the American war of independence.docx

the American war of independence.docx

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theAmericanwarofindependence

TheAmericanWarofIndependence

Contents

Ⅰ.Theintroduction

TheAmericanWarofIndependence（1775-1783）,playedaveryimportantroleinAmericanhistory.Thereasonswhywechoosethistopicaretomakepeopleknowtherelevantfactsanditsinfluenceaboutthiswar.Itwasaconflictbetween13BritishcoloniesontheeasternseaboardofNorthAmericaandtheirparentcountry,GreatBritain.Francelaterintervenedasanallyoftheindependentstates,andthewarresultedinthecoloniesbecomingaseparatenation,theUnitedStatesofAmerica.ItisalsoknownastheAmericanRevolutionaryWar.NowwewanttotellyousomethingabouttheAmericanWarofIndependence,suchasitscauses,mainevents,mainfiguresanditsoutcome.Besides,wewanttoletyouknowsomethingabouttheDeclarationofIndependenceandthefoundingfathersaswell.

Ⅱ.Thecauses

TheWarhadmanycausessuchaslong-termsocial,economic,andpoliticalchangesinthecoloniesbefore1750providedthebasisforanindependentnationwithrepresentativepoliticalinstitutions.

1.SevenYears'War

TheendoftheSevenYears'War（1756-63）,whichhaditsNorthAmericanbeginningin1754andwasknowninAmericaastheFrenchandIndianWar,madeBritainremovealong-standingthreattothecolonies.However,Britainaccumulatedalargedebtoverthecourseofthewar.Tohelppayoffthedebt,Britainturnedtothecoloniestogeneraterevenueandtheycameintoconflictwiththepoliticaltraditionsandassumptionsofthecolonistswhoresistedwhattheysawasunconstitutionalparliamentaryinnovation.Britain'sking,GeorgeIII,whohadsucceededtothethronein1760,wasdeterminedtoplayanactiveroleingoverningthenation.Duetotheking'sineptitude,however,theresultwaspoliticalinstabilityandalackofdirectioninnationalaffairsatthesametimethatBritain'scrisiswithitsAmericancoloniesdeveloped.

2.TheStampAct

In1765theBritishParliamentpassedtheStampAct.ItwasthefirstdirecttaxtobeleviedontheAmericancolonies,itrequiredthatallnewspapers,legaldocumentsandotherpapersissuedinthecoloniesbearastamp.ThecolonistsarguedthattheyshouldnotbetaxedsincetheyhadnorepresentationintheBritishgovernment.Facedwithalossoftrade,ParliamentrepealedtheStampActin1766.

3.TheBostonMassacre

OnMarch5,1770,acrowdofjeeringBostoniansslingingsnowballsgatheredaroundasmallgroupofBritishsoldiersguardingtheBostonCustomsHouse.ThesoldierskilledfourciviliansintheBostonMassacre.TheeventhelpedtounitethecoloniesagainstBritainandsparkthecolonists’desireforAmericanindependence.

4.TheBostonTeaParty

ThecolonistsrefusedtobuytheEnglishtea.TheyviewedtheTeaActasanotherviolationoftheirconstitutionalrightnottobetaxedwithoutrepresentation.ColonialmerchantsalsofearedthattheactwouldallowtheEastIndiaCompanytomonopolizetheteatradeandputthemoutofbusiness.InPhiladelphiaandNewYorkCitythecolonistswouldnotpermitBritishshipstounloadtea.InBoston,intheso-calledBostonTeaParty,agroupofcitizens,manydisguisedasIndiansandthrew342chestsofteaintotheharborwaters.

5.FirstContinentalCongress

TheFirstContinentalCongresswasaconventionofdelegatesfromtwelveofthethirteenNorthAmericancoloniesthatmetonSeptember5,1774,atCarpenters'HallinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.CalledinresponsetothepassageoftheIntolerableActsbytheBritishParliament,theCongresswasattendedby56membersappointedbythelegislaturesoftwelveoftheThirteenColonies,theexceptionbeingtheProvinceofGeorgia,whichdidnotsenddelegates.

TheCongressmetbrieflytoconsideroptions,includinganeconomicboycottofBritishtradeandpassedresolutionsassertingcolonialrights.

6.ThomasPaine’sCommonSense

OnJanuary10,1776,ThomasPainepublishedCommonSensetoencouragethecoloniststostriveforindependence.HewasthefirsttoopenlysuggestindependencefromBritain.HisbookletinspiredthecolonistsandwouldhaveamajorinfluenceonTomasJeffersoninhiswritingoftheDeclarationofIndependence.

Ⅲ.Themainevents

1.LexingtonandConcord（thebeginning）

OnApril19,1775,700BritishsoldiersweresenttoConcordtosearchforweaponsand“rebellious”colonists.WhenthetroopsreachedLexingtonatdawn,theyencounteredmilitiamen.FightingbrokeoutandthefirstshotsintheAmericanWarofIndependencewerefired.

TheshotsofLexington

2.SecondContinentalCongress

InMay1775,theSecondContinentalCongresswasheldinPhiladelphiaandbegantoassumethefunctionsofanationalgovernment.ItfoundedtheContinentalArmyandNavyunderthecommandofGeorgeWashington.Itprintedpapermoneyandopeneddiplomaticrelationswithforeignpowers.

