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American Revolution, 1775-1781: Lexington to Yorktown | American Independence, US Colonial History

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    - [Jeffrey] The following program
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    covers the American Revolutionary War
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    from the first actions at
    Lexington, Massachusetts in 1775
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    to the surrender at
    Yorktown, Virginia in 1781.
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    On the bottom right is the date.
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    Beneath that in light red is
    the monarch, King George III.
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    Below him is the Prime
    Minister of Great Britain,
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    Lord North.
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    In April 1775, British General Thomas Gage
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    is stationed in Boston
    with thousands of redcoats.
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    Boston has been the center of discontent
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    for several years now.
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    A note about the city dot colors.
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    This program will attempt to show
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    how cities transferred from
    British to Patriot control.
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    It's of course an approximation,
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    but places that are mixed
    or contested will remain red
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    until the Patriot side has
    clearly controlled that location.
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    We will zoom in to the Boston area.
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    April 1775.
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    In Boston, British General Thomas Gage
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    is aware that rebel forces
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    are gathering weapons and supplies
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    at Concord, Massachusetts.
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    Gage will have Lieutenant
    Colonel Francis Smith
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    advance from Boston to Concord
    to secure the supplies.
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    On April 18, 1775,
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    Paul Revere and William Dawes
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    ride from Boston toward Concord
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    to warn of the imminent
    British redcoat advance.
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    About midnight on April 19th,
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    the British begin to cross over
    from Boston to Charlestown.
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    Revere is captured between
    Lexington and Concord
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    and Dawes is forced to turn back.
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    However, a third rider, Samuel Prescott,
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    makes it to Concord,
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    warning the Patriots there
    of the approaching redcoats.
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    In the wee hours of April 19th,
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    the British have crossed
    over the Charles River.
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    They advance from Boston towards Concord.
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    They disperse militia at
    Lexington, Massachusetts,
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    the famous shot heard round the world.
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    The redcoats then advance onto Concord.
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    At Concord, another firefight breaks out.
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    The redcoats will turn
    around at this point.
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    However, Minutemen gather as
    the redcoats return to Boston.
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    The British sustain significant losses
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    during their return to the city.
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    We will zoom back out.
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    The next day, April 20th,
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    a similar action occurs
    in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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    Virginia's Loyalist
    governor, Lord Dunmore,
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    captures supplies and
    weapons at Williamsburg.
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    However, Virginia's Patriots
    take notice and organize.
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    May 10, 1775.
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    Fort Ticonderoga on Lake
    Champlain in New York,
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    which had been the scene of major fighting
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    during the French and Indian
    War two decades before,
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    is again the center of
    strategic importance.
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    The fort falls to Ethan Allen.
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    On the same day in Philadelphia,
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    the Second Continental
    Congress is now in session.
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    Congress is comprised of 12 colonies,
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    from Massachusetts in the north
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    to South Carolina in the south.
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    The Canadian colonies,
    Georgia, and Florida
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    do not have delegates at Congress.
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    It's important to remember
    that Florida at this time
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    is part of the British Empire,
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    as that region was secured from Spain
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    following Britain's victory
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    in the French and Indian War.
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    The delegates elect John Hancock
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    as president of Congress.
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    We now have a new governmental head.
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    John Hancock, president of the
    Second Continental Congress,
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    is listed on the bottom right.
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    Congress supports Artemis
    Ward's militia in Boston
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    and colonies are
    requested to send supplies
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    to Ward's militia there.
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    May 25.
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    In Boston, British reinforcements arrive
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    to bolster Gage's
    increasingly fragile position.
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    The reinforcements include
    British generals William Howe,
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    Henry Clinton, and John Burgoyne.
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    June 10, 1775.
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    In Philadelphia, John Adams
    advises the Continental Congress
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    to form a Continental Army.
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    The conflict has grown from a Boston
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    and frontier fort issue
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    to a concern of all the colonies
    assembled in Philadelphia.
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    June 12.
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    Near Machias in modern Maine,
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    then part of Massachusetts,
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    Patriots capture the British
    schooner the Margaretta.
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    It is likely the first naval
    engagement of the Revolution
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    and the first American victory at sea.
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    June 14.
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    In Philadelphia, Congress authorizes
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    the creation of the Continental Army.
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    In general, the term Continentals
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    refers to the Continental Army
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    created by Congress in June 1775.
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    The resistance forces
    include a combination
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    of Patriot state militias
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    and this new national or Continental Army.
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    Sometimes Patriot and Continental
    are used interchangeably,
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    but the Continental term
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    is referring to the national
    army created by Congress.
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    June 15.
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    Congress in Philadelphia
    names George Washington
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    commander of the Continental Army.
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    We will zoom in to the Boston area.
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    Boston today is obviously
    much more robustly urbanized
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    than it was in 1775.
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    In addition, Boston has
    undergone intensive reclamation.
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    So previous eras, the Charles River here
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    and the Boston Harbor area
    here were much more extensive.
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    The land area that is now Boston
    Logan International Airport
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    did not exist in 1775.
