The Guerre of independence of the United States of America opposed the British colonists of North America, with their Métropole, the Great Britain, of 1775 with 1783.
The British appointed the revolted American colonists “ insurgents ” or “ Patriots ”. The war of American independence is regarded as one of the aspects of the American revolution which made it possible the the United States to reach autonomy and to build republican institutions . Event founder of the history of the country and consequently occasion the creation of English Canada by the eviction of 50.000 loyal supporters in a population of 90.000 French-speaking people of Quebec, the war involved from 1777 of other European powers, among which the France held a big role. It is the foundation of English Canada in its defeat with Yorktown and by the treaty of 1783.
France engages in the war of American independence initially by the supply of material and assistances in favor of the insurrectionists, then officially in 1778. The naval and terrestrial French assistance and the support of its allies contributed to the American victory, in particular to the Bataille of Yorktown, and are concluded by the treated from Versailles from 1783.
He recognizes the independence of the United States of America, more 70 000 loyal supporters had to leave the country after the war, the majority left to Canada, to Great Britain or in the British colonies of the the Caribbean.
See also: Colonial history of the United States of America
The Seven Year old war opposed Great Britain to France and the Spain. But this conflict emptied the cases of the British Crown. London decides to make support part of the expenses of war to the American colonists. The British Parlement imposes new taxes as a voter a series of laws which cause the dissatisfaction with the American colonists ( Sugar Act in 1764, Stamp act in 1765, Townshend Acts in 1767, Tea Act in 1773). The latter refuse to pay because they are not represented politically with the House of Commons in London. Of which the famous saying: No taxation without representation . The British government also prevents the peasants of the thirteen colonies from extending their grounds to the west of the mountains the Appalachian Mountains so inter alia avoiding the conflicts with the Amerindian S.
The rupture occurred definitively with the meeting of the representatives of the colonies to the congress of Philadelphia, in 1774.
From now on, the colonists of America not loyal supporters became rebels, the " insurgents" , and on July 4th, 1776 the continental congress adopted the Déclaration of Independence of the 13 colonies of North America.
As soon as the United States of America were proclaimed independent (July 4th 1776), the residents had to decide those which they wanted to support. Those which were favorable to independence were called “ Americans ” or “patriots” or “Congressmen”. (The prewar term was " Whig" occasionally used). The people who opposed independence were called “Loyal supporters” or the “men of the king”. The term was used on the two sides, without ambiguity. The Congress had 40 or 45 % of favorable opinions in the population. Nearly 15 or 20 % of the population, the Loyal supporters, were in favor of the king during the war. Some (particularly in Carolines) changed camp, and others remained neutral. The Loyal supporters had until 50 000 soldiers during the years of war to support the British Empire. Certain historians affirm that the American revolution was a civil war between loyal supporters and patriots.
To form an army was the primary goal of George Washington. The British thought that the American forces were only disorganized rebels. A decisive victory and the Americans would go. On the contrary, the only goal of Washington was to survive, gain some small victories and to avoid a heavy defeat.
See also: Behavior of the British troops during the War of independence of the United States of America
The Americans made a forwarding in the Province of Quebec as defined by the act of Quebec of 1774. American releases Montreal; but their chief Montgomery having been killed in front of Quebec, Carleton drove out them of all the province (December 1775). Carleton after the naval battle of Valcourt does not continue Arnold and will be replaced by Burgoyne the following year.
The Americans take again Boston the March 17th 1776, where Washington had already forced the British to evacuate the city.
Then it directed its army on New York, where it had envisaged the British retirement after the fall of Boston. One of the objectives of the British was to push back the attacks of the coastal towns so that the reinforcements come by the sea can arrive.
The English ministry had not believed initially in a so energetic resistance. The colonies, settings with the round of applause of the nations by the metropolis, then took a measure of which almost nobody had thought at the beginning of the fight.
After the Virginia had obtained a declaration of the rights, in June 1776, Thomas Jefferson was charged to prepare the outline of a declaration of independence.
The document, which represents L `one of the fundamental texts of the country, was approved the July 4th 1776 at the time of the Congress of Philadelphia. The proclamation of independence of the Thirteen colonies led to a confederation where each State preserved its religious liberty and policy, which broke irrevocably with the England.
The American volunteers, without stores, without resources, could not initially hold head with the old regiments which one sent against them. The general Howe took New York, Rhode Island. Howe arrived at New York with: 9000 mercenaries in June 1776. During several months, Howe and Washington fought for the State of New York and finally Washington had to be withdrawn by the New Jersey.
