1778
On February 6, 1778, France and America concluded
an alliance by signing two treaties, a treaty of amity and commerce and
a military alliance. The nations exchanged ambassadors, and France
and England were soon at war. Parliament soon passed bills calling
for reconciliation with America and sent a peace commission to
Philadelphia to try to achieve a settlement. The Americans, however,
refused to accept the commission and declared that any person who met
with the commission would be branded an enemy of the United States.
Congress responded that the only basis for reconciliation would be a
full withdrawal of all British troops from American soil and
recognition of American independence. The war would continue.
The Battle of Monmouth
In May Sir Henry Clinton replaced General Howe and,
hearing that a French fleet was en route to America, decided to move
his army back to New York. The Americans reoccupied Philadelphia on
June 18, and Washington decided to pursue the retreating British across
New Jersey. On June 28 Washington caught up with the British at
Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey. General Charles Lee was in command of
an advance unit with orders to attack at the first opportunity. Orders
to Generals Lafayette and Anthony Wayne became confused, and Lee
precipitously ordered a retreat, which brought on a counterattack by
Clinton. Washington soon arrived on the scene and, furious at Lee’s
order for retreat, is said to have sworn so forcefully that the leaves
shook on the trees. Washington rallied his men, and with the
discipline instilled by the training of Baron von Steuben, the Americans
met the British squarely. Although the outcome was indecisive, it
was clear that the Americans had fought the British to a standstill.
Clinton withdrew and took his army back into New York, and Washington
moved north of the city and settled into camp near White Plains, about
twenty miles north of Manhattan. The war in the North thus remained
a stalemate—with Clinton boxed in in New York, and Washington holding
the Hudson River line.
THE WAR IN THE WEST
The majority of American Indians seem to have
judged—correctly as it turned out—that an American victory in the
Revolutionary War would probably lead to further trouble in the form of
new encroachments on their lands. A British victory would therefore
be in their best interests—it was the British, after all, who had tried
to confine the colonists to the territory east of the Appalachians.
The British, on their part, welcomed Indian allies in the West, but the
outcome of the war and that alliance later hurt both the British and
the Indians in their further struggles with the Americans. The
pro-British Iroquois under Joseph Brant did considerable damage to the
Americans, but overall the Indian involvement in the war did the Native
Americans more harm than good.
In 1778 the Wyoming Valley and Cherry Valley
Massacres in Pennsylvania led by Loyalist Sir John Butler provoked a
response from the Americans. Indians swept through outlying
settlements, terrorizing the people and killing forty survivors at
Cherry Valley after they had surrendered. Washington sent four
thousand men under Generals Sullivan and Clinton to attack the Indians,
and the American victories broke up the Six Nations. In 1779 Colonel
George Rogers Clarke’s expedition, commissioned by Virginia Governor
Patrick Henry, against Colonel Henry Hamilton (the “hair buyer”)
captured Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes. Like much of the fighting on
the frontier, the combat was especially bloody and brutal; Clarke’s
victories secured American claims to western lands and ended British
control in the Northwest. Worthy of note: The Northwest territory
(Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin) could otherwise
have wound up as part of Canada.
THE WAR IN THE SOUTH
Considerable fighting occurred in the South early in
the war, but it was mostly indecisive until 1778, while the focus was
on the northern campaigns. In 1779, with the results of fighting in
the North failing to resolve the conflict, the British turned their
attention to securing the South, where they felt strong loyalist support
would aid them. They took Savannah and later captured and burned
Norfolk and Portsmouth. (Norfolk was the most heavily damaged American
city in the war.) When the city of Charleston fell on May 12, 1780, a
garrison of 5,400 Patriots surrendered, the worst defeat of the war for
the Americans.
Meanwhile, on June 21, 1779, Spain declared war on
Great Britain, though it refused to recognize American independence
for fear of losing territory to the Americans. (Spain’s fears were
eventually played out after independence was secured.) Although
unsuccessful in gaining recognition from Spain, American Minister John
Jay was able to borrow a small sum of money. About the same time,
Congress authorized John Adams to explore negotiations for a settlement
of the war. Aiding the American cause were the actions of naval hero
John Paul Jones, who conducted raids along the coast of the British
Isles and eventually defeated the HMS Serapis from his vessel, the Bonhomme Richard,
named for Benjamin Franklin. Supported by the cavalry of Colonel
Banastre Tarleton, a fierce and ruthless fighter, General Cornwallis
routed an American army at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16,
1780. Washington sent General Nathanael Greene to the South to replace
General Gates, whose behavior on the battlefield at Camden had been
grossly incompetent, as Cornwallis invaded North Carolina. On October 7
a force of 1,100 loyalists were defeated at Kings Mountain by
frontiersmen under Colonels Isaac Shelby and William Campbell.
