The American Revolution: 1775-1783 - historysage.com

HistorySage.com APUSH Lecture Notes Page 8Unit 2.2 American RevolutionB. France attempted to weaken the U.S.1. U.S. diplomats Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay weresent by Congress to make no separate peace without consultingthe French.a. They ignored these orders as they were highly suspicious ofFrance and Spain.b. John Jay believed France wanted to keep the U.S. border eastof the Allegheny mountains and give western territories to itsally, Spain, for its help in the war.2. U.S. surprisingly turned to Great Britaina. Britain was eager to separate U.S. from the Franco-AmericanAlliance.b. A preliminary treaty was signed in 1782Use space below fornotesC. Treaty of Paris of 1783: Britain formally recognized U.S.independence1. Granted the U.S. huge boundaries stretching to the MississippiRiver in the west, the Great Lakes in the north, and to SpanishFlorida in the southa. Americans were allowed to retain a share in the valuableNewfoundland fisheries.b. British promised its troops would not take slaves from America.2. American concessions:a. Loyalists could not be further persecutedb. Congress was to recommend to state legislatures thatconfiscated Loyalist property be restoredc. American states were bound to pay back Britishcreditors for pre-revolutionary debtsd. U.S. did not comply with many of these concessions and itlater became a partial cause of the War of 1812 against Britain.3. France approved the British-American terms (officially, noseparate Franco-American peace occurred)4. America alone gained from the wara. Britain lost colonies and other territoriesb. France became bankrupt; led in part to the French Revolution.c. Spain gained littleXII. American society during the warA. Over 250,000 American soldiers fought-- 10% who fought died; largest % of any American war in historyB. British occupied most major cities, e.g. Boston, New York, andPhiladelphia.C. War Economy: all of society became involved in the war.1. State and national governments created.2. Men with military experience volunteered for positions in thearmy.© 2012 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved