed the colonial grievances
  • asserted that americans would rather die than be enslaved
  • disclaimed any intention of separating from great britain and establishing independent states
  • 8 july- adopted the Olive Branch Petition
  • begged King George to prevent further hostile measures so that a plan of reconciliation might be worked out
  • was to convince moderates that Congress did not intend to pursue independence except as a last resort
  • King George was disinclined to hear appeals from an illegal body which was wgaing war against his troops
  • refused to…

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