THE WAR FOR AMERICA:
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AS A GLOBAL
CONFLICT
The War at Sea
- At the outbreak of the war, the Royal Navy enjoyed enormous
advantages, despite being understrength.
oThe British embarked on a crash refitting and building program.
- One ship-type they lacked was frigates:
oThese were smaller vessels (30-44 guns) needed for blockade
duty
oAt left is a replica of HMS Surprise
oBerthed in San Diego, she was used in the film, Master and
Commander
- The Patriots had no navy at all.
- They, however, would utilize state “navies” and privateers to great
advantage.
o“State navies”: Merchant vessels fitted with artillery.
- In February-April 1776, Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island commanded a
squadron of six small ships on a cruise against the British.
- On 3 March, he attacked New Providence Island in the Bahamas.
- He captured quantities of supplies and the royal governor.
American Privateers
- The Americans’ most effective weapon in the war at sea was the
privateer:
oPrivately owned armed vessels.
oPolitical authorities issued commissions to their owners.
“Letters of marque”
oPrivateers sought out enemy merchant shipping.
oThe owner, captain, and crew received shares of the proceeds
from the sale of captured merchant ships and cargo.
- Some 2,000 Patriot privateers captured over 3,300 British merchant
ships.
John Paul Jones
- One of the most legendary sailors in American naval history.
- In 1778, in command of Ranger (18 guns), he sailed into British waters.
oThe high point of the cruise was a raid on the fort at Whitehaven
in northeast England.
- In 1779, Jones took Bonhomme Richard (40 guns) on a similar mission.
- On 23 September, he took on HMS Serapis (44 guns) in an epic duel.
- Jones took the British vessel, his own sinking two days later.
The West Indies Theater
- For Great Britain, France, and Spain, control of the West Indies was a
vital strategic objective:
oSugar
oRice
oTobacco
oIndigo
- The French began mounting major operations soon after entering the
war.
oThe campaign for the island of St. Lucia involved some 10,000
men on both sides.
- When Spain entered the war in 1779, George Germain urged attacks
on the new enemy’s colonies.
- Attacks on Omoa in Honduras and San Juan Castle in Nicaragua (upper
left) failed.
oTropical diseases ravaged the Redcoats
- The Dutch loaned money and smuggled supplies to the Americans
through the island of St. Eustatius in the West Indies (lower left).
- In December 1780, Britain declared war, attacking and seizing the
island.
The War in Europe
- While there were no major campaigns in Europe during the War for
American Independence, there were significant situations and
operations:
oFrance mobilized 30,000 troops for a proposed invasion of
England.
oWhile the operation never came off, large numbers of British
ships and troops had to be deployed in southern England.
oIn 1779, the Spanish mounted a siege of the British naval base of
Gibraltar.
oThe British army withstood a four-year siege.
The League of Armed Neutrality
- By early 1780, the rest of Europe was deeply concerned about the
expanding war.
- In March, the Empress Catherine II of Russia organized a “League of
Armed Neutrality” with Sweden and Denmark.
- The League proclaimed the right of neutrals to trade with belligerents.
- The League also cut the British off from vital sources of naval stores in
the Baltic.
oWood for planking and masts.
oHemp and flax for canvas and rope.
BRITIAN DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Opposition to the War
- During the first three years of the war, the Rockinghamite Opposition
floundered in its efforts.
- In 1776, Edmund Burke proposed a “Bill for Quieting America.”
oCalled for repealing the taxes and the Coercive Acts.
- The Declaration of Independence later in the year put Burke and his
compatriots in an awkward position.
- Much of the country rallied to the king.
o“How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty from the
drivers of Negroes?” – Samuel Jackson
- Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga threw the North Ministry into
disarray.
- North, facing a hostile cabinet and mounting criticism, sought to
resign.
- Germain sought to implement a naval strategy.
- The Opposition was reenergized.
- A new leader, Charles James Fox, demanded that war be ended, and
American independence recognized.
The Carlisle Commission
- North formed a peace commission headed up by Lord Carlisle.
- They were authorized to offer the Americans peace, offering to repeal
all Parliamentary acts regarding the colonies since 1763.
- The Continental Congress refused, holding out for independence.
The Gordon Riots
- The winter of 1779-1780 was a period of crisis in Britain:
oThe “Volunteer Movement” agitated for Irish independence.
oThe “Association” called for radical Parliamentary reform.
- In June 1780, Parliament proposed extending toleration to Scottish
Catholics.
- Lord George Gordon, a fanatical anti-Catholic, stoked opposition in
London.
- Flared up into the “Gordon Riots.”
oTroops shot down the rioters.
- Ironically, the position of George III and Lord North was strengthened
afterwards.
oNorth’s government was supported in the fall elections.
PATRIOT NADIR: WINTER 1780-1781
The American Home Front
- The population of the American states faced great struggles during the
war:
oThe death and maiming of breadwinners.
The lot of POWs was especially difficult (lower left).
oLoss of property.
oEconomic hardship.
There was extensive profiteering and speculation at the
expense of soldiers and civilians.
The Tories
- Some of the Americans who suffered most were those who remained
loyal to Britain.
oMade up 20-25% of the population.
- Patriot hatred for the Tories was a mix of devotion to the cause and
less noble passions.
- State governments repressed Tories:
oLoss of political rights.
oProperty confiscation.
oDeath for those who served with the British army.
- Some 100,000 Tories left America during and after the war.
The Winter of 1779-1780 at Morristown
- The Continental Army suffered its worst winter of the war in 1779-
1780:
oA drought in the fall ruined the crops in the mid-Atlantic states.
oThe intense cold produced a series of blizzards for months.
oFoodstuffs were almost non-existent.
- Discipline broke down among the rank and file
National Bankruptcy
- From the beginning of the war, Congress utilized paper money.
oToo much paper was printed, leading to high inflation.
- To keep the war going, both Congress and the states borrowed heavily.
- By the end of 1780, the value of the Continental dollar completely
collapsed.
- Robert Morris, a Pennsylvania financier who signed the Declaration of
Independence, sunk much of his personal fortune to save the Patriot
cause from financial disaster
The Treason of Benedict Arnold
- Benedict Arnold returned to duty from his Saratoga wound in the
summer of 1778.
- Deprived of recognition and honor he believed was his due, he was
bitter and angry.
- George Washington placed him in command of Philadelphia, where he
outraged local Patriots:
oInvolved in war profiteering
oMarried Loyalist belle Peggy Shippen
- Charged in May 1779 and tried by court-martial in December.
oAcquitted of all but two charges
- Washington put Arnold in command of the strategic post of West Point
in August of 1780.
oHe had been in secret communication with Gen. Henry Clinton
since late spring 1779.
- Through Major John André, Clinton’s adjutant, Arnold plotted to weaken
the post so the British could capture it.
- On 23 September 1780, a band of highwaymen captured André in
civilian clothes behind the American lines.
- In doing so, the plot was uncovered.
- Arnold fled to the British lines.
- Washington demanded that Clinton exchange Arnold for André.
- André was eventually hung as a spy
The Continental Army Mutinies
- Throughout the war, minor uprisings had occurred in the ranks.
- In 1779, such occurrences became more frequent and involved more
troops.
- The soldiery was increasingly angry over constant shortages of
necessities, lack of pay, and being held over terms of enlistment.
- On 1 January 1781 in Morristown, the 1,500 troops of the Pennsylvania
Brigade staged the largest mutiny in American military history.
- Although satisfactory terms were negotiated, the episode was further
evidence of the fragility of the Patriot cause.
-
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
