African Americans Slaves

Slavery seemed inconsistent with the new ideas of the revolution. In 1776, 1 of every 5 Americans had African ancestors, and majority of African were enslave. The Loyalists and British used this to mock the Patriots. Some African Americans saw the Revolution as a fight for liberty, but their own liberty and freedom from slavery. Also some slaves sue their owner in court. They even enter the Patriots militia and Continental Army or the small navy. In return to that, the slaves would get freedom, but the Southern didn´t like the idea of black people using guns, they fear that they could rebel against them.
In the revolution it occur the idea of emancipation, to free slaves, but some people didn´t had the goodness of letting them free, but that was not all people, there were some that let the slaves free and gave them a paper that said that they were free but they were capture and slaved again.

In the North the slaves were only 5% of the population. There was a law going on of emancipation, this would free the slaves in the North, but this “good people” sold them to the south before the law was even passed. So emancipation failed.
The slaves were so important that they were necessary for plantation economy. There could even be a family of 5 members that owned 200 slaves. But some slaves were luck because their owners would free them but eventually they got caught again. This process was called manumission, but after 1800s the South passed a law to discourage manumission. But in the end, in 1810, more 20000 in the south were free, including 300 slaves from George Washington.

Treaty of Paris

Although Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown in the Fall of 1781 marked the end of the Revolutionary War, minor battles between the British and the colonists continued for another two years.

The Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolutionary War on September 3, 1783. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay signed it in Paris. Britain recognized the independent nation of the United States of America. Britain agreed to remove all of its troops from the new nation. The treaty also set new borders for the United States, including all land from the Great Lakes on the north to Florida on the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. The United States agreed to allow British troops still in America to leave and also agreed to pay all existing debts owed to Great Britain. The United States also agreed not to persecute loyalists still in America and allow those that left America to return. In addition to giving formal recognition to the U.S., the nine articles that embodied the treaty: established U.S. boundaries, specified certain fishing rights, allowed creditors of each country to be paid by citizens of the other, restored the rights and property of Loyalists.
The treaty was named for the city in which it was negotiated and signed. The American War for Independence was actually a world conflict, involving the United States and Great Britain but also France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The peace process brought a vaguely formed, newly born United States into the arena of international diplomacy, playing against the largest, most sophisticated, and most established powers on earth.

Cornwallis Surrenders

In late summer 1781, General George Washington knew that Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army was camping near Yorktown. Washington´s plan was to boldly and rapidly move to south, his plan was to capture Cornwallis in Georgetown. After discussing options with his French ally, Washington decided to quietly move his army away from New York City with the goal of crushing Cornwallis' isolated force. Departing on August 21, the French began marching south. As any success would be upon the French navy's ability to prevent Cornwallis being resupplied, the fleet supported this movement.
For Washington´s plan, he needed that a French fleet arrived on time to block Chesapeake Bay; they had to be there when the British tried to exit by the port.

All this needed timing, and there was, the French arrived on time on August 1781, while the British arrived in early September. Cornwallis was in a trap, the French and Patriots surrounded them with more than 18500 soldiers; he had no exit, nor land, nor sea. He tried everything he could, even sending some infected soldiers that had small pox, he did everything he thought to do but without success. He tried everything, at the end his ideas banished and he had no choice than surrender his army of 8000 soldiers in October 1781.

Patriots drive British back

How can you win most battles and not win the war? Well the British won most of the battles but Patriots never surrender, so the British fail to control the colonies. In the colonies it became a brutal civil war between Patriots and Loyalists. In October 1780 in King Mountain, the Patriots defeated Loyalists and executed many prisoners. That cause that neutral civilians took the Patriots side, they blame British troops for bringing chaos into their lives.

Funny, the British instead ok killing and destroying Patriots, they made some Loyalists to side with Patriots, they continue making mistakes. Incredible the way they were helping their enemy. General Cornwallis became more and more frustrated with what was happening, they couldn’t defeat the Patriots and in an unconscious way they were helping them out.
The Continental Army was small but with huge spirit, they were lead by Nathanael Greene. In early 1781 the Patriots won a couple of battles on the British in Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse. So Cornwallis had this brilliant idea of going to the north into Virginia, but this brilliant mind didn’t thought of the trap he was going into, a trap very well design by the Continental Army.
The victory in the battle of Cowpens convinced many Americans that the war could be won by them.

Europeans Allies enter the war

   The Battle of Saratoga. This battle was so important because now the French saw that there was a slightly possibility for the Americans to win the war, it was a turning point in the Revolution.

