Lecture Notes - Historical Lecture

Announcements

• Research assignment on the movie The Patriot due Friday by 10 PM.
• Instructor will comment on assignments over the weekend.

Recap from Monday

• Attack on Canada was unsuccessful.
• Beginnings towards the Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Franklin

• Verbally attacked by the Solicitor General of Parliament in Great Britain.
• Felt like a patriot after the incident.
• Returned to the colonies to work with the Continental Congress.

Influence in the Colonies

• Hessians: Mercenary soldiers hired by the British. Feared for their brutality.
• Thomas Paine's Common Sense: Pamphlet advocating for independence, swayed many colonists.

Declaration of Independence

• Purpose: To gain international recognition, particularly from France.
• Types of Recognition:
  • De jure: Legitimate government recognition.
  • De facto: Recognition of power without legitimacy.

Need for a Flag

• Represents legitimate government and avoids being treated as pirates.
• First flag: Grand Union flag, followed by the Stars and Stripes resolution in 1777.

Military and Health Challenges

• Lack of money, tools, and uniforms.
• Poor camp sanitation leading to diseases like smallpox, gonorrhea, scarlatina, etc.
• George Washington brought in Baron von Steuben to address these issues.
• Vaccination efforts against smallpox using cowpox.

Internal Divisions

• Tories: Colonists loyal to Britain. Some returned to Britain or moved to Canada.
• Victory at Saratoga (1777): Convinced France to join the war effort.

Major Battles and Figures

• Valley Forge: Experiences varied based on militia resources.
• Important Figures:
  • Francis Marion (Swamp Fox) influenced Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot.
  • Benedict Arnold: Traitor who attempted to aid the British.
  • Nathan Hale: First American spy, hanged by the British.
  • Deborah Sampson: Woman who disguised herself as a man to fight.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Ended the Revolutionary War.
• British troops maintained outposts along the Proclamation Line of 1763.
• France's involvement led to financial strain, contributing to the French Revolution.

African American Involvement

• Around 5,000 African Americans fought in the war. There was no formal policy granting freedom for service.

Articles of Confederation

• First governing document, created a weak central government.
• Major issues: No power to tax, raise an army, or regulate commerce.
• Continental Army disbanded after the war.

First President

• John Hanson was technically the first president under the Articles of Confederation.
• Created the presidential seal and formalized the postal service.

Next Week

• Discussion on why the Articles of Confederation failed.
• Creation of the Constitution.