American Revolutionary War and War Essay

Submitted By emmaobs
Words: 1188
Pages: 5

OUTLINE CH. 6
Column Notes
Ch. 6 Sec 1 – Early years of war . -The Opposing Sides – Patriots (wanted to be separated from England) vs. Loyalist (wanted to remain England) -The war was not expected to last long – Britain was the strongest nation in the world and expected to win the war quickly
I. Patriot obstacles (difficulties in fighting Britain) a. Population b. Navy c. American Militia – Small local armies d. Americans Divided – Between Patriots and Loyalists e. Continental Congress – Name of the Government in Charge during the Revolutionary – No Centralized power (no President during war) power – Colonist feared giving to much power in the hands of a few people (like a KING) f. Raising and Army – Was Difficult – no central power. 13 colonies fought 13 separate wars – It was a Voluntary Army
II. Loyalist (Tories another n) supported Britain for Several Reasons a. Britain’s Anglican Church – Wanted to follow their religion b. Britain supplied many of the jobs for the colonist c. Fear of Challenging Government d. Some did not understand why the war was being fought e. More loyalist located in South f. Slaves and Fee Blacks Some were Promised Freedom from Britain if they fought in the war
III. American Advantages over British troops a. Fought on own ground- More familiar b. Personal Stake- If they lost they might get hanged or sent to jail for being a traitor c. George Washington – Well respected and very competent general
I. A British Plan for Victory - During the summer of 1777, Britain sent 32,000 troops to fight in America. ( The British hoped to win an early victory • More soldiers were needed, so African Americans enlisted. In fact Rhode Island had an all African American regiment in 1778. By the end of the war, every state except South Carolina had enlisted African Americans. • The British planned to gain control of Albany and the Hudson River to separate New England from the Middle Colonies.
Section 2 Gaining Allies (friends or countries willing to help America fight the revolution) • France declared war on Britain and gave the Americans money, equipment and troops to fight the British. • Spain did not recognize America’s independence until after the Revolution, but the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, helped the war effort. • 1777 - Washington’s troops spent a hard winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Some men deserted (left the Army) others resigned. Yet the Continental Army survived. • In April news of France’s alliance cheered them. • Getting money to finance the war was difficult. To pay for the war, Congress and the states printed hundreds of millions of dollars of paper money. Soldiers had to be paid and supplies bought. The paper quickly lost its value and in turn led to inflation. Congress stopped issuing paper money because no one would use it.
Life on the Home Front • Women often took over the duties of men while the men were in the military. Some women questioned their place in society, and some fought for women’s interests. • The Loyalists in the colonies faced hard times. Those who actively helped the British by spying and informing on the Patriots could be arrested and tried as traitors. Some were victims of mob violence or ignored by their neighbors. Many fled to Britain, to Spanish-owned Florida, or to the frontier. • Slavery During the War - slavery was questioned, especially in light of the ideals of freedom for which people went to war. African Americans fought as soldiers in the Revolutionary War. They hoped that they would soon see the day when slavery would be abolished.
Section 3 - War in the West • The war in the West took place along the frontier, west of the Appalachian Mountains, and involved Native Americans. They often helped the British by raiding American settlements.
Glory at Sea • British Navy - The British had a powerful