American Revolution

Subdecks (1)

Cards (160)

  • The Culper Spy Ring
    A colonial spy network that operated during the war and provided George Washington with information on British troop movements
  • Areas of Operation:
    • New York City
    • Long Island
    • Connecticut
    • Virginia
  • Main Individuals:
    • Benjamin Talmadge(Director of Military Intelligence)
    • Robert Townsend(Samuel Culper Jr.)
    • Abraham Woodhull(Samuel Culper Sr.)
  • Techniques:
    • Chemicals
    • Ciphers
    • Mask Letter
    • Quill Letter
  • The American colonies had strengths and weaknesses in terms of undertaking a revolution
  • The colonial population was well over two million, nearly one third of that in Britain
  • The growth in the colonial economy had generated a remarkably high level of per capita wealth and income
  • The British military had advantages with virtual control of the Atlantic, a navy that could attack anywhere along the American coast, and logistical support for the army
  • The British army had a large core of experienced officers commanding a highly disciplined and well-drilled army in the large-unit tactics of eighteenth-century European warfare
  • The American military would have great difficulty in defeating the British by these measures
  • The American navy was small
  • The Continental Army had relatively few officers proficient in large-unit military tactics
  • The American army was unlikely to be able to meet the British army on equal terms on the battlefield due to lacking numbers and discipline
  • The British were in a better position than the Americans to finance a war
  • England’s army was well paid and well fed, and had enough money to hire German mercenaries known as Hessians
  • After declaring independence, Congress set about defining the relationship between it and the former colonies under the Articles of Confederation
  • The powers granted to Congress under the Articles of Confederation did not include the power to tax or the power to regulate commerce
  • Congress had no tax system to generate revenue, making it difficult to borrow money
  • According to the Articles, the states were to make voluntary payments to Congress for its war efforts, hampering funding throughout the war
  • Soldiers were often without adequate food, arms, clothing, and shelter due to very little money
  • Salaries were very rarely paid on time, leading to low morale, disease, and desertion
  • The respect of the soldiers for General Washington kept the Continental Army from falling apart completely
  • The colonies gained invaluable help from France, Spain, and the Netherlands in the conflict, crucial for the Revolution's outcome
  • The assistance of France, Spain, and the Netherlands was highly improbable that the United States could have won its independence without
  • The American Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents ever written
  • The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776
  • The Declaration of Independence declared the reasoning behind the American Revolution
  • Not all individuals at the Congress signed the Declaration of Independence
  • Individuals who signed the Declaration of Independence
    • John Adams
    • Thomas Jefferson
    • Benjamin Franklin
    • and 53 others
  • Speaker: '“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...”'
  • Jefferson meant with the line "all men are created equal"
    That all men should be treated fairly with their natural rights, regardless of their background or social status
  • Slaves and women were not represented by the statement "all men are created equal"
  • If the United States were still a colonial property of Great Britain, representation in a new Continental Congress would be different than that of the 1775-76 Congress
  • If a new Continental Congress were held today, representation would be more varied, including people of color, men, and women
  • The line "all men are created equal" might have to be re-imagined if the United States were still a colonial property of Great Britain
  • The colonies gained invaluable help from
    France, Spain, and the Netherlands
  • The intervention of France, Spain, and the Netherlands in the conflict

    Made a crucial difference in the Revolution's outcome
  • The United States could have won its independence without the assistance of France, Spain, and the Netherlands
  • War strategies by the British and the Americans
    Developed within military and financial constraints
  • British military strategy
    Initially tried to impose a naval blockade and capture major American seaports