The War Ends

The American Revolution war endend basically because the British wanted to retreat, they lost many of their army and they decide to end the war. The Americans and French marched out of Williamsburg and arrived before Yorktown on 28th September 1781, forming a semi-circle around the entrenchments and putting the British under siege.  Cornwallis expecting Major General Clinton to sail from New York with a relieving force had decided to remain in Yorktown rather than march south to the Carolinas or attempt to reach New York. His first move was the inexplicable one of abandoning a line of four redoubts that dominated the British positions. The Americans immediately occupied the empty redoubts.

The Americans began formal siege operations on the eastern side of Yorktown on 30th September and on 9th October were sufficiently close to began an artillery bombardment. On 14th October the Americans and French stormed two redoubts in front of their trenches and the position of the British in Yorktown became untenable. The British carried out a sortie on the 16th in which several guns in the two redoubts were spiked. On the same day Cornwallis attempted to pass the Guards, the 23rd and the Light Infantry across the York River to Gloucester but was thwarted by a storm.




6,000 British surrendered to the Americans and French with 10 stands of German and British colours, 240 pieces of artillery, small arms, ammunition and equipment.The casualties during the siege had been 500 British, 80 Americans and 200 French.The capitulation of the British to the Americans and French ended the fighting in the war and led to the Peace Treaty that acknowledged the independence of the American states.  Clinton’s relieving force arrived in the Chesapeake on 24th October.

The Importance of the women in the Revolutionary War

In the years during the Declaration of Independence, the resistance to the British was expressed in boycotts of imported products. The boycotts worked because the women would step into the breach and would provide all the clothe and food that couldn't be brought from overseas. The housewives were the family shoppers. the women's cooperation was the critical challenge without it they knew it was impossible to succeed... Tea was the most important drink in the battleground, of the Colonial America. Almost all of the homes had tea sets.

Women patriots joined enthusiastically in the boycott. When men were going to fight women had to take over their farms and businesses, and in some parts of the country endure life under an army of occupation. They had to work hard so they could provide food and shelter to their families. Abigail Adams once said "We possess a Spirit that will not be conquered. If our Men are all drawn off and we shoud be attacked, you would find a Race of Amazons in America."

In 1774, 51 women in, North Carolina, issued a public statement endorsing the boycott, when many men journalist said they we bad mothers, harlots, and heavy drinkers. But back home they we patriots and admired by most. Southern ladies would wear dresses made of homespun cloth to their fancy balls, and always joined their husbands and fathers while making political toasts and singing patriotic songs.

Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill was a really important battle in the American Revolution. It was fought on June 17, 1775. It took place on the Charlestown Peninsula on the North side of Boston Harbor. The combatants were the British troops of the Boston garrison against troops of the American Continental Army. The Generals that took part of this battle were: Major General Howe against General Artemas Ward and General Israel Putnam. The size of the armies was: 2,400 British troops against 1,500 Americans.

On June 15, 1775 the American colonists heard news that the British planned to control the Charlestown peninsula between the Charles and Mystic Rivers. When dawn broke, the British were stunned to see Breed's Hill fortified overnight with a 160-by-30-foot earthen structure. The fighting began as soon as the day did. As soon as the men on British frigate awoke they opened fire on the colonial fortifications. At about 3:00 PM Thomas Gage, the British commander, ordered men to try and take control of the hill. When the British forces were firmly established on the ground at the base of the hill they proceeded to charge. The British just expected to march up the hill and just scare the colonists away.

As the colonists saw this massive red line approach slowly and steadily, they remained calm and did not open fire. Once the British came within range, the colonists began firing, and the British soldiers started to fall rapidly. The British forces were driven back twice. The colonists had run out of ammunition and supplies. The colonists fled back up the peninsula since it was their only escape route. This battle, which lasted for approximately three hours, was one of the deadliest of the Revolutionary War.

Although the British technically won the battle because they took control of the hill, they suffered too many losses to fully benefit from it. Besides having fewer deaths than the British, the colonists believe they had won in other ways as well.

The British Make Mistakes

In order to prevent war with Britain. They sent a letter to King George.
They asked him to consider their problems and to help them to find a solution.
But the king didn't even open the letter. That was the first mistake they make.
Then other mistake that the British make during the American Revolution was in December of 1776 . When British General William Howe decided to stop fighting. This happen during the cold winter months. He was one of the general during the Revolutionary War.

