Chapter 4: Revolutionary Pennsylvania 1730-1783
The Birthplace of Independence Pennsylvania played a key role in the American victory over the British and where the new government was formed
On the Frontier Settlers looking for land to farm forced Native groups off their ancestral lands. Penn s promises to the Natives became hard to keep
French and English Empire Parts of Pennsylvania were claimed by Natives, white settlers, the French, and the English
Tensions on the Frontier White settlers began to move into Native territory The natives were threatened and the settlers wanted the PA Assembly to drive out the Indians
Penn would only purchase land from the Indians Many of the purchases were not written down and led to confusion
The Walking Purchase Penn s sons, not Quakers, were brought in by James Logan to deal with the Indians Chief Nutimus and the Delaware Indians were cheated out of their land in the upper Delaware and Lehigh Rivers.
Forced by Iroquois to make deal Purchase was to be the land a person could walk in a day and a half
The Walk Begins The Penns and Logan advertised for walkers Three men began the walk with some Delaware Indians Soon, the men started to run and the Delaware could not keep up
Edward Marshall managed to run and walk almost 66 miles This deception cost the Delaware twice as much land as they agreed to sell
Nutimus Ordered to Leave Nutimus pleaded with the Penns to stay but they brought in the Iroquois Iroquois forced Delaware to move west Went to western PA and joined with the Shawnee Found new allies in the French
The French and Indian War The French and Virginia colonists (British) had posts in western PA Virginia governor Dinwiddie sent George Washington and troops to Pittsburgh to make sure the French left
The Battle Begins Washington defeated a small French army and built Fort Necessity The French returned and captured Fort Necessity and allowed Washington and his army to return to Virginia
The Native tribes tried to remain neutral but sometimes they would pick a side French and Indians (Huron, Delaware, Shawnee) VS. British, American colonists, Indians (mainly Iroquois)
England Goes to War 1755- British sent troops to colonies but PA declined to give any aid Most PA frontiersman were upset and organized militias General Edward Braddock was to take Fort Duquesne from the French Warned of Indian ambushes but did not listen
Battle of the Wilderness From Virginia to Pennsylvania there were no roads Had to cut their own path Averaged 3 miles a day Accompanied by Daniel Boone
French ambushed British 7 miles from Fort Duquesne and killed Braddock and half his army
Washington and Boone retreated British army returned to VA badly beaten and humiliated and were in for a tough fight in wilderness terrain
Massacre at Kittanning French encouraged Natives to attack frontier settlements PA government issued armies and forts Colonel John Armstrong and 300 soldiers burnt the Indian village and crops to the ground and killed 40 people
William Pitt sent 1,600 British to attack Fort Duquesne French realized they were outnumbered and burnt their fort and fled British built Fort Pitt PA contributed money and 2,700 men
Treaty of Easton British promised the Delaware, Seneca, and Shawnee they would leave the land west of the Appalachian Mountains after the war was over
The French Surrender British defeated French in New York and Canada British controlled most of settled land Some Native tribes took up arms against the British
Pontiac s Rebellion Powerful Ottawa Chief Pontiac and other tribes joined forces to burn crops, raid homes, and kill settlers
Battle of Bushy Run Colonel Bouquet was ambushed by the Indians on his way to Fort Pitt British retreated, gathered, and ambushed the Indians that were chasing British won the battle
Who Will Pay for the War? British taxed colonists to help the nearly depleted English treasury Colonists did not have any say in British Parliament to make decisions Dispute over taxation and representation was the root of the American Revolution
Events Leading up to the Revolutionary War
Issues of Taxation The experiences of war had instilled the idea of independent government in American colonists
Stamp Act of 1765 An official stamp was needed on all newspapers, documents, and playing cards before they could be sold Colonists would not import any more British goods until the Act was repealed 1766-Stamp Act repealed
Townshend Acts of 1767 Tea, paint, glass, and lead Protested by colonists because they had no representation in Parliament Colonists boycotted and the tax was repealed, except on tea
Tea Act of 1773 Boston Tea Party- threw tea overboard Philadelphia Tea Party- threatened ship s captain and he returned his tea to England
The First Continental Congress 1774- delegates from each colony were sent to Philadelphia Declaration of Rights and Grievances were sent to King George III
King ignored their grievances, passed the Intolerable Acts, and blockaded Boston Colonists fought British in Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Second Continental Congress John Hancock- president George Washington- commander-in-chief of Continental Army Sent Olive Branch Petition to King George but he refused again A year later PA votes for independence
A Message to King George Congress assigned 5 men to write a formal declaration of independence Thomas Jefferson was the main author, assisted by Benjamin Franklin July 4, 1776- USA was born in Philadelphia
PA s Contribution to the War Effort Separation from England meant there would be war- the Revolutionary War Pennsylvania played a key role by supplying large amounts of food, weapons, and ammunition to the cause The Pennsylvania Line had 13 regiments under the command of General Anthony Wayne
Washington Turns the Tide Defeated in the summer and fall and retreated to PA Washington needed to attack before the British Crossed the partially frozen Delaware River, marched south to Trenton and surprised and defeated the Hessians Hessians are British-hired German soldiers
Philadelphia Is Captured British landed forces in the Chesapeake Bay Americans defeated at the Battle of Brandywine and Battle of Paoli or Paoli Massacre Nearly all of Wayne s forces were destroyed British marched into Philadelphia and demanded the citizens allow soldiers in their homes
Liberty Bell moved to Allentown Capital moved to Lancaster and then to York Government records moved to Easton British heard of a French-American alliance and withdrew from Philadelphia
Valley Forge After defeat at Germantown Washington moved his forces to Valley Forge British could have wiped out Americans but decided to wait out the winter Freezing weather, lack of warm coats or shoes, and near starvation nearly wiped out army
Baron Von Steuben, Prussia leader, instilled new hope, training and discipline in Continental Army
Campaigns on the Frontier British, Loyalists, and Indians continued to raid homes and farms of American colonists
The Wyoming Massacre 1100 British, Loyalists, and Indians attacked near present day Wilkes-Barre and ordered settlers to leave the valley The atrocities of this massacre spread to General Washington who would send a force
Sullivan s Expedition General John Sullivan and 5,000 troops defeated the Loyalists and Indians at Newtown Destroyed 40 Iroquois towns and destroyed their orchards and crops Left Iroquois homeless and foodless Marked beginning of the end for the Iroquois Confederacy
The War Ends British commander, Lord Cornwallis, was surrounded by French ships in the harbor and American/French soldiers on land Surrendered to Washington at Yorktown, VA Washington bid his troops farewell at a dinner in New York City
Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States of America The 1783 Treaty of Paris officially ended the war Benjamin Franklin was a chief negotiator of the agreement favorable to the young nation