Bernardo De Galvez

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Bernardo De Galvez

Born in Macharaviaya, Spain on July 23, 1746.

Died:1786

Career: military career

At the age of 16, he was serving as a lieutenant in a war with Portugal, later led to captain. In 1769, he was selected for service in New .In the next few years, he was wounded several times but also found honor and recognition in his service. In 1772, he returned to Spain and enrolled for military studies in France. After learning the language, culture and furthering his studies of war, he returned to Spain in 1775 . As a reward for service, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to the Military School of Ávila.

At this time in history, France and Spain were close allies with similar interests in the Americas. France had peacefully transferred their territory of Louisiana to the government of Spain, and in 1776 Gálvez was promoted to colonel and assigned to the Regiment of Louisiana. In 1777, be became governor of Louisiana. Which he helped a lot to independence of united Sates from the British. he contributed He by sealed off the port of New Orleans so that British ships could not utilize the Mississippi River and they couldn't have support and provisions. He also welcomed any American patriots at his ports and river. Therefore they served as a constant source of money, ammunition and weapons to the American forces under George Washington and George Rogers Clark.

Which is his legacy? His important legacy can be seen in the freedom of America. Also he captured the Maryland loyalist Regiment.

Battle of Vincennas

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Battle of Vincennas

On February 6, 1779, the general Roger Clark went to Vincennes with 127 volunteers, part of their volunteers were from the French militia. Clark led his men across to the state of Illinois, about 180 miles they traveled. Although it was not a cold winter it rained a lot, and the plains were often covered with several inches of water. Provisions were carried on packhorses, additional by wild game the men shot as they traveled. He had a plan that was to inform the people of the village that he intended to take the fort that night. He announced that any who wanted to cooperate with his plan would stay in their houses and anyone found outside would be considered hostile. The captured French hunter carried the message to the village and to the surprise and delight of the Americans there was silence from the fort. Of course Clark did not reveal to the hunter the size of his actual force but hinted that it numbered approximately 1,000 men.

On the 23rd, Clark assembled his men. He marched them in two small groups, one led by him and the other by another captain. The groups marched along with drums beating and banners flying. He repeated this plan several times, thus giving the impression that his force was indeed about 1,000 men. The plan worked and Clark was careful not to let the towns people actually see any but a small group of men at any one time. In the night the group gained the heights southwest of the town. Even with all the big deal, the fort did not appear alerted. The rest of the men occupied the town.
On 25 February, Hamilton's defense force of 79 men marched out of the fort. Clark's men raised the American flag over the fort and renamed it Fort Patrick Henry. Therefore Clark sent Hamilton, seven of his officers, and 18 other prisoners to Williamsburg.

On January 29, 1779 Clark decided that he needed to launch a surprise winter attack on Vincennes before Hamilton could recapture the Illinois country in the spring. He wrote and quoted to Governor Henry:

"I know the case is desperate; but, sir, we must either quit the country or attack Mr. Hamilton. No time is to be lost. Were I sure of a reinforcement, I should not attempt it. Who knows what fortune will do for us? Great things have been effected by a few men well conducted. Perhaps we may be fortunate. We have this consolation, that our cause is just, and that our country will be grateful and not condemn our conduct in case we fall through. If we fail, the Illinois as well as Kentucky, I believe, is lost".

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General Charles Cornwallis

Lord General Charles Cornwallis was born on New Year's Eve 1738, the eldest son to the first Earl Cornwallis. He went to school at Eton and in 1756 Charles purchased an Ensign's commission in the British Army. With the beginning of the Seven Years War, Cornwallis decided to serve in the war, first as a staff officer and later as a Lt. Colonel of the 12th Regiment.

Cornwallis was forced to return home due to the death of his father in 1762. Cornwallis inherited everything, including the title as Earl Cornwallis and a seat in the House of Lords. During this time, Cornwallis fell in love and married Jemima Jones. He also became friends with King George III, though the two often disagreed over the situation with the American colonies. Lord Cornwallis was sympathetic to the colonies and was one of the few Lords who often voted against the heavy taxes, including the Stamp Act.