When he come to the colonist in May of 1775 he was a Major General. He led the British troops during this battle. This battle is known as the famous Battle of Bunker Hill. Because of his decision of stop the fight, they allowed the Americans to plan a surprised attack. As a countermove, Ward and the colonial leaders decided to fortify the Charlestown peninsula,it was just across the bay from Boston. On the night of June. The Americans fortified Breed's Hill, in spite of having been instructed to fortify Bunker Hill.

So then the British had two options one of them was that they drive the colonials off the peninsula, or they evacuate Boston. But they chooses to attack. Maybe if they wouldn't choose that, they will win the war .The next day , General Howe was leading the attack. Instead of making a flanking movement they decided to make a frontal attack and this was other big mistake , because they assume that the American Army were few they were run as soon they saw the British coming. But this didnt happen , and they lost the war and many British soldiers died becauses of this mistakes.

American alliances after 1778

The capture of a British army at Saratoga encouraged the French to formally enter the war in support of Congress, as Benjamin Franklin negotiated a permanent military alliance in early 1778, significantly becoming the first country to officially recognize the Declaration of Independence. On February 6, 1778, a Treaty of Amityand Commerce and a Treaty of Alliance were signed between the United States and France.William Pitt spoke out in parliament urging Britain to make peace in America, and unite with America against France, while other British politicians who had previously sympathised with colonial grievances now turned against the American rebels for allying with British international rival and enemy.

Later Spain in 1779 and the Dutch 1780 became allies of the French, leaving the British Empire to fight a global war alone without major allies, and requiring it to slip through a combined blockade of the Atlantic. The American theater thus became only one front in Britain's war. The British were forced to withdraw troops from continental America to reinforce the valuable sugar-producing Caribbean colonies, which were considered more important.

Because of the alliance with France and the deteriorating military situation, Henry Clinton, the British commander, evacuated Philadelphia to reinforce New York City. General Washington attempted to intercept the retreating column, resulting in the Battle of Moundmouth , the last major battle fought in the north. After an inconclusive engagement, the British successfully retreated to New York City. The northern war subsequently became a stalemate, as the focus of attention shifted to the smaller southern theater.

Mary Ludwig "Molly Pitcher"

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley was also known as "Molly Pitcher". Molly was born on October 13, 1754, near Trenton, NJ. Her first husband was John Caspar Hays on July 24, 1769. She had one son with John. His name was John L. Hays. Molly's son was born in 1783. Her second husband was John McCauley in 1792. Molly Pither was a woman that fought bravely at the battle of Monmouth in the Revolutionary War. Molly died on Jauary 22, 1832 in Carlisle Pa.

Mary Ludwig's father was named John George Ludwig. He was a dairy farmer. Mary's father had a farm near Trenton, New Jersey. She lived with her parents and worked on the farm until she was fifteen years old. When Mary was 15, her father found her a job. She had to move to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She had to work in Dr. William Irvine. Her work consisted on washing clothes, cleaned the house, took care of the family's children, etc. In there he met her first husband, which was a barber in Carlisle.

After the Revolutionary War, Mary and her husband went home to Carlisle. In 1783 Mary had a baby boy. Mary's husband died when her son was five years old. Later, Mary got married again. Both of her husband have been soldiers. The new marriage was not a happy one. Her second husband died in 1813.

Later in her life, she lived with her son when she was old. John and his husband had seven children. Mary must have enjoyed this since she died in January 22, 1832. She was 79 years old. Mary is buried in Carlisle. Her tombstone is in the Old Graveyard Carlisle. There is a monument in Monmouth, New Jersey.

Intolerable Acts

The Intolerable Acts were laws that were really punishments that King George III put on the colonies. He did this to the Colonists because he wanted to punish them for dumping tea into the harbor at the Boston Tea Party. The Quakers petitioned King George to repeal or end the acts, but he said that the colonies must submit to these English laws.

These are the Intolerable Acts.

• The Boston Port Bill became effective on June 1, 1774. The King closed Boston Harbor to everything but British ships.
• The Quartering Act was established on March 24, 1765. The King sent lots of British troops to Boston. The colonists had to house and feed the British troops. If the colonists didn't do this for the British troops, they would get shot.

• The Administration of Justice Act became effective May 20, 1774. British Officials could not be tried in colonial courts for crimes. They would be taken back to Britain and have a trial there. That left the British free to do whatever they wanted in the colonies and to the Colonists.

• Massachusetts Government Act became effective on May 20, 1774. The British Governer was in charge of all the town meetings in Boston. There would no more self-government in Boston.

• The Quebec Act was established on May 20, 1774, This bill extended the Canadian borders to cut off the western colonies of Connecticut, Massachusettes and Virginia.

