A SURVEY OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Unit 1: Colonialism and NationhoodPart 18: The War of Independence (V)

BENEDICT ARNOLD

• British soldiers on the Saratoga Campaign are defeated at the Battle of Freeman’s Farm on September 19, 1777.

• The leader of the American forces at Freeman’s Farm is Benedict Arnold.

• He won the battle by having his men hide up in the branches of trees and then drop down onto the British soldiers when they marched by underneath.

THE FALL OF PHILADELPHIA

• One week later, however, William Howe and his men captured Philadelphia.

• The Continental Congress fled the city, relocating first to Lancaster and then to York, before Howe’s men arrived.

• George Washington and his men retreated to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to wait out the winter of 1777.

• The British appeared to have won the war.

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• The delegates to the Continental Congress proceeded as if Philadelphia had not fallen to the British.

• On November 15, 1777, they agreed to the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. This document was effectively the first American Constitution and created an entirely new political entity out of the union of the states.

• It would come into effect on March 1, 1781.

THE TREATY OF ALLIANCE

• On February 6, 1778, Benjamin Franklin was successful in establishing a formal alliance with France.

• The French were convinced to officially recognize American independence and to form a military alliance with the United States after the American victory at Freeman’s Farm and the drafting of the Articles of Confederation.

• This alliance is what would bring an end to the war.

THE WAR DRAWS TO AN END

• Throughout 1779 and 1780, British forces began moving to the east coast of the United States because that would be the site of any French arrival.

• Washington adopted a waiting strategy, planning to rely on French support.

• Benedict Arnold switched sides, taking command of American forces at West Point, New York, while secretly working for the British. His defection was exposed in September 1780.

THE END OF THE WAR

• On March 1, 1781, the Articles of Confederation came into effect and transformed the Continental Congress into the Congress of the Confederation: the first form of independent American Government.

• On September 26, 1781, the French helped American forces lay siege to Yorktown, Virginia, occupied by the British. The victory effectively ended the war by demonstrating that French support would enable the Americans to win.

THE END OF THE WAR

• Peace negotiations between the British and the Americans began in April 1782, led by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay.

• New York City remained under British occupation until later that year as formal articles of peace were drafted.

• Congress approved the peace articles on April 15, 1783. Peace was achieved with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.

WHERE TO NOW?

The United States of America is an independent nation founded on a document, the Declaration of Independence, which professes certain ideals regarding human equality. The profession of these ideals quickly contributed to the end of indentured servitude in America and they gave people who belonged to marginalized groups a justification for further advances in political equality.

A SURVEY OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Unit 1: Colonialism and NationhoodPart 18: The War of Independence (V)