Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

Defining American War Aims

When te Second Contnental Congress met tey agreed t support te war but disagreed about its purpose.

Brinkley, Chaptr 5 Nots Te Adams Cousins - Favored Independence

Tomas Paine, autor of Common Sense Te American Revoluton argued tat te greatst problem facing te colonists was te English Consttuton and geting rid of it was wort fightng for.

Moderats - Quick reconciliaton wit Britain (John Dickinson) Most Americans believed at first tat tey were fightng not for independence but for a redress of grievances witin te Britsh Empire, but tey changed teir minds as te fightng spread t teir backyards.

Declaraton of Independence Mobilizing for War Contnental Congress, July 4 1776 Financing te war was difficult because Congress had no autorit t levy taxes on “Tat tese Unitd Colonies are, and, of right, ought t be, fee and independent stats; tat its own and had t borrow fom stat governments. tey are absolved fom al alegiance t te Britsh crown, and tat al politcal connexion between tem and te stat of Great Britain is, and ought t be, ttaly dissolved.” Most of te money used t finance te war came

Launched a period of energetc politcal innovaton, as fom France and oter natons. one colony aftr anoter considered itself as a “stat.” Volunter soldiers were scarce. Stats had t pay Jefferson wrot most of te Declaraton, but had bountes or draft tem int service. help fom Ben Franklin and John Adams. Borrowed many concepts circulatng troughout At first, militamen remained under contol of teir respectve stats but Congress te colonies and fom te Enlightnment. recognized te need for a centalized military command and creatd a By 1777, Congress adoptd a plan for union, te Artcles of Confederaton - a weak Contnental Army wit George Washingtn as te Commander. decentalized systm of government.

War for Independence Te First Phase

Britsh Advantages: American Advantages: Parliament did not believe it was a “real” war, but quarrels Greatst Navy Fightng on own trritry

Best Equipped Army More commited t te conflict Britsh suffered heavy losses at Bunker Hil Resources of an empire Substantal aid fom abroad

Coherent stucture of command Fightng moved out of Bostn int Canada

Americans invaded Canada unsuccessfly and Britain realized tey needed t wage a Luck: fl scale war Early Britsh blunders and miscalculatons Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

Canada American Te Second Phase Revolution If not for a series of Britsh mistakes, te war would probably have ended by 1778 Battles and Cities

Saratoga Britsh General Wiliam Howe offered te colonists: surrender wit a royal pardon Boston Delaware River or face a batle against overwhelming odds. Lexington & Concord Battles Philadelphia Cities American rejectd Howe’s offer and Howe pushed tem off Manhatan int Valley Forge New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Richmond

Britsh setled in for te wintr, but Washingtn crossed te Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776 and surprised te Hessians (German mercenaries).

Charleston Altough it was a moral victry, it was a military defeat for Washingtn as he was unable t hold ont Trentn.

Te Second Phase Securing Aid From Abroad

Te Britsh statgy relied on dividing te Contnental Army int 2 Te French stod t gain te most of a Britsh defeat

At first tey provided te Colonists wit badly needed supplies but no formal Britsh captured Philadelphia hoping te war would end soon aftr. Te Contnental diplomatc recogniton. French foreign ministr, Charles Gravier de Vergennes Congress fled t York, Pennsylvania. wantd evidence tat te Americans had a real chance of winning.

George Washingtn tied t atack te Britsh Prime Ministr Lord Nort offered te colonists complet home rule witin te at Germantwn, just outside of Philadelphia. empire for Americans if tey would quit te war. Unsuccessfl, he fled t Valey Forge.

Vergennes feared te Americans would accept te offer and destoy France’s In al te defeats, te Colonists managed a huge victry at Saratga (New York) opportunit t support Britain. Formal recogniton was grantd t America.