SecondContinentalCongress

3.Saratoga

Itistheturningpointofthewar.Burgoyne,withabout7000men,wasatfirstsuccessful.OnJuly6hetookFortTiconderoga,andbyJuly29hehadreachedtheupperHudsonRiver,wherehewaitedforadditionalsuppliesfromCanada.Meanwhile,hesentaHessianforagingpartyeastintoVermont;thisforcewascuttopiecesintheBattleofBenningtonbyVermontandNewHampshiremilitia.ThebattlenotonlycostBurgoyneheavycasualtiesbutstimulatedAmericanmilitiaenlistments.HeproceededsouthinSeptemberbutwasfurtherdepletedintwobattlesnearSaratogawithmilitiamenandContinentaltroopsunderMaj.Gen.HoratioGates.OnOctober17Burgoynesurrenderedhisarmy,withlessthan5000men,toGates.OncenewsofBurgoyne'ssurrenderreachedFrance,KingLouisXVIdecidedtoenterintonegotiationswiththeAmericansthatresultedinaFranco-Americanalliance.

（TheBattleofSaratoga）

4.Howe'scaptureofPhiladelphia

GermainapprovedbothBurgoyne'splanforBritishtroopstocutoffNewEnglandfromthesouth,andHowe'splantomovesouthwiththemainBritisharmyandattackPhiladelphia.Suchplans,Howeimagined,wouldquicklyendthewar.Helanded（August25）attheheadofChesapeakeBayandmarchedonPhiladelphia.WashingtonvainlytriedtocheckhimatBrandywineCreek,Pa.,butonSeptember26HoweenteredPhiladelphia.Beforehisadvance,theContinentalCongressfled,firsttoYork,Pa.,andthentoBaltimore.OnOctober4,WashingtonattackedHoweatGermantown,justnorthofPhiladelphia,butwasdefeatedafterhardfighting.Washington,withabout11,000men,thenwentintowinterquartersatValleyForge.AfewmonthslaterhewasjoinedbyBaronFriedrichWilhelmvonSteuben,thePrussianofficerwhowouldhelpforgetheContinentalarmyintoaprofessionalfightingforceandtakepartintheBattleofMonmouthandthesiegeofYorktown.

5.TheFrenchAlliance

InFebruary1778,Francerecognizedtheindependenceofthecoloniesandsignedatreatyofcommerceandalliancewiththenewnation.AfterthesigningofthetreatyFrenchsuppliesofarms,ammunition,anduniformsprovedvitalfortheContinentalArmy.FrenchinvolvementinthewarwouldprovetobeimportantduringtheSiegeofYorktownwhen10,800Frenchregularsand29FrenchWarships,underthecommandoftheComtedeRochambeauandComtedeGrasserespectfully,joinedforceswithGen.GeorgeWashingtonandtheMarquisdeLafayettetoobtainthesurrenderofLordCornwallis'sSouthernarmy,andeffectivelybringinganendfightingontheNorthAmericanmainlandfortheremainderofthewar.DespiteeffortsbyBritaintonegotiateseparatetreatieswiththeiropponentsintheAmericanWarofIndependence,Spain,France,andtheUnitedStatesheldtogetherduringtheirnegotiationswithEnglandandconcludedhostilitiesbysigningthe1783TreatyofParis.

GeorgeWashingtonatMonmouth

6.Yorktown

OnAugust14WashingtonreceivedwordthatdeGrassewasbringingtheFrenchfleettoChesapeakeBay.HeimmediatelydecidedtoattackCornwallisatYorktown,Va.ThetroopsofWashingtonandRochambeaumarchedsouth,leavingacontainingforcetowatchClintoninNewYork.Some16,000AmericanandFrenchtroopsandVirginiamilitia,underWashington'scommand,laidsiegetoYorktown.Cornwallismadeseveralvainattemptstobreakthroughalliedlines,butonOct.19,1781,hewasobligedtosurrender.

（SiegeofYorktown）

7.TreatyofParis

YorktownmarkedtheendofserioushostilitiesinNorthAmerica,althoughpeacenegotiationsdraggedonuntiltheTreatyofPariswassignedonSept.3,1783.GreatBritainrecognizedtheindependenceoftheformercoloniesastheUnitedStatesofAmericaandacknowledgeditsnewbordersasextendingwesttotheMississippi,northtoCanadaandsouthtotheFlorida.IthadagreatinfluenceonliberalthoughtthroughoutEurope.ThestrugglesandsuccessesoftheyouthfuldemocracyweremuchinthemindsofthosewhobroughtabouttheFrenchRevolution,andmostassuredlylaterhelpedtoinspirerevolutionistsinSpain’sAmericancolonies.

Ⅳ.Themainfigures

a.GeorgeWashington

HewasthecommanderoftheContinentalArmyintheAmericanWarofIndependence（1775–1783）andthefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica（1789–1797）.ForhiscentralroleintheformationoftheUnitedStates,heisoftenreferredtoasthefatherofhiscountry.

TheContinentalCongressappointedWashingtoncommander-in-chiefoftheAmericanrevolutionaryforcesin1775.Thefollowingyear,heforcedtheBritishoutofBoston,lostNewYorkCity,andcrossedtheDelawareRiverinNewJersey,defeatingthesurprisedenemyunitslaterthatyear.Asaresultofhisstrategy,RevolutionaryforcescapturedthetwomainBritishcombatarmiesatSaratogaandYorktown.NegotiatingwithCongress,thecolonialstates,andFrenchallies,heheldtogethe