who led great britain in the american revolution

What was the American Revolutionary War?

American Revolutionary War 1775 to 1783 T he American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North American from 1775 to 1783. The war was the end result of the political American Revolution, where the colonists overthrew British rule.

How did the American Revolution start?

The American Revolution—also called the U.S. War of Independence—was the insurrection fought between 1775 and 1783 through which 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies threw off British rule to establish the sovereign United States of America, founded with the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Who was Lord North in the Revolutionary War?

Frederick North, Lord North. Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790 was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence.

Who was the commander in chief during the Revolutionary War?

Clinton was formally appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief for North America on February 4, 1778. Word of this did not arrive until April, and Clinton assumed command in Philadelphia in May 1778. France had by this time formally entered the war on the American side.

What was the American Revolution?

The American Revolution—also called the U.S. War of Independence—was the insurrection fought between 1775 and 1783 through which 13 of Great Britai...

How did the American Revolution begin?

On the ground, fighting in the American Revolution began with the skirmishes between British regulars and American provincials on April 19, 1775, f...

What were the major causes of the American Revolution?

The American Revolution was principally caused by colonial opposition to British attempts to impose greater control over the colonies and to make t...

Which countries fought on the side of the colonies during the American Revolution?

Until early in 1778, the American Revolution was a civil war within the British Empire, but it became an international war as France (in 1778) and...

How was the American Revolution a civil war?

In the early stages of the rebellion by the American colonists, most of them still saw themselves as English subjects who were being denied their r...

List of Leaders in the British Empire

includes Government officials, Secretaries at War, Commander-in-Chiefs, Lieutenant and Major Generals, Royal governors, Frontier leaders, Foreign Commanders and Native American Allies

King George III

Born: June 4, 1738 in Norfolk House, St. James's Square, London, England

What was the American Revolution?

American Revolution, also called United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War, (1775–83), insurrection by which 13 of Great Britain ’s North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America. The war followed more than a decade of growing estrangement between ...

Which country was involved in the war with Britain?

The Netherlands , which was engaged in its own war with Britain, provided financial support for the Americans as well as official recognition of their independence. The French navy in particular played a key role in bringing about the British surrender at Yorktown, which effectively ended the war. Peace of Paris.

What was the British attempt to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long period of salutary neglect?

British attempts to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long period of salutary neglect, including the imposition of unpopular taxes , had contributed to growing estrangement between the crown and a large and influential segment of colonists who ultimately saw armed rebellion as their only recourse.

How many men were in the militia in 1781?

The total number of the former provided by quotas from the states throughout the conflict was 231,771 men, and the militias totaled 164,087. At any given time, however, the American forces seldom numbered over 20,000; in 1781 there were only about 29,000 insurgents under arms throughout the country.

What made the American Revolution look like a civil war?

What made the American Revolution look most like a civil war, though, was the reality that about one-third of the colonists, known as loyalists (or Tories), continued to support and fought on the side of the crown. Learn more about loyalists. Read about the fate of the loyalists after the American Revolution.

Why did the British come to Concord?

The British had come to Concord to seize the military stores of the colonists, who had been forewarned of the raid through efficient lines of communication —including the ride of Paul Revere, which is celebrated with poetic license in Longfellow ’s “Paul Revere’s Ride” (1861). Battles of Lexington and Concord.

What did James Otis say about the colonists?

“Taxation without representation is tyranny,” James Otis reportedly said in protest of the lack of colonial representation in Parliament.

Who won the American Revolutionary War?

The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), gaining independence from the British Crown and establishing the United States of America, the first modern constitutional liberal democracy.

What was the American Revolution?

American Revolution. Part of the Atlantic Revolutions. John Trumbull 's Declaration of Independence, showing the Committee of Five presenting its draft for approval by Second Continental Congress on June 28, 1776.

How did women contribute to the American Revolution?

