Build Up to the Revolutionary War
In the mid seventeen hundreds events in the colonies and in England started a slow but inevitable slide toward revolution in the colonies. On " May 28, 1754, George Washington and his troops attacked Fort Duquesne, an initial action of the French and Indian War between the English and French, which began when French forces built and occupied Fort Duquesne in Pittsburgh and did not heed warnings to leave Virgina territory." (1)
French and Indian War-Map
Description: Map of the French and Indian War
Date: 29 January 2014, 10:21:23
Source: Own work
Author: Hoodinski
This portrait of Washington was painted in 1772 byCharles Willson Peale, and shows Washington in uniform as a colonel of the Virginia Regiment. The original hangs in Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. It is the earliest known depiction of Washington.
Charles Willson Peale - Washington-Custis-Lee Collection, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia And athttp://www.americanmilitaryhistorymsw.com/blog/536357-washingtons-mission/ Painting showing George Washington during his French & Indian War days. by Charles Volkmar, 1874, after Charles Willson Peale (Mount Vernon Ladies' Association)
http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/french-indian-war/ten-facts-about-george-washington-and-the-french-indian-war/
Over the span of 1763 to 1773 England would continue to tighten it's control over the American colonies with a number of unpopular acts passed by Parliament and directed straight at the Americans. Before we take a look at each of the acts that were passed, let's first go across the water one last time to see who was King of England and learn a little bit about just who it was that would be directing all these unpopular acts against the colonies.
Occupying the throne of England in 1763 was King George the III. Born in 1738, he was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta, and his grandfather was King George II. His father, Frederick, died in 1751 so when George II died in 1760, he was next in line and was crowned King George III.
Full-length portrait in oils of a clean-shaven young George in eighteenth century dress: gold jacket and breeches, ermine cloak, powdered wig, white stockings, and buckled shoes.
Artist: Allan Ramsay (1713–1784); Details of artist on Google Art Project
Title: King George III in coronation robes
Object type: Painting
Date: c.1765?
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: Height: 236.2 mm (9.3 in). Width: 158.7 mm (6.25 in).
Current location: Art Gallery of South Australia
Source/Photographer: vgGv1tsB1URdhg at Google Cultural Institute, zoom level maximum
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
In 1761 he married Charlotte of Mecklinburg-Strelitz and they had fifteen children. (I can not even imagine how a woman can give birth to 15 babies. WOW!!)
George III manipulated his ministerial council, Cabinet members, Prime Minister, etc and was able to gain back the prerogative lost by George I and George II. Unfortunately for George, he was afflicted with a rare hereditary blood disease known as porphyria.* "Bouts with madness and the way he handled the American Revolution eroded his support and the power of the Crown was granted again to the Prime Minister." Never-the-less he ruled until 1811, when his condition worsened. he remained King until his death in Jan of 1820, but he was not capable of ruling after 1811. (4)
An early act by Parliament was "The Royal Proclamation of 1763". In it they set out "...guidelines for European settlement of Aboriginal territories in what is now North America. The Royal Proclamation...officially claim[ed] British territory in North America... This proclamation forbade settlers from claiming land from the Aboriginal occupants, unless it was first bought by the Crown and then sold to the settlers." This act allows the Crown to take more control over the colonies. (5)
Royal Proclamation of 1763
Royal Proclamation of 1763, First Nations Studies Program, University of British Columbia, copyright 2009, http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/government-policy/royal-proclamation-1763.html
We now have a dynamic in the colonies in the mid 1700s, where several generations, over more than 150 years, were born and lived in the Colonies. Many people identified more with America than with England. At the same time the Crown is attempting to exert more control over the Colonies and to also make them pay for the huge expense of the French and Indian War that just ended and for general operational expenses. Britain's need for increased revenues and it's desire to gain more control over the colonists, would drive George III and Parliament to enact more and more laws that directly affected the colonists lives and how they made their living.