Treaty of Paris

The treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783 in The American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States of America. While the other nations such as Spain and France had separated agreements. The peace notifications began in April of 1782 by some national representatives such as Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and John Adams. And in the other part the British representatives were David Hartley and Richard Oswald.

The document was signed at the Hotel d'York by this same representatives of the United States. Benjamin Franklin was a strong proponent of Britain ceding Canada to America because he believed that having British territory physically bordering American territory would cause conflict in the future. Britain, however, refused. So conflict was made between this two states, while Spain and France were having their own plans for having their own American territories.

On September 3, Great Britain also signed a separated agreement with France and Spain and with the Netherlands. With the traty with Spain the territories of East and West Florida were ceded to Spain.The treaty with France was mostly about exchanges of captured territory (France's only net gains were the island of Tobago, and Senegal in Africa), but also reinforced earlier treaties, guaranteeing fishing rights off Newfoundland. The Netherlands have their own territories such as Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee, etc. They have plantations and also have rights for fishing and hunting. .

Thomas Paine

He was born January 29, 1737, Thetford, Norfolk, England. Thomas Paine was a Founding Father. He was also one the greatest philosophers of the American War for Independence. We can admit that Thomas Paine was a true revolutionary. Thomas Pine is the author of many essays and pamphlets. He is specially known for writing "Common Sense". This pamphlet was really special because he used a plain language. This kind of language resonated with the common people of America and roused them to begin the movements for independence.

Before publishing "Common Sense", Thomas Paine published other works. He also wrote, "Case of the Officers of Excise". Which is his earliest known prose composition and first important pamphlet, in 1772. After that, he moved to Philadelphia in 1774. In there, he became an important editor of "Pennsylvania Magazine" in 1775. Another really important essay published by Thomas Paine was "African Slavery in America". This was an anti-slavery essay published in 1775.

After he wrote "Common Sense", he enlisted in the Continental Army in 1776. Following the American Revolution, Paine immigrated to Europe where the British government declared him and outlaw for his anti-monarchist views. Thomas Paine was condemned for his radical views and was forced to leave England in 1792. He actively participated in the French Revolution. Helped write the Constitution of the Republic of France in 1792.

Thomas Paine was Imprisoned by Jacobins in 1793, during the Reign of Terror, for his moderate views regarding the treatment of Louis XVI. He was released from eleven-month imprisonment in 1793, with the help of James Monroe, the U.S. Ambassador to France.

George Washington

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington is really famous because he served as a general and commander in chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolution. Of course, George Washington is mostly known for becoming the first president of the United States. He served as a president from 1789 to 1797. Although he helped plan the nation's new capital city that was named for him, he never lived there. New York City and, later, Philadelphia were the nation's capitals while Washington was president. George Washington died on December 14, 1799, in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

A really interesting fact about him is that George Washington was one of the tallest president of the United States, at six feet, two inches tall, and 200 pounds. Some of George Washington's favorite dishes were cream of peanut soup, mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, and string beans with mushrooms. George Washington used to bred hound dogs that he treated like members of his family. He even gave some of them unusual names. Some of these names were: Tarter, True Love, and Sweet Lips. Another interesting fact about George is that toothaches bothered him for years. When he was 57, he had all his teeth pulled. From then on, he wore ivory false teeth set in a silver plate.

George Washington started school when he was six years old. He left school at 15 years old to become a surveyor because his mother couldn't afford to send him to college. George Washington's father was Augustine Washington and was born in 1694. Augustine married Mary Ball in 1731; she was his second wife. George was the eldest of Augustine and Mary's six children. George Washington's family was part of Virginia's middle class. At 26, George married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow who already who already had two children, Jackie and Patsy. Washington never had any children of his own.

The Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress

On May of 1775 , times had change in a sharp way. Concord and Lexington make big changes in everything and now with the Redcoats were once again fighting Boston, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. But the professional imperial army were already attempting to arrest all patriot leaders. 

The members of the Second Continental Congress were ready to met at the State House in Philadelphia. Between their members we can find : Thomas Jefferson that was from Virginia, Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania and also John Hancock of Massachusetts. They Start their reunion with a battle of Lexington and Concord, it was about the fresh in their memories.

Most of the delegates were not seeking independence from Britain. Only radicals like John Adams were of this mindset. For that July Congress approved the " Olive Branch Petition " and it was a direct appeal to tha king. But Some delegates from America pleaded with Goerge III , because they wanted to declared their loyalty to the crown in a peaceful resolution. The king refuse and instead of that he declared the colonies to begin a state of rebellion. The Americans felt less like the English men. So the Continental Congress was now delt in a serious way.

