The War for Independence, 1774 - 1783

I. Outbreak of War
  A. Dissolution of the Massachusetts General Court
    1. Gen. Gage dissolved Massachusetts legislature
    2. Committee of Safety
    3. Minute Men
  B. Loyalism in the Colonies
  C. Political Developments in Britain
    1. Reelection of the North government
    2. Lord North's Conciliatory Proposition
      a. no taxes if colonists would contribute to defense
  D. Lexington and Concord
    1. Gage planned to destroy rebel supplies
    2. British were attacked at Concord
  E. Second Continental Congress, 1775-1776
    1. Olive Branch Petition
  F. Washington
  G. Early Battles  --  Fighting 1775 - 1776
    1. Breed's Hill
    2. Moore's Creek Bridge
    3. Siege of Quebec
  H. From Resistance to Revolution
   1. Thomas Paine and Common Sense
     a. America should be independent
   2. Declaration of Independence
     a. contract theory of government
     b. government based on consent of people
  I. Republicanism
II. Combatants
  A. professional soldiers
   1. Baron von Steuben
   2. Redcoats
  B. women
   1. prostitutes, wives, mistresses
  C. Indians and African Americans
   1. Joseph Brant sided with British
   2. Oneidas and Tuscaroras sided with Americans
III. War in the North, 1776-1777
  A. Hesitation of Sir William and Richard Howe
   1. Battle of White Plains
   2. Battle of Trenton
   3. Battle of Princeton
  B. Year of the Hangman, 1777
   1. Burgoyne
   2. Battle of Saratoga
   3. Valley Forge
IV. War Widens, 1778-1781
  A. Transformation to World War
   1. Franco-American alliance
   2. League of Armed Neutrality
   3. Sir Henry Clinton
  B. Fighting on the Frontier and at Sea
       War on the Frontier 1778 - 1779
   1. George Rogers Clark
       Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Vincennes captured
   2. John Paul Jones - Bon Homme Richard
   3. privateers
  C. War Moves South
   1. Savannah
   2. Battle of Charleston
   3. Camden
   4. King's Mountain
   5. Battle of Cowpens
   6. Guilford Court House
   7. Yorktown
  D. Rise of Southern Patriotism
V. Victory, 1782-1783
  A. Peace of Paris, 1783
   1. U.S. received land to the Mississippi
   2. Spain received Florida and Louisiana
   3. British kept Canada
  B. Reasons America won the war
   1. Washington
   2. French troops and supplies
   3. ineffective British tactics
   4. long supply lines
VI. War and Society, 1775-1783
  A. Impact on women
  B. Impact on Indians and African Americans
  C. Impact on the Economy
  D. Impact on American Morale