Surrender of General Burgoyne (kind of a rosy depiction, don't you think )

Chinese history is no stranger to the members of this forum, and it is China's long history that has become perhaps the greatest obsession in my life, as I plan on living in China for a time to continue my language studies and immerse myself in its rich culture.

But in this thread I'd like to switch gears and discuss a different topic for a change while looking at the history of my own country, to gain a sense of my own origins first (even though my family's roots in this country span back only to the first decade of the 20th century ). I'd like to present to you, in the first part of a seven part series, the history of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) according to one of my distinguished history professors at George Mason University. The first couple of parts will discuss events which led up to the Revolutionary War, starting with the French and Indian War.



The French and Indian War (1756-1763), "The Great War for Empire"

 This was called the "Seven Years War" by Europeans, but the French and Indian War by Americans. It was British victory in this war that set the stage for the American Revolutionary War. This was an incredibly expensive war, and would eventually become a griping point for colonists. After this war, the British had to figure out how to pay for the gigantic war debt and administer the projects with continually high military expenses. Getting the colonies to pay for it was the option chosen.

 The French had about 50,000 citizens in New France, running from Newfoundland in Canada all the way down to Texas and all the way west as Wyoming.

 The British colonies were a melting pot, and the British really didn't care what your ethnicity or religion was; anyone could virtually move to the British colonies and become subjects as long as you paid taxes and claimed loyalty. Colonies were governed in a very loose fashion. Only one of the original 13 colonies was founded by act of Parliament, and that was Georgia (with a Parliamentary subsidy). The other colonies were founded by private interest groups; Virginia was founded by a London-based private company. The British crown did not have the economic strength to find colonies on their own.

 The British pretty much gave permission to these private groups with a license that they were under the British flag, although they could do as they wish. Each colony set up its own government structure. However, Virginia was a royal colony; the King and Parliament appointed officials to the state of Virginia. Pennsylvania and Maryland was given to aristocratic families by the British crown; these were proprietary colonies.

 William Penn (senior) was a member of the English establishment, the Church of England, a conservative of King Charles II in exile. William Penn Junior (his son) became a Quaker, much to his father's detest. After the Quaker Penn died, his sons became more like their conservative grandfather, trying to convince the King to turn over the colonial charter and to set up Pennsylvania as a royal colony instead.

 In Massachusetts, the Puritans did not allow other denominations to build churches, unlike Pennsylvania, where the Quakers didn't mind if someone was Catholic, Jewish, etc. Anyone could build churches there.

 Sugar was incredibly valuable, and France wanted to keep on to its Caribbean sugar islands. Great Britain wanted to settle Ohio and push the French out. George Washington moved into Ohio to take it for the English colonials, but was forced to surrender at Fort Necessity in the Ohio Valley.

 Albany Plan of Union, 1754: Ben Franklin from Pennsylvania theorized that the thirteen colonies should ban together and protect their interests. He wanted to bring about a loose form of confederation for protection and better cooperation amongst them. Franklin was turned down at the conference, as each colony did not want to give up their rights and privileges. Their only connection was the British crown; they saw themselves as being different countries altogether.

 Britain attacks, 1755: a much stronger challenge to the French in the Ohio Valley was mounted. The British sent thousands of troops under General Edward Braddock, who was ordered to take the Valley (with help from the militia). He was ambushed by 1500 French and Indian forces and was defeated. Before this point, George Washington wanted to be a full-fledged British officer, but the British would not grant him this satisfaction, delegating to him the position of Virginian staff officer.

 George Washington and others warned Braddock that warfare in the colonies was very different than what European forces were used to in Europe. Guerilla warfare and ambushing were the tactics, not formal lining up and firing in a fair show. The British idea of war was you do not hide behind things like a coward, and you do not target enemy officers on the field; dying was the responsibility of the cannon fodder. Lol.

 Braddock's column got ambushed near the headwaters of modern-day Pittsburg, and were badly routed. Braddock himself was killed. Washington rode in to the middle of this firestorm and managed to get the remaining British forces out. Washington was not a brilliant military tactician, but there was no doubting his courage. He was doing this not just to prove his bravery; he was a man on the make, and he had greater ambitions ahead. He would become one of the richest men in the United States. Washington had a hard-scrabble upbringing that made him very careful with his money. He always thought he was being cheated by the British.

 Braddock's venture into the American wilderness was a fiasco, yet this incident set in motion a global war. France and England were about to engage in a widespread global conflict due to the British finally throwing down the gauntlet. The British started capturing French ships in 1756 even though the two nations were officially at peace. This would begin seven years of war.

 War was fought for dynastic reasons in this age, the final solution or higher form of squabbling amongst monarchs. There were limited reasons for war, and war was regarded as a means for professionals who were not of common rank. Average everyday people were not really interfered with, and the commoners shouldn't be even made aware of what was really going on. The provinces often changed hands, so the common people did not feel like they were really involved in these elite politics.

 The officer core of the armies were composed largely of the aristocracy. The average foot soldier was seen as the scum of the earth; they were seen as being so worthless that the army was their only option. The discipline that the average soldier endured was ferocious. Every Prussian corporal carried into battle a pike staff that he used on his own troops if they disobeyed. You were supposed to be more afraid of your own officers than the enemy in front of you. A common soldier in America could be given five hundred or even a thousand lashes on the bare back for infractions. Armies were held together by iron discipline and pride rather than patriotism or political purpose.

 There was no need to totally obliterate and destroy enemy forces; outmaneuvering the enemy in battle was preferred. Professional armies were very expensive and difficult to maintain; if one was totally destroyed that would be a grave economic loss. Napoleon totally changes this and decimates the generals who go by these old conventions of moving troops like a chess game. War was an affair of gentlemen; at the Battle of Fonteney in 1745, both the English and French bowed their hats to each other and asked the other side to fire the first shot.

 When war broke out in 1756, the Indians largely sided with the French. Colonial Americans knew that to defeat the French and Indians, they would have to adapt to their style of warfare. The British disagreed.

 The Americans wanted to elect their own officers amongst their militia units, but it turned out to be a terrible idea. People elected as officers were less able to make their neighbors, who were nice enough to just elect them, do thing they didn't want or discipline them too hard.

 The Americans perceived British officers as being too bossy; this is not the way Americans did business, and took offense. The tension between colonials and British was clearly present. The British officers believed that without discipline you had nothing but a mob. Soldiers were to be strictly disciplined if they were to be effective.

 The British officers brought with them their servants who served them their silverwares, champagne, and other luxury items.

 The Americans did not want their taxes to be raised for war; the British felt that Colonists should pay for their own defense.

 The war did not go well for the British in the first few years, on all fronts. This was until there was a shake-up in British politics. The British King was not an absolute monarch; the elected Parliament had a great deal of authority by having control of the kingdom's treasury. William Pitt ("Pitt the Elder") became Prime Minister in 1757, and fully understood colonial concerns and offered the colonists compromise. He was an 18th century Winston Churchill, a man of enormous intelligence, resolve, and ambition. He was also petty, tactless, and held grudges. Pitt basically told Parliament that he knew how to win this war; he was granted this wish. He said that the European continental war should be deemphasized and that Prussia should be heavily supported with funds instead as they fought France; the real British war should be fought in North America. Pitt sent 50,000 regular troops to North America, getting rid of incompetent British commanders such as Lord Louden. This amount of troops was incredibly large for an 18th century army, especially one to be sent overseas. This had never been tried before, but it worked. Meanwhile, the British and French clashed in colonial India and the Mediterranean (Minorca Island near Spain).

 The French sent a few regular regiments to Canada, but this was it. French forces in Canada were on their own and were overwhelmed. Louisbourg, Quebec, and Montreal were the great French strongholds that needed to fall if the British were to win. Quebec was a fortified city on a high bluff that proved hard for the British to capture after several attempts. General Wolfe figured out how to capture the city in 1759, by using a narrow pass to scale the heights and take the city from a side not yet used. Both the British and French generals, General Montcalm and General Wolfe, were killed in the battle.

 By 1763, a peace treaty was finally hammered out in Paris. The clear winner was Britain, as France lost all its Canadian holdings and gave up its claims of land east of the Mississippi River. Spain was given all the French land west of the Mississippi River and New Orleans, but Spain lost Florida to England (although it would be returned to Spain later and then returned to the British again). Great Britain won all of Canada and exclusive rights to Caribbean slave trade and colonial India.

 During this period, taxes were raised immensely in Great Britain, where you were taxed even on the number of windows you had. The last thing they wanted was a continuation of military operations. This is where the Americans come in.

 Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763: the British made the frontier policy of calming things down and establishing friendly relations with the Native Americans living there. The Native Americans became outraged when American colonials began settling into the area; the Indian chief Pontiac was especially outraged that the colonists were encroaching on his sacred tribal land. Pontiac began a rebellion in 1763 that threatened the entire frontier region. Britain responded to Pontiac's Rebellion with the Proclamation Line of 1763, which established the law that colonists could not cross that line unless they had permission to do so. American colonists were outraged that they had just fought a war and were now being robbed by the British of their possession of the Ohio Valley. Colonists did not care if the government in London said no; in this, you see the seeds of distrust are planted on both sides. The colonists now felt that the British were trying to rob them of their liberties. It could be said that conspiracy theories started in the colonial era, only back then it was British conspiracy to oppress them. "Are we Englishmen or Bastards of Britain" was the question on the colonial mind after the seven year war.

 The British policy in Canada was to leave French provinces alone and let them have their own government. The Catholic Church and landowners were to be protected, just as if France held sway. The staunchly-Protestant American colonials essentially wagged their finger and said "Aha!" at the British, noting they would rather cozy up with French papists than their own English brothers in America. Twenty years later the siding with France by the American rebels would be a big turnaround in American colonial attitudes towards the French and those who happened to be Catholics.

 The British could not tax the British isles any further, and the banking creditors wanted their money back with interest that was loaned to the British government to fund these wars. The British became concerned with debt, and gradually the Parliament's attitude was to tax the colonies right away and that the colonies should pay for their own upkeep.

 The British felt that American colonial assemblies had been less than generous when shoveling out funds for the British war effort. The British took a new look at their empire and wanted a change. The British wanted to reorganize the colonies from the top down and tax them in a different way. The Americans had gotten much too used to having their own say in things, and they were not about to put up with this. Up until this point, Great Britain was like the aloof parent who let the 13 kids run wild. Now Britain saw its colonies as coming of age as "teenagers" and they needed to be reigned in and bent to the British will.

 Britain's victory created American pride and optimism because American colonials felt they had made an enormous contribution to the victory; plus it gave them a common enemy of French and Indians. The British were now in a precarious position as well. Since the French were ousted, now the colonies felt they really didn't need the British army in the Americas because the French were no longer a threat; now it was the British who posed a threat to their liberties.

 The war also created a socializing experience for the colonists who participated; it gave the Americans practice for a war to come with the British.

 The new King George III saluted Pitt for his great job as a war hero PM, but George pretty much gave him the boot in a polite gesture because Pitt was somewhat of a war nut without consideration for the treasury. Pitt was given a seat in the House of Lords after the House of Commons, so he was allowed to leave with dignity. Pitt argued in the House of Commons that the Americans were right and they deserved their rights. Others disagreed.

 The Molasses Act of 1763: New England ship captains (including John Hancock) traded with the French illegally in the Caribbean in order to gain molasses for making rum back in the thirteen colonies. This British act enforced duties on Americans who bought molasses from the French and encouraged the Americans to buy British molasses. The Americans pretty much said **** you to the crown and bribed the customs inspector to ignore their molasses trade with the French. The British knew this was going on, but didn't crack down (your professor thinks this was a mistake).

 However, the British wanted to tighten up the customs inspection by hiring new inspectors with funds from the British crown. As a customs inspector you were awarded a bonus for catching a ship that engaged in contraband trade. From the American perspective this was outrageous, since Americans had been doing this for generations (even though it was illegal). The customs inspectors were seen as cronies of the English government who used their position for personal profit. It wasn't about maintaining the law; it was about hounding American ships to make the job a money-making enterprise. This was extremely offensive to many Americans, who saw these inspectors as locusts who ate up American prosperity. The British did not appoint Americans as inspectors, which was another slap in the face.

 The Writs of Assistance also allowed the customs officials to inspect homes and businesses for any cause, another cause for confrontation and tension.

 Whig ideology: the Whigs were the patriots who saw the British as the bad guys. If their power wasn't checked, the British monarch would become a true tyrant.

END OF PART 1

And just for fun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXOSi39QS58&NR=1

Part 2 of a 7 part series starts now:

Imperial system & Salutary Neglect:
 Sir Robert Walpole as Prime Minister desired to improve England's global dominance. Walpole was a mercantilist who believed colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country; they provided resources that the mother country could use to fashion and produce goods.

 The British government would occasionally pass trade regulations that would bar the colonies from trading with others. Goods should be exclusively shipped on British vessels. However, corruption was prevalent and Britain allowed it to go on.

 The colonies benefited from being within the confines of the British Empire, and realized this after independence. The British army and navy helped protect the colonies from the Spanish, French, Indians, etc.

 The Americans became used to the arrangement of not having to pay internal taxes set by the British; internal taxes were decided by American colonial governments, not the Parliament in London. The British simply imposed external taxes on trade.

 Gold and other resources were drained out of North America and into the coffers of London. The British Parliament would also not allow the local American governments to issue their own currency. American colonists often carried French, Spanish, British, and other currencies on their persons. Bartering was preferred.

 Washington felt that British merchants were not treating Americans fairly.

 American colonists grew more and more concerned that England lacked a written constitution. British government relied on jurisprudence and experience, but Americans wanted everything written down with rights spelled out so that there would be no abuses or confusion.
A Misunderstood King:

 James II had a Catholic son who opposed the idea of converting to Protestantism. Parliament then set out to find who was the closest related person who was still Protestant, and they found another James, a German who spoke little English and enjoyed living in Hanover more than England. This king left Prime Minister Walpole in charge of affairs in England, while Walpole’s cabinet suddenly had a great say in things.

 George III (lived 1738-1820, r. 1760-1820) became king at age 22 (after his grandfather died on the toilet while having a stroke). George III considered himself thoroughly English, not German. George believed that a principled, indomitable & supremely confident Britain could overcome all obstacles. He was rather shy, but he became stubborn, overconfident, and unwilling to compromise. There was political instability in his reign, having five different prime ministers. He preferred simplicity, his wife and a farmer’s life. He believed in doing the pomp and ceremony as king, but was happier doing chores on a farm.

 He met his German wife Augusta on the day of their wedding. Although an arranged marriage, they both fell in love and were devoted to each other, bearing 15 children.

 George believed that the victory in the French and Indian Wars proved Britain’s might, and looked upon the colonies as Great Britain’s children. He believed that American colonists should - before negotiations - lay down their arms. The Americans on the other hand refuse to lay down their arms until they are given guarantees.

 Within Great Britain, George III was a popular monarch. He fought the American colonists to uphold the rights of Parliament, which had the right to tax the colonies. George loyally supported this idea.
Rethinking Empire

 Britain’s national debt doubled between 1754-1764. How to pay for all these expenses meant bearing down on American colonists. Citizens living in the British isles were already taxed to the brim, in fact, 24% more than American colonists. Therefore, British citizens had little sympathy for American colonists, and Parliament favored tightening the customs system by cracking down on smuggling for real (laws were already implemented before, but they weren‘t necessarily carried out). The Americans felt “how dare you crack down on us for flouting a law that we‘ve been flouting for a hundred years.” Lol.

 Parliament passed a “Writs of Assistance,” essentially a search warrant to look in anyone’s house, business, boat, carried property, etc. From the American perspective, this was very disturbing; having a powerful government stripping away their rights. From the British perspective this was reasonable; from the American perspective, it was tyranny and an attack on American liberty and virtue. There was a great deal of disgruntlement amongst the American merchant community; John Hancock even kicked customs officials off of his ship. When he was arrested and tried, he was cleared of charges as it was found that the customs officials entered his boat without due grounds for suspicion.
Beginnings of Colonial Resistance

 Whigism was a belief that one should always be on the watch for their property, which guaranteed liberty and the significance of John Locke’s beliefs that property ownership and liberty were intertwined. Every additional tax was seen as chipping away slowly at one’s liberties.

 Opposition leaders in Britain itself included John Wilkes, who was considered a radical liberal and republican who wanted to do away with monarchy. He was elected to Parliament, but they did not allow him to take a seat in the House of Commons. He was later imprisoned, which sparked riots. Many Americans idolized Wilkes as a man who represented truth to power and a stabilizing force of liberty and justice in Britain.

 The American economy was in recession; wars are good for some businesses, bad for others. For businesses that need to furnish the supplies of troops, they do very well; this was America’s strength. After the French and Indian War, there were economic hard times as these industries dried up. This added fuel to the fire of American discontent with the British.

 Charles James Fox was another opposition leader in England. He was a brilliant politician but became embroiled in scandal of gambling debts after his father had granted him money. He was a member of the loyalist opposition during the Revolutionary War in America. However, once the global conflict with France became center stage, it became harder to oppose the war.

Theories of Representation

 What are the rights and authorities of the Parliament over the colonies? Is its power absolute or limited? Americans were denied basic rights of Englishmen since they did not have their own representatives in Parliament. Americans felt that this would keep legislators more honest.
English Economic and Social Development

 In Great Britain, there was the birth of the Industrial Revolution during the mid to late 18th century. English society became rapidly urbanized, growing leaps and bounds in the years after 1750. Over 90% of American colonists lived in rural settings in comparison and their economy was largely rural. This had an impact on the American mindset. English merchants were rapidly becoming the best in the world, with often the best prices if not for the Dutch. The American colonists loved importing British goods, importing tableware, paint, carriages, silks, teas, lace, china, etc. You name it, they imported it from England. In any fine home, you found English goods. Even in rural farmsteads, you found farm equipment that was produced in England.

 Plus, the colonists had to ship all their resources to England; colonists were not allowed to manufacture their own goods; they had to import all goods from England. After the Revolutionary War the Americans struggled in finding out how to successfully run industries that the British traditionally dominated and monopolized.

 American conservatives believed that American virtue was being destroyed by the seduction of British luxury goods. Even George Washington rode around in a London-bought carriage called the Berlin. Class distinctions were quite apparent, as rich people wanted to flaunt their best English fineries.

 The Americans during the Revolution desires to have the rights to bear arms, but the second amendment to the constitution was really implemented because the U.S. government was cheap: “Why spend all this money raising an army when we can just simply have self-paid militias.” The Congress abolished the standing army and navy; there was about 100 standing soldiers in the early U.S. Even West Point was attacked by Congress as something that needed to be abolished, as they saw it as a European thing to have a war college. Americans were fearful of a Caesar, a popular military general who could dominate all and do away with liberty by using military power.

 Washington, after his years of power in military and politics, stepped out of the scene humbly like the Roman republican Cincinnatus.