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    I have added water to those areas.
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    We can now see how Boston in 1775
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    is really set into the harbor
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    and connected to the mainland
    by a narrow strip of land.
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    Thomas Gage's British
    troops are in Boston.
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    The Patriot militia have not vanished
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    since the previous month's
    action at Lexington and Concord.
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    They remain across the Charles River.
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    June 16.
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    Massachusetts militia at Boston
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    secure Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill.
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    The militia are under Artemis Ward.
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    June 17.
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    Thomas Gage, having been
    held up in Boston for weeks,
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    orders Lord Howe to attack
    Bunker Hill and Breed's hill.
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    The British cross the Charles River
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    and strike the heights.
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    The British dislodge the
    rebels from the heights,
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    but it's a pyrrhic victory,
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    for the victory comes at a great cost.
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    However, the rebels remain
    in position around Boston.
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    We will zoom out to the
    northeastern colonies.
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    This map is tilted northward
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    to stretch the vantage point
    from Philadelphia to Quebec.
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    Also in June 1775,
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    while Ward is facing off
    against Gage in Boston,
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    a second theater is opening
    for the Continentals.
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    Congress is hoping to add
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    the Canadian colonies to the Revolution.
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    General Philip Schuyler
    is granted overall command
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    of the invasion of Canada.
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    Schuyler and General Montgomery
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    will strike from Fort
    Ticonderoga in upper New York
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    against Montreal.
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    From there, they plan to attack Quebec.
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    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
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    Meanwhile in June,
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    Patriots make gains in Virginia.
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    The Royalist governor of
    Virginia, Lord Dunmore,
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    is forced from the land,
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    taking refuge on a British ship.
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    July 3rd, 1775.
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    Near Boston at Cambridge, Massachusetts,
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    Washington is now on the field,
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    commanding the Continental forces there.
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    July 5.
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    In Philadelphia, there are still enough
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    moderates in Congress yet
    to hope for reconciliation.
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    Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition,
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    which had been drafted by John Dickinson,
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    who hailed from both
    Delaware and Pennsylvania.
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    The Olive Branch Petition
    is directed to the attention
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    of His Majesty King George in London.
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    On July 6th, Congress approved a document
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    titled Declaration of the Causes
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    and Necessities for Taking Up Arms.
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    This document is also to
    be sent to His Majesty
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    and is largely authored
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    by Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson.
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    Also in July, Georgia sends delegates
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    to the Continental
    Congress in Philadelphia,
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    raising the number of
    rebellious colonies to 13.
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    We will zoom out to get a
    transatlantic perspective.
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    At this time, there are
    two important shipments
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    en route to Britain in the summer of 1775.
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    One shipment has left
    Philadelphia for Britain.
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    It contains the Olive Branch Petition
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    and the Declaration of the Causes
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    and Necessities for Taking Up Arms.
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    Another shipment is en route
    from Boston to Britain.
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    It contains the dead and wounded redcoats
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    from the Battle of Bunker
    Hill and Breed's Hill,
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    along with widows and families.
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    By August 1775,
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    the Boston shipment of
    fallen redcoats and widows
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    arrives before the Philadelphia shipment
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    containing the Olive Branch Petition.
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    King George III is furious.
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    He declares the colonies
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    to be in a state of open
    rebellion and sedition.
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    We will zoom in to the
    northeastern colonies.
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    In August 1775 in New York,
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    Philip Schuyler's expedition
    against Canada begins.
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    Schuyler though has fallen ill
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    and command passes to
    General Richard Montgomery.
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    The Continentals advance
    from Fort Ticonderoga
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    against Fort Saint-Jean near Montreal.
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    Soon after, in September 1775,
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    from Massachusetts,
    General Benedict Arnold
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    leads another Continental
    force against Canada.
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    Arnold will advance through
    modern Maine toward Quebec.
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    So the Continentals are
    leading simultaneous fronts
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    against Montreal and Quebec.
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    September 25th.
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    In Montreal, the British
    capture Ethan Allen.
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    October 1775.
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    In Boston, Thomas Gage,
    after serving 12 years
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    as commander of British
    forces in North America,
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    returns to Britain.
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    William Howe is now in command
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    of British forces in North America.
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    October 13.
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    In Philadelphia, Congress
    authorizes the creation of a navy.
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    October 18.
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    British ships bombard
    Falmouth, Massachusetts,
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    which is modern Portland, Maine.
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    Let's zoom out to the transatlantic world.
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    In London, King George tells Parliament
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    he will put full effort
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    into destroying the American rebellion,
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    and he is open to finding
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    international allies for this cause.
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    We will zoom back in to
    the northeastern colonies.
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    November 1st, 1775.
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    In Philadelphia, Congress learns
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    that His Majesty King George
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    has refused the Olive Branch Petition.
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    Congress understands the
    monarchy views the colonies
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    as existing in a state of open rebellion.
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    By November 3rd,
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    Montgomery secures Fort
    Saint-Jean near Montreal.
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    Montreal is Montgomery's next target.
