APUSH Chapter 8: America Secedes from the Empire

Chapter Summary
Nearly every advantage on paper went to Britain during the revolution. They had better troops, training, a much better navy, experienced generals, more money, and better weapons and equipment. The Americans had on their side heart and geography. America was very big and and ocean removed from England. Perhaps due to necessity rather than plan, American employed a drawn-out strategy where the war drug on for six years. America won by constantly withdrawing to the nation’s interior and moving on to fight another day. Meanwhile, as the war waged, the Declaration of Independence was written, signed, and approved. The Treaty of Paris 1763 legitimized the new nation.

Chapter Outline

 * After the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, about 20K minutmen swarmed around Bostom, outnumbering the British
 * The Second Continental Congress met in May, and although they still had no intention of independence, they did have a desire to keep fighting in hopes that the king and Parliament would consent to a redress of grievences
 * They sent another list of grievences to Parliament, adopted measures to raise money for an army and navy, and selected George Washington to command the army
 * In the first year of war, colonists maintained their loyalty while still shooting at the king's men
 * In May, a tiny American force called the Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, surprised and captured British garrisons at Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and most importantly gained much-needed cannons and gunpowder
 * In June, the colonials seized Bunker Hill, causing George III to lose all hope of reconciliation, and so he declared the colonies to be in open rebellion
 * The king hired Hessians (German mercenaries), many of which deserted the cause and stayed in America to become respectful citizens
 * In October, the British burned Falmouth (Portland), Maine
 * The Colonists decided that invading Canada would add a 14th colony and deprive Britain of a valuable base
 * They also knew that the French-Canadians would support the Americans, but in the end, they didn't particularly like the anti-Catholic invaders
 * General Richard Montgomery captured Montreal and was joined by General Benedict Arnold
 * In December, the assault of Quebec left Montgomery dead and Arnold injured, causing the entire campaign to collapse
 * In January, the British set fire to Norfolk, Virginia
 * In March, the British were forced to evacuate from Boston
 * In the South, the rebels won a victory against ~1.5K  Loyalists at Moore's Creek Bridge and against an invading British fleet at Charlseton Harbor
 * Thomas Paine published Common Sense, which urged colonials stop pretending loyalty and to just fight
 * He believed it was unnatural for a smaller body, Britain, to control a larger body, America
 * He also argued his idea that there should be a republic, which appealed to many Americans, even though New Englanders already practiced this in their town meetings
 * Some patriots favored a republic ruled by a natural aristocracy
 * Members of the Second Continental Congress gradually moved toward a clean break with Britain
 * In June, Richard Henry Lee urged for complete independence, which was adopted in July
 * Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson to concoct a Declaration of Independence
 * He came up with a list of grievences against King George III and explained why the colonists had the right to revolt, including natural rights of humankind
 * It was completely approved on July 4, 1776
 * Patriots supported the rebellion (Whigs)
 * Loyalists supported the king (Tories)
 * There were also some Moderates and some people that just didn't care
 * The British could only control Tory areas, because if they left to other areas, the rebels would regain control
 * The typical Loyalist was conservative, southern, and belonging to the Anglican Church
 * The typical Patriot was young and belonging to the Congregational, Presbyterian, Baptist, or Methodist Church
 * Some profiteers would just sell to the highest bidder, and if it was the British, so be it, the American soldiers could freeze and starve for all they cared
 * After the Declaration of Independence, Patriots often made money by confiscating Loyalist property and reselling it
 * ~50K Loyalists served the British in some way during the war
 * After the evacuation of Boston, the British focused on New York as a base for operations
 * In July, a massive armed force appeared off the coast, outnumbering the Americans
 * Washington escaped and finally reached the Delaware River in December, surprising and capturing 1K sleeping Hessians
 * He then slipped away and defeated a small British detachment at Princeton
