The American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812: People, Politics, and Power (America at War)

239 Pages·2009·7.96 MB·English

by  Jeff Wallenfeldt

Published in 2010 by Britannica Educational Publishing
(a trademark of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
in association with Rosen Educational Services, LLC
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First Edition
Britannica Educational Publishing
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812: people, politics, and power /
edited by Jeff Wallenfeldt.—1st ed.
p. cm.—(America at war)
“In association with Britannica Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.”
Includes index and bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-61530-049-5 (eBook)
1. United States—History—Revolution, 1775–1783. 2. United States—History—War of 1812.
3. United States—History—Revolution, 1775–1783—Campaigns. 4. United States—History—
War of 1812—Campaigns. 5. United States—Foreign relations—Great Britain. 6. Great
Britain—Foreign relations—United States. I. Wallenfeldt, Jeffrey H.
E208.A447 2010
973.3—dc22
2009038296
On the cover: The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the American
Revolution. This illustration, after an oil painting by American painter John Trumbull,
depicts the death of General Joseph Warren, June 17, 1775. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
40
CONTENTS
Introduction 8
Chapter 1: Prelude to the American
Revolution 17
Legacy of the Great War for the Empire 18
The Tax Controversy 20
Constitutional Differences with Britain 23
The Boston Massacre 28
The Intolerable Acts 28
Chapter 2: Independence 33
The First Continental Congress 33
49
The Second Continental Congress 36
The Declaration of Independence 39
Chapter 3: The American Revolution:
An Overview 42
Land Campaigns to 1778 42
Land Campaigns from 1778 47
The War at Sea 57
Chapter 4: The Battles of the American
Revolution 62
Battles of Lexington and Concord 62
Battle of Bunker Hill 63
Battle of Ticonderoga 65
Siege of Boston 65
Battle of Quebec 66
Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge 66
Battle of Long Island 66
71
Battle of White Plains 67
Battles of Trenton and Princeton 67
Battles of Saratoga 69
Battle of Oriskany 69
Battle of Bennington 70
Battle of the Brandywine 70
Battle of Germantown 70
Valley Forge 71
Battle of Monmouth 72
89
Engagement Between Bonhomme Richard and
Serapis 72
Siege of Charleston 74
Battle of Camden 74
Battle of Kings Mountain 75
Battle of Cowpens 75
Battle of Guilford Courthouse 75
Battle of Virginia Capes 76
Battle of Eutaw Springs 76
Siege of Yorktown 76
Battle of the Saintes 78
Chapter 5: Military Figures of the
155
American Revolution 79
The American Side 79
The British Side 120
Chapter 6: Nonmilitary Figures of the
American Revolution 130
The American Side 130
The British Side 160
Aftermath 172
Chapter 7: The War of 1812: Major
Causes 175
Impressments 176
Chapter 8: The War of 1812: An
Overview 181
The Continuing Stuggle 189
201
Chapter 9: The Battles of the War
of 1812 197
Battle of Queenston Heights 197
Battle of Lake Erie 197
Battle of the Thames 198
Battle of Châteauguay 199
Battle of Crysler's Farm 199
Battle of Chippewa 200
Battle of Lundy's Lane 200
Battle of Plattsburgh 200
208
Battle of New Orleans 201
Chapter 10: Military Figures of the
War of 1812 203
The American Side 203
The British Side 216
Chapter 11: Nonmilitary Figures of the
War of 1812 219
The American Side 219
The British Side 226
Final Stages of War and Aftermath 229
Glossary 230
218
Bibliography 231
Index 233
221
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Introduction | 9
When you think of the American learn what factors led up to these wars,
Revolution, you may picture John the American Revolution and the War of
Hancock signing the Declaration of 1812. You will discover their major causes
Independence with a fl ourish. Perhaps and get an overview of each war’s actions.
you envision the fi ery orations of Samuel You will encounter the major battles and
Adams or imagine Minutemen fi ring meet the extraordinary people—both
muskets at Redcoats as they practice the military and civilian—who led the nation
form of guerrilla warfare they learned through each confl ict. As you read, you
from their Indian neighbours. It can be will see how the business of separating
hard to relate to these 18th-century people, from Britain was not truly settled until
with their powdered perukes, their lofty, after the War of 1812, which some have
ornate language, and what may seem to called “The Second War of American
some as their willingness to fi ght to the Independence.”
death over the inconvenience of paying In this book, you will discover how