   In late September and during the first week of October 1777, the American army was positioned between Burgoyne's army and Albany. On October 7, Burgoyne took the offensive. The troops crashed together south of the town of Saratoga, and Burgoyne's army was broken. In mop-up operations 86 percent of Burgoyne's command was captured. That victory gave new life to the American cause at a critical time. Americans had just suffered a major setback from the Battle of the Brandywine along with news of the fall of Philadelphia to the British.

   French saw that as an opportunity to ally with American, in a good time, and weaken an old enemy, such as England.

   During early years of the war, they doubted to join the Patriots. That´s why they only shipped some ammunition and other stuff secretly, because they thought that allying with the weaker army was not correct. But the help they gave was so helpful and kept the Patriots alive and fighting. Some French volunteers provided military expertise; Marquis de Lafayette was one. He joined Washington at Valley Forge.

   Finally after that battle ended with favorable results for the Americans, French decide to open a risky allegiance with the Americans that was negotiated in 1778. Americans went to Paris and Benjamin Franklin represented negotiations. He was a good negotiator. The French army and Navy were so strong, but the first charge they did, failed. But the British suffer a blow when Spain enters the war in 1779. They enter as a French ally because they didn´t want the colonies they had, to revolt to them as the Americans did.

   That´s why the Battle of Saratoga was so important.  

The war shifts to the middle states

   In 1776 the British left Boston, they decided to attack and capture New York, so they could cut off New England from the other colonies. A peace conference is held on Staten Island with Lord Richard Howe, meeting American representatives including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The conference fails, as Howe demands the colonists revoke the Declaration of Independence. In September 15 of 1776 they capture New York with about 30,000 British and German troops. The Continental army was force to retreat to New Jersey; Washington barely saved the Army and the Revolution retreating on time. After evacuating New York City, Washington's army repulses a British attack during the Battle of Harlem Heights in Manhattan. Several days later, fire engulfs New York City and destroys over 300 buildings. In September 22 1776 Nathan Hale is caught spying on British troops on Long Island, so he gets executed without a trial, his last words were, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

   In November came more victories for the British as Fort Washington on Manhattan and over 100 cannon, thousands of muskets and cartridges is captured by Howe. The Americans also lost Fort Lee in New Jersey to Gen. Cornwallis. Washington's army suffers 3000 deaths in the two defeats. Washington abandons the New York area and moves his forces further westward toward the Delaware River. Cornwallis now pursues him. Later on in December Washington takes his troops across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. The next day, over concerns of a possible British attack, the Continental Congress abandons Philadelphia and went to Baltimore. On Christmas day, Dec. 26, George Washington takes 2400 of his men and crosses the Delaware River. He surprised 17 Garrisons; 1000 Germans were attacked. This was called the Battle of Trenton, this was a modest victory, but it would surely raise the spirit of the Patriots and their followers.

   In 1777 Washington started with yet another victory, he moved his troops at night against Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.

   In fall of 1777 he suffer a defeat, and lost Philadelphia to Howe´s army. John Burgoyne another British, came from Canada to invade Hudson Valley; felt into a Patriots trap in Saratoga. Burgoyne surrender in October that same year, in the Battle of Saratoga, this battle was so important because now the French saw that there was a possibility for Americans to win the war, so France and Spain decided to side with the Patriots. 

Colonists endure hard times

   What did the Continental Army needed to succeed? Well, they needed support, so wifes helped a lot by letting their husbands and son free to go to military services or to war. Wifes also made clothing, blankets, and foods for the soldiers, so they could keep on fighting. Without women´s help, what would it be for the Patriots? Who knows if they would be able to survive as individuals, much less as an army.
   British decided to block the ports, but they created more inflation, this means that a specific product is scarce, and then it will turn more expensive because of the demand of it. As always there is one person who thinks he is better than everyone else and took advantage of the situation and started selling rare items at a very high price, and they saw the offers for who offers more and the one that is higher was the one getting the product. The Patriots also contributed in the inflation because they use paper to make money, also known as Continentals, it was a risk that the Continental Congress printed the money because if Patriots suffer a loss in the war, they worth nothing. On the other hand, the British pay for food in gold.

     Women follow husband and son to war, they made and repair cloth; a few help fire canons and masquerading men. Mary Hays went with her husband John, a member of the 1st Pennsylvania Artillery, into the Monmouth, New Jersey Campaign of 1778. During the battle she supplied water to the troops, that is how she  received the name of Molly Pitcher. Like Corbin before her, when Mary's husband was wounded, she assumed his duties in the canons assisting the other artillerymen in the Company.