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    Guy Carleton is the British
    general defending Canada
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    and he is at Montreal.
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    Meanwhile, Benedict Arnold has advanced
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    through much of modern-day
    Maine and is nearing Quebec.
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    The long treks sees large losses
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    due to desertion and disease.
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    November 13th.
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    Montreal falls to General
    Montgomery's Patriots.
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    The local French Canadians, however,
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    have no interest in joining the rebellion.
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    British General Carleton
    escapes to Quebec City.
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    About this time, Arnold is at Quebec.
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    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
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    This map is angled northward
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    to better fit the colonies
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    from Florida to Canada on a single map.
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    On November 19th near
    Greenwood, South Carolina,
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    at a post called Ninety Six,
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    Loyalists successfully
    drive out Patriot defenders.
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    Also in November in Virginia,
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    Royalist governor Lord Dunmore
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    states that the colony is in
    a state of open rebellion.
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    He declares that slaves
    belonging to pro-Patriot owners
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    can earn their emancipation
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    by serving the Crown.
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    Dunmore receives runaway
    slaves into Loyalist outfits.
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    One famous regiment will be
    the Royal Ethiopian Regiment.
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    December 1775.
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    Up in Canada, the Patriot
    forces under Montgomery
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    unite with Arnold near Quebec.
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    Quebec is now besieged
    by the Continental forces
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    under Montgomery and Arnold.
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    On December 9th,
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    back down south near Norfolk, Virginia,
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    Patriots defeat Lord Dunmore's
    Loyalists and redcoats
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    at the Battle of Great Bridge.
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    With the governor forced to sea
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    and Virginia's Loyalists defeated,
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    Virginia is now largely
    free of British rule.
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    Williamsburg is now set in blue.
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    December 22nd.
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    Patriots strike the Loyalists
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    near Simpsonville, South Carolina
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    at the Battle of Great Cane Brake.
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    The Loyalist hold on South
    Carolina backcountry is quelled.
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    It's important to remember
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    that the Loyalists in these battles
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    are American colonists,
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    so battles between Loyalists and Patriots
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    are Americans versus Americans.
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    We will zoom back in to
    the northeastern colonies.
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    December 31.
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    Up in Canada,
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    Arnold and Montgomery
    launch an assault on Quebec.
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    Montgomery is killed.
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    Arnold is wounded.
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    The British hold Quebec.
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    General Arnold keeps
    his forces around Quebec
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    and the siege continues.
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    Also in December at Fort
    Ticonderoga in New York,
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    Henry Knox has a bold plan.
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    He will attempt to transport
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    over 50 artillery guns from the fort
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    down the Hudson Valley
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    and then across the
    mountains into Massachusetts
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    in order to aid Washington's
    siege at Boston,
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    a distance of some 300 miles.
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    1775 comes to an end.
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    In January 1776,
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    the British strategize for a new year.
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    Lord Howe in Boston remains besieged.
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    However, there are other
    ports besides Boston
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    from which to conduct operations.
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    Britain's focus in 1776
    will shift to New York City.
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    From there, Howe might advance north
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    from New York City along the Hudson River,
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    while a force from Canada under Carleton
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    could use the Saint Lawrence River
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    to secure the Lake Champlain area.
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    The hotbed of rebellion in New England
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    would thus be isolated
    from the other colonies.
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    However, the Continentals
    have their own plans.
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    Henry Knox at Fort Ticonderoga in New York
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    is en route to Boston with
    over 50 artillery guns.
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    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
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    New Year's Day, 1776.
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    Lord Dunmore's fleet
    bombards Norfolk, Virginia,
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    firing on the rebels
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    who have recently secured the port.
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    On January 10th,
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    North Carolina's Royal
    governor, Josiah Martin,
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    who like Lord Dunmore in Virginia
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    had earlier been banished to sea,
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    attempts to reassert
    British rule in the colony.
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    From his ship near
    Wilmington, North Carolina,
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    Governor Martin calls for Loyalists
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    to gather near Wilmington.
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    At this time up north,
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    Henry Knox is underway with his cannons.
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    January 25th.
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    Outside Boston, Henry Knox arrives
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    at Washington's siege lines.
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    He has successfully brought
    his artillery pieces
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    from Fort Ticonderoga.
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    The Patriots can now press
    the siege against Howe.
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    January sees a major
    literary breakthrough.
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    In Philadelphia, Thomas Paine
    publishes "Common Sense."
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    Thousands and thousands of
    copies are sold in 1776 alone.
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    It can be said that the
    average American at this time
  • 16:08 - 16:11
    is reading scripture,
    "Poor Richard's Almanack,"
  • 16:11 - 16:14
    and Thomas Paine's "Common Sense."
  • 16:14 - 16:17
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 16:17 - 16:19
    February 1776.
  • 16:19 - 16:22
    From Ireland, a large British convoy
  • 16:22 - 16:24
    leaves for North Carolina
  • 16:24 - 16:26
    in an effort to support the Loyalists
  • 16:26 - 16:29
    who are gathering there in North Carolina.