Saratga changed EVERYTHING

Te Final Phase: Te Sout Te Final Phase: Te Sout General Natanael Greene replaced Horato Gats in te colonial soutern Aftr Saratga, te Britsh relied on heavily Loyalist sentment in te Sout. Tey campaigns. Gats confsed Britsh General Lord Cornwalis by dividing American moved Sout t enlist te Loyalists and tied t convince slaves t fight for tem. forces and avoided open, conventonal batles. Cornwalis said te American forces delivered “a very unexpectd and severe blow.” Te Britsh badly overestmatd te Loyalist sentment. Furter, tey Aftr American reinforcements arrived, Greene decided t move back int taditonal underestmatd te abilit of te colonial army t move witin te trritry of te open batlefield fightng and lost t Cornwalis. However, Cornwalis lost so many men Sout and blend in wit te populaton. tat he decided t abandon te Carolina campaign and take a defensive positon in

Tis phase of te war made it “revolutonary.” It had te effect of mobilizing and Yorktwn, Virginia. American and French forces quickly politcizing large groups of te populaton. Te war expanded int previously descended on Yorktwn. George Washingtn isolatd communites, wit many civilians forced t involve temselves wheter tey and French General Count de Rochambeau liked it or not. Support for independence increased greatly. marched t Yorktwn t meet te Marquis de Te Britsh found success in te Sout in Charlestn and Savannah Lafayete. Tis joint operaton caused te surrender of Cornwalis. Te war for independence was over. Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

Winning te Peace Treat of Paris 1783

Conwalis’s defeat provoked outcries in England 1. Ful American independence Lord Nort resigned as Prime Ministr recognized by Britain Britsh emissaries appeared in France t negotat a peace setlement 2. Boundaries set: Nort = Great Lakes Ben Franklin, John Adams, and West = MS River John Jay were te American Sout = 31st Paralel diplomats 3. Americans gained fishing rights off Newfoundland Treat signed on Septmber 3, 1783 4. Britain kept contol of Canada

5. Navigaton of te MS River was t be open t bot Britsh & Americans

War and Slavery Tension Between Libert and Slavery For some Afican Americans, war meant feedom. Te Britsh helped many escape For some Afican Americans, te Revoluton meant an increased exposure t te te county as a way of disruptng te American war effort. concept of libert

Nov. 7, 1775 Lord Dunmore issued a Te Revoluton exposed te contnuing tnsion between te natn’s commitment t Proclamaton “And I hereby frter declare al libert and its commitment t slavery. indentured servants, Negroes, or oters fee, tat It seemed obvious t most tat slavery and libert were incompatble, but it was less are able and wiling t bear arms, tey joining obvious in te Sout His Majest’s Troops...” Many whit souterners believed tat enslaving Aficans was te best way t Fewer tan 1,000 fought for Dunmore ensure libert for whit people. Tey feared tat witout slaves, it would be PA was te 1st stat t abolish About 5,000 served in te Contnental Army necessary t recruit a servile whit workforce in te Sout, and tat te resultng slavery (1780) inequalites would jeopardize te survival of libert Emancipaton of slaves in te Nort was VT was te 1st colony t abolish One of te ironies of te American Revoluton was tat many whit Americans slow, but te number of slaves dwindled slavery (1777) were fightng bot t secure feedom for temselves and t preserve slavery for over te next few decades. oters.

Natve Americans and te Revoluton Abigail Adams

Most tibes ultmatly chose t stay out of te war. Only te Iroquois alied wit Te emphasis on libert and te “rights of man” led some wealty women t queston Britain - altough tey claimed t be neutal. teir positon in societ.

Many Indians te Revoluton would replace a somewhat tustworty ruling group Abigail Adams wrot t her husband John, “In te new code of (te Britsh) wit a hostle ruling group bent on expansion (Americans) laws which I suppose it wil be necessary for you t make, I desire you would remember te ladies and be more generous Te Revoluton weakened te positon of te Natve Americans in several ways: and favorable t tem tan your ancestrs.” She was caling for new protctons against abusive and trannical men. Increased whit demand for westrn land

Resentment twards Indians for not alying wit Colonists and carrying out raids Eliza Wilkinson