 There was travel by colonists to the mother country of England. When Benjamin Franklin was 46, he retired and lived in London for fifteen years, only returning to America when the revolution was underway. Long before this, the Franklin couple were talking about building a new house in the colonies, Franklin said don‘t be rash, but this is a good idea as he does not return in a long time. Franklin took his son William (who was not his wife‘s child) to London with him. William was a budding teenager, dazzled by what he saw. Franklin was an indulgent father, but he became more and more concerned that William was becoming more English than American. He was concerned that William was becoming more of an elbow-rubber with English high society than just working. Eventually, the Revolution sullied the relationship between Franklin and his son.

 The Americans were put off between the class distinctions in British society with everyone knowing their place and staying in it. Americans were concerned with the great disparities of wealth in Great Britain. In America there was not a great amount of beggars and vagrants, but this was widespread in Europe. This added to the American sense of virtue, which was pointed out in contrast to English decadence. Americans considered themselves on equal footing with British citizens, but even a low baroness considered herself infinitely superior to the richest American plantation owner or merchant.

 American colonists were ambivalent towards what they saw as the grandeur, excess, and fancifulness of British elite, especially those elite who grew continental sensibilities by becoming cultured and learned while traveling to France, Italy, Spain, etc. In fact, the term “macaroni” was a derogatory term against Italians and those Englishmen who went to Italy to see the ruins, becoming globally cultured, etc.
Thriving Middle and Southern Colonies

 Eight out of ten men earned a living from the soil and earned a sense of achievement from gaining their land and fighting the Indians and French. Most Europeans did not have this pride and sensibility, and was commented on by many foreign visitors. They commented on the American as an entirely new being, who did not just obey orders and only obeyed them when the orders seemed reasonable and practical.

 The planting south had a small population that was sparsely settled in comparison to the middle colonies and New England. The British should have took over the south first; that would have doomed the revolution as it would have given the British and easy foothold onto North America unlike the contested Northeast. The south also provided England with essential supplies of rice, cotton, and indigo (blue dye that was extremely popular). The richest men in America were South Carolina rice planters who used West African slaves who knew how to plant rice. The rice industry was almost ruined because of the revolution.

 The slaves that worked these rice plantations had a little bit of power in their own right; afterall, they were the ones who could plant rice. The slaves had a good deal of independence and worked under the task system. Slave-holders didn’t like it, but had to yield because it was easier to just let the slaves do what they needed to do. Sometimes slaves completed work early under these programs and were able to take the rest of the day off to do things like tend to their own vegetable garden (if they were lucky enough to have a master who was generous enough to allow them this liberty or others).

 The British merchants benefited from the credit system, making the southern planters feel that they were under economic slavery for England’s benefit. However, American public opinion was totally divided. There was a lot of ethnic tension between neighborhood groups in urban areas amongst English loyalists and pro-independence people, as well as in the rural south with dissension of upcountry people against the revolutionary planters. The tidewater elite who controlled the colonial government were pitted against the upcountry elites.

 The South lacked a sense of community, while Southern society was much looser than New England society. Southern culture was centered around religious services as social occasions and an opportunity to display imported finery from England. The Anglican Church was the officially supported church by tax exemption, although other sects were allowed.

Grenville’s Measures

 George Grenville became Prime Minister in 1764. It was up to Grenville to try to reorganize this new vast British Empire. He was determined to make Americans pay more in taxes. His measures that he had Parliament act on included the Sugar Act of 1764, making sure import taxes were collected and tariffs properly assessed. The Sugar Act also changed previous molasses laws, stating that molasses imported from England was no longer free of tax, but now had a three pence tax for every gallon; a much higher tax was imposed already for French-bought molasses.

 Grenville was open to dialogue with the colonies, and did not imagine that Americans would react so violently to the Stamp Act of 1765. This act stated that all legal documents (deeds, marriage licenses, birthrights, etc.) needed a purchased stamp and a small tax. Americans were outraged; people affected most by this were printers, tavern keepers, and lawyers, the people who had the greatest access to public opinion.

 Also, laws were enacted that made American colonists go to court that was made up of a jury of British naval officers, not by fellow American colonists. The Americans saw this as a violation of rights as Englishmen since they were no longer being judged by their peers. From the American perspective, there was no recourse.

 Colonial assemblies were up in arms over the issue of Parliament’s right to create an internal tax. The ultimate goal was to raise revenue. Colonial assemblies were also wary about sending their own delegates to the Parliament in London, which had the capability of being inundated with English luxury and decadence and would not be able to be shaken around by the collar by their constituents if needed. Revolution seemed imminent and necessary.
Riots and Resolves

 Patrick Henry’s Virginia Resolves: only local assemblies had the power to tax. This was enacted only after most conservative elites left and went home, unable to hear this patriotic fervor anymore. These Virginia Resolves were contentious, and not all the colonies would sign on to them.

 In October 1765, the Stamp Act Congress passed a Declaration of Rights and Grievances and issued an order to bind all colonies together in making a joint decision in defying the British. The Stamp Act Congress was dominated by conservatives, Englishmen who felt that their rights were being violated.

 Stamp tax collectors were pressured to resign, especially in hotbeds of content like Boston. For example, Thomas Hutchinson’s brand new house was ransacked and vandalized by an angry mob who ripped everything apart. The building was left a shell. Thomas Hutchinson was an American born and raised, but he was an American Torrey and Loyalist. Other customs officials and tax collectors had effigies of them burned in front of their homes as warnings. Most customs officials and tax collectors resigned, some even immediately after they were appointed since their neighbors wagged their finger, saying “don‘t you dare take this job”.
Divisions in Parliament

 Chathamites: followers of Chatham and the Pitt family, who wanted to create an American legislature with taxing power. This party was largely favored by American colonists, since the Chathamites recognized that Americans had their own affairs. The Chathamites didn‘t want dissension or trouble.

 The Rockinghamites: this party followed Rockingham, who wanted to repeal all offensive legislation and return to the pre-1763 set up in the colonies. He wanted to restore order in the colonies with military force, but didn’t want to anger the colonists too much since American merchants and planters were heavily tied with the economy of the British Empire. This party favored salutary neglect in customs rules.

 The North Majority: Mr. North, Prime Minister by 1780, led a party that favored the principal that Great Britain should not cower down to any foe, foreign or domestic, and that force had to be used against the Americans or American could find ways to fund imperial defense. His backers in Parliament were the country gentry at large, who represented the bulk of Parliament members. However, they did want to avoid war in America, and so favored getting rid of the Stamp Act and setting up some other institution that could garner revenue.

 Ben Franklin was roundly abused by the King’s Privy Council for supposedly inflaming colonial resistance to British control. Witteburn castigated Franklin here, accusing him of every sin under the sun while Franklin had to endure this chewing out and could not make any response. Franklin wore a suit of Manchester velvet; a suit he would wear on the occasion that Britain and America signed the peace at Versailles. Franklin said that he thought it a little fair that “his suit have revenge” against the English.

 In the British perspective, the Americans are out of line. In the American perspective, the British “killed the goose that laid the golden egg” and were foolish to tick off Britain’s greatest source of revenue, the jewel in the British crown. The Americans believed that if America was lopped off from the British Empire, the British Empire would be kicked down to third power status in Europe. In losing the American colonies, the British would have to look elsewhere for many of their resources, hailing the beginning of the end of their global first rate imperial status.
The Resistance Organizes

 Samuel Adams was part of the resistance group, the Sons of Liberty, which sprang up across the colonies. Samuel Adams was a rabble-rouser, the type of man who needed his friends to buy him a nice suit for formal occasions. He was raised in the Puritan family, which criticized pretty much everyone. John Adams, when he traveled to Europe, was constantly asked “Are you the famous Adams?” In reference to his brother Samuel Adams.

 The British broke down the barriers of resistance in American colonies by propping up a common enemy: themselves! The British shot themselves in the foot too many times, and lost their standing.
Women in Colonial America

 Women in Colonial America played an important role in the revolution. Women had more control over choosing their husbands than European women, while they often outlived and inherited property in their own right from deceased husbands. They also often married more than once.

 Martha Washington was one of the richest people in the colonies, and George came knocking on her door as a suitor looking to marry. By doing so, he became one of the richest men in America.

 The “Daughters of Liberty” formed a non-importation association, a patriotic women’s organization that helped the boycott and then the revolution against Britain.
Parliament Caves In

 Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766. They realized that giving the Americans what they wanted benefited everyone. In doing so, however, Parliament also passed legislation of the Declaratory Act that basically said “Ok, we‘re repealing the Stamp Act, but Parliament has absolute authority to legislate matters in the colonies in all matters dealing with taxation.”

 There was American celebration over the repeal of the Stamp Act, but not many paid attention to this recent Declaratory Act.

Townshend Duties of 1767-1770

 Britain still needed to raise revenues, and under Prime Minister Charles Townshend they were going to do so. He was a playboy who loved ponies, gambling, high life, and drinking (he often gave drunken speeches).

 Charles sought to limit the power of colonial legislatures.

 Charles sought to tax goods being imported into the colonies, taxes that had to be paid before goods were offloaded from ships at port. This tax would then be passed on to the consumers. He also sent British troops to America that were to be housed by American colonists without complaint or resistance. The customs inspectors all the way up to the royal governors were to be paid by the British crown, not the colonial assemblies, meaning now the colonial assemblies were going to have less control over them. As a customs official, now they had incentive to turn against their American fellows, since they were not paid by the British (getting a cut of smuggled goods, a money-making opportunity).

 From the American perspective, it seemed that Parliament was going to impose its rule one way or another.

 Townshend would die shortly after enacting these laws and did not live to see the revolution that he largely caused.

 John Dickinson penned Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, which promoted thrift, simplicity, and home manufacture as key American virtues.