  • 16:29 - 16:31
    Let's zoom back to the colonies.
  • 16:31 - 16:33
    February 27th.
  • 16:33 - 16:36
    Near Wilmington, North Carolina,
  • 16:36 - 16:38
    Patriots defeat Loyalist Highlanders
  • 16:38 - 16:41
    at Moore's Creek Bridge.
  • 16:41 - 16:44
    North Carolina. Patriots
    capture numerous weapons
  • 16:44 - 16:46
    from the defeated Loyalists.
  • 16:46 - 16:48
    North Carolina's Loyalists are defeated
  • 16:48 - 16:52
    before aid can arrive
    from across the Atlantic.
  • 16:52 - 16:55
    We will zoom in to the Boston area.
  • 16:55 - 16:58
    Howe is bottled up by Washington's army.
  • 16:58 - 17:01
    Knox's cannons from Fort Ticonderoga
  • 17:01 - 17:04
    have been set on Dorchester Heights.
  • 17:04 - 17:07
    March 2nd, 1776.
  • 17:07 - 17:11
    Knox's cannons bombard Howe's redcoats.
  • 17:11 - 17:13
    March 17th.
  • 17:13 - 17:17
    Howe has no choice but to
    evacuate the besieged city.
  • 17:17 - 17:20
    We will zoom back out to the colonies.
  • 17:20 - 17:22
    From Boston, Lord Howe's redcoats,
  • 17:22 - 17:25
    along with local Loyalist citizens,
  • 17:25 - 17:28
    withdrawn to Halifax in Nova Scotia.
  • 17:28 - 17:31
    Boston and Massachusetts at large
  • 17:31 - 17:33
    is now liberated from British rule.
  • 17:34 - 17:37
    But Washington is not
    gonna sit on his laurels.
  • 17:37 - 17:38
    He anticipates the British
  • 17:38 - 17:41
    will move on to New York City next.
  • 17:41 - 17:45
    Thus, Washington moves his
    Continental forces from Boston
  • 17:45 - 17:47
    toward New York City.
  • 17:47 - 17:50
    At this time, Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 17:50 - 17:53
    proves just as sour for
    the British as Boston.
  • 17:53 - 17:56
    British ships arrive off Cape Fear,
  • 17:56 - 17:58
    but find that the colony's Loyalists
  • 17:58 - 18:00
    have already been largely defeated.
  • 18:00 - 18:04
    General Henry Clinton is
    with this British force.
  • 18:04 - 18:06
    Clinton has command of
    the southern theater
  • 18:06 - 18:08
    and he realizes the plans
  • 18:08 - 18:12
    to secure North Carolina
    for Britain are off for now.
  • 18:12 - 18:13
    Also in March,
  • 18:13 - 18:16
    Abigail Adams wrote to
    her husband John Adams,
  • 18:16 - 18:19
    who was in Congress at Philadelphia.
  • 18:19 - 18:21
    She asked him to "remember the ladies
  • 18:21 - 18:24
    and be more generous and favorable to them
  • 18:24 - 18:26
    than your ancestors."
  • 18:26 - 18:29
    Across the Atlantic back in Britain,
  • 18:29 - 18:31
    another revolution is underway.
  • 18:31 - 18:35
    The Scotsman Adam Smith
    publishes "Wealth of Nations"
  • 18:35 - 18:39
    and the philosophical foundation
    of capitalism is laid.
  • 18:39 - 18:41
    April 1776.
  • 18:41 - 18:44
    Hessian forces depart the British Isles
  • 18:44 - 18:46
    for besieged Quebec.
  • 18:46 - 18:49
    These German troops
    received their name Hessians
  • 18:49 - 18:51
    from the fact that many of them come from
  • 18:51 - 18:54
    the German state of Hesse-Kassel,
  • 18:54 - 18:58
    which was then centered
    at Wiesbaden, Germany.
  • 18:58 - 19:01
    We will zoom back to the
    northeastern colonies.
  • 19:01 - 19:04
    In April, Washington's army
    is arriving in New York City.
  • 19:04 - 19:07
    May 6th, 1776.
  • 19:07 - 19:10
    At Quebec, Burgoyne
    arrives with reinforcements
  • 19:10 - 19:11
    for the British defense.
  • 19:11 - 19:14
    Arnold's siege cannot continue.
  • 19:14 - 19:17
    The Continentals withdraw
    up the Saint Lawrence River.
  • 19:17 - 19:18
    We will zoom out.
  • 19:18 - 19:20
    Also in May, down south,
  • 19:20 - 19:24
    Clinton's ships, unable
    to unload at Wilmington
  • 19:24 - 19:27
    due to the defeat of North
    Carolina's Loyalists,
  • 19:27 - 19:31
    sails towards Charleston, South Carolina.
  • 19:31 - 19:35
    The conflict is spilling from
    the coast to the backcountry.
  • 19:35 - 19:39
    In May, the Cherokee joined the
    Shawnee and Delaware peoples
  • 19:39 - 19:41
    on the side of the British.
