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.