 The court in Boston ruled that John Hancock’s ship Liberty was seized by local customs officials without a proper warrant, the British responded by sending 4,000 troops.

Nonhan nanban:

This was very good.

the American revolution was radical from a social-class perspective when you think of the class hierarchies of Europe at the time, but really since the Middle Ages, in most of Western Europe, after the black plague stopped, due to population shortage the class system loosen quite a bit as peasants finally were free of serfdom and able to bargain for higher rages. It seems from that time...the class structure continued to break down, but slowly over time...America seemed to be a fast-forward in this.

The revolution in some ways was conservative. If you look at the French revolution, they pretty much slaughtered most of their upper-class who were not smart enough to turn populist and join the low aristocrats (Napoleon being one of those) and the middle class to get the peasants to kill the upper-classes for them...

In America, there was no real upheaval, most of the people who were wealthy before the revolution were also afterward, it was just that the elites (usually self-made men) wanted to throw off their blue blood overseers. There was no real radical class shift in American society itself.



And foreigners often wonder where American conservatism comes from and why there appears to be an anti-intellectual strain in American society. It is not exactly an anti-intellectual strain as much as elite education is associated with \\\\\\\"elites\\\\\\\" which are often frowned upon as condescending and inherently anti-America. It is not that Americans don\'t like educated people or do not think education is good. The issue is that many Americans do not like people who act \\\\\\\"haughty\\\\\\\". Texas (where I lived for 2.5 years) was a good example. In Houston, no matter how wealthy or educated someone was everyone would go to the \"rodeo\" or dress up on \"cowboy day\" in boots and often a hat.

I think Asians and Europeans often don\'t understand this, as they tend to come from societies with historic high class hierarchies and to a certain extent that is still very present in many of the societies and people want to be like the upper-class...some Americans are like this too, especially in coastal areas, but even there, i would say, having people to a few European nations and Asian ones, most Americans, even many of the wealthy have this attitude described above.



South Carolina did have fairly liberal slavery at first and the slaves vastly outnumbered slave owners...actually even before WWI, blacks outnumbered whites in several Southern states until they started migrated in large numbers to Northern cities to take factory jobs (which lead to conflicts with Euro immigrants like the Irish and Italians...another story).

Southern states started cracking down and being very restrictive after the Haitian Revolution of 1791 and finally the Nat Turner Rebellion of 1831.

After this many states banned all interracial cohabitation (which was not unusual in South Carolina and also Louisiana, and parts of Georgia). They made it much harder to free black slaves and put more restrictions on free blacks in the South, they usually banned blacks slaves from learning how to read or do basic math, they forbid blacks to marry and often sold their children or \\\\\\\"wives\\\\\\\" away routinely. Southern whites got scared as they knew they were outnumbered and they wanted to stop blacks from being able to organize or even think about rebelling. They also started to make \\\\\\\"one drop rule\\\\\\\" laws, which did not exist before...stating anyone with any known black ancestry was black. This had already existed in some states, but not both. Strangely it only became universal in America after the Civil War, not before....I guess it was easier to group all people of any black ancestry as one group instead of try to differentiate between various admixtures of blacks (like Louisiana did or Latin America did with Natives and blacks). My mother\\\\\\\'s family became legally black right before the civil war, before that they were considered \\\\\\\"mulatto\\\\\\\" and before that \\\\\\\"free people of color\\\\\\\" by the Creole French...one day they were told \\\\\\\"you are black\\\\\\\" and you have to obey these \\\\\\\"black codes: Jim Crow Laws\\\\\\\"...you can imagine the shock. At that time some members of my family \\\\\\\"disappeared\\\\\\\" never to be seen again. LOL The \\\\\\\"whiter\\\\\\\" looking ones just went to places there ancestry was not known.

There were slaves in the North but mostly house servants, more like indentured servants who were freed not long after the Revolution in most cases.



And to this day the South is predominately Baptist, Anglo-Saxon (and Scotch Irish) and still much more religious than the North East to this day. In the South, most towns and cities have a church on every other corner and people are much more vocal about their religion than the North...where people might have religious beliefs but it has long been considered low class to act overly religious in public. You can see the difference in George HW Bush who had issues with the religious right and his son who spent many years in Texas being vocally religious.

It is interesting that many of the low land Southerns tried to keep the English gentry country estate ways...longer than their Northern counterparts.

Along the upper Southern and Appalachian areas the Scotch Irish were probably the first American libertarians and were very much against the Brits and later the early U.S. government trying to regulate their Moonshine industry. Andrew Jackson came from them...

Thanks for responding LongMa!



Very true. Although this was very feared of in upper class segments of society and there were some instances where there was class conflict. For example, a house full of high class officers were attacked by mutinying soldiers which definitely had class struggle overtones. It is important to note that American elites sported a more humble attitude towards the poor and dropped their aristocratic habits, such as expecting the poor to move out of the way in the street for them and bow their heads a little with their hats off. All that crap was dropped! Lol.



Exactly! This has its benefits and drawbacks, but it is mostly a drawback.



More "Liberal" perhaps than other areas, but still brutal and unjust no matter how you roll the dice. Good point about the African American migration, yet if you look at demographics in the south you will see that it is the region of the country where African Americans are still most highly concentrated.



It's bad enough that they were forced to do work they weren't getting paid for. It's worse that their families were separated. Very savage.

I know people still subscribe to the "one drop of blood" rule, but I like to think of people like Obama as a White man. Or, fair is fair, mixed race.



Funny. My friend Marshall is Scotch Irish and a total Libertarian. That should just be coincidence though, as you can't paint every Scotch-Irish American with such broad brush strokes.

Eric

Eric, IMHO this is too much a simplistic explanation for the events in the American colonies in the 18th century.

There were many factors which, in limited reading on the subject, need to be factored in. What about, for example, of the role of the American colonies in the English Civil War, and the financial interests of many in the colonies who were Naval Commissioners during the seventeenth century? These men often had mercantile and shipping interests to start with. Could their interests be perhaps as important as the oft-sprouted arguments about freedom from taxation (which was in any event lower than it was in England)?

People in the colonies were not without political roles within the Court and sometimes on the fringes of Parliament. How do these factors fit into the scheme of things?

What about the different factions in English politics and their attitudes to the colonies, and the solution to their grievances?

There are many more factors as well, which need consideration.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger, these are simply my notes from lectures. I can't remember if the English Civil War (or the 1689 English Bill of Rights for that matter) was covered in the notes for this class or another class I took simultaneously on the Reformation; just sit tight and wait for all 7 parts of this seven part series to unfold, there are weeks of notes and a lot of information to digest, and some of your questions I believe will be addressed (once again, can't remember all the notes I took, and I'm still reading through all of them). Don't judge the notes as they stand now, wait until all is revealed.



Once again, hold onto your britches. I believe this is covered in the notes for the following weeks.



Can't stress this enough, you'll have to wait for additional notes in the following days (trust me, this professor was thorough, he covered all of these topics, especially the factions in English politics and how their ideas differed in dealing with the colonies). I will only post one week's worth of notes for each day here at CHF. You will have to come back here periodically if you want to be fully satisfied.

Hold on to your horses William!
Eric

Some scattered notes here but noteworthy nonetheless. I'm just cherrypicking them for today, the good stuff I will post tomorrow (and yes, William, they will address your questions):

 Thomas Paine failed as a worker in England and migrated to the colonies. Thomas Paine published Common Sense in 1776. He believed that America had a moral obligation to set up a democratic republic untainted by monarchic constitutions. He specifically targeted the monarchy as the source of all ills. It really should have been Parliament that took the blame for many of this, but it was easier to focus all the blame on one individual, the King.

 The Declaration of Independence was written with one nation in mind, and it wasn't Great Britain. It was France. The U.S. needed help from France, the arch enemy of the British. The French did not want to stick up for a loser, and wanted to make sure the Americans could actually fight. What if the colonies collapsed under British might? The French had to play their cards right.

 In June of 1776, independence is formally broached by General Henry Lee. Jefferson got most of the credit for drafting the document, but there were five other members, including Benjamin Franklin. Everyone recognized that Jefferson was not much of a speaker. However, in writing, Jefferson was without peer and wrote the bulk of the Declaration. It was then sent to Congress for debate.

 In the original Declaration, Jefferson wrote a paragraph against slavery, but immediately it ran into a roadblock by the South Carolinians, who said if you leave that paragraph in we will not participate. The one thing Congress was set on getting was unanimous agreement, all or nothing. So, the slavery paragraph had to go. Jefferson sat disgruntled after the Declaration was edited mercilessly, but in the end it was a success on July 2, in that 12 colonies voted in its favor. Only New York did not vote for it, saying they'd like to vote for it but had to speak with their New York delegates. New York eventually did, with John Hancock's signature.

 On July 9, 1776, George Washington had the Declaration of Independence read aloud to his troops.

 There is a lot of doubt that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag with stars and stripes. However, she did contribute to the revolution and lost two husbands during it. She had to take care of her children afterwards, but was certainly not alone.

 American soldiers serving in the war at any one time was about 35,000. Nevertheless, the British had the mightiest navy in the world, while the Americans had no navy. However, their navy was in poor shape since the fighting instructions were unchanged in 75 years, the naval commanders were haughty and traditional, their 340 ships were in poor condition, they were poorly designed and cheaply made, the navy was seriously under funded, and in 1777 the navy was too weak to blockade the American coasts and defend the English Channel at the same time.

 The British army also had plenty of problems, since officers were nearly all aristocrats who bought their positions. British soldiers weren't even trained by their officers; they were trained by their sergeant, who could enforce brutal discipline.