  • 19:41 - 19:44
    In a strange repeat of the recent past,
  • 19:44 - 19:48
    the British and Canada will
    gather Native American allies,
  • 19:48 - 19:51
    similar to the way the French in Canada
  • 19:51 - 19:54
    had done during the French and Indian War
  • 19:54 - 19:55
    just 20 years before.
  • 19:56 - 19:59
    June 7th, 1776.
  • 19:59 - 20:00
    Back in Philadelphia,
  • 20:00 - 20:04
    the Virginian Richard Henry
    Lee introduced a resolution
  • 20:04 - 20:07
    to formally declare the
    colonies free from Britain.
  • 20:07 - 20:11
    John Dickinson, resident of
    both Pennsylvania and Delaware,
  • 20:11 - 20:14
    opposes independence.
  • 20:14 - 20:16
    Congress postpones the vote
  • 20:16 - 20:18
    on Richard Henry Lee's resolution,
  • 20:18 - 20:20
    but the motion has been made
  • 20:20 - 20:23
    and the idea is formally on the table.
  • 20:23 - 20:26
    We will zoom in to the northeast.
  • 20:26 - 20:29
    On June 8th in Canada,
  • 20:29 - 20:32
    the retreating Patriots are
    defeated again in Canada
  • 20:32 - 20:33
    at Trois-Rivieres.
  • 20:35 - 20:37
    Arnold withdraws the Patriot forces
  • 20:37 - 20:40
    toward Fort Ticonderoga in New York.
  • 20:40 - 20:45
    Montreal and Fort Saint-Jean
    will return to British control.
  • 20:45 - 20:47
    Canada has repulsed the rebel invasion
  • 20:47 - 20:51
    and Canada's colonies
    remain loyal to His Majesty.
  • 20:51 - 20:53
    The British now have the opportunity
  • 20:53 - 20:56
    to move down the Lake Champlain zone.
  • 20:56 - 20:59
    Thus, Lake Champlain is the next feature
  • 20:59 - 21:02
    for the British to secure.
  • 21:02 - 21:03
    Arnold's Continentals prepare
  • 21:03 - 21:06
    at the top of the lake
    at Fort Ticonderoga.
  • 21:06 - 21:08
    We will zoom back out.
  • 21:08 - 21:10
    June 10.
  • 21:10 - 21:12
    British forces under General Howe
  • 21:12 - 21:16
    depart from Halifax, Nova
    Scotia toward New York City.
  • 21:16 - 21:18
    June 11th.
  • 21:18 - 21:20
    In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress
  • 21:20 - 21:21
    devises a committee
  • 21:21 - 21:25
    to prepare a document on
    American independence.
  • 21:25 - 21:27
    Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
  • 21:27 - 21:30
    Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston,
  • 21:30 - 21:32
    and Roger Sherman are on this committee.
  • 21:33 - 21:36
    Meanwhile, John Dickinson begins drafting
  • 21:36 - 21:38
    the Articles of Confederation,
  • 21:38 - 21:40
    a national governmental document.
  • 21:40 - 21:44
    It will include a name for
    this confederation of colonies:
  • 21:44 - 21:46
    the United States of America.
  • 21:47 - 21:50
    On June 12th in Williamsburg,
  • 21:50 - 21:51
    the Virginia Convention
  • 21:51 - 21:55
    adopts George Mason's
    Declaration of Rights.
  • 21:55 - 21:57
    Mason's wording states
  • 21:57 - 22:01
    that all men are by nature
    equally free and independent
  • 22:01 - 22:04
    and have certain inherent rights.
  • 22:04 - 22:08
    At this time in June 1776,
  • 22:08 - 22:10
    two large British forces are at sea
  • 22:10 - 22:12
    and approaching their landing zones,
  • 22:12 - 22:15
    one in the north under Howe
  • 22:15 - 22:19
    and the other is in the
    south under Clinton.
  • 22:19 - 22:22
    Clinton's forces are nearing
    Charleston, South Carolina.
  • 22:22 - 22:25
    The governor of South
    Carolina, Lord Campbell,
  • 22:25 - 22:27
    is yet another governor
  • 22:27 - 22:30
    restricted to governing from a ship,
  • 22:30 - 22:33
    and he is with Clinton's forces at sea.
  • 22:33 - 22:34
    June 28th.
  • 22:34 - 22:38
    At Sullivan's Island near
    Charleston, South Carolina,
  • 22:38 - 22:40
    Clinton's forces attack Fort Sullivan,
  • 22:40 - 22:45
    which is held by William
    Moultrie and William Thompson.
  • 22:45 - 22:47
    Lord Campbell, governor of South Carolina,
  • 22:47 - 22:49
    receives a mortal wound.
  • 22:49 - 22:53
    British ships are damaged
    and the attack is repelled.
  • 22:53 - 22:56
    Clinton's defeated forces
    will remove to New York City,
  • 22:56 - 22:59
    where Howe is also approaching.