The Sons of liberty

The sons of liberty

During 1765 some American cities notices that there were some secret groups forming to stand up and defend their rights. One of them were " the sons of liberty" they take their name from a a speech that the Colonel Isaac  Barre said in the British parliament , there he refer to The colonials like the sons of liberty.
They were a secret group or underground organization ,patriots that opposed British taxes ,there leader was Samuel Adams.

The sons of liberty adopted a flag , in the 1767s , they called it the rebellious. It was a stripes flag , red with white. And it has 9 vertical stripes that represent the loyal nine.
With everything know and with already a flag , they start planning a boycott, to motion all this things that had taxes on them ( newspapers ,tea , legal documents , etc) .
But even after they boycott these products , the parliament continue to push these items, but changing the word taxes to "duties" . All this only motivates them to stronger protest and even violence.

With no more to do , they start " Tarring and Leathering"  this was a very violent way to obtain what they deserve. This consist in taking the tax collectors, cover them with leather and forced them to drink hot tea. In a few time most of the tax collectors quit.
But this was only one of their protest. Because injustice continue , they later led up to the Boston Massacre.

Coercive Acts

The Coercive Acts were also known as the Intolerable Acts by the colonists.
These acts were a series of laws that were passed by the British parliament in the year of 1774. These laws were related to the British colonies in America. These acts were actually punishments that King George III put on the colonies. He did this to the colonies because he wanted to punish the colonists for dumping the tea into the Boston Harbor. Four acts were issued in response of the Boston Tea Party, as I said before. The British Parliament hoped that by applying these measures, the colonists will lose their trend of resistance to parliamentary authority.


The Boston Port Act was the first of the four acts that were known as the Coercive Acts. On 1774, the British parliament passed the Boston Port Act closing Boston's port. It also demanded the colonists to pay for all the tea that was dumped into the Boston harbor during the Boston Tea Part in December of 1773. The other four were a new Quartering Act, the Administration of Justice Act, the Quebec Act, and the Massachusetts Government Act. The Quartering Act was established on June 2, 1774. The Quartering Act of 1774 was similar in substance to the Quartering Act of 1765.








The Administration of Justice Act was passed by the British parliament on May 20, 1774. According to this act British officials could not be trial in colonial courts for crimes. They would be taken back to Britain and have atrial there. That left the British free to do whatever they wanted to do in the colonies. The Quebec Act was passed on June 22, 1774. The Quebec Act extended the Canadian borders to cut off the western colonies of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia.



The last of the Coercive Acts was the Massachusetts Government Act. This act became effective on May 20, 1774. The British governor was in charge of all the town meetings in Boston. There would be no more self-government in Boston. Many colonists view these acts as a violation of there rights, therefore, they organized the First Continental

The Sugar Act

The Sugar Act

 Under the Molasses Act colonial merchants had been required to pay a tax of six pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses. But because of corruption, they mostly evaded the taxes and undercut the intention of the tax that the English product would be cheaper than that from the French West Indies. This hurt the British West Indies market in molasses and sugar and the market for rum, which the colonies had been producing in quantity with the cheaper French molasses.

 The First Lord of the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Grenville was trying to bring the colonies in line with regard to payment of taxes. He had beefed up the Navy presence and instructed them to become more active in customs enforcement. Parliament decided it would be wise to make a few adjustments to the trade regulations. The Sugar Act reduced the rate of tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon, while Grenville took measures that the duty be strictly enforced. 

The act also listed more foreign goods to be taxed including sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, cambric and printed calico, and further, regulated the export of lumber and iron. The enforced tax on molasses caused the almost immediate decline in the rum industry in the colonies. The combined effect of the new duties was to sharply reduce the trade with Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and the French West Indies (Guadelupe, Martinique and Santo Domingo (now Haiti), all important destination ports for lumber, flour, cheese, and assorted farm products. The situation disrupted the colonial economy by reducing the markets to which the colonies could sell, and the amount of currency available to them for the purchase of British manufactured goods. This act, and the Currency Act, set the stage for the revolt at the imposition of the Stamp Act.

Taxation without representation

One of the major causes of the American Revolution was that the Colonists did not have representation in parliament. This happens during the 1750's and the 1760's in Britain. There major slogan was ''no taxation without representation'' in other words, if no one represents them in the parliament, they would not pay taxes. During this time, there were 13 colonies. From 20 British citizens only one of them had representation in the parliament, but any of them belong to the 13 colonies.

After king George III taked throne of Britain in 1760. They start implying new laws including the Stamp Act, this was know as a British good. This allowed the british to put taxes in the newspaper, legal documents, dice and even the almanacas. Of course this were not benefical to the Americans. And this money that was earned from all this taxes was not giong to the colonies, it was back their mother land. Because these new acts and laws were only in benefical to the King.

