Legacy of the Revolutionary War

Warm Up Questions

• What problems face this new country?

• Why did the Americans win this war?

• What did the loyalists gain from the Treaty of Paris? Why?

• How are the Americans going to pay for the war? What problems could this cause?

Why the Americans Won

• Better leadership– British generals were overconfident– Made poor decisions– Washington learned from his mistakes and never gave up

• Foreign Aid– France– Foreign loans and military aid

• Knowledge of the Land– Americans knew the land– Let the British control the coastal cities

• Motivation– Americans had more reason to fight– Lives, property, dream of liberty

Troops Go Home

Spirit of ‘76

Financial Costs of the War

• British– Spent about 80 million pounds – Raised their national debt to 250 million pounds--but they could pay

it off

• France– Spent about 56 million pounds– National debt was 187 million pounds-- but they COULD NOT pay

it off– The inability to gain public support for taxes to pay this debt off

helped push France to their own Revolution

• America– Spent about 151 million dollars– Covered by loans from France and the Netherlands– Loans from wealthy Patriots– National debt= 27million dollars

Continental Currency

Continental Dollar

Issues After the War

• The War changed ideas about government• Before the war, they were British citizens• Now they had the idea of REPUBLICANISM– Instead of a king, the people would rule– Government gets authority from citizens, and

be responsible to them

• What problems could this lead to?

Issues cont..• Individuals place the good of the country over

their own interests• White men were allowed to take part in

government• Women were responsible for the education of

children– Teachers– Taught virtues: honesty, duty, willingness to make

sacrifices

• Called for more religious freedom– Laws discriminated certain religions– Jews and Catholics could not hold public office

Issues cont…

• Slavery• Conflicted with the idea of liberty• Vermont outlawed slavery• PA passed laws to free slaves gradually• Individual slaves tried to end slavery

– Some sued for freedom and won

• Good, right?• Only taking place in the north• U.S. had bigger problems than slavery• How were they going to shape their national government?• Needed a government that would protect citizens’ rights

Lives Lost• Americans

– About 25,700 men dead (includes disease)– Total population 2.5 million– 8,200 wounded– 1,400 missing

• British– About 15,000 men dead

• French– About 10,000 men dead

• TOTAL– Estimated 50,700 men dead