Map of the Colonies in 1775
"Map of territorial growth 1775" by Cg-realms; adapted from a scan from the National Atlas of the United StatesThis vector image was created with Inkscape. - Adapted from National Atlas of the United States scan uploaded by Kooma using File:Blank US Map.svg as a template. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_territorial_growth_1775.svg#/media/File:Map_of_territorial_growth_1775.svg
In April of 1764 "The American Revenue Act of 1764" or "The Sugar Act" as it was known was passed in England. Although it lowered the tax on molasses it "also listed more foreign goods to be taxed, including sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, cambric and printed calico, and further regulated the export of lumber and iron." (6) Colonists had been able to avoid paying the molasses tax in the past, but now England beefed up it's Navy presence to assure payment. The act disrupted the economy of the American Colonies because it reduced the amount of currency available, which then caused a reduction in markets for selling it's goods. As a result, their ability to purchase British manufactured goods was reduced. (7)
In September of the same year the next hammer blow hit with passage of "The Currency Act". Due to a shortage of currency to conduct trade and because the Colonies had no gold or silver mines, the various colonies issued paper money. Values varied widely. "The Currency Act" assumed control of the colonial currency system, prohibited issuing new bills, reissue of existing currency, and abolished all colonial bills. This created more havoc for the colonies. (8)
"The Stamp Act of Feb 1765 is really quite unbelievable to read. There were 54 everyday actions of life, such as various transactions at court, business transactions, probate filings, guardianship filings, and buying and selling of land, that were included in the act. Anything that generated a piece of paper had to have a "stamp duty" or tax on it. (9)
These acts were enough to finally make the colonists stop complaining and take action. In Oct of 1765 nine colonies held what they called a "Stamp Act Congress" in New York. They began to push back a little against this deluge of new tax laws being passed by Parliament. This "Stamp Act Congress" adopted a "Declaration of Rights against taxation without representation". It seemed to have some effect because in March of 1766 the Stamp Act was repealed by Parliament. (10)
However, the pressure from Britain did not stop. Another act, passed in 1765, was "The Quartering Act", which forced the colonists to house British troops and provide other accommodations.
In March 1766 passage of "The Declaratory Act" asserted even more control over the colonies, then in June 1767 the "Townsend Revenue Act" was enacted levying more taxes, including a tax on tea. Later some taxes would be repealed but not the tax on tea. (11)
John Adams
"US Navy 031029-N-6236G-001 A painting of President John Adams (1735-1826), 2nd president of the United States, by Asher B. Durand (1767-1845)-crop" by Asher Brown Durand - This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 031029-N-6236G-001 (next).This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_031029-N-6236G-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams#/media/File:US_Navy_031029-N-6236G-001_A_painting_of_President_John_Adams_(1735-1826), 2nd_president_of_the_United_States, by_Asher_B._Durand_(1767-1845)-crop.jpg
By 1770 the accumulative effect of actions by Great Britain, and the presence of British soldiers in the colonies, had created great tension and unrest amongst the Colonists. Conflict would soon break out between citizens of Boston and occupying British soldiers in what would become known as "The Boston Massacre". On March 5, 1770 a crowd of people attacked a British sentinel by throwing snowballs, sticks and stones, etc., at the him. The sentinel apparently feared for his life and was forced to call in additional soldiers. Continuing harassment of the troops by the crowd served to cause additional tension to build, even though no weapons were used. (although, I guess a case could be made that sticks and stones can be considered weapons.) It was at this point, with tensions at a fever pitch, that the soldiers fired into the crowd. Five people were killed and many wounded. Both sides would later claim that the other side fired first and the troops would be later tried for murder. A Boston attorney, John Adams, would take on the defense of the soldiers and they were found not guilty of murder. Although Adams would predict his defense of the soldiers would end his career as an attorney and ruin his reputation, his prediction would prove to be incorrect. He would later become the second President of the United States.
"The Boston Massacre" led the people of Boston to demand the removal of the British troops and the Royal governor of Massachusetts evacuated the occupying army from the town of Boston. It seems that maybe a fuse was now lit. (12)
Boston Massacre
"Boston Massacre high-res" by Engrav'd Printed & Sold by Paul Revere Boston. The print was copied by Revere from a design by Henry Pelham for an engraving eventually published under the title "The Fruits of Arbitrary Power, or the Bloody Massacre," of which only two impressions could be located by Brigham. Revere's print appeared on or about March 28, 1770. - http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.00174. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boston_Massacre_high-res.jpg#/media/File:Boston_Massacre_high-res.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boston_Tea_Party_Currier_colored.jpg
Meanwhile, Colonists were boycotting the buying of tea so as to keep from paying taxes. When Parliament enacted "The Tea Act" of May 1773, another confrontation would inevitably take place. The act actually did not raise the tax on tea but instead the act sought to prop up the struggling East India Company, which had huge amounts of unsold tea. Under the act, the West India Company would be allowed to ship boat loads of tea to colonies at bargain basement prices. This would undercut American tea and also, other taxes were still in place. The colonist thought this was an attempt to get them to buy into all the new taxes and this would in effect acknowledge Parliament's right to tax the colonists. (13)
This little plan by parliament did not work. In New York and Philadelphia colonists refused to let ships land. In Charlotte they piled the tea in a warehouse and locked it up. In Boston the colonists refused three ships to dock, but the Collector of Customs refused to allow the ships to leave without paying the Duty. When this happened, a couple hundred men decided to unload the tea themselves, which they did, directly over the sides of the ships and into the water. It took working all night but the men dumped all the tea from the three ships into the harbor. (14)
Boston Tea Party
Description: "The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor", lithograph depicting the 1773 Boston Tea Party
Date: 1846
Source: http://www.octc.kctcs.edu/mmaltby/his108/Boston%20Tea%20Party.jpg[dead link]
Author: Nathaniel Currier
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boston_Tea_Party_Currier_colored.jpg
Reaction came quickly from England. "The Boston Port Act" of march 1774, closed the Boston port until the East India Company was compensated for the loss of tea.
