HIS - UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

HIS 1303, United States Military History I 1 Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 3. Discuss the innovations and new technologies that directly affected the U.S. military. 3.1 Identify notable innovations and tactics of the Continental Army and militia. 5. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. military during major military encounters. 5.1 Identify major figures and groups associated with colonial military operations. 5.2 Indicate the challenges the colonial military and militia encountered during the American Revolution. 6. Summarize the experiences of enlisted colonial or U.S. soldiers during war and peace. 6.1 Relate what a soldier experienced during the American Revolution. Required Unit Resources Chapter 3: The American Revolution, 1763 – 1783 In order to access the following resources, click the links below. George Washington is considered a great example of leadership. In this article, the author explains how that leadership was tested and exemplified during the early years of 1776 and 1777. The article looks at the characteristics of Washington, and the development of the Continental Army. Shy, J., & Vandervort, B. (2005). The road to Valley Forge: How Washington built the army that won the revolution . Journal of Military History , 69 (2), 549 – 551. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=31h&AN=16552562&site=ehost-live&scope=site The Southern campaign during the American Revolution was a story of disastrous losses followed by unexpected gains. The architect of the eventual success of the Continental Army in the South was Major General Nathanael Greene. This article explores the challenges that Greene faced and the strategies and tactics he used to overcome the significant obstacles in his way. Muller, J. (2019). The road to Charleston: Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution . Library Journal, 144 (2), 132. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2358372&site=ehost-live&scope=site Unit Lesson The repercussions of the Great War for Empire created the seeds of rebellion within the colonies. Colonists began rebelling through a refusal to follow English ordinances, propaganda, and (more drastically) through violence as the Sons of Liberty and its actions amply illustrate. As colonial resistance grew, England’s actions toward the colonies were too little, too late as the colonists were relatively self-governing prior to the resistance. Colonists objected to England ’s new legislative interest in the colo nies (i.e., the Navigation Acts). Colonists also objected to England ’s attempts to collect mon ey from the colonies. These taxes and tariffs went hand-in- hand with England ’s legislative acts. Ultimately, England felt that the colonies owed obedience and monies for UNIT II STUDY GUIDE The American Revolution, 1763-1783

HIS 1303, United States Military History I 2 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title the protections the island nation was providing to its colonies. The colonists, however, were perturbed by the British attempts to deal with Native American tribes. In October 1763, the British established the Proclamation Line that closed the area beyond the Appalachians to colonists. The British felt this would provide a measure of protection to the colonists as well as eliminate the costly Indian wars funded by the crown’s coffers. However, the British did not factor in the colonists’ lust for la nd, and thus, rather than providing the colonists with a sense of protection, it incensed them through land limitations by proclamation (Millett et al., 2012). As the lines were drawn for both sides, the Continental Army (America’s first standing army), w as organized and commanded by George Washington despite Congress’s fear of such a military presence. Congress’ own monetary difficulties and inability to enforce its policies further complicated the American position. The spirit of independence that led to the American Revolution also proved to be a deterrent in successfully waging war (Millett et al., 2012). To viably wage such a war, cooperation was needed; throughout the conflict, this cooperation was always fragile and often nonexistent. Initially, the colonists sought to rectify the strained relationship with the mother country and claimed to be acting only in a mode of self-defense. However, there were issues that began to change this initial colonial outlook. First, the position of the British continued to incense rather than soothe colonial egos. The British appeared determined to reign in the colonies and lacked any desire to address — much less compromise on — the issues with which the colonists challenged the mother country. Furthermore, to slay the giant (England), the colonies would need help with numbers, resources, and, especially, finances. To obtain this help from foreign powers like France, Spain, and the Netherlands, they needed to emphasize the severed bonds with England rather than repair the relationship. The role of the standing army was supplemented by the role of the militia and is thoroughly explained in this unit. Besides birthing America’s first standing army, the revolution led to other technological developments. Britain had long been a naval powerhouse, and the patriots (a term claimed by the rebelling colonists) doubted the ability to overcome such force directly. However, even if the patriots could not end the conflict through the might of a navy, they did realize that such might, regardless of how small, could be used to weaken the British position. Thus, prior to the end of the war, the Americans had a total of four navies — each with specific objectives and purposes — as well as naval support from another colonial power, France. During this period, a development emerged that would change the history of warfare forever: the turtle submarine (Millett et al., 2012). The war impacted all segments of colonial society. Native Americans played a big role in the unfolding dispute. Initially, both sides encouraged the Native Americans to remain neutral; however, as the war continued to wage, they chose increasing involvement. For the first time since the institution of their confederation, the Iroquois fought each other, the Oneida and Tuscarora tribes standing with the patriots, while the others, following the lead of the powerful Mohawks fought for the British. More Native Americans did ally themselves with the British, ironically, for the same reason that the patriots began the war: freedom. It was obvious that while the British might have been unable or, perhaps, even unwilling to enforce the Proclamation Line of 1763 that temporarily closed the area west of the Appalachians to white settlement to appease the Native American fears of illegal land purchases and encroachments by land speculators, fur traders, and frontiersmen, they did not harbor the same lust for land as the colonists. The British used the excuse of the necessity of enforcing the proclamation as one of their reasons to maintain a standing army in the colonies. The standing army and A cutaway depiction of David Bushnell’s Turtle (Bushnell, 1916)

