American Revolutionary War: Difference between revisions
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==Escalation== | |||
Despite the Declaration, the British upped the war effort. Arguments between King George III and the British Parliament complicated their war plans, though the British sent in reinforcements to the New England colonies and began winning victory after victory under General [[Charles Cornwallis]] throughout the late 1770s. By 1780, the British reached their height, having dealt disastrous losses to Continental forces at the {{Wiki|Battle of Camden}}. With most of the southern East Coast under their control, the British began to attack from both north and south, converging on the middle of the colonies.<ref name="AC3" /> | |||
French aid and war escalation in the Pacific and Atlantic, and reversals by Franco-American forces in the colonies foiled their efforts however, and in 1781, Cornwallis' plan to trap Washington in Yorktown failed as French forces [[Battle of the Chesapeake|defeated the British fleet]] sent to reinforce him. Cornwallis surrendered to a massive Franco-American force at Yorktown, and though the bulk of the British Army was no longer active in the American colonies, sporadic fighting continued.<ref name="AC3" /> | |||
==Treaty of Paris== | ==Treaty of Paris== | ||
Revision as of 19:40, 15 March 2017
The American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783), also known as the American War for Independence, began as a conflict between the British Empire and the British colonies in North America, soon developing into a clash on a global scale that involved several of the great European powers. Following its conclusion, many of the European powers officially recognized the independence of the newly formed United States of America.[1]
The war was a result of the political revolution stemming from the Stamp Act of 1765, which the colonists held as unconstitutional because of their lack of representation in the Parliament of Great Britain. The colonists claimed that there could be no taxation without representation and that they had the right to a degree of self-governance, while the Parliament claimed that they represented all citizens of the British Empire, granting them "virtual representation" - a practice the colonists translated into "taxation without representation".[1]
Thus, Parliament continued to tax the colonists, until the tax on tea led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, which was followed promptly by the Intolerable Acts as a punishment for the movement. Parliament also disbanded the civilian colonial government in Massachusetts and put the colony under the direct military control of British Army General Thomas Gage, headquartered in Boston.[1]
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Escalation
Despite the Declaration, the British upped the war effort. Arguments between King George III and the British Parliament complicated their war plans, though the British sent in reinforcements to the New England colonies and began winning victory after victory under General Charles Cornwallis throughout the late 1770s. By 1780, the British reached their height, having dealt disastrous losses to Continental forces at the Battle of Camden. With most of the southern East Coast under their control, the British began to attack from both north and south, converging on the middle of the colonies.[1]
French aid and war escalation in the Pacific and Atlantic, and reversals by Franco-American forces in the colonies foiled their efforts however, and in 1781, Cornwallis' plan to trap Washington in Yorktown failed as French forces defeated the British fleet sent to reinforce him. Cornwallis surrendered to a massive Franco-American force at Yorktown, and though the bulk of the British Army was no longer active in the American colonies, sporadic fighting continued.[1]
Treaty of Paris
The war would last until 1783, when the Treaty of Paris was signed, in which the United States of America was recognized by all parties as an independent sovereign nation.[1]
The new nation was then granted all lands east of the Mississippi River, with the exception of Florida and the territories of East and West Florida, which were ceded by Great Britain to Spain.[1]
Aftermath
The United States became fully independent as recognized by Europe's major powers, and it adopted a close relationship with France that carried on until a Franco-American Quasi-War. Due to their defeat in the American colonies, the British turned their colonial focus to India.[1]
Casualties were estimated at 50,000 dead or wounded Americans and 6,000 Franco-Spanish. British casualties were estimated at 20,000 land forces dead or wounded, 19,740 sailors dead, 42,000 sailors deserted, and 7,554 Germans dead.[1]
The Colonial Assassins, who had been decimated in the Seven Years' War,[2] were able to reorganize during the conflict, destroying the Templar presence in the region.[1]
References
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