3-page paper on the chapters “Allies” and “Loyalties”, pages 175 to 249, in Alan Taylor’s book, American Revolutions. You are to discuss the American War for Independence
in its global context and as a civil war among the North American colonists.
Military
hostilities between colonists and the British began at Lexington and Concord in
1775. Representatives of the thirteen
colonists meeting in Philadelphia signed on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of
Independence that proclaimed the colonies’ separation from Britain. Britain was not about to let an important
part of its Empire break away, and the conflict continued until a peace treaty
granting independence was signed in Paris in September of 1783.
Not all
colonists thought breaking away from Britain was a good idea. Those favoring independence referred to
themselves with many labels. Taylor
usually uses the word “Patriots” to refer to colonists who wanted to break away
from Britain, but he also sometimes refers to them by other terms used at the
time, like “rebels” or “Whigs”. Those
colonists who opposed separation from Britain were called “Loyalists,” and
sometimes “Tories”. There were also many
colonists who had not made up their mind on the issue. They were not sure whether the colonies
should break away from the British Empire or remain within it. These Taylor refers to as the “disaffected”
or the “undecided”. You should pay
attention to the numbers Taylor provides, of the proportions of colonists in
each group, and mention them in your essay. This was not a battle between “the Americans”
and “the British”, but rather between rebels and those who wanted the colonies
to remain in the Empire. The latter
included many colonists and, of course, the British government. The struggle was also a contest to get the
undecided to come around to whatever side you happened to favor. How did colonists on various sides of the
issue, of whether rebellion was the right decision, treat each other?
Some issues to
keep in mind that your essay should address:
What reservations did European powers have towards allying with the
Patriots and what reservations did the Patriots have towards allying with them? In what ways did European powers eventually
end up aiding the Patriot cause in the early years of the conflict? What severe difficulties did Washington’s
soldiers face? What military blunders
did the British commit, especially in terms of where they deployed their troops
and how they moved them around? What
important roles did women play in the conflict, and how did men react to their
efforts? What degree of success or
failure did the British have trying to use to their advantage slaves and
Indians?