Well hey there and welcome back to Heimler’s History. We’ve been going through Unit 3 of the AP U.S. History curriculum, and in this video we come, at long last, to the American Revolution. So, baby, if you’re ready to high five some bald eagles, then let’s get to it. So, the main question we’re going to focus on in this video is as follows: what factors contributed to the American victory in the Revolutionary War? Ugh, I just spoiled the ending. The narrative is broken, all the tension is gone. Yeah, America won the war. If you didn’t already know that… you know, sorry. But here’s the thing: by all accounts, America should not have won this war against Britain, who happened to be the most powerful nation in all the dang world at that point, not to mention, that by declaring independence it had massive economic consequences because the colonists just went to war with their most significant trading partner. So how did we win? Ooh, tension reestablished. First, it’s going to be important for you to know that not everyone was on board with independence from Britain. I mentioned in the last video that the patriot cause was embodied by the Continental Congress and was encouraged by the widespread reading of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. But despite what we may think, probably no more than half of the colonists actively supported the patriots. Some just wanted to stay neutral. Others flat out opposed independence, and they were called the loyalists, because they wanted to remain loyal to the British crown. And the resistance of the loyalists was no small thing to overcome. So not only was there opposition from without, there was also opposition from within. Okay, so the stage is set, let’s get into the war. The Continental Congress appointed George Washington, of French and Indian War fame, as the general of the Continental Army. And if you think the American Revolution was somehow this glorious conflict bathed in the glow of the rising sun, then, you’re wrong. It was ROUGH. For the first six months, the Continental Army didn’t win a single conflict. Partly it was because the soldiers were poorly armed, poorly trained, and in some cases, coerced into service by local authorities. Not only that, you’ve got to get out of your mind the current manifestation of the U.S. Army which is a national organization that acts on behalf of us all. That is not how it was. People were much more regionally minded back then. So in 1776 when Washington tried to lead his army out of Boston to go engage in battle in New York they were like, “George, we’re from Boston, we ain’t going to New York..” And many of those soldiers deserted when he pulled rank. Like, you know that line from the Hamilton musical where Washington says in disgust, “are these the men with which I am to defend America?” That’s an actual line from one of Washington’s letters. It was an actual dumpster fire. Anyway, while all of that is happening the British General William Howe landed in New York with ten thousand experienced, well-trained troops. Also, about 60,000 American Loyalists joined their ranks as well. So back to our question: how on earth did the Americans end up winning this war? Well, Washington soon realized that the only way to win was to wage a war of attrition, which is to say, keep the battle going as long as possible so that the British would eventually tire out. And that’s what they did. Now, side note, it’ll also be important to mention that black Americans fought in this war too. At first, Washington was hesitant to integrate his ranks, but when the British offered freedom to any enslaved person who fought for the British, Washington went ahead and made the same offer. And so over the course of the war, something like 5000 black men fought for the patriot cause. Mostly they were free blacks from the North, but some were liberated from the South and fought right alongside white soldiers. So the tide of the war began to turn when Washington led his troops across the Delaware River on Christmas Eve 1776, and attacked a group of Hessian soldiers—these were Germans whom the British paid to fight for them—and actually won. But the most important victory for the patriots came in September of 1777 at the Battle of Saratoga. Now it’s not that important that you know the ins and outs of how the battle played out, but what you do need to know is why this battle was a big turning point. Benjamin Franklin had been in France trying to convince them to join the patriot cause, but France was hesitant to do so because up till this point it really looked like the British would win. But after this stunning victory at Saratoga, Franklin was able to persuade the French to ally with the Americans. And it wasn’t because Louis XVI was all misty eyed over the revolutionary cause. No, he saw it as an opportunity to weaken Britain, and so he brought France in. A year later Spain and Holland also entered the war against Britain and this had the effect of spreading out their resources and increasing the cost of the conflict. And with the aid of French guns and ships, the final battle of the war was played out in Yorktown (Battle of Yorktown), Virginia in 1781. Supported by French naval and military forces, Washington and the Continental Army dealt the British a decisive blow and forced their surrender. In 1783 the Paris Peace Treaty was signed by all parties in Paris, and the war was over. In that treaty, Britain officially recognized America as an independent nation whose western boundary would be established at the Mississippi River. And so, ladies and gentlemen, that’s how Americans won the Revolutionary War. Alright, that’s what you need to know about Unit 3 topic 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum. If you want to join the patriot cause here at Heimler’s History to support my work here, while simultaneously getting a resource that will help you get an A in your class and a five keep making these videos for you, then go ahead and let me know by subscribing. Heimler out.