IIGS™ Newsletter - August 1998
English ~ Dansk ~ Deutsch ~ Español ~ Suomi ~ Français ~ Nederlands ~ Norsk ~ polski ~ Português ~ Svenska
IIGS™ Newsletter - August 1998
The American Revolution is more correctly called the American War of Independence.
Although first settled by the Spanish and French, the dominant power in colonial America was Britain by the middle of the eighteenth century. The thirteen English colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast.
Most colonists had undertaken the long journey to America as the New World promised cheap, fertile land and the prospect of becoming a prosperous farmer in a few short years. Britain also transported many of her criminals to the colonies.
The colonists had their own form of democratic government in the townships. Citizens discussed major projects in town meetings, but only adult male landowners had the right to vote. To a large extent, Britain left the colonies to their own devices, but that was to change.
The French and Indian War, 1756-1763, was a part of the war between France and Britain that was fought on American soil. Although Britain won the war, it had been very costly. To help pay for troops stationed in America, Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, the first tax levied on the colonies. The enraged colonists rioted. Because they had no representatives in the British Parliament, they rallied behind the cry, "No taxation without representation." Parliament finally rescinded the Stamp Act, but the seeds of rebellion had been sown.
Tension grew between Britain and the colonies, and the British army occupied New York and Boston. On 5 March 1770, a Boston crowd, armed with rocks and clubs, jeered at British soldiers. Panicking, the soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing 5 people. If this had been a true revolution, the colonists would have called for the blood of the troops involved. Instead, colonial lawyers defended the soldiers when they stood trial.
In 1773, Britain tried to tax tea consumption in America, an act which led to the Boston Tea Party of December 16. A group of colonists, disguised as native Indians, boarded three tea ships in Boston Harbour and emptied the tea into the harbour. In New York, colonists prevented tea ships from docking.
In 1774, twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. Representatives urged colonists to boycott all British goods.
The colonial militia, comprised of ordinary citizens called "minute men," stood armed and ready to respond in a matter of minutes to a call to arms.
The war unofficially began in 1775 with the battle of Lexington and Concord. Here, the militia forced the British to retreat to Boston, which was then placed under siege by the colonists.
In an effort to break the siege, the militia was sent to fortify Bunkers Hill outside Boston. By mistake, they fortified an adjoining lower hill, which was also closer to Boston and within reach of the British guns. The British attacked this hill and after a bloody battle, the colonists were finally driven back. The defeat was a moral victory for the colonists as the British, fielding regular army troops, sustained twice as many casualties as the Americans.
In March 1776, the Americans placed artillery (previously captured at Fort Ticonderoga, 300 miles from Boston) on a hill overlooking the city. The British had no option but to withdraw, and on March 17, the Americans entered Boston.
Congress had appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence. On 2 July 1776, Congress voted in favour of independence. On July 4, the Declaration of Independence was approved and the American colonies were officially at war with Britain.
Britain despatched a large army of its own and Hessian troops to New York in an effort to quell the rebellion. George Washington, who led the American army, retreated with his troops to Manhattan Island in light of the build up of British troops in New York. Battles ensued and Washington pulled back his army through New Jersey into Pennsylvania. On December 26, Washington attacked the Trenton, New Jersey stronghold manned by Hessian soldiers. The Hessian soldiers surrendered, and the British sent a large force into New Jersey. Washington again mounted a surprise attack and defeated the British, boosting the American's morale.
Britain then concentrated its efforts on the southern states. Benjamin Franklin was despatched to Europe to gain assistance in the war against Britain. In 1778, the fledgling nation formed an alliance with France. In return for fighting for American Independence, France would expect America to stand by it if Britain declared war on France. Within a matter of months, Britain and France were at war. Britain felt threatened by the colonies' alliance with France and tried to broker peace with the colonies by pledging not to tax them. The British representatives returned to Britain, their mission a failure.
Battles in remote areas between the Loyalists and the Americans led to the defeat of the Loyalists and the destruction of many Native American settlements, members of which were fighting for the British. Spain joined France in the war with Britain but refused to recognise the independence of America.
Further battles ensued with defeats for the American army until in October 1781, the American and French armies joined forces at Yorktown. They attacked the British fortifications, and the British General Cornwallis was forced to surrender. Britain lost any hope of winning the war.
Representatives of Britain, France and America met in Paris to discuss peace. By November 1782, a draft peace treaty had been prepared in which Britain agreed recognise the independence of America, evacuate all British troops, and give up its territory which stretched to the Mississippi River.
On April 15, 1783, Congress ratified the treaty - the war had finally, and formally, ended.
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/timeline.html
A time line of the American Revolution.http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/sitelinks.html
Many, many varied links to the American Revolution and associated topics.http://www.concentric.net/~walika/timelin1.html
http://www.concentric.net/~walika/timelin2.html
More detailed - Time Line - America during the Age of Revolution.http://www.genealogycanada.com/loyalist.html
The Nova Scotia Loyalist Pages are a great place to search for your Loyalist ancestors.http://www.cgocable.net/~hessian/links.html
John Helmut Merz lists loads of links here on the American Revolution and this page is of particular interest to descendants of Hessian soldiers who fought for the British during the American War for Independence.http://www.genforum.com/americanrev/
Whether you're searching for a Revolutionary War ancestor or you are a history buff, you might want to see what this online forum has to offer.