The people that lived in the 13 colonist were in a big conflict, because they didn't have no one who represents them in the British parliament. They didn't even have the opportunity to vote for how will they be represented or taxed. We can said that the British government was total free to tax them in everything they want. They even taxed them in tea. But from all this illegal treatments comes their revolution at the merchants resist.

The Boston Tea Party

BOSTON TEA PARTY

The Boston Tea Party was basically the destruction of British tea. This was a political protest made by the Sons of Liberty in Boston. The Tea Party was the end of a resistance movement against the Tea Act. This act, passed by the British parliament in 1773 stated that the colonists should pay taxes for the tea. Obviously, colonists objected to the Tea Act because they believed that violated their rights. Previously, other acts were passed but were dropped. The only tax left was the one of on tea. Colonists believed they shouldn't pay taxes if they didn't have any representation in the British parliament. They called this "Taxation without representation". 

Colonists wanted to emphasize their point in Avery public way so they conceived a plan. In 17773, the Davidson Newman Company of London sent a ship loaded with tea to the harbor at Boston. A group of colonists disguised themselves as Mohawk warriors. Disguising their individual faces was imperative because of the illegality of their protest. That evening a group of 30 to 130 men some disguised as Mohawk warriors boarded the vessel full of tea. Over the course of three hours, these men dumped in the Boston harbor about 324 chests of tea. 

 

 The help of Samuel Adams in planning the Boston Tea Party is suspected. But he immediately tried to defend this act by saying that the Boston Tea Party was a protest in which the people defended their rights. Samuel Adams tried to say that every government need a constitution, written or not. In February, 1775, Britain passed the Conciliatory Resolution, which ended taxation for any colony. The tax on tea was repealed with the Taxation of Colonies Act 1778. The Boston Tea Party was a key event in the growth of the American Revolution.

The Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre Washington is  a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770. This fight was between a group of drunk civilians and a squad of British soldiers. This massacre is also called the "Incident on King Street". This group of drunk civilians were throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks at the soldiers. The British army soldiers killed five civilian men and injured six others. This event is widely view as a foreshadow of the American Revolutionary War.

Since 1768, the crown sent a group of soldiers to the colonies in order to protect them. There was some bad tension between soldiers and civilians since soldiers had to live in the civilian houses according to the order gave by the king. A group of drunk civilians started to verbal abuse of the British soldiers. One of the soldiers fired them and eventually he was supported by seven additional soldiers. All of them were victims of verbal abuse and objects were thrown onto them. Even though the soldiers were not ordered to fired, they did it. All of these soldiers were arrested and charged of murdered.

John Adams was the lawyer and defender of the soldiers that were charged of murdered. Six of the soldiers were acquitted, while two others were convicted of manslaughter and given reduce sentence. The sentence that these two men received was a branding on their hand. This massacre is mostly remembered because of the death of Crispus Attucks, an African man. The death of this man was the best opportunity to demonstrate the role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War. In 1888, a monument was done on the Boston Common in honor of the men killed on that massacre. 

About us

Here we have our U.S History project. We have to create a blog about the American Revolution and events that happen. We are a group of students two girls and a boy so if you see a girly blog you will know the reason why. We live at Tegucigalpa Honduras, and we are 10th graders students.
We have learn about the American history since little so we are very familiar with its history.

To understand more of our group we will talk about our characteristics we will use nicknames to cover our indentity.

-Andrew Martinez: Hi Im a 15 years old teenager that study at a preveleged school in Tegucigalpa.
My interests of my life is to be a sistem engineer and study computer science at the University of Toronto Canada or the NY university of the USA. I am a good painter and musician, I play videogames almost every day for entretain my self. I like to make friends and i hope you like our blog.

ShilaCabrera: Hi I'm 16 years old , first of all i used this name bacuse me englsih teacher always use it for giving examples so was the first to come to my mind. As we said before we are in 10th grade. I live in Tegucigalpa since like 7 months ago, i used to live in SPS . I like to play soccer and also to paint since little. when i grow up i will like to become a designer . Fashion is my passion. I love school and i have to said my favorite teacher is my us history teacher. I LOVE YOU MRS.
Hope you like our blog and be free to live comments.Nice comments!

Catica: HI! I'm a 15 years old. I recently moved from Choluteca. One of my favorite classes is U.S. History.
My favorite sport is soccer i also love to paint and draw. When i grow up i want to be a architect hope you like our blog. Love you all! Call me Maybe ;)