Still, when the first shots were fired in the American War of Independence, Cornwallis accepted a commission as a Major General in the British Army. Most of his early action occurred in the north, helping achieve victories at the battles of Long Island, Brandywine, and Monmouth. He returned to England in 1779, only to find his wife deathly ill. When she passed away a short-time later, Cornwallis decided to return to the war in America.

When Charleston fell to the British in May 1780, General Cornwallis was given command of all British forces in the American south. Soon, he started on an ambitious campaign to take South and North Carolina and eventually attack the Continental forces in Virginia. The campaign began with a British victory at the battle of Camden, but later on everything changed. Cornwallis marched his army onward, attacking the Colonial forces wherever he could find them.

He fought a series of battles against General Nathaniel Greene as he pushed on through North Carolina. Although he emerged victorious, his army was so tired from the constant battles that he decided it was too dangerous to return to Charleston and made for the port at Yorktown, Virginia hoping to be welcomed with re- enforcements by sea. Unfortunately, the navy that appeared on the coast belonged to the French, and Cornwallis found himself trapped between the French at Sea and the Colonial Army under George Washington on land. On October 17, Cornwallis surrendered and ended the war.

Lord Cornwallis returned to England, and like so many generals, became accused over the responsibility for the defeat. Eventually, his reputation recovered and he was appointed the Governor General to India in 1786. In 1798 he was sent to Ireland where he successfully ended a rebellion. Later on he was sent back to India, but died shortly after his arrival on October 5, 1805.

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Battle of Saratoga

The battle took place on the Hudson River in New York State between the British and German Troops against the Americans. The British led by Major General John Burgoyne with 5,000 soldiers including Germans and Indians, meanwhile the Americans where led by Major General Horatio Gates and Brigadier Benedict Arnold and by the end of the battle had forces around 12,000-14,000 soldiers.

Over the winter of 1776 the British Government in London created a plan to send a strong army down the Lake Champlain route from Canada into the heart of the rebellious American Colonies, mostly in New England.

Lord Germaine, the minister in London with direct control of the British army, persuaded King George III to appoint Major General John Burgoyne, known to the troops as “Gentleman Johnnie”, Burgoyne had taken the precaution of returning to London during the winter and secured his command. Burgoyne was directed to take the best regiments down Lake Champlain, capture Fort Ticonderoga, advance to the Hudson River and progress south.

General Burgoyne with 7,700 troops approached Albany, New York, from Canada. Another group of troops, led by Lieutenant Colonel St. Leger, were to join him from Canada. General Howe also was to join him from New York. Together they were to attack the American troops. Unfortunately for Burgoyne, St. Leger's troops ran into Benedict Arnold and his American militia.

At a critical moment in the fighting Burgoyne withdrew his force to his fortified camp above the Hudson River. The next day Burgoyne withdrew his army up the river to the camp they had built at Saratoga. The American army pursued Burgoyne and the British positions. Burgoyne let the last opportunities to retreat north to Ticonderoga go by. A major difficulty in the war was communications between the two British forces. Almost all the messengers attempting to carry messages were caught and hanged by the Americans.

Burgoyne awaited news of Clinton’s advance until 17th October 1777, General Burgoyne attacked for the third time at the Battle of Saratoga. This time Burgoyne and his forces were defeated. He was forced to sign the declaration by which his troops surrendered to Gates, who had by then between 18,000 and 20,000 men. This was a major victory for the American forces and a key turning point in the war.

Battle of Trenton

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The Battle of trentron

In the fall of1776 was not a good time for the colonist. Washington battle had been bated, worn out and chased across New York into New Jersey he had a small army of less of 6000 men, because more of the half died due to illness desertion and enlistment expirations. He knew the best way to raise his army was by inspiring his men to stay in the ranks was a decisive victory against the British, having. He would capture or defeat the British army. The British commander was General William Howe, second commander in chief, but his appointment did not serve British interest very well and more than 1200 Hessian support them.