 * General William Howe (British general) probably could have crushed Washington while he was in Delaware, but, remembering Bunker Hill, he was cautious
 * In 1777, London officials adopted a scheme for capturing the vital Hudson River Valley, which would sever New England from the rest of the colonies, in which General Burgoyne would push down the Lake Champlain, and other British forces could advance in and help
 * Benedict Arnold bought some time, and once Burgoyne and his men were ready to attack, sneaky rebels came in
 * General Howe should have come in to help, but instead, he embarked for an attack on Philadelphia in order to preoccupy Washington and leave the path wide open for Burgoyne
 * Howe defeated Washington but settled in Philadelphia instead of helping Burgoyne
 * Washington retired for the winter in Valley Forge, where his troops froze in the coldk, but Prussian drillmaster Baron von Steuben arrived and whipped the troops into shape
 * Burgoyne was forced to surrender his entire force at The Battle of Saratoga on October 17, 1777
 * This was one of the most decisive battles in history, as it resulted in France sensing that America might actually win, and so they officially helped them
 * Since France was eager to get revenge on Britain, they secretly supplied Americans throughout much of the war
 * The Continental Congress sent delegates to France, where they were guided by a Model Treaty, seeking only commercial relations with America
 * After Britain's defeat at Saratoga, they offered Americans everything they wanted except for independence
 * France was finally persuaded to enter the war, in fear of Britain winning and trying to capture the French West Indies
 * In 1778, France offered a treaty of alliance, offering America everything they wanted, including independence
 * The Americans accepted this treaty with caution, since France was pro-Catholic
 * In 1779, Spain and Holland entered the war against Britain
 * In 1780, Catherine the Great of Russia organized the Armed Neutrality, which lined up all of Europe's neutrals in passive hostility against England
 * America wasn't able to win the war until France, Spain, and Holland joined them and they all overwhelmed Britain
 * Britain decided to evacuate Philadelphia and concentrate their forces in New York
 * In 1780, French reinforcements, commanded by Comte de Rochambeau, arrived in Newport, Rhode Island
 * Flares sometimes erupted between the Americans and the French
 * General Benedict Arnold felt unappreciated and, lured by British gold, decided to turn traitor and plot with the British to sell out West Point
 * When the plot was discovered, he fled with the British
 * The British devised a plan to roll up the colonies from the South
 * George was overrun from 1778-1779 and South Carolina fell in 1780
 * Patriots fought against Loyalists in the Carolinas
 * In 1781, Americans wiped out a British detachment at King's Mountain and then defeated a smaller force at Cowpens
 * At the Carolina campaign of 1781, General Nathanael Greene strategized that if he slowly started to retreat and lose battles, but win campaigns, he could clear the British out of Georgia and South Carolina
 * Most Indians supported Britain, because if they won, they could halt American expansion
 * Mohawk chief Joseph Brant ravaged the backcountry of Pennsylvania and New York until checked by Americans in 1779
 * In 1784, the pro-British Iroquois signed the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, the first treaty between the US and an Indian nation, under which the Indians ceded most of their land
 * George Rogers Clark floated down the Ohio River and captured forts Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vicennes
 * The tiny American navy never really hurt the British warships, but it did destroy their merchant shipping and it carried the war into British waters
 * Inflation continued to soar, and the government was virtually bankrupt
 * Cornwallis was trapped by the Americans and French, practically resulting in victory for the Americans, even though King George III dragged the war on for another year
 * Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay met in Paris for a peace deal
 * Jay thought France would betray American ambition to satisfy those of Spain, so he secretly made separate overtures to London and came to terms quickly with the British, who were eager to entice America from its French alliance
 * In the Treaty of Paris of 1783, Britain formally recognized US independence and granted generous boundaries
 * American Congress recommended legislature that would return or pay for confiscated Loyalist land, as many of them remained in America
 * Many of them struggled to reestablish themselves, whereas others, such as Hugh Gaine, became "Americans"