Women contributed to the American Revolution in many ways and were involved on both sides. Formal politics did not include women, but ordinary domestic behaviors became charged with political significance as Patriot women confronted a war which permeated all aspects of political, civil, and domestic life. They participated by boycotting British goods, spying on the British, following armies as they marched, washing, cooking, and mending for soldiers, delivering secret messages, and even fighting disguised as men in a few cases, such as Deborah Samson. Mercy Otis Warren held meetings in her house and cleverly attacked Loyalists with her creative plays and histories. Many women also acted as nurses and helpers, tending to the soldiers' wounds and buying and selling goods for them. Some of these camp followers even participated in combat, such as Madam John Turchin who led her husband's regiment into battle. Above all, women continued the agricultural work at home to feed their families and the armies. They maintained their families during their husbands' absences and sometimes after their deaths.

What was the result of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

The Battle of Bunker Hill followed on June 17, 1775. It was a British victory —but at a great cost: about 1,000 British casualties from a garrison of about 6,000, as compared to 500 American casualties from a much larger force. The Second Continental Congress was divided on the best course of action, but eventually produced the Olive Branch Petition, in which they attempted to come to an accord with King George. The king, however, issued a Proclamation of Rebellion which declared that the states were "in rebellion" and the members of Congress were traitors.

How many blacks fought for the Patriots?

Free blacks in the North and South fought on both sides of the Revolution, but the majority fought for the Patriots. Gary Nash reports that there were about 9,000 black Patriots, counting the Continental Army and Navy, state militia units, privateers, wagoneers in the Army, servants to officers, and spies. Ray Raphael notes that thousands did join the Loyalist cause, but "a far larger number, free as well as slave, tried to further their interests by siding with the patriots." Crispus Attucks was one of the five people killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770 and is considered the first American casualty for the cause of independence.

Why did the Navigation Acts affect the colonies?

As early as 1651, the English government had sought to regulate trade in the American colonies, and Parliament passed the Navigation Acts on October 9 to pursue a mercantilist policy intended to ensure that trade enriched Great Britain but prohibited trade with any other nations. The Acts prohibited British producers from growing tobacco and also encouraged shipbuilding, particularly in the New England colonies. Some argue that the economic impact was minimal on the colonists, but the political friction which the acts triggered was more serious, as the merchants most directly affected were also the most politically active.

Which colony had churches?

Before the Revolution, the Southern Colonies and three of the New England Colonies had officially established churches: Congregational in Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, and Anglican in Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Who was the leader of the British forces at the Battle of Lexington?

The Battle of Lexington broke out on April 19, 1775. DEA Picture Library/De Agostini/Getty Images. British General Thomas Gage led a force of British soldiers from Boston to Lexington, where he planned to capture colonial radical leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock, and then head to Concord and seize their gunpowder.

What were the pivotal moments of the American Revolution?

Here are a few of the pivotal moments that led to the American Revolution. 1. The Stamp Act (March 1765) pinterest-pin-it. Sheet of penny revenue stamps printed by Britain for the American colonies, after the Stamp Act of 1765. VCG Wilson/Corbis/Getty Images.

What were the major events of 1776?

The Boston Tea Party (December 1773) 5. The Coercive Acts (March-June 1774) 6. Lexington and Concord (April 1775) 7. British attacks on coastal towns (October 1775-January 1776) The American colonists’ breakup with the British Empire in 1776 wasn’t a sudden, impetuous act. Instead, the banding together of the 13 colonies to fight and win a war ...

Why did the colonists burn the ports?

Leaders of the rebellion seized the burnings of the two ports to make the argument that the colonists needed to band together for survival against a ruthless enemy and embrace the need for independence —a spirit that ultimately would lead to their victory.

What did the Sons of Liberty do?

The Sons of Liberty, a radical group, decided to confront the British head-on. Thinly disguised as Mohawks, they boarded three ships in Boston harbor and destroyed more than 92,000 pounds of British tea by dumping it into the harbor. To make the point that they were rebels rather than vandals, they avoided harming any of the crew or damaging the ships themselves, and the next day even replaced a padlock that had been broken.

What was the culmination of the 13 colonies?