HIS 1303, United States Military History I 4 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title and their families from what seemed a foreign invasion. Finally, the British were not well liked, thus, by the time of Saratoga, other European nations — namely France — were persuaded that the British could suffer humiliation at the hands of its colonies and thus provided aid in several ways (Millett et al., 2012). Despite these colonial strengths, there were undoubtedly many weaknesses. The liberty for which the new nation so desperately fought was often a weakness itself. Fearing the power of a centralized government, the separate colonies often fought tooth and nail to remain separate and to protect their own systems of life and property. These struggles led to the government’s inability to successfully muster enough troops or supply their troops adequately. An example of the failure of the Continental Congress in providing sufficient supplies for Washington’s army is epitomized in the story of Valley Forge during the harsh winter of 1777 – 78. Upon entering the war, the strength of the British cannot be underestimated. They unquestionably controlled the seas with a navy that knew no rival. They possessed a superior population and a larger base of monetary resources with which to wage war. At the onset, this appeared to be a reenactment of David and Goliath. However, there were many weaknesses within the British Empire that served to strengthen the stones that the patriots hurled at its head. First, despite the superior numbers that Britain possessed, the populace was not united behind the British position. Even British commanders, such as Sir William Howe, possessed patriot sympathies. Howe was one of many British commanders to head the British in this colonial struggle. Each man — Howe, General Thomas Gage, and Major General Henry Clinton — possessed different ideas of how to achieve a British victory, and such a lack of coherent strategy, ultimately, took its toll upon the empire. The British also underestimated the patriots’ force while overestimating the Loyalists’ sympathies and battle effectiveness among the highly trained British ranks. The decentralization that plagued the efforts of the colonies worked as a strength as well. Unable to provide a cohesive resistance, the colonies, in turn, lacked a strategic heart that the British could target. Without such a heart, it was impossible to quell the rebellion. Each time one area was subdued, rebellion would spring forth from a different direction using the nontraditional style of warfare. Britain, then logistically worked to locate troops from all over the world and began to see the colonies as a secondary theater (Millett et al., 2012). Britain maintained a stronghold on Canadian land holdings, and the hostilities toward the new colonies would diminish, temporarily, with the Peace of Paris. While the war for independence had taken a toll on the American people, their abilities to withstand the aggressions of such a formidable foe had solidified a single union and rapidly changed the nature of war itself. There was, however, still a threat to the young nation, and with hostilities rising in Europe, the support they had depended on to defeat the British once would be hard to keep. Another issue would arise from the American population itself. With cities filling rapidly and the division of family farms over successive generations, there would come a call for more land, and with it would come a rebirth of frontier conflict in the American West. Gen. Sir William Howe (Hall, 1872)

HIS 1303, United States Military History I 5 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title References Bushnell, D. (1916). Turtle submarine [Illustration]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TurtleSubmarine.jpg Hall, B. H. (1872). Gen. Sir William Howe [Print]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gen._Sir_William_Howe.jpg Hart, T. (1776, March 26). Benedict Arnold [Painting]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benedict_Arnold_1color_%28crop%29.jpg King, S. (18th century). George Washington 1775 [Painting]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Washington_1775_%282%29.jpg Millett, A. R., Maslowski, P., & Feis, W. B. (2012). For the common defense: A military history of the United States from 1607 to 2012 (3rd ed.). Free Press. Suggested Unit Resources In order to access the following resources, click the links below. This segment from the full video, General Howe: Conqueror of New York , focuses on the military successes of British General Howe. Biography Channel (Producer). (2005). Howe's successes (Segment 5 of 21) [Video] . In General Howe: Conqueror of New York . Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPla ylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=42617&loid=104013 The transcript for this video can be found by clicking on “Transcript” in the gray bar at the top of the video in the Films on Demand database. Benedict Arnold is a very interesting historical figure. This segment from the full-length video Liberty! Episode 5-The World Turned Upside Down (1778-1783) examines him. Public Broadcasting System (Producer). (1997). Benedict Arnold sides with the British (Segment 10 of 27) [Video] . In Liberty! Episode 5-The world turned upside down (1778-1783). Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=41028&loid=69000 The transcript for this video can be found by clicking on “Transcript” in the gray bar at the to p of the video in the Films on Demand database. This segment from full video, The Battle of Yorktown: 1781 , takes a closer look at the Continental Army and shows a demonstration of the guns used by the army. Pathe Media (Producer). (1991). Continental army (Segment 9 of 18) [Video] . In The Battle of Yorktown: 1781. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPla ylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=2459&loid=144996 The transcript for this video can be found by clicking on “Transcript” in the gray bar a t the top of the video in the Films on Demand database.