Chapter Test
1. Regarding American independence,

A) a majority of Americans supported the cause selflessly.

B) most of the American business community sacrificed profit for victory.

C) France gave little assistance.

D) only a select minority supported independence with selfless devotion.

E) Spain was in total opposition.

2. When the Second Continental Congress met in 1775,

A) its members felt a strong desire for independence.

B) it cut off communications with the British government.

C) it continued to stall on the creation of an army and navy.

D) there was no well-defined sentiment for independence.

E) the conservative element was weakened.

3. Perhaps the most important single action of the Second Continental Congress was to

A) select George Washington to head the army.

B) draft new appeals to the king.

C) adopt measures to raise money.

D) postpone an immediate demand for independence.

E) support independence.

4. Arrange the following events in chronological order: (A) fighting at Lexington and Concord, (B) convening of the Second Continental Congress, (C) publication of Common Sense, (D) adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

A) B, C, A, D

B) A, B, C, D

C) A, C, D, B

D) C, D, A, B

E) A, B, D, C

5. As commander of America's Revolutionary army, George Washington exhibited all of the following except

A) military genius.

B) courage.

C) a sense of justice.

D) moral force.

E) patience.

6. The Revolutionary War began with fighting in __________; then in 1777-1778, fighting was concentrated in __________; and the fighting concluded in __________.

A) the South, the middle colonies, New England

B) the middle colonies, New England, the South

C) New England, the South, the middle colonies

D) New England, the middle colonies, the South

E) the middle colonies, the South, New England

7. George Washington's selection to lead the colonial army was

A) a poor choice.

B) largely political.

C) based solely on military experience.

D) opposed by New Englanders.

E) done with no misgivings.

8. In 1775, once fighting between the colonies and Great Britain began,

A) America immediately declared its independence.

B) the tempo of warfare diminished.

C) the colonists denounced the Parliament.

D) the colonists affirmed their loyalty to the King.

E) all of the above.

9. The colonial army eventually lost the Battle of Bunker Hill because its troops were

A) outnumbered.

B) short of gunpowder.

C) poorly organized.

D) poor shots.

E) lacking in courage.

10. King George III officially declared the colonies in rebellion just after

A) the armed clash at Lexington and Concord.

B) the First Continental Congress convened.

C) the Battle of Bunker Hill.

D) Benedict Arnold's forces' captured Ticonderoga and Crown Point.

E) hiring Hessian solders to fight in America.

11. The Olive Branch Petition

A) was passed by Parliament.

B) was an expression of King George III's desire for peace.

C) promised no treason charges if colonists stopped fighting.

D) was an attempt by the colonists to gain support of Native Americans.

E) professed American loyalty to the crown.

12. With the American invasion of Canada in 1775,

A) the French Canadians took the opportunity to revolt against British control.

B) Benedict Arnold seized the occasion to desert to the British.

C) the colonials' claim that they were merely fighting defensively for a redress of grievances was contradicted.

D) the Revolution became a world war.

E) George III declared the colonies in rebellion.

13. The colonists' invasion of Canada in 1775

A) contradicted the American claim that they were only fighting defensively.

B) was of little strategic value for the colonists.

C) was eagerly welcomed by French-Canadian leaders.

D) resulted in the capture of both Montreal and Quebec.

E) resulted in Benedict Arnold's defection to Great Britain.

14. The colonists delayed declaring their independence until July 4, 1776, for all of the following reasons except

A) lack of military victories.

B) support for the tradition of loyalty to the empire.

C) the realization that the colonies were not united.

D) fear of British military reprisals.

E) a continued belief that America was part of the transatlantic community.

15. One purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to

A) warn other nations to stay out of the Revolution.

B) ask for an end to slavery.

C) appeal for fairer treatment by Parliament.

D) explain to the rest of the world why the colonies had revolted.

E) condemn Parliament for its actions.

16. In a republic, power

A) comes from the aristocrats.

B) comes from a select few based on religion.

C) comes from the people themselves.

D) resides in property owners.

E) belongs only to the educated.

17. Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense

A) was published before any fighting took place between the colonists and the British.

B) remained unpopular for several years before being accepted by the public.

C) called for American independence and the creation of a democratic republic.

D) called on the British people to overthrow the king.

E) led to Paine's eventual arrest and imprisonment in America.

18. Thomas Paine argued that all government officials

A) were corrupt.

B) should derive their authority from popular consent.

C) should be part of a "natural aristocracy."

D) need not listen to the voice of the uneducated.

E) should not be paid for their service.

19. The resolution that "These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states..." was introduced into the Second Continental Congress by Virginia delegate

A) Patrick Henry.

B) Thomas Jefferson.

C) Richard Henry Lee.

D) Thomas Paine.

E) John Adams.

20. The feasibility of representative government had been demonstrated in the

A) militia movement.

B) Olive Branch Petition.