  • 22:59 - 23:01
    On the same day in Philadelphia,
  • 23:01 - 23:03
    Jefferson submits his draft
  • 23:03 - 23:04
    of the Declaration of Independence
  • 23:04 - 23:08
    to John Adams and Benjamin
    Franklin for revision.
  • 23:08 - 23:10
    The next day, June 29th,
  • 23:10 - 23:13
    Howe's forces arrive at New York City.
  • 23:13 - 23:16
    We will zoom in to the
    northeastern colonies.
  • 23:16 - 23:20
    The British makes Staten
    Island their landing zone.
  • 23:20 - 23:22
    We'll take a closer look at New York City
  • 23:22 - 23:25
    to show these locations in more detail.
  • 23:25 - 23:29
    The British are beginning to
    arrive here on Staten Island.
  • 23:29 - 23:32
    Washington's Continental
    Army is in Manhattan
  • 23:32 - 23:35
    and at Brooklyn on Long Island.
  • 23:35 - 23:37
    We will zoom back out.
  • 23:37 - 23:41
    In July 1776 at Lake Champlain,
  • 23:41 - 23:43
    Horatio Gates reassembles the Continentals
  • 23:43 - 23:46
    retreating from Canada
    at Fort Ticonderoga.
  • 23:47 - 23:51
    Benedict Arnold is determined
    to hold Lake Champlain
  • 23:51 - 23:52
    in order to halt the British advance
  • 23:52 - 23:55
    into the Hudson River region.
  • 23:55 - 23:57
    He will attempt to build a lake fleet
  • 23:57 - 24:00
    to challenge the British.
  • 24:00 - 24:02
    On the opposite side of Lake Champlain,
  • 24:02 - 24:05
    Guy Carleton is at Saint-Jean.
  • 24:05 - 24:07
    He is preparing his fleet.
  • 24:08 - 24:10
    Lake Champlain will thus once again
  • 24:10 - 24:13
    become the center of
    operations between armies,
  • 24:13 - 24:17
    just as it has been prior during
    the French and Indian War.
  • 24:17 - 24:20
    July 2nd, 1776.
  • 24:20 - 24:22
    In Philadelphia, Congress votes
  • 24:22 - 24:24
    in favor of independence from Britain.
  • 24:24 - 24:27
    Philadelphia, now the
    capital of a new nation,
  • 24:27 - 24:29
    is set in blue.
  • 24:29 - 24:31
    John Hancock is now
    president of a Congress
  • 24:31 - 24:33
    of a declared independent nation.
  • 24:33 - 24:35
    The rebellion has officially moved
  • 24:35 - 24:37
    from a resistance movement
  • 24:37 - 24:40
    to a declared independent nation.
  • 24:40 - 24:41
    July 3rd.
  • 24:41 - 24:45
    Lord Howe's giant British
    army is now arriving en masse
  • 24:45 - 24:47
    and unloading at Staten Island.
  • 24:47 - 24:49
    The next day, the 4th of July,
  • 24:49 - 24:51
    the Continental Congress in Philadelphia
  • 24:51 - 24:53
    approves the wording
  • 24:53 - 24:56
    in Jefferson's Declaration
    of Independence.
  • 24:56 - 24:58
    "We hold these truths to be self-evident,
  • 24:58 - 24:59
    that all men are created equal,
  • 24:59 - 25:01
    that they are endowed by their Creator
  • 25:01 - 25:04
    with certain unalienable Rights,
  • 25:04 - 25:05
    that among these are Life, Liberty,
  • 25:05 - 25:08
    and the pursuit of Happiness."
  • 25:08 - 25:10
    The next day, July 5th,
  • 25:10 - 25:13
    Howe's massive 30,000-man
    British and Hessian army
  • 25:13 - 25:17
    is now established on Staten
    Island in New York City.
  • 25:17 - 25:19
    We will zoom in to New York City.
  • 25:19 - 25:23
    Howe's British and Hessian
    forces are here at Staten Island.
  • 25:23 - 25:25
    Washington's men are divided
  • 25:25 - 25:28
    between the heights on
    Brooklyn and Manhattan.
  • 25:28 - 25:29
    July 9th.
  • 25:29 - 25:32
    In Washington's camps in
    Brooklyn and Manhattan,
  • 25:32 - 25:35
    the Declaration of Independence is read.
  • 25:35 - 25:38
    In Manhattan, a crowd,
  • 25:38 - 25:41
    emboldened by the
    Declaration of Independence,
  • 25:41 - 25:43
    tears down a statue of King George
  • 25:43 - 25:46
    and melts it into
    thousands of musket balls.
  • 25:46 - 25:49
    August 22nd, 1776.
  • 25:49 - 25:52
    The British cross from Staten Island
  • 25:52 - 25:55
    and land on Long Island
    to oppose Washington.
  • 25:55 - 25:59
    The British advance to
    Flatbush in Brooklyn.
  • 25:59 - 26:02
    On August 27th, Howe defeats Washington
  • 26:02 - 26:05
    at the Battle of Long Island.