On December 25 the Hessians confidence increased believing the had nothing to fear, later American army crossed the Delaware River with a heavy winter storm of rain and snow .On December 26 he led 2400 men and 18 cannons on a surprise attack. Within two hour, the battle of Trenton was over, and Washington and his men had won Therefore, in a effort to keep his troop together, Washington pledged his personal fortune to pay them and remain.

Its was so important because it was the first time Washington troop won on a regular field and he did not lose many soldiers. The Hessian escape and some of them became American Farmers and tradesmen. He not also won the battle also gained six cannons and 40 horses that were quickly transported to Pennsylvania.

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General Thomas Gage

Thomas Gage was born at Firle, England in 1719. He studied in Westminster School and finishing school, Gage joined the British Army as an ensign, before becoming lieutenant in the Northampton Regiment on January 30, 1741. The following year he was transferred to Battereau's Foot Regiment. In 1743, Gage was promoted to captain. Gage saw action at the Battle of Fontenoy and served in Scotland. While with the 55th, Gage proved himself an able leader and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1751. He also participated in the French and Indian War.

In 1761, Gage was promoted to major general and two years later returned to New York acting as commander in chief. This appointment was made official on November 16, 1764. As the new commander in chief in America, the two years that came were merely Indian battles of sporadic fighting; and the peace treaty with the Indian natives was concluded in July 1766. As peace was achieved on the frontier tensions were rising in the colonies due to variety of taxes imposed by London.

Following the fighting at Lexington and Concord, Gage found himself intimidated in Boston by a growing colonial army. Concerned that his wife, a colonial by birth, was helping the enemy, Gage sent her away to England. Helped in May by 4,500 men under major general William Howe, Gage began planning a breakout. In the resulting Battle of Bunker Hill, Gage`s men were able to capture the heights. That October, Gage was recalled to England and Howe given temporary command of British forces in America.

Arriving England, Gage told to Lord George Germain, now the Secretary of State of the American Colonies that a big army would be necessary to defeat the Americans and that foreign troops would need to be hired. In April 1776, command was permanently given to Howe and Gage placed on the inactive list, he still kept his position of general by November 20, 1782. Gage saw little active service and died at the Isle of Portland on April 2, 1787.

Battle of Princeton

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Battle of Princeton

After there successful victory at Trenton, the spirits were high in Washington´s Continental Army. But the general Howe as looking for a revenge so he command General Charles Cornwallis to take his 8000 man army to transferred to New York City and attack the American forces and joining to General James Grant who had a small troop in the area.

On January 2, 1777 Cornwallis´s men fought their way to Trenton capturing the city after a brief and a sharp battle. Eventually he told his confident told his general officers that everything was in place and he would take Washington as a hunter bags a fox. But the fox had other plan. Washington unnatural slip away with most of his men, in the evening leaving 400 men in the camp they circle around the enemy making a quite stroke.

On January 3 Lieutenant Colonel Mawhood left a small force behind in Princeton and proceeded south to join Cornwallis. He awoke to the sound of the artillery fire to his north of Princeton. The American forces were command under Brigadier General Hugh Mercer. He then realized he had been tricked and that the Continental army was attaching Princeton. It was another battle won for the Patriots while the British troop retreated toward Trenton, Washington decided not to follow knowing that his army is to small and too tiered to meet Cornwallis’s head on.

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Battle of Bunker Hill

As an introduction we can say that first The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, only days after George Washington was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army and despite the name, the battle was actually fought on Breed's Hill. The Battle of Lexington and Concord, the patriot militia controlled the hills surrounding Boston. The patriots heard through their spies that the British were planning to attack Bunker Hill. The patriots sent 1600 men to set up fortifications on Breed's Hill, which was closer to Boston. On June 17, 1775 General Howe led 2600 British soldiers up Breed's Hill. British warships also fired on the patriot’s position.

