EARLY GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES. American Revolutionary War Progress in Flight Between Wars War of 1812 OVERVIEW.

EARLY GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES

EARLY GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES

American Revolutionary War

Progress in Flight

Between Wars

War of 1812

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR


Most Influential Military Event in American History

Armies that contested the warThe BritishGeorge Washington’s Continental ArmyBoth tiny by modern standards

Militia UnitsOnly American forces available at startNot real effective against regular troopsMyth created that militia was all we needed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Piechur_brytyjski_z_1742_r._22_regiment_piechoty.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Infantry%2C_Continental_Army%2C_1779-1783.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portrait_of_George_Washington.jpeg



IssuesRelationship between the King in London and colonists

Most colonists considered themselves loyal subjectsKing tried to impose obligations without rightsTaxation and quartering of British troops

Costs associated with defense of the American coloniesFrench and Indian WarIndians on frontier

Royal Proclamation of 1763 placed a boundary on the westward expansion of the American coloniesGoal to force colonists to negotiate with the Native Americans for the lawful purchase of the land

Cost of mercenaries2 ways the colonists could contribute; taxes and trade



Significant EventsNew Taxes (p. 1-17)

Tea and Sugar ActsStamp ActQuartering Act

Boston Massacre (1770)Accident, British sentry knocked down a boyGot out of handCrispus Attucks

Fugitive slave???Bunker Hill (1775)

British tried to collect militia military suppliesPaul Revere5 years after Boston



Political Objective/PurposeBasic U.S. military policy was influenced by two factors

A distrust of large standing armies and belief militia would be enough

Glorious Revolution in EnglandOverthrow of King James III by parliament and the Dutch, 1688King had standing army, parliament had militia

A firm belief in isolationismOceans to east and westWeak countries to north and south



Political Objective/PurposeColonists began Revolution without clear political objective

Define the reasons for war, then visualize how you want the end to look and determine how the war would be fought to achieve objectivesColonies didn’t want independence at firstThe military situation forced a political purpose, rather than having a political purpose before the war beganEngland viewed leaders of revolution as traitors andwould hang them if they could catch themIndependence was only way to stay alive; win or die

British objective was to maintain sovereignty (control)over the American colonies

Many British felt demands reasonable or not worthfighting over



ParticipantsGeorge Washington, commander-in-chief, accepted the position without any compensation, except reimbursement of his expenses

Elected by Continental Congress Both minutemen (militia) and reserve companies fought at Lexington and Concord (Bunker Hill)Professional armies were small by today’s standards

Thousands, not hundreds of thousands or millionsHard to field even 15,000 at any one time

Generals/Colonels appointed by assembliesMost other officers elected by troops

Continental Congress took over the existing New England army; militia supported by states



ParticipantsIntegrated army, first and last until Korean WarOn October 8, 1775, General Washington and his staff discussed the question of using Black troops, and on November 12 an order was issued.

Afraid of Black troops; they might fight against them for their independenceIn November 1775, all free Blacks that were able and willing to bear arms were given the right to enlistOf the 30,000 soldiers who served in the professional Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, approximately 5,000 were Black



PreparationAmerican colonies in the seventeenth century were too poor to pay a standing army solely for the preparation of war in defense of each colonyMilitary Forces

The colonies patterned their military forces after the militia they had known in EnglandMilitia mostly freeIncrease numbers of regular army/navy when needed, decrease numbers when not neededThe Legislature kept watch over their activities and retained ultimate control



Military Objectives and StrategyColonists would not negotiateBritish victories were often, but not decisiveNo vital centers to capture

Colonists could drag it out until British costs became too much for them to want to continue to pay(sound like Vietnam, Iraq, only in reverse?)Colonists waited for right time/place for military victory



Military Objectives and StrategyThree options to regain sovereignty

Destroy the rebel armyOccupy the important places (New York, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, etc.Win hearts and minds of population

The Revolution actually in four phasesPhase One, throw the British out, Bunker Hill (Mar 1770)

Phase Two, independence, Declaration of Independence (July 1776)

Phase Three, French (Feb 1778)

Phase Four, after victory at Yorktown (Oct 1781)

Treaty of Paris (1783)

U.S. Constitution (1787)



Better State of the Peace

The American Revolution achieved its (eventual) political objective of independence with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783

Declaration of Independence only said the colonies were independent, but didn’t actually make them independent

No need to continue to fightEngland didn’t accept

Treaty of Paris gives colonies independenceEngland agrees



Military Technology and TechniqueWeapons

Flintlock musket w/ bayonet and some artillery, mostly captured from British, .69 to .75 caliber,5 feet long, 12 pounds, ¾ inch bore, Max range 250 yards, effective range 50-100 yardsBalls and buckshot2 rounds per minute, 3 if highly trained

Battles were few and relatively bloodlessYorktown16,000 British vs 7,500 Americans/French200 killed, 20 Americans



Military Technology and TechniqueLand Transportation

Horse, wagon, walkingCommunication

Horse, ship, signalsTraining

SMALL professional armyMostly militia

Often poorly trained



Lessons Learned

Following the Revolution, the American people still felt that a strong military force could threaten individual liberty



Steps to Prevent Future Conflict The Philadelphia Convention, 1787, produced the United States Constitution

The articles directly affecting military matters included power to declare war, raise armies, and provide for a navyThe constitution authorized three branches of government, with the President as commander in chief of the armed forces and director of foreign relationsThe secretary of war became directly responsible to the President instead of to Congress

EARLY GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES. American Revolutionary War Progress in Flight Between Wars War of 1812 OVERVIEW.

Documents

belief militia

minutemen militia

american historyarmies

american coloniesfrench

american coloniesgoal

war beganengland

political purpose

military policy