 The uniforms, although looking good in parade, were too ornamental and impractical when the British had to wade through the humid forests of South Carolina. Dressing was part of a soldier’s discipline, it was required to dress nicely, keeping soldiers busy everyday with this chore.

 Colored uniforms came out of the 30 Years War, as Sweden wanted to distinguish its troops easily on the battlefield.

 Some 29,867 Germans served in America but only 17,313 returned, with 548 killed, 6,543 dead from other causes, and 5,000 deserters. The Hessians were surprised to find German Americans violently patriotic about the Anglo-American cause, in fact, they often tried to persuade the Hessian soldiers to desert and join America.

 When Howe landed at New York, the order was beat them, but don't beat them too harshly and leave some room for them to escape. Killing everybody would breed ill will, so winning the war would be a careful tip-toe affair for the British.

 Howe resumed the offensive on September 15 by seizing Kipp's Bay on Manhattan's east shore. There was also a clash at Harlem heights, where the American army would actually go on the counterattack. This was a small success while George Washington was driven off Long Island except for one little garrison at Fort Washington.

 Burning of New York City: within a week of the British capture, 500 buildings of New York City burned to the ground. There is proof that there were American saboteurs, but there is no evidence it was suggested by Washington.

 England Commands the Hudson: the Forts Lee and Washington, facing each other on opposite shores of the Hudson, were built to block access along the Hudson. These made little difference to the British, since they were able to run the forts, meaning the garrisons in the forts were cut off from access as the British landed and swallowed up the area. They couldn’t even retreat across the river. Washington Fort fell with 3,000 men and vital supplies, along with 400,000 cartridges for guns and a bunch of cannons and kegs of gunpowder.

 Washington retreated through New Jersey, and at the same time Benedict Arnold retreated from Canada, the only thing stopping the British advance there being the little fleet he left there. Step by step, it seemed as if the British would crush the revolution, although Washington was always one step ahead before capture.

 Britain made a lot of enemies and stoked the patriot cause by British excesses in looting and burning and abusing Americans.

 Washington knew that the enlistment period of his men would be up in early January, and he needed at least one victory to improve failing morale to attract more soldiers. He decided to score a victory against the British outposts of Trenton, and then would score another victory at Princeton by outmaneuvering Howe‘s officer.

 The force guarding Trenton was the Hessian force. Washington knew that this operation was beset with many problems, especially since his men were willing to go home quickly and would not do anything without some cash involved in it.

 Thankfully for Washington, the Hessians were wandering about and exhausted from patrolling. There were also some who were drunk and playing cards, such as the commander of the Hessians who was handed a letter about Washington’s advance but ignored it and put it into his coat.

 The Hessians were mauled on January 3, 1777, while the commander Rall was fatally wounded and died. Howe responded by calling back all his men and abandoning his outposts in New Jersey.

 Great Britain could have offered Spain Gibralter Island in order for the Spanish to stay out of the war, but the British could not withstand the public animosity back at home in giving up the island. Therefore, Spain would go with whoever had the highest bidder, and that was France.

 The capture of Burgyone’s army and the British disaster of New York gave America a bargaining chip. The victory at Saratoga boosted America’s prestige abroad.

Maybe it is your lecturer with whom I have a problem. Maybe he should be thinking a little more deeply.

I am impressed by the insight you often bring to the CHF, Eric, so I shall hold onto my horse....and maybe Paul Revere's as well!

No! Anything but that! Let him go!

It's okay, actually very good for one that wants to understand the Revolution in a nutshell.
But my AP US History class went into much more details for some reason.

Everyone is taking potshots at my professor now!

Here is the next batch of notes. Sorry for not posting it yesterday!

 The Hessians were drafted by the British because the British were lacking extra troops and wanted to promote "shock and awe" in the colonies with a huge assembled force that the colonists couldn't possibly resist, and would in fact give up before even being crushed. That's what the British hoped, but instead the presence of the Hessians alienated many Americans from Britain. Some Hessians also deserted to the American side during the war.

Punishment
 The British rewarded American deserters immediately with three pounds.

 Over 2,000 men deserted General Washington's army between 1777 and 1778. Their families shielded them at home and it was impossible to retrieve them. Washington then upheld a policy of allowing men to come back to the army without punishment. However, this was met with limited success. There was harsh punishment that could be used, but this couldn't be used all the time as it would demoralize troops rather than scare them into obedience if it was used excessively. Washington executed 40 people; these people did not only desert, but they also committed additional crimes. Some men were about to be executed but in a dramatic show Washington would reprieve and exonerate men who everyone thought would be doomed.


 Both the British and U.S. armies used flogging as standard punishment, but there was also pillory and stock time (for humiliation), the riding of the "wooden horse" (sitting on a slanted wooden device), and running the gauntlet as a means to harden offenders and punish them effectively where everyone could witness what happened to those who disobeyed their authorities. In the U.S. army, 100 lashes with the whip was the maximum while the British allowed 1,000 lashes maximum!

 Washington and others believed that the lower classes had to be kept in line. He pressed the Congress to allow him to lash American offenders 500 lashes, but the Congress said no, and allowed only 100. Washington actually thought he was being reasonable with his suggestion, since the British disciplined their troops with up to 1,000 at most.

 People were not allowed to gamble in Washington’s army, while drinking was limited. He believed that letting the soldiers have too much fun would destroy the morale of the army rather than bolster it. He was all about punishment in the beginning of the war, but towards the end he realized the effectiveness of rewards, and so had the purple heart of merit instituted in 1782. It fell out of disuse and was revived in 1932.

 Washington had control of himself, and he expected others to have a hold of themselves as well. Washington and other elites believed that if the Revolution had an Achilles' Heel, it was the poor, who they thought might wreck the cause. However, others believed that the rich would cause the war to fail because of profiteering and luxury in the city while Washington’s army froze at Valley Forge.

 The Sons of Liberty was largely an organization of middle class Americans who used selective violence, not out-of-control rioting force.

 Officers were very privileged over the soldiers, who were allowed to drink and eat more than the common grunt.

Prisoners of War

 Prisoners of war could hire themselves out to work at foundries and earn some money while under captivity. Officers who were held as prisoners were not really imprisoned; this was the case of both sides. Captured American officers were able to walk around in the streets in their continental uniforms, to rent apartments, wine and dine, only they couldn’t leave Manhattan Island.

 Regular grunt prisoners were held in jails or in floating prisons on ships. Roughly 800 American prisoners died during an eight month period while on prison ships in Charleston, North Carolina. The British ship HMS Jersey, stuffed full with American prisoners who were locked in its compartments, was called “Hell”. It was moored in the same spot. A huge copper kettle would be lowered down in the hold where human waste was gathered, and its contents would be dumped into the water. The same bucket might be used for collecting drinking water. Thus, disease was rampant.

 British officers were entertained by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello; class superseded nationality, so hospitality to other gentlemen was expected.

 The British prisoners held in America often deserted Britain after they were freed by the Americans; this was especially the case with Burgoyne’s men.

 The British Provost Marshal William Cunningham stationed in New York was rumored to mistreat prisoners. He had a reputation for brutality, supposedly having a grudge against Americans for being roughed up by the Sons of Liberty. He allegedly saw to it that the prisoners were short of food, blankets, water, sanitation, etc. Supposedly he made claims that he killed more rebels than all the king’s forces. Ironically, in 1791, he was hung in Britain for a crime of forgery. He was also accused of allowing private executions for his own amusement.

 It should be noted that it was only after the defeat at Yorktown did the British consider American prisoners as P.O.W. Beforehand, they were simply considered miscreants who needed to be jailed for rebelling, and were not considered people of a separate nation that needed to be respected even in war. It was not until March 1782 that the British declared American prisoners as Prisoners of War.

 Ethen Allen, when he was captured with Benedict Arnold’s mission in Canada in 1775, was sent to London and he was threatened with execution. Washington threatened to hang any British officer in return for their hanging of Allen; the British backed off. It was also common for prisoner exchange to take place, although it was not officially accepted because the British saw such an action as accepting American sovereignty; at least until March 1782.

 After March 1782, the British allowed for a private-to-private exchange in soldiers. Benjamin Franklin had a lot to do with the diplomatic efforts in getting Britain to budge on this issue.

Sick and Wounded

 Communicable diseases worsened by unsanitary camp conditions. Over one fourth of Washington’s army was unfit for duty at any given time. Doctors bled people and used unsanitary equipment.

 Smallpox was also a deadly concern in both armies, and Washington ordered that his troops be inoculated. He was also fearful of biological warfare propagated by the British like they did to the Iroquois.

Spies and Traitors

 Washington set up an intelligence network after taking command in 1775. Washington’s spymaster was Benjamin Tallmadge, who, along with British spies, employed espionage and spreading rumors to subvert and damage the enemy’s supply systems, recruitment systems, industries, maritime shipping, economy, etc.

 Both sides planted false information to deceive the enemy force.

 The Americans used civilians behind British lines writing with invisible ink. They also used word plays with letters by using sort of cookie-cutter shaped objects placed down on the page which would obscure words and show others, thus revealing a secret message through selected words on the page.

 It wasn’t that hard to be a spy, as the term “loose lips sink ships” wasn’t well known and one could easily fall prey to spilling the beans to a pretty lady.

 Spies who were caught were often treated with leniency by both sides.

 There were also double agents.

 No one knew that Townsend was an American spy until the 1930s, who Washington always alluded to. Townsend used an elaborate system of colored handkerchiefs to signal couriers to cross rivers at night.

 The Dr. Benjamin Church was unmasked as General Gage, imprisoned as a spy and then exiled to the Caribbean in 1780, although he never made it there.