Washington, obliged to beat a retreat, had the pain to see a great number of its soldiers giving up it. However it yielded the ground only step by step and stopped after the passage of the Delaware which will be terrible.
From there, it made an unforeseen attempt and at a remarkable audacity. In Christmas 1776, the continental army needs a victory. It crosses the river on the ice during the night of the December 25th 1776, surprised with Trenton a body of thousand Germans ordered by Rahl, killed this one and made captive its soldiers.
This success, which released Philadelphia, raised the public spirit. New militiamans ran of the Pennsylvania, and Washington, taking again the offensive, forced Charles Cornwallis to be folded up until Brunswick.
The army of Washington will gain another victory at the time of the Bataille of Princeton the January 3rd 1777. These successes give again confidence with insurgent and involve enrôlement new volunteers in the continental army.
See also: Fayette
Tactics of Great Britain east to isolate the New England from the other areas while seizing the valley the Hudson. For that, three armies were necessary. The general Burgoyne would send troops to the south from Canada, colonel Light St would go with his army and Howe would follow Hudson. This plan will never go because the Howe general will prefer to invade the Pennsylvania and to capture Washington.
On another side, the general Horatio Gates had succeeded Arthur Saint Clearly in the command of the troops which had given up Ticonderoga at the beginning of the countryside. He meets in the generals and, who had had to give up the Canada, and solved to be opposed to the bold walk of the general Burgoyne.
The European enemies of Great Britain became aware that the war could finish with the favor of the continental ones. France of Louis XVI, followed by Spain and Holland engages then on the side of the Americans.
See also: France in the war of American independence
It is then the Spain, then the United Provinces which are opposed to the British power, making rock the power struggle. In 1779, France persuades the Linked Spain and Provinces, two other enemy of Great Britain, because them colonies, to help the Americans. The governor of the Louisiana, the general Bernado de Galvez took the fortresses of Natchez and Baton-Rouge, along the the Mississippi. From there, it attacked Mobile and Pensacola in the west of Florida. These victories prevented the British from attacking since south-west. The British had to fight on several faces and were thus constrained to scatter their military resources. The European assistance arrived at the moment when the Americans needed some hopelessly.
At the same time, to sir H. Clinton sent detachments on the coasts of Virginia and New England for all to devastate. This general concentrated his troops on the edge of the Hudson and attacked the forts of Verplanck and Stoney-Point. This last place was taken, then begun again par. the lieutenant-colonel De Fleury precipitated the first in the cuttings off which it had made build and seizes the English flag. The Americans granted the safe life to the English garrison, although it had made horrible massacres. Washington however had to give up this station after having removed the ammunition of them and to have destroyed defenses of them.
The British thought that the Southerners were more honest. Thus, in 1778, they decided to move the war in the South by attacking it. The British knew that they had been only small successes in North during three years and that the victory would be difficult. They hoped for advantage of success thus. They promised moreover with many black slaves freedom if they joined the army. Actually, the British officers sold them like slaves in India.
The French house had starting from 1779 the empire of the sea in the Antilles and of Estaing could move towards the coasts of Georgia to reconquer this province by supporting the Lincoln general. The Head office of Savannah (September 1779), attacks unfruitful, was immediately undertaken.
See also: Head office of Savannah
See also: Crossed from the Atlantic of the French task force (1780)
In July, the task force with the orders of the Viscount of Rochambeau and strong of: 6000 men unloaded with Newport. It was brought on a squadron of ten vessels to the orders of the knight of Ternay. It is while Washington had approached New York for better corresponding with Rochambeau than the traitor Benedict Arnold started negotiations with Clinton to deliver West Point to him, whose Washington had entrusted the guard to him.
See also: Arrived at the United States of the French task force of 1780
Before beginning its operations, Rochambeau awaited reinforcements that the count de Guichen was to bring France to him; but this one had met in the Antilles the admiral Rodney, who obliged the French convoy to take refuge in Guadeloupe. Washington could only send some reinforcements, with Fayette, to the patriots of the South, and was resigned to give to the nearest countryside the decisive forwarding which he concerted with Rochambeau. On its side, Cornwallis received troops which carried its army to: 12000 men. The situation of the English thus appeared as prosperous as in the past.
Even the battles in the south can be useful for the Americans. For example, the Battle of the Mountain of the kings, at the border enters South Carolina and the North Carolina, in October 1780. The large one of the British forces and of: 1000 militiamans were killed. The survivors almost all were shot or hung.