  • 26:05 - 26:08
    Washington, as he has done
    so many times in his life,
  • 26:08 - 26:11
    somehow escapes disaster.
  • 26:11 - 26:15
    He retreats across the
    East River to Manhattan.
  • 26:15 - 26:18
    We will briefly zoom out
    to the transatlantic world.
  • 26:18 - 26:21
    In September 1776 in Philadelphia,
  • 26:21 - 26:25
    the Continental Congress is
    in communication with France.
  • 26:25 - 26:28
    We will zoom back in to New York City.
  • 26:28 - 26:31
    On September 11th at Staten Island.
  • 26:31 - 26:35
    Lord Howe's brother, Richard, an admiral,
  • 26:35 - 26:36
    offers peace terms
  • 26:36 - 26:39
    to a delegation from
    the Continental Congress
  • 26:39 - 26:42
    in exchange for reconciliation and pardon.
  • 26:42 - 26:44
    Congress members John Adams
  • 26:44 - 26:46
    and Benjamin Franklin, however,
  • 26:46 - 26:48
    are committed to independence.
  • 26:48 - 26:50
    The struggle will continue.
  • 26:50 - 26:52
    September 15.
  • 26:52 - 26:55
    Howe crosses the East River to Manhattan.
  • 26:55 - 26:57
    The next day, September 16th,
  • 26:57 - 26:59
    the Continentals clash
    with British Regulars
  • 26:59 - 27:02
    at Harlem Heights in Manhattan.
  • 27:02 - 27:05
    On September 21st, as New York City
  • 27:05 - 27:07
    appears to be falling to the British,
  • 27:07 - 27:09
    a suspicious fire breaks out,
  • 27:09 - 27:12
    destroying hundreds of buildings.
  • 27:12 - 27:17
    On the same day, the Patriot
    spy Nathan Hale is captured.
  • 27:17 - 27:20
    The following day, September 22nd,
  • 27:20 - 27:22
    Nathan Hale was brought to the gallows.
  • 27:22 - 27:25
    He says, "I only regret that I have
  • 27:25 - 27:28
    but one life to give for my country."
  • 27:28 - 27:30
    Washington pulls northward.
  • 27:30 - 27:32
    The British advance.
  • 27:32 - 27:35
    By now, in October 1776,
  • 27:35 - 27:39
    Washington has built new
    forts above New York City
  • 27:39 - 27:42
    to protect against British ship movements
  • 27:42 - 27:43
    up the Hudson River.
  • 27:43 - 27:46
    These are highlighted here in blue.
  • 27:46 - 27:49
    Fort Washington is in Manhattan.
  • 27:49 - 27:51
    Across the Hudson River
    from Fort Washington
  • 27:51 - 27:54
    is Fort Lee in New Jersey.
  • 27:54 - 27:57
    However, on October 9th, 1776,
  • 27:57 - 28:01
    British ships break through
    these Hudson River defenses.
  • 28:01 - 28:04
    We will zoom out to the
    northeastern colonies.
  • 28:04 - 28:06
    Guy Carleton will strike down
  • 28:06 - 28:09
    from Saint-Jean to Lake Champlain.
  • 28:09 - 28:12
    Benedict Arnold's fleet
    is waiting in the lake.
  • 28:12 - 28:15
    October 11th, 1776.
  • 28:15 - 28:18
    On Lake Champlain, the
    British under Carleton
  • 28:18 - 28:20
    defeat Arnold's gunboats
  • 28:20 - 28:22
    at the Battle of Valcour Island.
  • 28:22 - 28:25
    The British are in
    control of Lake Champlain,
  • 28:25 - 28:27
    a successful beginning to their attempt
  • 28:27 - 28:30
    to isolate New England
    from the other colonies.
  • 28:30 - 28:31
    October 14.
  • 28:31 - 28:35
    At Lake Champlain, with the
    Patriot fleet destroyed,
  • 28:35 - 28:37
    General Arnold has no choice
  • 28:37 - 28:40
    but to retreat to Ticonderoga.
  • 28:40 - 28:41
    On the British side,
  • 28:41 - 28:44
    Carleton believes that winter
    is too fast approaching
  • 28:44 - 28:47
    and he decides not to
    gamble away his gains.
  • 28:47 - 28:49
    He winters at Saint-Jean.
  • 28:49 - 28:52
    We will zoom back in to New York City.
  • 28:52 - 28:54
    On October 18th,
  • 28:54 - 28:57
    Howe advances around
    Washington's flank by water
  • 28:57 - 28:58
    to Pell's Point.
  • 28:58 - 29:02
    Washington realizes he is
    in danger of being trapped.
  • 29:02 - 29:05
    He retreats to White Plains, New York.
  • 29:05 - 29:07
    October 28th.
  • 29:07 - 29:10
    Lord Howe strikes
    Washington in White Plains.
  • 29:10 - 29:12
    The Patriots are beaten.
  • 29:12 - 29:15
    Washington retreats
    across the Hudson River.
  • 29:15 - 29:18
    Let's zoom out to the transatlantic world.