Patrnalistc point of view tward te Indians led by Tomas Jefferson: Te “Te men say we have no business [wit politcs]. Tey won’t even alow us libert of Indians were “noble savages,” uncivilized in teir present stat but redeemable if tought, and tat is al I want.” Women did not insist on civic equalit wit men; tey were wiling t adapt t te norms of whit societ. tey sought only t an end t restictve custms and laws. Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

America, a Republic Republican Moter Most politcians ignored women’s requests, and most men insistd on te taditonal sexual and politcal prerogatves of teir sex. Despit te efforts of Adams and oters like Judit Sargent Murray (equal educaton), American Husbands remained patiarchs who dominatd teir households. Even younger men did not societ became more patiarchal tan ever. support legal equalit for teir wives and daughtrs. In te new American republic, only whit men enjoyed fl citzenship. No votng, al propert belonged t te husband, no Neverteless, te republican belief in an educatd citzenry creatd opportunites for some legal tansactons, no propert rights, no legal women. In 1779, Judit Sargent Murray wrot an essay caled “On te Equalit of Sexes.” In her essay she argued tat men and women had equal capacites for memory and tat women autorit over her children, could not initat had superior imaginatons. She conceded tat most women were inferior t men in judgment divorce. and reasoning, but only fom lack of taining. Out of tis tough, was te importance of te woman as moter - t produce a new Tat situaton changed in te 1790s, when te atorney general of MA declared tat girls had kind of citzen, one steped in te principles of libert. Te “Republican Moter” an equal right t schooling under te stat consttuton. By 1850, te litracy rats of women and men in te norteastrn stats were equal, and educatd women again chalenged teir subordinat legal and politcal status.

Women’s Rights and Women’s Roles Assumptons of Republicanism

Women were in charge of farms and businesses If Americans agreed t noting else, tey agreed tat teir new governments would be while men fought republican. Republic - government systm in which power comes fom te people, not a Led protsts against price increases, riotd, supreme autorit or lootd food

Te success of tis tpe of Atacked Britsh toops government depended on te “Camp Folowers” - nurses, when possible smal, independent land owner cooks, launderers; some Spies embedded wit civic virtue. disguised temselves as men t fight - Deborah Sampson Warned of a few powerfl aristcrats and a great mass of dependent workers

Equalit First Stat Consttutons

“Al men are creatd equal.” Stat consttutons were t be writen down Al people have t earn teir success. Tere might be no equalit of conditon, but Power of te executve was t be limitd tere would be equalit of opportunit.

But would tere realy be equalit of opportunit? No executve could hold office in te legislature simultaneously Afican Slaves

Exploitaton of Indians Did not embrace direct popular rule

Women not grantd access t educaton Propert requirements for votrs Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

Separaton of Church and Stat Toleraton and Slavery

Most Americans contnued t believe tat religion should play some role in Slavery was more difficult t resolve. In many places in te Nort it was abolished. government but did not want t give special privileges t any partcular Sout Carolina and Georgia prohibitd te frter importaton of slaves fom abroad denominaton.

1786 Virginia enactd te Virginia passed a law encouraging te voluntary feeing (manumission) of slaves Statue of Religious Libert - caling for te complet Slavery survived noneteless in al soutern and border stats because: separaton of church and stat. Racist assumptons among whits of te inferiorit of blacks (Tomas Jefferson) Washingtn and Jefferson owned slaves Not: Tere is NOTHING in te US Consttuton tat makes What would happen t feed blacks? separaton of church and stat Belief tat blacks could be assimilatd int whit societ an official law. Tis is merely conventonal practce.