 The Hickey Conspiracy -> Charles Hickey was part of Washington’s personal guards who were found to be in the secret pay of Gage. They were found to be pumping the American colonies with counterfeited bills that would inflate the economy. He also plotted with the British to assassinate Washington for a reward and rank in the British army. When this was discovered, he was sentenced to death and hanged on June 28, 1776, in front of a crowd of 20,000 people. This prompted Congress to sponsor legislation that said aiding the enemy in any way was treason.

 When Nathan Hale was captured and hung in NYC, he famously said “I regret I have but one life to give for my country.”

 Major John Andre was hanged when British refused to exchange him for Arnold.

 Benedict Arnold, one of the most dashing, daring, and skilled commanders in the American army turned out to be a traitor. Arnold led the American invasion of Canada that had barely failed but conditions weren’t on his side (Canada might have been part of the United States today). Arnold felt underappreciated by Congress and passed him over for promotion. Like all generals, he had his political enemies, only Arnold was a personality in spades; you either like him, or you really dislike him. He was brilliant on the battlefield, but he could be a real **** in private. He was justified for complaining but he also pushed Congress a bit too much about rewarding him. There were questions about how badly the wound he received at Saratoga affected his mind.

 Arnold had stores close to make inventories so that he could requisition goods for his own profit. He was a businessman as much as he was a general. This angered many.

 A court of inquiry was held that investigated Arnold, and even Washington had to publicly rebuke Arnold (Washington said don‘t take it personally, but Arnold did take it personally).

 Arnold courted Peggy Shippen, the daughter of a prominent Tory. She was accustomed to the good life, and Arnold could keep her in a style that she was accustomed to. He purchased a lavish estate outside of Philadelphia for his sweetheart, and people started questioning how he made all this money; in reality he was going into debt because of her. For all these reasons, Arnold was a complicated character.

 Washington held Arnold in a high regard, and Washington saw many of his own characteristics in Arnold. When Washington wanted him to do a certain campaign, Arnold rejected and asked if he could rest at West Point due to his wound. West point was a crucial American installation, the key to holding the Hudson River that linked the middle and upper colonies. The British desperately wanted it and Washington could not allow the British to take it.

 Arnold got deeper and deeper into treachery, with his wife’s friends, including Andre, negotiating with the British. Since the French sided with America, Arnold (a staunch anti-Catholic) would rather have the British rule North America than allow any chance for those "goddamn papists" to take over.

 For turning traitor at West Point, Arnold wanted 20,000 British pounds and rank in the British army. If West Point was not taken, Arnold would get rank and compensation of 6,000 pounds instead. In any case, West Point was about to be the talk of the town.

 Arnold also promised the British Washington himself, since Washington had to pass through West Point on his way to meeting a French general. However, the British were alerted far too late, and Washington just rode past the scheme.

 Andre was given a free-to-pass document by Arnold so that he could travel without question. Andre was stopped by three Americans, possibly thieves, who searched him and found plans in his boot. One of them informed the Continental Commander Arnold about his secret plans and that Arnold had signed him off. Arnold freaked out, seeing everything coming unraveled. He went into his private bedroom, jumped on his horse, and ordered himself to be rowed down river. Washington rode into West Point to find Mrs. Arnold in hysterics (some say it was faked to buy more time for Arnold to get away). Shortly thereafter, Andre’s plans were delivered into Washington’s hands, and his blood ran cold. “If we can‘t trust Arnold, who can we trust?” The greatest commanding general under Washington had just turned traitor.

 Arnold got his 6,000 pounds from the British, but he was also given troops and authority to attack the American rebels in Virginia. When he asked a soldier what Washington would do to him, the soldier responded that they would cut off his battle-wounded leg and bury it with honors, but that the rest of him would be hung.

 There is only one monument to Benedict Arnold in America, one at Saratoga.

African Americans in the Revolution

 Washington didn’t know it, but the Battle of Monmouth in 1778 was the last major battle in the north. Afterwards, the war shifted south, where there was a large slave population. Lord Dunmore offered freedom for slaves of patriot owners. The reaction amongst many slaveholders in Virginia was outrage, and if anyone was a loyalist before, they now went over to the patriot side. The British tried to mobilize freed slaves as soldiers, such as the Royal Ethiopian Regiment.

 In both the U.S. and British armies, slaves and freed and former black slaves were used in auxiliary fashion in employments such as reserves, laborers, scouts, etc. The U.S. Congress approved the idea of arming 3000 slaves with freedom and compensation to owners in March 1779.

 John Laurens, the son of a South Carolina planter, believed that blacks shared a similar nature with whites and could aspire to freedom. John was a very progressive person in his age, especially for a South Carolinian slaveholder. The fight for liberty should concern them as well, he thought. John pressured his father to press forward legislation to better the conditions of slaves. Congress wanted this to be decided by the states, while Washington was fearful that slaveholders would turn Tory if the slave issue was pressed too much.

 South Carolina was run by about 20 elite families who defended slavery at all costs. They were totally against arming slaves, even if it meant that America would lose the war; no one was going to tamper with their system.

 The British feed any rebel’s escaped slaves anywhere in the colonies after the Philipsburg Proclamation (1779); in response the patriots began freeing the loyalists’ slaves.

 The American army then became integrated with blacks, the only time in early American history; blacks were not integrated into the army again until 1946.

 Did the cause of American liberty apply to all? This was brought to attention by Lemuel Haynes (1753-1833), a black man who was one of the earliest minutemen and fighters at Fort Ticonderoga. He argued that slaves’ need for liberty was dearer than rich whites who complained about their estates.

Noncombatants

 States granted liberal exemptions to those who were deemed essential to the war effort. Those who were underage, physically impaired, an indentured servant, an artisan, a clergyman, and a postmaster were exempt from military service. The Quakers, Shakers, Mennonites, Amish, Dunkers, and Moravians also did not serve due to conscientious objection.

 The harshest treatment against the Quakers was in Virginia. They were mobbed by citizenry (their neighbors), muskets tied to their backs, and marched to Washington’s army to force them to serve. Washington was horrified, immediately sending them home and telling everyone that they were not to be disturbed again.

Funding the War

 Congress issued paper money in 1775. Laws were passed forcing acceptance of paper currency due to inflation issues. States were also allowed to issue their own paper money. All of this was backed by “Western lands” and not gold. By 1780, there were $240 million issued in paper dollars, plus $200 million issued in the States.

 Printing presses in all the states began cranking out money. People’s low confidence in the bill, however, led many people to accept the ten dollar bill only as a five dollar or one dollar bill, leading to inflation. Congress made half-hearted attempts after 1789 to aid this, but failed miserably.

 Economic collapse threatened the revolution. Robert Morris was given an appointment as Superintendent of Finance, as it was believed he would help the situation. He convinced the Americans to take foreign loans, including many from France. All this borrowing led to economic collapse in France, which in part led to revolution there.

 Prices and wages were stable until 1788, and then they dramatically began to fall. Congress tried to prevent ‘engrossing’ and ‘forestalling’ with limited success; laws saying that people could only buy so many products that would only feed your family for so many months were not very successful.

 There were incidents where citizens in local areas formed in local mobs and surrounded merchants at stores and threatened to trash stores if prices were not lowered.

 Skilled laborers saw an improvement in the quality of life during the war since their skills were in demand and they had fringe benefits.

I find the American use of the word "traitor" for Benedict Arnold rather interesting. Given that the colonies were is rebellion, Arnold should properly be treated as a British loyalist, at worst a turncoat, but in no way a traitor.

It reminds me of the quote from Ovid:

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

From my point of view, treason is as well applied ot the colonies in general, as it is to Benedict Arnold.

I know that will bring howls of protest, but I think it is an honest and impartial appraisal of the facts.

"Turncoat" is just a colloquial term for traitor. Arnold fought for the colonies, then he switched sides. If he had always remained loyal to the British we would just call him a Tory, but he actively fought against the British at first.

Yes, the colonies were treasonous as well. I'm sure a lot of people would have been prosecuted as such had the British subdued the colonies.

Well, you could certainly spin it either way. From the British viewpoint, every American Patriot was a "traitor" to the British Empire while continental Loyalists were virtually second class if and when they ventured back to the isles of Britain. Yet even at this point the American Patriots were trying to establish their own national identity and signify clear cultural differences between their land and the British homeland. Since Arnold was a top field commander in the Continental Army and had won great victories for the Americans, they viewed his later acts as treasonous to the cause and to the war effort. I don't think there can be an honest and impartial appraisal of the facts when we are talking about two distinct points of view: how the British viewed the war and how the Americans did. It was only towards the very last days of the war that the British viewed American captives as foreign prisoners of war instead of criminals and ad hoc rebels, so in that sense you can justify that Benedict Arnold was not yet a "traitor," but this is only taking in the British viewpoint.

As I've promised, I will continue to deliver the goods; here is your next shipment.

Funding the War

 Robert Morris as Superintendent of Finance, tried to improve congressional money woes.

 Foreign loans of $10 million kept the revolution alive, barely.

 The fishing industry was destroyed during the war, while shipbuilding and munitions producers faired pretty well.

 Prices jumped alarmingly leading to hoarding.

Prices and Wages
 I believe he went over this stuff last time.

 Fort Wilson riot: rumblings of labor discontent roiled Philadelphia in 1779. It was named after James Wilson, the most notorious speculator in Philadelphia who had made lots of money by waiting for prices to rise in order to make a killing. The poor classes were outraged. A local militia comprised mostly of poor men paraded past his house while he hosted high ranking congressmen and generals at his house. They booed at him for a while before a gunshot went off. Soon enough, Wilson and his compatriots were returning fire at the local militia. It lasted about 10 minutes, with 6 dead and 14 severely wounded. This happened just in time for the Silk Stocking Militia to arrive, the Philadelphia cavalry (which still exists). These men belonged to an elite unit, sons of the rich who could pay for their own horses and fancy uniforms. They dispersed the riot and mob of poor militiamen, along with arresting the ringleaders.