1781: The Final Showdown at Yorktown
With Greene now in command, the American forces,
some elements commanded by Daniel Morgan, met and defeated Tarleton and
Cornwallis at the Battle of Cowpens, where Greene used his militia to
great advantage. (A rough approximation of the Battle of Cowpens was
depicted in the Mel Gibson film The Patriot. The British
colonel in the film was obviously based on Banastre Tarleton.) Following
Cowpens, Cornwallis followed Daniel Morgan into North Carolina, and
after Greene and Morgan combined forces they fought the British at
Guilford Courthouse. Although Cornwallis won the field, his losses
weakened him and he had to retreat to Wilmington for reinforcements.
Meanwhile, the United States Navy continued to give the British a bad
time.
During the course of the war American privateers,
privately owned vessels commissioned by Congress to conduct raids on
British shipping, captured six hundred British ships. Although the navy
was not able to take on the British fleet and large-scale battles,
American sailors captured or destroyed 196 British vessels during the
course of the war. In 1781 French fleets were operating in the
Caribbean and off the American coast, a development that eventually
meant defeat for Cornwallis. In order to protect his forces in North
Carolina, Cornwallis decided to invade Virginia. Benedict Arnold, now a
British brigadier general, conducted a raid on the capital and almost
captured Governor Thomas Jefferson. Generals Lafayette and von Steuben,
however, their regiments reinforced, forced Cornwallis to retreat to
Yorktown, Virginia, where he hoped to be reinforced by forces from New
York under Henry Clinton.
North of New York City, Washington and Count
Rochambeau, who had moved his army from Newport, were planning a joint
attack on New York City, but Washington received a message via his ally
that the French fleet under de Grasse was available for operations in
the Chesapeake area. British Admiral Graves attempted to drive the
French away but was forced to withdraw back to New York, leaving
Cornwallis isolated. Seizing the opportunity, Washington and Rochambeau
marched rapidly to Yorktown (some units transported by the French
fleet), making feints against New York to keep the British off guard.
Setting up a siege around Cornwallis’s position, Washington began
hammering the British position with artillery. Led by Colonel Alexander
Hamilton, the Americans captured two redoubts along the British line,
and when a counterattack failed, Cornwallis realized that his position
was hopeless. His attempted withdrawal across the York River was
foiled by a storm, and the British fleet was unable to rescue him
because of the French naval victories off the Virginia Capes. Out of
options, Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. For all practical
purposes, the American war for Independence was over.
The Paris Treaty of 1783 Ends the American Revolution
The British government now found the struggle too
costly to continue and decided to settle for peace on American terms.
The American peace commission included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams,
John Jay, and Henry Laurens. Thomas Jefferson was also appointed but
did not go to France. Although the American delegation had been
directed by Congress to negotiate in coordination with the French,
because of the complicated other issues involving Spain and other
countries, the Americans settled with the British independently. French
Minister Count Vergennes was not pleased, but recognized that the
result was favorable to the Americans By playing France off against
England, the Americans secured highly favorable terms: American
independence was recognized; all territory east of the Mississippi River
between Canada and Florida was ceded to the United States; the
Americans were granted joint navigation of the Mississippi River and
the right to use fisheries off the Canadian coast; there was to be no
lawful impediment to the collection of private debts on either side,
and restitution was recommended for the loyalists; finally, the British
were to withdraw from all outposts in the Northwest. The Americans
were successful for a variety of reasons, some purely fortuitous. Some
British, for example, were quite comfortable with American
independence. They also wanted good trade relations, they wanted to
keep America outside the sphere of French influence, and they were
still at war with much of Europe.
Other Issues of the American Revolution
Washington from time to time had great difficulty in
keeping his troops from rebelling against the shoddy treatment the
army was afforded because of inefficiencies in Congress. On May 25,
1780, a near mutiny occurred in Washington’s headquarters over the
issue of pay and general discontent. In January 1781 an event known as
the “mutiny of the Pennsylvania line” occurred and had to be put down
forcefully.
Washington's Newburgh Address
Following the war, with Washington’s army still
encamped in Newburgh, a group of officers threatened to defy Congress
if they did not receive promised pay and reimbursement for food and
clothing. Washington got wind of the movement and addressed the
officers in person. Having difficulty reading his prepared remarks,
Washington fumbled for his spectacles and said, “Gentlemen, I beg your
pardon, but I have grown not only gray but blind in the service of my
country.” Moved by the image of Washington’s personal sacrifices, the
officers withdrew their protests when Washington promised quick redress
for their grievances. Shortly after, Congress granted the officers of
the army a generous settlement. Washington’s actions are seen as
setting a historic precedent for civilian control of the military.
American Diplomacy during the Revolution
American diplomacy during the war was quite
effective. France and Spain still hated Great Britain after the Seven
Years’ War, and American agents Silas Deane, Arthur Lee, and Benjamin
Franklin used that fact to advantage. Franklin was most important—he
was well known in Europe, an experienced diplomat, and an excellent
propagandist. Through Franklin’s efforts, France gave much to the
American cause, but got little in return; having no particular
friendship toward America, and certainly not interested in supporting
policies that would threaten the French Crown, France acted in its own
best interest, as nations generally do. The Americans, of course,
never said that George III did not have the right to rule; they merely
said he did not have the right to rule them.