some small taxes imposed on them with- belonging to the British Empire gave the
out consent. Indeed, it may seem puzzling American colonists a sense of identity, a
that the colonists would choose to sepa- reliable trading partner, and an army to
rate themselves from a powerful empire protect them. You will also learn that,
that not only came to their defense in the when the British required the American
French and Indian War just two decades colonists to pay taxes, outraged Amer-
earlier but was also a ready trading part- icans refused because they lacked
ner for American goods. But the representation in Britain’s Parliament.
individuals who fought in the American At fi rst it might seem strange that
Revolution were not merely quaint fi g- Americans would fi ght a war over some-
ures in a book. They were real people thing as modest as taxes. Certainly other
who risked death for a vision of what peoples in the history of the world have
America could be and what kinds of suff ered greater indignity and oppression
rights free people deserved. but there were good reasons why “taxa-
Today the United States and Great tion without representation” became a
Britain are close allies who share a lan- rallying cry that led to the war.
guage, culture, and a similar outlook on When King George III of England
the world. But in the early days of the was young, his mother told him,
United States they fought two fi erce wars “George, be a King.” He grew up deter-
against each other. In this book, you will mined to assert that royal power and
American seamstress Betsy Ross is said to have created the original 13-star fl ag used by
the colonies. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the
national fl ag of the United States. © www.istockphoto.com/Nic Taylor
10 | The American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812: People, Politics, and Power
became an old-fashioned, inflexible ruler. colonials’ insubordination. To punish the
Unfortunately, he came of age in a time defiant Boston residents, the British gov-
when change was in the air. The 18th ernment enacted the Boston Port Bill,
century was the time of the Age of which closed the city's ocean-going
Enlightenment. During that era, philoso- trade pending payment for the dumped
phers questioned the traditional order tea, and occupied the city. This harsh
of society. Instead of valuing blind obedi- response made many Americans ques-
ence to a sovereign, they championed tion the wisdom of their loyalty to Britain
individual rights, what they termed even more.
“natural rights.” Americans came to feel As these tensions grew, representa-
particularly strongly about their rights. tives from the 13 colonies met as the
Because they lived so far from their ruling Second Continental Congress in Phila-
home country—an ocean voyage could delphia. They decided to send the king
easily take two months—the colonists had the Olive Branch Petition, a last-ditch
a long history of governing themselves effort to explain the colonists’ complaints
with little interference from the king or and find common ground. But they were
Parliament. rebuffed, and finally, there was no turning
The colonists’ road to independence back. Written primarily by Thomas
started with a series of escalating boycotts Jefferson and signed by the delegates,
and protests. When Britain tried to tax the Declaration of Independ ence
legal documents, colonists rioted. When asserted that “all men are created equal”
the British taxed cloth, colonists made and established the colonists’ claims to
their own homespun fabric. When they what they considered their God-given
taxed tea, colonists dumped a shipment rights to “life liberty, and the pursuit of
of tea in Boston Harbor. Americans had happiness.” It laid out America’s claim to
rarely been taxed before and felt that be an independent country, as well as its
paying a tax they hadn't agreed to was grievances with Britain’s monarch—
the first step in submitting to treatment though in fact, much of the colonists’
other British subjects would not tolerate. anger was actually directed at its Parlia-
Even worse, Parliament passed a law ment. The war had officially begun.
explicitly stating that it had the right to By the time the Declaration of
make laws for the colonies in all matters. Independence was signed, the war was
Thomas Jefferson called acts like these already more than a year old. It had
nothing less than “a deliberate system- started on April 19, 1775, when colonial
atical plan of reducing us to slavery.” Minutemen fought fiercely against
Furious colonists wrote angry newspaper British soldiers dispatched to seize the
articles. Mobs rioted. In England, Americans’ stores of ammunition in
Parliamentary leaders were angry at the Lexington, Mass. This first battle was a