With the outbreak of the war General Gage, the British commander in chief, found himself with the odds against them in Boston by the American Continental Army, occupying the hills to the West of the city. On the night of 16th June 1775 around 1,500 American troops of the Massachusetts regiments and Putnam’s Connecticut regiment occupied Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill on the peninsula. Plans were hurriedly put in motion by the British to attack the Americans and drive them from their position. Major General Howe, one of the three generals sent from Britain to assist General Gage, was given the command. More American troops gathered on Bunker Hill but few of them could be persuaded to move to the forward positions on Breed’s Hill.

General Howe now launched a frontal assault on the redoubt with the main body of his troops. This attack was driven back with heavy loss, in spite of an American shortage of ammunition. A final attack was made, concentrating on the center of the American position. The American ammunition was all but exhausted and this final assault forced the Americans to retreat and leave the peninsula. The British suffered some 1,150 killed and wounded and the Americans were estimated at 450 killed and wounded. The British took over the Bunker and Breed’s Hill positions and fortified them, holding them until they evacuated Boston at the end of the year. The battle was the first action for the Continental Army and showed how much work there was to be done in making an effective army.

The battle had a number of lessons for the British. The British troops were undisciplined and disorganized. For both sides Bunker Hill was the start of a journey in military education.

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These are some funny pics we found about the revolution in general. Hope you think they are funny too.

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The Second Continental Congress

On July 13, 1775, the Congress appealed to the Native American tribes, to stand by the colonies and not assist the British. It became clear that Britain was prepared to fight against colonial independence. A royal proclamation declared that the King's American subjects were "engaged in beginning a rebellion," and Parliament passed the American Prohibitory Act, which made all American cargoes pay a penalty to the Crown. In May 1776 the Congress learned that the King had hired German mercenaries to fight in America. The Congress continued to cut the colonies' ties to Britain.
By the middle of May 1776, eight colonies had decided that they would support Independence. On May 15, 1776, the Virginia Convention passed a resolution that "the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress be instructed to propose that the United Colonies were free and independent states."
On May 10, 1775, the members of the Second Continental Congress met at the State House in Philadelphia. There were several new delegates including: John Hancock from Massachusetts, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, and Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania. The day that the Second Continental Congress met, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in New York. The Second Continental Congress meeting started with the battle of Lexington and Concord fresh in their memories. The New England militia was still outside of Boston trying to drive the British out of Boston. The Second Continental Congress decided many important things. At the Congress, they decided to completely break away from Great Britain. On May 15, 1776, they decided to officially put the colonies in a state of defense.

The Congress discussed was if they were going to print paper money. This passed and paper money started to be printed later in the year. The Second Continental Congress was one of the most important government meetings in the history of the United States of America. It decided some of the most important ideas that the colonists fought for in the Revolutionary War, at that meeting, members of the Second Continental Congress wrote and signed The Declaration of Independence.
At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock wrote his name first and biggest on the Declaration of Independence. He said, "The British ministry can read that name without spectacles; let them double their reward." He was talking about the reward offered by King George III that was to be given to anyone who could capture one of the Sons of Liberty, especially Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

Another thing they decided they had to do was to organize the militia of the colonies better. So, they decided to form an army called the American Continental Army. On June 14, 1776, the Congress officially appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief of the army. He was elected unanimously. George Washington knew that this army would face great difficulty. He later wrote that Americans were "not then organized as a nation, or known as a people upon the earth. We had no preparation. Money, the nerve of war, was wanting." Great Britain was the most powerful nation on earth. It was a frightening thought that the Continental Army would need to fight Great Britain.

The Shot Around the World

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The Battle of Lexington and Concord

The Battle of Lexington and Concord was made up of two battles that began on April 18th, 1775. The first shots starting the revolution were fired at Lexington, Massachusetts. On April 18, 1775, British General Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to destroy guns and ammunition the colonists had stored in the town of Concord, just outside of Boston. British troops were also sent to Concord to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, but both men had been already warned about the British attack. The night of April 18th, Paul Revere rode through Concord warning everybody about the British attack. So when the British came in to attack the Rebels, The colonists had been expecting a fight with the British. They had organized a group of militia, called the Minutemen, Americans who were "ready to fight in a minute," these men were waiting to attack at Lexington. The Americans were backing away since they were greatly outnumbered when someone fired a shot, and the British troops started to fire, killing 8 Minutemen and injuring 10 others. Till the present date nobody knows who shot first.