The Netherlands took advantage of the war to
hijack British trade. John Adams was sent as minister in 1780, where
he secured formal recognition, concluded a treaty of amity and commerce,
and was able to secure a substantial loan.
Government during the Revolutionary War
The Second Continental Congress was de facto the
American government for most of the period of the American Revolution.
With no real executive and uncertain support from the thirteen states,
the Congress operated with notorious inefficiency. In its daily work
the Congress functioned by committee (John Adams served on dozens), and
it was hard to fix responsibility for any task anywhere. Money was
chronically short, and the states still thought of themselves as
separate entities merely gathered for the conduct of the war.
Shortly before the Declaration of Independence was
signed in 1776, however, John Dickinson headed a committee that began
drafting a plan for association that eventually became the Articles of
Confederation. The articles were presented in July of that year and
were debated for more than a year. Congress eventually approved the
articles in October 1777, and the articles were submitted to the states
for ratification.
Because unanimous consent of all states was
required for ratification, and because the states—which were engaged in
a war of rebellion against what they saw as a tyrannical
authority—were reluctant to take any action threatening their
sovereignty, the articles were not ratified until March 1781.
Despite its shortcomings, the Continental Congress achieved much. They declared independence, successfully conducted the war, sent ambassadors to foreign nations and gained the powerful support of France, oversaw the negotiation of an extremely favorable treaty, and for better or worse kept the Revolution alive through some very dark days. It was government by committee, not always a good thing, but under the circumstances it was probably better than having a strong leader who would inevitably have caused resentment.
Despite its shortcomings, the Continental Congress achieved much. They declared independence, successfully conducted the war, sent ambassadors to foreign nations and gained the powerful support of France, oversaw the negotiation of an extremely favorable treaty, and for better or worse kept the Revolution alive through some very dark days. It was government by committee, not always a good thing, but under the circumstances it was probably better than having a strong leader who would inevitably have caused resentment.
Loyalists in the Revolution
Many Americans had remained loyal because they
feared that independence would bring chaos, and that there was no
guarantee that the government they were going to get would be any
better—if indeed as good—as the one they were giving up. (One famous Loyalist motto went, “I would rather have one tyrant 3000 miles away than 3000 tyrants one mile away.”)
The loyalists thought that independence would threaten the liberties
for which other Americans were fighting. They were poorly treated on
both sides. The English did not trust them, and the Americans
confiscated their property and even imprisoned, punished, or executed
them. By the time the war was over, more than 100,000 loyalists had
left the United States, many for Canada and some back to England,
bitter at their treatment. Most of them were never reimbursed for
their losses despite agreements made in the Treaty, and most of them
never returned.
Women and the Revolution
Beginning with the policy of nonimportation and the
wearing of homespun clothing as a patriotic gesture, many American
women had entered the political arena as contributors if not actual
participants. Women in the 18th century had no reason to expect that
they might become more politically liberated, for with the exception
of monarchs such as Elizabeth the Great and Queen Anne, not to mention
Catherine the Great of Russia, who reigned at that time, women had
generally been excluded from European politics for centuries. But
American women, who were often fairly well read and literate, were
conscious of ideas of republicanism and democracy and began to develop
the hope that those enlightened ideas might alter their state.
Abigail Adams famously pleaded with her husband to
“remember the ladies” as the men of the Second Continental Congress
plotted their Revolution. Although Adams, who loved and admired his
wife as his most faithful counselor, treated her remarks lightly, he
was probably sympathetic; but one revolution at a time was more than
plenty to handle.
The Revolution did not directly address the issue
of women’s rights in any way (nor did it take note of the institution
of slavery beyond the fact that the British offered freedom to slaves
who would fight against the Americans, a promise they kept). The
growth of republican ideas offered the possibility of substantial change
once the American nation found its proper form of government. We will
discuss the idea of republican motherhood in the women’s rights
movement in due course, but it should be noted that women did
participate in significant ways during the war itself.
The famous “Molly Pitcher,” so called because of
her carrying water for the soldiers, helped man the guns in time of
need. Women accompanying the army carried out various logistics
functions, from assisting with preparation of food, to caring for
clothing and uniforms, to tending to the wounded. Following the war,
Washington himself recognized the many contributions of women to the
Patriot cause, symbolized to an extent by the presence of Martha
Washington in the American camp during the difficult winter at Valley
Forge.
It is also worth noting that the first full history
of the American Revolution was written by a woman, Mercy Otis Warren,
the sister of James Otis, who had protested the Writs of Assistance in
1761. Mercy Warren was a good friend of Abigail Adams, and both women
and many others were fully tuned to the political realities, not only
of the Revolution but also of the challenges facing the nation once the
war was over.
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