In June of 1774 "The Intolerable Acts" were passed. This included reestablishment of the "Quartering Act" that required colonists to allow British soldiers in their homes, and effectively curtailing Massachusetts self-rule. Now things would happen quickly and on many fronts. A majority of Colonists had enough of this. September 5, to October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress was held in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. Calling for civil disobedience and boycotts of British goods, the congress also petitioned King George to stop regulation of Massachusetts. (15)
"Continental Congress".
Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Continental-Congress/images-videos/Declaration-of-Independence-oil-on-canvas-by-John-Trumbull-1818/73663>
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Continental-Congress
By Jan of 1775, there were 37 newspapers in operation in the colonies. These newspapers enabled the dissemination of information about what was happening throughout the colonies and kept the public informed of everything that was happening. In February of that year Britain declared Massachusetts in rebellion and on March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry gave his famous speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses where he made the statement: "Give me Liberty or Give me Death." (16)
Patrick Henry's Speech
Description: Peter F. Rothermel's "Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses", a painting of Patrick Henry's "If this be treason, make the most of it!" speech against the Stamp Act of 1765
Date: 1851
Source: http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/r/p-rotherm2.htm
Author: Peter F. Rothermel (1817–1895)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patrick_Henry_Rothermel.jpg
As tensions escalated, even though most colonists were still undecided about what should be done, they started stockpiling arms and powder as best they could in case it was needed if events led to war.
Portrait of Paul Revere
Artist: John Singleton Copley (1738–1815)
Title: Portrait of Paul Revere
Date: 1768
Medium: ovo on canvas
Dimensions: 35 × 28.5 in (88.9 × 72.4 cm)
Current location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch Gallery (Revolutionary Boston) - 123
Accession number 30.781
Source/Photographer: http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/paul-revere-32401
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J_S_Copley_-_Paul_Revere.jpg
In April of 1775 British soldiers marched to Concord to destroy arms. Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent out to warn the colonists. Riding all night, Revere did warn the colonists, not with the shout that "The British are Coming" like we have been taught, but he quietly met with leaders of the towns to warn the patriots the British were coming. There were many people among the colonists that were supportive of Great Britain and there were also spies. If he had proclaimed the news loudly he probably would have been stopped or arrested. His warning was carried out across the area so the colonists were somewhat prepared. Armed resistance by the colonists at Lexington left 8 minutemen dead, but the British suffered 273 casualties on their return trip from Concord. (17)
Concord and Lexington Battles
Description: This is a map depiction the outbound routes taken by Patriot riders and British troops in the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
Date: Unknown date
Source: PDF was created in 2000
Source: From the National Park Service: http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parks/mima/ppMaps/MIMAmap2.pdf
Author: United States National Park Service
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Concord_Expedition_and_Patriot_Messengers.jpg
On June 15, 1775 George Washington was appointed by the Continental Congress as Commander-in-chief of a small contingent of unorgnaized militia in Boston that would make up the Continental Army. Although the formal Declaration of Independence by the colonies would not come until July of 1776, the American revolution had begun.
"United States Declaration of Independence"
by original: w:Second Continental Congress; reproduction: William Stone - numerous. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg#/media/File:United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence#/media/File:United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg
This was a very quick version of the run up to the beginning of the war, but I think it is important and very interesting to place events of history up along side our ancestors, so that we can see what they had to face in their lives. Now, before I cover the war, let's look in on the Armisteads in North Carolina. I'll do that in the next post, so come on back to check it out.
*Porphyria: a rare hereditary disease of the blood. Symptoms include mental disturbance.
References:
(1) http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1770.html
(2) http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1770.html
(3) http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1770.html
(4) http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon55.html
(5) http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/government-policy/royal-proclamation-1763.html
Royal Proclamation of 1763, First Nations Studies Program, University of British Columbia, copyright 2009,
(6) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sugaract.htm
(7) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sugaract.htm
(8) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/currencyact.htm
(9) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/stampact.htm
(10) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/stampact.htm
(11) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/quartering.htm
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/declaratory.htm
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/townshend.htm
(12) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/massacre.htm(13) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/teaact.htm
(14) "The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002). http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/teaparty.htm
(15) http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/bpb.htm
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/intolerable.htm
(16) http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1770.html
(17) http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1770.html