Although Paul Revere was captured by British scouts before reaching Concord, other messengers managed to get through and warn the people. While the British soldiers continued on their way to Concord, they found out that Hancock and Adams had escaped. So they marched towards Concord looking for ammunition but the men and women of Concord were busy moving the arms and ammunition to new hiding places in surrounding towns. When the soldiers arrived they were only able to destroy part of the supplies.

As the British went to look at a nearby farm for weapons, they ran into a group of minutemen at Concord's North Bridge. There was a big fight, and the Minutemen made the British retreat. By the end of the day, British troops had lost 273 soldiers, while the Colonists lost only 94. 18 of these Colonists had died during the battle at Lexington. The next step was the Revolutionary War.

"Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they want a war let it begin here" said Captain John Parker, commander of the Minutemen.

Paul Revere´s Importance in the American Revolution

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Paul Revere´s Midnight Ride

In 1774 Paul Revere was employed by the Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee of Safety as a rider to carry news, messages, and copies of resolutions anywhere, from New York to Philadelphia.

On the evening of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere was sent by Dr. Joseph Warren and instructed to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them. After crossing the Charles River to Charlestown, Paul Revere borrowed a horse from his friend Deacon John Larkin. While in Charlestown, he verified that the local "Sons of Liberty" committee had seen his arranged signals. The signal was based on two lanterns that had been hung in the bell-tower of Christ Church in Boston, indicating that troops would arrive "by sea" across the Charles River to Cambridge, rather than marching "by land" out Boston Neck. Revere had arranged for these signals the previous weekend, as he was afraid that he might be prevented from leaving Boston.

On the way to Lexington, Revere "alarmed" the country-side, stopping at each house, and arrived in Lexington about midnight. As he approached the house where Adams and Hancock were staying, a man asked that he should not make so much noise. "Noise!" cried Revere, "You'll have noise enough before long. The British are coming out!" After delivering his message, Revere was joined by a second rider, William Dawes, who had been sent on the same task by a different route; Deciding on their own to continue on to Concord, Massachusetts, where weapons and supplies were hidden, Revere and Dawes were joined by a third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott. Soon after, all three were arrested by a British patrol. Prescott escaped almost immediately, and Dawes soon after. Revere was held for some time and then released. Left without a horse, Revere returned to Lexington in time to witness part of the battle on the Lexington Green. In conclusion Revere´s midnight ride saved some of the most important leaders of the American Revolution from being trapped maybe even killed by the British Troops.

Samuel Adams, Famous Leader of the American Revolution

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Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 27, 1722. He was a leader of the fight against British colonial rule, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Adams was a cousin of John Adams who became the second President of the United States. When Samuel Adams was young, his father wanted him to be a minister. Samuel went to work in a counting house, but he was not good at adding and he spent too much time talking to other people about politics. Later the people in Boston elected him to be a tax collector, but he didn't like taking money from people.

Adams' father, a deacon of the church, played a major role in Boston politics. When Samuel was a young man, the royal government ruled the senior Adams' investments, ruining him financially. This may have been the cause of Samuel's opposition to colonial authority. He later on graduated in 1743 from Harvard College. Adams was a vocal opponent of several laws passed by the British Parliament to raise revenue in the American Colonies. Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry were two of the first people to argue for independence. Sam wrote letters about independence and sent them to newspapers and leaders around the country. Sam signed all the letters with different names so that the people who read the papers would think all of Boston wanted independence from England. Opposition reached its peak on December 16, 1773 when a group of Bostonians dumped a British cargo of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of resistance is referred to as the Boston Tea Party. The British Parliament responded to the "Boston Tea Party" by passing a set of laws referred to as the "Intolerable Acts." Sam convinced many young men that independence would be good for America. Paul Revere, John Adams and John Hancock were some of the men who agreed with Sam's ideas. These three men became better known than Sam, even though his ideas helped shape their thoughts on independence. The British thought that Samuel Adams was a big troublemaker and they were right. They called him "the most dangerous man in Massachusetts." He later on signed the Declaration of Independence. After being sick for most of the summer of 1803 he died of unspecified causes, with what today would be called "natural" early on the morning of Sunday, October 2.