Te Artcles of Confederaton 1777 Powers of Congress

Natonal Government: 1 Branch = Confederaton Congress Can: Cannot: - A commitee of delegats composed of representatves fom Declare War and Peace Regulat tade each stat. Appointd by stat legislatures. Appoint military and naval officers Draft toops Each stat had 1 vot. 9 vots needed t approve any measure. 13 vots needed t approve any amendments t te Artcles Requisiton te stats for men and Levy direct taxes money Each stat would tax itself t help contibut t common Mediat intrstat issues expenses (war debt) Send and receive ambassadors Enforce its wil on te stats Entr int teates and aliances No stat was t be deprived of westrn lands. Regulat Commerce Establish a post office Each stat retained powers not explicitly delegatd t Coin money Congress. Stats retained sovereignt, feedom, and independence. Borrow money or issue paper money on credit

Weaknesses of Artcles Problems Creatd by te Artcles Te Federal Government was weak and could not enforce te A of C Never solved te problem of representaton Stats refsed t pay off foreign debts, refsed t pay taxes on tme, or at al (GA)

Big stats wantd representaton based on Trade limits imposed by Britain, France & Spain. A of C to weak t contst populaton Could not protct American setlements in areas contoled by Spain and Britain.

Smal stats wantd equal representaton Stats violatd teates wit Indian natons - A of C could not punish stats

No separat executve. Te “President” was Stats would not send delegats t Congress - Congress could not hold session merely te residing officer at te sessions of Stats argued over boundaries, fishing rights, tading, etc. A of C could not resolve Congress infightng

No judicial Branch t act as mediatr between te stats Some stats wantd secession Turmoil between debtrs and creditrs - each stat had different currencies Inflexible as it needed al 13 stats t ratf amendments Rebelions left te stats t defend temselves (Shay’s Rebelion) Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

Success of te Artcles Land Ordinance of 1784

Received intrnatonal recogniton Untl about 1780 te lands of te Nortwest Territry were claimed by several existng stats, including NY & VA. Tese stats soon ceded teir land holdings t te cental government. Forged diplomatc relatons wit foreign natons

By te tme te Revoluton ended in 1783, specific measures were needed t guide te setlement, Borrowed money fom intrnatonal lenders division, and organizaton of te Nortwest Territry.

Negotatd te Treat of Paris Te Ordinance of 1784, draftd by Tomas Jefferson and passed by Congress, divided te trritry int a handfl of self-governing disticts. Fielded a Contnental Army and won a war

Established of a systm of trritrial governance under federal autorit It stpulatd tat each distict could send one representatve t Congress upon its ataining a populaton of 20,000, and it would become eligible for stathood when its populaton equaled --> Land Ordinance of 1784 and te Nortwest Ordinance 1787 tat of te least populous existng stat. (Tis ordinance was superseded by te Ordinance of 1787.)

Land Ordinance of 1785 Provided for te scientfic surveying of te trritry’s lands and for a systmatc subdivision of tem.

Land was t be subdivided according t a rectangular grid systm; te basic unit of land grant was te twnship, which was a square area measuring six miles on each side.

A twnship could ten be subdivided int a number of rectangular parcels of individualy owned land. Te minimum land sale was set at one square mile (640 acres), and te minimum price per acre was $1.

One secton in each twnship was t be set aside for a school. Tese procedures formed te basis of American public land policy untl te Homestad Act of 1862.

It also required tat half of te twnships be sold in single blocks of 23,040 acres each, which restictd teir sale t wel-t-do farmers.

Te Nortwest Ordinance, 1787 Te Nortwest Ordinance. 1787

Te Nortwest Ordinance of 1787 was te most important of te land ordinances. Each distict was t be governed by a governor and judges appointd by Congress 1787 Ordinance - creatd a single Nortwest Territry out of te lands nort of te Ohio untl it atained a populaton of 5,000 adult fee males, at which tme it would River. Te trritry was ten subsequently divided int 5 trritries. become a trritry and could form its own representatve legislature.

Arguably te most important accomplishment of te Artcles of Confederaton. An individual trritry could be admited t stathood in te Union aftr having It laid te basis for te government of te atained a populaton of 60,000. Nortwest Territry and for te admission of its consttuent parts as stats int te Union. Under te ordinance, slavery was forever outlawed fom te lands of te Nortwest Territry; feedom of religion, tial by jury, and oter civil libertes were guaranted Under tis ordinance, te principle of grantng new stats equal rater tan inferior Indians were promised decent teatment; and educaton was provided for. status t older ones was firmly established. Brinkley, Chapter 5 Notes