 This was a delicate situation, and the city fathers had to make sure that law and order was maintained while at the same time not punishing too harshly because they don't want to rouse more feathers. They simply fined the ringleaders and let them go.

 This riot scared the rich in America, as the rich feared class warfare if other incidents should break out. The city subsidized food to be given to the poorest families as one measure to calm everyone. Only a year later would martial law be imposed on Philadelphia to quell more riots.

 The difference with this and the French Revolution, however, was that America did not have firing squads and guillotines for the rich to suffer like the French in the 1790s under the state terror of Robespierre.

 The American Revolution outlined the human rights of individual persons, not people as a group. Citizens were expected to serve the public good while being responsible enough to handle yourself. However, this was expected only of some and applied only to some, while others lost their status. If you were a rich Tory in 1776, unless you played your cards right, you probably weren't a rich Tory in 1783.

 Before the Revolution, the lower classes were expected to step to the side and take off their hats while passing rich people on the streets, in a show of deference. This was changed when American Revolutionary generals had to show their soldiers respect, since many leaders were rich next door neighbors to their soldiers. The poor were just not going to give deference to the rich, which was considered a European custom after the Revolution. For example, in New England, the 'old rich' (especially Tories) found themselves on the short end of the stick after the war. A whole new class of rich rose during the war, who were not born into wealthy families but made a lot of money during the wartime effort. In Europe, you could have all the money in the world, but if you did not belong to the upper class by birth then you were still looked upon as of lesser status and allowed less opportunities into the higher strata of society.

 Rich and poor generally lived side by side before the Revolution, while the following Industrial Revolution would come to separate the poor from the rich. The rich used to be clustered right in the downtown of cities in the 18th century, but in the 19th century you see the situation reversing as the rich moved to the outskirts where they could build bigger, nicer homes.

 After the war, indentured servitude was on the decline, but did not fully die out until 1817.

 The decay of the artisan-apprentice relationship began after the war and during the early Industrial Revolution.

 The holy clergy began to slip in status as well, as increased secularization occurred alongside less religiosity. In 1775, Poor Richard's Almanac by Ben Franklin was the most popular book, not the Bible. Even before this, the most popular book had become Webster's Dictionary (finally! standardize your d**** spelling, lol). Also, the Church of England was previously the main church, which also collected taxes. After the war, only die-hard Tories remained loyal to the Church of England, while most Anglican churchgoers changed their title to “Episcopalian” to avoid stigma and resentment from other Americans.

 Americans were opposed to the creation of any kind of nobility. Some Americans had formed a chivalry group called the Order of the Cincinnati where only members who had a certain lineage could join, those who had served in the war. It was an organization meant to assist men who were veterans of the war. People were outraged by this as it smacked of European aristocracy. The Order (which still exists today) was forced to change their membership requirements to include others.

 The Revolution reinforced the colonial tendency of retaining not only one’s desire for materialism, but also the retaining of official titles.

 There are some improvements; the colonies could now export as much tobacco they wanted and to wherever they wanted to send it. Trade still flourished with the British colonies.

 New roads were constructed out of necessity also, as the war encouraged more trade and movement of supplies and troops.

 Americans began growing more grain to brew more beer and whiskey as molasses became more and more scarce during the war.

 For farmers the war was both a blessing and a curse. The farmers were not very eager to sell goods to the Continental Army which had worthless paper money, while growing just enough to feed the family was sufficient. Rather than having an agricultural surplus, there was a retraction.

 The British and French poured a lot of money into the United States during the war. Yet prices of goods in New York went up 8 fold.

 The indigo industry had been a major export before 1776, but without Parliamentary subsidiary, the indigo industry never regained the prominence it once had.

 A good size of the American fleet was captured during the war, as lack of overseas trade now damaged the economy alongside putting sea captains out of business.

 In Maryland, the cost of butter, wheat, and salt between 1777 and 1780 increased by anywhere from 1900% to 5000%.

 Physical destruction was also an issue, as whole towns were flattened and destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of property was destroyed. 200,000 pounds in damages were racked up during the British stay in Philadelphia.

 Everywhere the British went, ethnic, religious, and social tensions were exacerbated. Slaves were certainly a contentious issue, but so were women. Many women had to face the loss of a husband who was the bread winner. There was also the fear of being raped and robbed by the British enemy - there were rapes and robberies that occurred. However, the war also opened opportunities for employment or to make decisions with men absent. Women now could run businesses, manage farms, etc. on their own. Many women discovered “Yes I can do it alone!” Lol.

 Women also joined the army as camp followers, much to Washington’s despair. Washington knew he couldn’t get rid of them completely, so allowed only 6 women to one company. However, 20000 women followed the US army, while only 12000 for the British army. They performed vital tasks of cooking, cleaning, providing first aid, etc. In addition to their pay, Washington finally realized that they should have limited access to rations as well.

 Many women became camp followers to be closer to their husbands; others came just to get in on the excitement. Some women who were found stealing could be court-martialed, whipped, shaved on the head in disgrace, or marched out on the song of the “prostitute‘s March.”

 There was also prostitution at camps. Legend has it that the British imported 3500 prostitutes to service the British army. After the war, it was alleged that the British blocked these women from returning to Britain.

 Martha Washington’s War - joined husband nearly every year for winter encampment. Entertained congressmen & French officers with consummate skill. She also set the example for smallpox inoculation.

 Deborah Sampson (1760-1827) was one of the most famous cross-dressers of the war. She enlisted as Robert Shirtleaf, qualifying for the light infantry. She was even wounded! But that was not when her sex was discovered. When she contracted smallpox, the doctors realized she was a woman! Lol! She was honorably discharged by the army, while the state of Massachusetts gave her a cash reward. Not only that, but Congress awarded her a military pension, which was given to her husband after she died. This was one of the first times the pension was given to the husband, not a wife.

 There was also Nancy Heart, who killed two Tories and held four others at gunpoint while her husband returned; the Tories were hanged!

 There was also Margaret Corbin, who helped serve firing the artillery in 1776 and was wounded, only after her husband was. Congress granted her a lifetime pension of half a private’s pay.

 Another was Molly Pitcher, otherwise known as Mary Ludwig Hays. She helped bring water to a gun battery that was fighting the British at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. She was 7 months pregnant at the time. When her husband passed out from heat and exhaustion, she took his place at the guns.

 These gallant women aside, the Revolution changed very little for women, especially when it came to property rights. Rich or poor, all the property became the property of the husband’s upon marriage. In other words, the 18th century was a good time to marry rich women, because all their property became the man’s. Why do you think Washington wanted to marry Martha? Lol.

 The Revolution killed primogeniture, as Franklin found it unfair. People wanted the other siblings to have a share as well, just as much as the eldest sibling.

 New Jersey was the first state where women were allowed to vote, but they had to have 50 pounds of property. However, this was repealed in 1807.

 After 1783, women were still second-class-citizens, but were accorded a special status of republican motherhood, where women must seduce men into virtue by raising pious, thrifty, hard-working children. This blossomed into the cult of true women-hood, where the women’s sphere was domestic and the man’s public.

Tory Loyalists
 In 1776, the Tories did not number anywhere near 1/3 of the population, as some scholars generously assert. This number was closer to 1/6, and there was pockets of Tories in certain areas around ports. The Tories tended to come from the older generation, were in official positions before 1776, and their strongholds were in Rhode Island, New York City, Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston, and Savannah. Contested areas were southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, western South Carolina, New Jersey, northern New York state, and northern Vermont. Patriot strongholds were everywhere else. Indian territories were loyalist or neutral.

 American Tories were swept aside after the Revolution, and they were largely forgotten as time went on. They were described as having their head in England, their bodies in America, and their neck which ought to be stretched.

 There were moderate Tories and radical Tories. They believed in a hierarchic society, as they believed that democracy meant mob rule. Why would someone want to be ruled by their inferiors? They thought.

 The Patriots had momentum in their movement, while the Tories did not. It’s hard to say “Jump on board for the status quo!” It was hard to convince others to join if you were the richest man in the neighborhood. The Anglican Church stressed rebellion against the King as a sin, which reinforced their ideas.

 The Tories believed that the rich should rule in an oligarchy. The Tory order favored order, conformity, traditionalism, submission to authority, and loyalty to Britain.

 The Tories had other problems: they had no unified leadership. They had no firebrand like John Adams. They had no correspondence committees either. The Tory leaders didn’t last too long either.

 Hutchison, who had his house smashed by a mob, was one of the leading Tories who voiced his opinion that things should be left in the hands of people like him, the elite. He eventually left the country after the first few years of Revolution.

 The decisions being made by the First Continental Congress that you see the power of American Tories beginning to decline. Some of the first actions of the Congress put the Tory class’s monopolistic hold onto power onto the road of extinction. The Congress, however, did give the Tories something to attack.

 However, the Tories came from all strata of society, with rich and poor, urbanites and rural rustics, etc. Scotch-Irish immigrants were often Tories, since they still had loyalty to Great Britain. What to do with these people? The response varied.

 Mob action and peer pressure always came in handy, especially the threat of tarring and feathering people. After independence, the state of Massachusetts even exiled their Tories, saying pretty much “choose which side your bread is buttered on”. These Tories weren’t always rich people; they could be farmers, artisans, dock workers, etc. These were most often aimed at British natives who were still residents in the United States after the war. They were given 40 days notice to clear out, in many states. In South Carolina, Tories were given 60 days to either get out or give an oath of loyalty to Congress. The State of Carolina paid the fare back to Britain or a British colony for people who wanted to remain Tory.