Instead, the banding together of the 13 colonies to fight and win a war of independence against the Crown was the culmination of a series of events, which had begun more than a decade earlier. Escalations began shortly after the end of the French and Indian War —known elsewhere as the Seven Years War in 1763.

Why did the Crown establish a board of customs commissioners?

The Crown established a board of customs commissioners to stop smuggling and corruption among local officials in the colonies, who were often in on the illicit trade. Americans struck back by organizing a boycott of the British goods that were subject to taxation, and began harassing the British customs commissioners.

What was the American Revolutionary War?

T he American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North American from 1775 to 1783. The war was the end result of the political American Revolution, where the colonists overthrew British rule.

Which country was involved in the war against Britain?

In early 1778, shortly after an American victory at Saratoga, France entered the war against Britain; Spain and the Netherlands joined as allies of France over the next two years. French involvement proved decisive, with a French naval victory in the Chesapeake leading to the surrender of a British army at Yorktown in 1781.

What was the effect of the large size of the colonies on the British?

Furthermore, the large size of the colonies meant that the British lacked the manpower to control them by force. Once any area had been occupied, troops had to be kept there or the Revolutionaries would regain control, and these troops were thus unavailable for further offensive operations.

Why were the British unable to use the harsh methods of suppressing rebellion?

The need to retain Loyalist allegiance also meant that the British were unable to use the harsh methods of suppressing rebellion they employed in Ireland and Scotland. Even with these limitations, many potentially neutral colonists were nonetheless driven into the ranks of the Revolutionaries because of the war.

What were the problems of suppressing the rebellion in America?

Suppressing a rebellion in America also posed other problems. Since the colonies covered a large area and had not been united before the war, there was no central area of strategic importance. In Europe, the capture of a capital often meant the end of a war; in America, when the British seized cities such as New York and Philadelphia, the war continued unabated.

Why was the Loyalist support important?

Loyalist support was important, since the goal of the war was to keep the colonies in the British Empire, but this imposed numerous military limitations . Early in the war, the Howe brothers served as peace commissioners while simultaneously conducting the war effort, a dual role which may have limited their effectiveness.

Why was the British manpower shortage critical?

This manpower shortage became critical after French and Spanish entry into the war, because British troops had to be dispersed in several theaters, where previously they had been concentrated in America.

Early life (1732–1754)

Lord North was born in London on 13 April 1732 at the family house at Albemarle Street, just off Piccadilly, though he spent much of his youth at Wroxton Abbey in Oxfordshire.

Early political career (1754–1770)

On 15 April 1754, North, then twenty-two, was elected unopposed as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Banbury. He served as an MP from 1754 to 1790 and joined the government as a junior Lord of the Treasury on 2 June 1759 during the Pitt–Newcastle ministry (an alliance between the Duke of Newcastle and William Pitt the Elder ).

Prime Minister (1770–1782)

In The State Tinkers (1780), James Gillray caricatured North (on his knees) and his allies as incompetent tinkers of the National Kettle. George III cries out in rapture in the rear.

Fox–North coalition (1783)

In April 1783, North returned to power as Home Secretary in an unlikely coalition with the radical Whig leader Charles James Fox known as the Fox–North Coalition under the nominal leadership of the Duke of Portland.

Later life (1783–1792)

North was an active speaker until he began to go blind in 1786. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Guilford on 4 August 1790 and entered the House of Lords, by which time he had entirely lost his sight. Lord Guilford died in London and was buried at All Saints' Church, Wroxton (Oxfordshire), near his family home of Wroxton Abbey.

Legacy

Lord North is today predominantly remembered as the Prime Minister "who lost America".

Overview

Origin

From the start of English colonization of the Americas, the English government pursued a policy of mercantilism, consistent with the economic policies of other European colonial powers of the time. Under this system, they hoped to grow England's economic and political power by restricting imports, promoting exports, regulating commerce, gaining access to new natural resources, and accumulating new precious metals as monetary reserves. Mercantilist policies were a defining f…

Military hostilities begin

Creating new state constitutions

Independence and Union

Defending the Revolution

Paris peace treaty

Finance