Te Critcal Period, 1783-1789 Te Critcal Period, 1783-1789 A problematc era due t te weakness of te natonal government under te A of C Dissatsfied Groups

Foreign problems Merchants wantd gov’t tat regulats commerce & can secure favorable teatment overseas Manufacturers wantd tariff barriers against foreign goods Britain wants debts paid t merchants and refsed t send a ministr t te US for diplomacy Land speculatrs wantd stong gov’t t keep Indians away & te fonter open for profit Britain stl maintained Nortwest tading posts--was not abiding by teates tat compeled Holders of government bonds wantd te government t pay off its debt tem t leave te trritry. US wil not pay debts untl te tading posts are desertd Creditrs and financiers wantd a stable currency and a less severe inflaton rat France, almost bankrupt, is upset wit Congress for not paying debts US unable t oppose te Barbary Pirats due t lack of a navy Post War Depression, 1784-1787 Exposed te problem of an inadequat money supply - partcularly a problem for debtrs. Domestc Problems No Standard Currency Enormous outstanding debt fom te War, and litle means t pay it. Stats lacked respect for te natonal government Creditrs hurt by stat laws forcing Congress could not tax, & stats only gave smal contibutons. On te verge of default Britsh goods dumped at low prices acceptance of paper money for debts Stats had war debts to and relied on heavy taxes fom its citzens. Poor farmers considered Military almost at te point of mutny--not being paid by te government such policies unfair. Demanded tat stat governments issue paper currency t increase te Bank-holders & creditrs lost fait in gov’t b/c it could not even pay intrest payments, let money supply and make it easier for tem t pay teir loans & taxes. alone pay its loan principal

Shay’s Rebelion Shay’s Rebelion

In MA, lawmakers refsed t enact debtr relief legislaton. Shays issued a set of demands t te MA legislature: Issuance of paper money, tax relief, moratrium on Tey imposed high taxes t pay off te stat’s war debt and cut te supply of paper currency. debts, and aboliton of imprisonment for debts

Te MA gov’t was relatvely uninvolved in te Cash-stapped farmers could not pay bot teir rebelion untl “Shayists” preventd te colecton of taxes and teir debts. Creditrs treatned lawsuits. debts and used force t keep te courts fom siting Courts were foreclosing on homes. Mobs of angry and sheriffs fom seling confiscatd propert. farmers closed te courts by force. Tey were tying t prevent “valuable and industious members of Wealty Bostnians in te West (including Abigail Adams) donatd money t form a milita societ being dragged fom teir families t prison.” t put down te rebelion. Te rebels were routd in a skirmish in January 1787. Shays escaped t Vermont and was latr pardoned. 150 oters were captured and several sentnced t deat. George Washingtn and Tese crowd actons grew int a fl-scale revolt led by Daniel Shays, former captain of te oters urged compassionat teatment of te rebels and pardons were eventualy grantd. Contnental Army.

Shay’s Rebelion Effects of Shay’s Rebelion

Demonstatd tat many people realized tat stat governments undermined propert rights Reversal fom te Revoluton

Abigail Adams, in a leter t Tomas Jefferson, while she was in London & he in Paris, she People realized tat a stonger natonal government was required t answer t te needs of te described te uprising as: “Ignorant, restless desperadoes, witout conscience or principles, have union and t stp te stats fom treatning teir peoples’ lives led a deluded multtude t folow teir standard, under pretnse of grievances which have no existnce but in teir imaginatons.” Many people (including Madison) felt tat te principles of te Revoluton were being treatned more by stat governments tan tey could be by a stonger cental Sam Adams had become an establishment government, IF it was t be creatd figure in Massachusets politcs and urged Led t cals for stonger natonal government--every stat except Rhode Island sendt deat sentnces for te leading Shays rebels. It delegats t Phily t revise te Artcles is believed tat he said, “Te man who dares t rebel against te laws of a republic ought t Te rebelion added urgency t te movement t produce a new, natonal consttuton. One suffer deat.” wit a more centalized government, te power t tax, and te power t intrvene in stat affairs if needed.