 There were also ethnic minorities who were considered Tories. The French Canadians were labeled as part of this group.

 The sheriff and the posse showing up could be a real intimidating factor for Tories. Some Tories were imprisoned in awful prisons (such as Simsbury). Some Tories were banned from traveling on certain routes. Some were exiled to other states or to a foreign country. Some Tories were ordered simply to move inland. Some had their civil rights disregarded, barring them from serving office, serving on juries, or the ability to sue in court. Some had their property confiscated and sold at auctions for bargain prices. Some radical or ringleader Tories were simply executed. There were 65 Tories who were executed during the war, but they were charged with a plethora of crimes that did not just include being a “Tory,” although being the latter did not help their case in court for other crimes.

 After a while, the British convinced the American Congress on May 30 1783 to allow Tories to sue in court and get their property back after it had been confiscated (and to stop the confiscations altogether). However, the states often simply disobeyed Congress on this affair and did not choose to compensate complaining Tories. Earlier during the war, the confiscations helped pay for much of the supplies of the Continental Army. Back in England, the Royal Claims Commission paid less than half of the 10,000 claims for 8,000,000 pounds; there was only 37% per average claim. Eventually the British would pay out to claimers on the order of about $100 million in today’s amount of currency.

 You’d have to be a dumb Tory to have your estate confiscated. They could have sold it to relatives or known people who were not Tories, so that they could still live in their houses while someone else actually owned them.

 A mass of Tories came out of the shadows during the war when Howe’s army moved across land in force. However, the British did not employ the Tories as they should have, as they did not organize Tory militias until 1778. Even then, they were not overly enamored with the Tory militias, believing Americans were unreliable, dirty, couldn‘t fight, and were a bigger nuisance than anything else.

 There were about 50,000 American loyalists who served in British ranks after 1778. Even when the British allowed them to organize their own units, there came arguments about rank and status among the officers as the lowest British officers saw themselves above the American officers of equal or higher rank. In fact, there was no equal pay or treatment.

 The British felt that the loyalists could not be trusted, believing many were patriots in sheep’s clothing.

 The Tory uprisings were generally isolated events that were ill-planned, because the Tories really did not have a great unity of leadership (as discussed a bit in your notes above). The Loyalists were often unlucky, uprising too soon or too late, and getting decimated by Patriots. The British regulars were also discontented with the Tory militias because professional soldiers and officers scoffed at these sort of “weekend soldiers” who were not fully committed and often fled the battlefront.

 American Tories who fled to Canada helped make Canada what it is. Hence, some Canadians visceral hatred of the United States. During the War of 1812, a loyalist from Canada killed his own American patriot brother and felt no remorse.

 Over 5,000 Tories fled to England by 1783, while 80,000 left soon after. These exiles were dazzled by London but they were also appalled at the vice, crime, filth, gambling, etc. In fact, many of these Tories described themselves as caught between two worlds, as the American colonies were still home to them. They even winced as they heard the Englishmen call the Patriots cowards, even though they were loyalist Tories. However, they were also surprised to hear some British praise Washington.

 These Tories who moved to England not only lost much of their wealth in the confiscations in America, but also their social standing in light of native born status in England. London was also one of the most expensive cities to live in.

 By 1781, many Tory exiles had to make a choice: go back home to America and claim Patriotic loyalty, or claim their Tory loyalty in Britain. Many of those who did return years later were run off by their old neighbors.

 A few states offered amnesty.

 Did America suffer from the expulsion of the Tories? Yes. The many who went into exile caused massive problems for the economy. The British also took many black persons with them; 4,000 left Savannah alone, evacuated to England, Nova Scotia, or the Indies. Some of the blacks evacuated to Nova Scotia were even shipped off to parts of Africa.

The British Home Front
 In the beginning, most Britons saw the war as a far away thing that did not much concern them, until the brunt of taxation hit their pocket books. At first the taxes were about 12 million pounds per year, which was increased to 20 million pounds by 1782.

 Imports fell by 26% and exports in the late 1770s fell by almost 18% due to the war. To make matters worse, the mercantile fleet used for trade was now being taken up by the British navy. To make matters even worse, the French would join the war, closing up even more markets.

 Worker’s wages rose but so did inflation. The farmers did benefit during the war by feeding the army abroad.

 The War gave Ireland greater freedom and relaxation from colonial trade restrictions.

 The landed families throughout England knew that Lord North’s vote required the support of the “squirarchy” or the gentry, who gave Lord North his majority support in Parliament. For the first few years of the war, the gentry backed Lord North, believing that law and order had to be maintained, although they began squealing about the tax burden. Lord North’s major failing was not being forceful in politics; instead he relied on coaxing his opponents and smoothing things over by calming everyone down through fancy rhetoric.

 During the revolution, meritocracy became greater in England as the war effort became more serious and undetermined.

The Loyal Opposition

 The Marquis of Rockingham led the opposition against the war fearing that the war would give the crown new patronage powers.

 Charles James Fox also led the opposition, believing the war was unjust but was difficult to object to after France entered the conflict. It was easier to oppose the government when it was just a war against the Americans; when the French joined, it was a whole new ball game. France was the traditional enemy. Fox even knew about the American-French treaty before it was signed, and knew that even Lord North knew about the possible treaty. Fox pressed North in front of the House about the possible treaty, North stuttered nervously, and the house was in an uproar.

 In addition to these two, the Duke of Richmond sponsored a bill to remove British troops from America in 1778.

As promised, here is the next round of notes.

 Charles James Fox found it difficult to oppose the war in America once France joined on the American side.

 The British made no attempt to negotiate an end to the war between 1776 and the disastrous defeat at Saratoga. The best chance to stop the war via negotiations was between April 1775 and June 1776. The British Parliament was more interested in overawing the Americans with military forces rather than hearing their grievances in the Olive Branch Petition.

 Howe was given conflicting orders in that he had to wow the Americans with military force and power while at the same time being lenient, merciful, and not putting a chokehold on the American resistance, in order to end the war peacefully and bring Americans back into the fold of cordial relations as mother country to its colonies. Howe did not have the go-for-the-jugular, rip-the-guts-out mentality.

 There were rumors that the French were going to sign a treaty with the Americans. The British then rushed a Conciliation Bill through Parliament in order to give the Americans their own Parliament and that the British would not tax them. They also were going to allow American colonial officers rank in the British army. However, this became inconceivable once it was made known that France intended to aid America.

 Yet the worst was to come; Austria, Russia, and Prussia all declined an alliance with Britain, which freed France from doing what she wanted on the European continent.

 By 1770, Britain had lost most of its friends on the continent. Traditionally, they were allied with the Hapsburgs, but the British alienated the Austrians when Britain sided with Prussia, a classic enemy of the Austrians. To make matters worse, the British then alienated the Prussians, so King Frederick would cry no tears to see Britain lose the war, even if he didn't openly support the American rebels. They wanted Britain to be knocked off the pedestal, but didn't want France to regain its supreme position that it had enjoyed a century before. The basic strategy of the Prussians, Austrians, and Russians was give the enemy a limp, but don't knock them down flat, since another power could easily fill the vacuum, and plus, former enemies became strong trade and economic partners soon after the end of conflicts (even during conflicts).

Could the United States Find Allies?

 The French needed to be absolutely certain that America would do or die, they wanted to bet on a winning horse, and did not want to stick their neck out for a lost cause. In the meantime, Louis XVI was given advice to fund the Americans under the table. Many of his advisors also to stay out the war since bankruptcy was looming and waging a war would exacerbate that. However, Louis also saw this as a great opportunity to smite Britain, since America was the jewel in the British crown (this is before India was fully taken and useful) and this was a chance to force Britain into the status of a second-rate power, as it had been before the Seven Years' War.

 The French used a dummy corporation Roderigue Hortarez Cie to funnel aid to the Americans on credit, not hard currency. The Americans did have tobacco, and so future tobacco crops were being mortgaged and promised to the French for immediate loans and grants.

 John Jay was sent to Madrid to win Spain's support. The Spanish refused to allow him into court, but under the table the Spanish supplied the Americans with ammunition. The Spanish did this in order to smite and degrade Britain's empire status, but were also fearful of a strong America. The Spanish saw Americans as wanting aggressive westward expansion, and wanted them to stay as far away from Spanish borders as possible. In the meantime, smiting Britain seemed like a good idea, so secretly funding America was not opposed by the Spanish court.

 Benjamin was a great diplomat while in France, while John Adams was the bull in the china shop who voiced rude comments about French policy in public. John Adams was very forceful with the French, who ignored him and thought of him as an a**. Congress then decided to send Adams to Holland to seek aid from Dutch bankers. Franklin saw Adams as the dog who bit the master's hand, which is how the French perceived him, and Adams also criticized Franklin about his love affairs and fun times partying with the French while he should have pushed for policy-making on the war, thinking Franklin had gone soft and given in to French vice. It is arguable that John Adams was jealous of all the attention that Franklin received and how popular he was in France, but he did have a moralist streak in him where he found it hard to agree or reconcile with people who opposed his ideas. Nonetheless, Adams was a key figure in the revolution and one of our United States presidents.

Franklin and the French

 Franklin arrived in Paris on December 21, 1776 with two grandsons, which he put into French schools. Franklin was a man of the world, a witty man who loved making friends in all places. He found French culture to be delightful, but he had a good time because he was rich. He was very comfortable in Paris, li