C) Declaration of Independence.

D) committees of correspondence.

E) all of the above.

21. Examples of colonial experience with self-governance, which prepared Americans for a republic, included all of the following except

A) New England town meetings.

B) committees of correspondence.

C) militia service.

D) the relative equality of landowning farmers.

E) the absence of a hereditary aristocracy.

22. Most Americans considered which of the following to be fundamental for any successful republican government?

A) a wealthy class to govern

B) the primacy of the property rights of individuals

C) primacy of the interests of individuals

D) retention of a constitutional monarchy

E) civic virtue

23. When America became a republic and political power no longer rested with an all-powerful king,

A) the American colonies were able to gain their independence.

B) England experienced the Glorious Revolution.

C) individuals needed to sacrifice their own self-interest to the public good.

D) chaos gripped the nation.

E) all of the above.

24. Which individual privately advocated equality for women?

A) Betsy Ross

B) Thomas Jefferson

C) Martha Washington

D) Benjamin Franklin

E) Abigail Adams

25. The Declaration of Independence did all of the following except

A) invoke the natural rights of humankind to justify revolt.

B) catalog the tyrannical actions of King George III.

C) argue that royal tyranny justified revolt.

D) offered the British one last chance at reconciliation.

E) accused the British of violating the natural rights of the Americans.

26. Americans who opposed independence for the colonies were labeled __________ or _______________, and the independence-seeking Patriots were also known as _______________.

A) Tories, Whigs, Loyalists

B) Loyalists, Tories, Whigs

C) Whigs, Tories, Loyalists

D) Loyalists, Whigs, Tories

E) Sons of Liberty, Tories, Whigs

27. Like many revolutions, the American Revolution was

A) a majority movement.

B) a minority movement.

C) started by forces outside the country.

D) one in which little attention was given to those civilians who remained neutral.

E) one which produced a minimum of violence.

28. The Patriot militia played a crucial role in the Revolution in all of the following ways except

A) taking up the task of "political" education.

B) raising funds to support the war effort.

C) convincing people that the British army was an unreliable friend.

D) mercilessly harassing small British detachments.

E) as effective agents of Revolutionary ideas.

29. The Americans who continued to support the crown after independence had been declared were more likely to be all of the following except

A) well educated.

B) from among the older generation.

C) affiliated with the Anglican church.

D) from New England.

E) wealthy.

30. Many Americans remained loyalists during the Revolution for all of the following reasons except

A) fear of retribution.

B) they believed a Patriot victory would lead to anarchy.

C) some were promised freedom.

D) they believed the British would preserve religious toleration.

E) they believed in British military superiority.

31. Which of the following fates befell Loyalists after the Revolutionary War?

A) Some fled to England.

B) Some re-established themselves in America.

C) Some had their property confiscated.

D) Some were exiled.

E) all of the above.

32. All of the following fates befell colonial Loyalists except

A) tarring and feathering.

B) subjection to a reign of terror.

C) imprisonment.

D) exile.

E) riding astride fence rails.

33. Loyalists were least numerous in

A) New York.

B) Pennsylvania.

C) Virginia.

D) the middle colonies.

E) New England.

34. To help the British, colonial Loyalists did all of the following except

A) fight for the British.

B) serve as spies.

C) pay extra taxes to fund the war.

D) keep Patriot soldiers at home to protect their families.

E) incite the Indians.

35. General William Howe did not pursue and defeat George Washington's army after the Battle of Long Island for all of the following reasons except

A) he remembered the slaughter of Bunker Hill.

B) the country was rough.

C) supplies were slow in coming.

D) he did not relish the rigors of a winter campaign.

E) he lacked sufficient naval support.

36. In late 1776 and early 1777, George Washington helped restore confidence in America's military by

A) defeating the Hessians at Trenton and the British at Princeton.

B) securing the support of France for the American war effort with a victory in New York City.

C) gaining a pay raise for American troops.

D) bringing in Alexander Hamilton as his aide.

E) providing adequate food and clothing for the soldiers.

37. The basic strategy of the British in 1777 was to try to

A) control the Delaware Valley.

B) invade the southern colonies.

C) isolate New England.

D) hold the cities and let colonists control the countryside.

E) isolate the South.