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No Taxation Without Represention

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What is taxation without representation?

Is a situation in which a government imposes taxes on a particular group of its citizens. It was all around in the 1700 were the colonist were angry because they were imposed new taxes without having no one in the Parliament to speak for them, due to all the imported opinions and fundamental were represented in the Parliament.Also that taxation related decisions were made by people living across an ocean, unaware of concerns in their colony. So the colonial leaders argued that the colonies had no one to represent them so they dont have the right to tax them. The tax that really upset the Americans was the Stamp Act, which required the purchase of stamps which we mentioned before what it consist of. Another reason why was imposed is because incidentally the taxes represented an effort by the King to pay off the costs incurred by England in the French and Indian War that brought a double debt that made the Empire levied taxes on colonist.They all believed that colonist take off their properties and political rights. The Amercian Colonist were scared that the British didn´t tax themselves. Maybe the colonist were looking for a law that was equal for everyone yet we dont find it.

We can translade No Taxation without Representation to No Taxation by Parliament or were colonists who had no voice in the matter.

Acts

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Acts

Sugar Act

Date: On April 5, 1764,

Consist of: Parliament passed a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act, Under the Molasses Act colonial merchants had been required to pay a tax. The Sugar Act reduced the rate of tax on molasses, while Grenville took measures that the duty be strictly enforced. The act foreign goods to be taxed including sugar, certain wines, coffee and more.

Stamp act

Date: March 22 in 1765

Consist of: Every newspaper, pamphlet, and other public and legal document had to have a Stamp on it that cost money. The colonist weren’t happy due to for many years it was free and this was the first time the British government direct tax within the economy.

Quartering Act

Date: March 24, 1765

Consist of: An act for the better payment of the army and their quarters meaning that the have to provide supplies and food for the British troop. (This British troop built at the end of the French and Indian war.) This law expanded until 1766

Townshend Act

Date: June 29, 1767

Consist of: Named for Charles Townshend, British Chancellor of the Exchequer. The parliament pass a new act in which import taxes on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea. The colonist react the same way as the other act mentioned.

Boston Tea Party Act

Date: May 10, 1773,

Consist of: The tea act worse the finical trouble from the British so the Parliament passed this law in which it was designed to the East India Company which was floundering financially .This tea was to be shipped directly to the colonies, and sold at a bargain price. The Townshend Duties were still in place, however, and the radical leaders in America found reason to believe that this act was a maneuver to buy popular support for the taxes already in force.

Boston Port Act

Date: March 31, 1774

Consist of: The Boston Port Bill was one of the Coercive, is an intolerable act, the East India Company for the cost of the tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party, and paid for the damage caused to the customs offices during the unrest.

Administration of Justice Act

Date: May 20, 1774

Consist of: Is another intolerable act, which that British officials accused of capital crimes in the execution their duties in suppressing riots. For example if any soldier committed a murder was send back to England.

Massachusetts Government Act

Date: May 20, 1774

Consist of: Also another intolerable act in which in Massachussets people rejected the ideas of violence and charter and provided for an unprecedented amount of royal control. Severe limits were placed on the powers of town meetings, the essential ingredient of American self-government.

Quartering Act

Date: June 2, 1774

Consist of: Is similar to the Quartering Act of 1775 were they increased the power of the government over the assembly and court meeting and these laws authorized billeting soldiers in occupied facilities, including private homes.

Quebec Act

Date: June 22, 1774

Consist of: It also a intolerable act in which the Parliament expanded In the southern Canada taking away land from the colonist, which had come under British rule through the Treaty of Paris in 1763.