The body of Spoil was beaten with Camden (August 1780) and of Kalb was killed there. However, with the head of a body of light troops, Tarleton with the Cowpens beat (January 17th 1781). By a skilful retirement, brought Cornwallis until beyond it, which separates Virginia from the septentrional Caroline. It reinforced militia with Virginia and fell to the improvist on the bodies recently raised by Cornwallis, which it threw in a disorder such as they between-committed suicide and which Cornwallis made draw from the blows of gun against its own troops, frays with the militia.
Green delivered a new combat to Cornwallis, the March 15th, close Guilford-House, and made him test losses which forced it to retrogress on. By a skilful walk, it cut the retirement of South Carolina to the English general, and it operated so that after bloody the Bataille of Eutaw Springs it did not remain any more with the English in Georgia and the Caroline but the town of Savannah and the district of Charleston.
See also: Preparation of the French task force in the United States (1780)
During this time, Fayette, charged to operate in Virginia against forces four times higher of number, still sacrificed part of its fortune to maintain its soldiers under its orders, and, uniting prudence with courage, it knew, by sudden forced marches and returns, so much to tire Cornwallis and to badger its troops, that the English general, after having scorned his youth, was forced to fear his skill.
See also: Battle of Cape Henry
See also: Defense of Virginia by Fayette
Suddenly, the troops of Rochambeau leave their position of Newport and Providence, where their winter quarters were established, and advance towards Hartford. Washington stops some time the army united in front of the island of New York. It makes recognitions in front of the place and maintains its adversary in this idea that it will direct all its efforts against this city. But it awaited only the promise of the contest of the fleet to change its provisions.
See also: Sending of French reinforcements in the United States (1781)
See also: Franco-American Countryside in the United States (at the beginning of 1781)
See also: Franco-American Countryside in the United States (August-September 1781)
These reinforcements do not arrive; but on the other hand it is learned that the fleet of the Admiral de Grasse, after having taken Tobago and held Rodney in failure, advances with 3.000 men drawn from the colonies under the orders of the Marquis of Saint-Simon, to force the Baie of Chesapeake defended by Graves, and to block in Yorktown the marquis Cornwallis, that Fayette continues in its retrograde walk.
See also: Battle of bay of Chesapeake
The camps are raised in front of New York, and while the count of Barras, in spite of its seniority in grade, will put itself with a noble satisfying under the orders of the Fatty one, the allied generals move to forced march towards Virginia. It is towards Yorktown that, full with confidence from now on in the number and the bravery of their troops, they all make converge their efforts. The army is divided into two bodies. One follows the overland route and, by Philadelphia and Baltimore, arrives soon to Williamsburg to give the hand to the troops of Saint-Simon and Fayette. Another body, under the orders of Custine, embarks with Head-of-Elk, touches with Annapolis, and, under the direction of Choisy and of, gives an opinion in front of Glocester. On his side the Grasse count occupied bay of Chesapeake and cut to the English any communication by water.
A few days were enough to trace the first and the second parallel. Two fear stopped work of the allies. One decided to give them the attack. Fayette with a column of American militia was in charge to seize that of right-hand side, while Guillaume de Deux-Ponts went up to the attack of that of left. The allied troops competed of heat. In a few minutes these obstacles were removed.
See also: Franco-American Countryside in the United States (October 1781)
In vain Cornwallis, grateful that resistance was from now on impossible, tried it to force the passage of the York River by giving up its guns and its luggage. Its attempt does not succeed and it had to capitulate. The garrison was made captive of war. The English vessels were the division of the French fleet, while more than 150 guns or mortars, the military case and of the weapons of any kind were given to the Americans (October 11th 1781).
See also: Battle of Yorktown
See also: Capitulation of Yorktown
The insurrectionists are victorious in 1781 with Yorktown, under the command of George Washington what made it possible to the French to supply the insurrectionists out of weapons and silver. Europeans provided also task forces and squadrons. France engaged because it had resentment with regard to Great Britain.
See also: Franco-American Countryside in the United States (at the end of 1781)
See also: Franco-American Countryside in the United States (1782)
The debt of England was considerably increased. Lord North had to leave the direction of the businesses to yield the place to a ministry whig which required peace of the cabinet of Versailles. France, which was not exhausted, accepted these proposals. The preliminaries were stopped with Paris, the November 30th 1782, between the plenipotentiary ones of the belligerent powers, with the number of which were for the the United States Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. The final treaty was signed the February 3rd 1783. The British were overcome and had to recognize the autonomy of the the United States in 1783, by signing the treated of Versailles.
See also: Battle off Florida
This news was quickly carried to America. The March 11th 1783, started from bring back in their fatherland the last French soldiers. Thus the independence of the United States was founded, and the world counted a great nation moreover.
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