  • 29:18 - 29:19
    Also in October,
  • 29:19 - 29:22
    Benjamin Franklin is en route to France.
  • 29:22 - 29:24
    The new nation is in the process
  • 29:24 - 29:27
    of gaining a European power for its cause.
  • 29:27 - 29:30
    We will zoom back in to New York City.
  • 29:30 - 29:33
    November 16th, 1776.
  • 29:33 - 29:36
    In Manhattan, the British
    secure Fort Washington.
  • 29:36 - 29:39
    The Patriots surrender a large garrison
  • 29:39 - 29:41
    and lose a significant arsenal.
  • 29:42 - 29:46
    On November 20th, the
    British secure Fort Lee.
  • 29:46 - 29:48
    We will zoom out to the northeast.
  • 29:48 - 29:51
    Washington retreats towards
    Trenton, New Jersey,
  • 29:51 - 29:53
    pursued by the British.
  • 29:53 - 29:54
    Also in November,
  • 29:54 - 29:57
    in Iroquois country in upper New York,
  • 29:57 - 29:59
    the Mohawk warrior Joseph Brant
  • 29:59 - 30:02
    asks warriors to join with the British.
  • 30:02 - 30:05
    December 7th, 1776.
  • 30:05 - 30:08
    Washington crosses the Delaware
    River into Pennsylvania.
  • 30:08 - 30:11
    Hessians hold Trenton, New Jersey.
  • 30:11 - 30:12
    December 8.
  • 30:12 - 30:15
    A large British force under Robert Pigot
  • 30:15 - 30:18
    arrives at Newport, Rhode Island.
  • 30:18 - 30:20
    Newport is strategically located
  • 30:20 - 30:24
    between Patriot-held Boston
    and British-held New York.
  • 30:24 - 30:28
    In December 12th, 1776 in Philadelphia,
  • 30:28 - 30:30
    the Continental Congress is alarmed
  • 30:30 - 30:32
    at the proximity of the British.
  • 30:32 - 30:35
    The fighting is coming
    too close for comfort.
  • 30:35 - 30:38
    Congress flees to Baltimore.
  • 30:38 - 30:39
    Christmas Day is a major holiday
  • 30:39 - 30:42
    for the German Hessians posted at Trenton.
  • 30:42 - 30:45
    Washington knows the Germans
    are likely celebrating
  • 30:45 - 30:47
    and will be surprised.
  • 30:47 - 30:50
    In the night, Washington
    crosses the Delaware River
  • 30:50 - 30:52
    into New Jersey.
  • 30:52 - 30:53
    December 26th.
  • 30:53 - 30:56
    The Hessians are completely
    surprised at Trenton.
  • 30:56 - 30:58
    1,000 prisoners are taken.
  • 30:58 - 31:01
    This victory is an
    important morale builder
  • 31:01 - 31:03
    for the Continental side.
  • 31:03 - 31:06
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 31:06 - 31:07
    Also in December,
  • 31:07 - 31:09
    Benjamin Franklin has arrived in France
  • 31:09 - 31:11
    to find foreign aid for the rebellion.
  • 31:13 - 31:16
    1776 comes to an end.
  • 31:16 - 31:19
    We will zoom back in to
    the northeastern colonies.
  • 31:19 - 31:21
    January 3rd, 1777.
  • 31:21 - 31:24
    Washington continues his counter-attack,
  • 31:24 - 31:26
    striking the British at
    Princeton, New Jersey.
  • 31:26 - 31:30
    It's another morale
    victory for the Patriots.
  • 31:30 - 31:32
    By January 7th,
  • 31:32 - 31:35
    Washington retires to
    Morristown, New Jersey,
  • 31:35 - 31:38
    where the Continental Army will winter.
  • 31:38 - 31:40
    Howe remains close to
    his base in New York City
  • 31:40 - 31:42
    for winter quarters,
  • 31:42 - 31:45
    including a station in
    New Brunswick, New Jersey.
  • 31:45 - 31:49
    However, Washington will
    remain on the offensive.
  • 31:49 - 31:50
    In the winter campaign,
  • 31:50 - 31:53
    Patriots skirmishers hit
    British supply lines,
  • 31:53 - 31:58
    giving this winter conflict
    the name the Forage War.
  • 31:58 - 32:00
    And in Springfield, Massachusetts,
  • 32:00 - 32:03
    Congress has established
    a national arsenal.
  • 32:03 - 32:06
    Also in January, France
    provides the equivalent
  • 32:06 - 32:10
    of over $30 million in modern currency
  • 32:10 - 32:12
    to the Patriot cause.
  • 32:12 - 32:15
    February 23rd, 1777.
  • 32:15 - 32:17
    At Rahway, New Jersey,
  • 32:17 - 32:18
    between the two winter camps,
  • 32:18 - 32:22
    Patriots gain another
    victory over the British.
  • 32:22 - 32:23
    Also in February,
  • 32:23 - 32:27
    following Washington
    successes in New Jersey,
  • 32:27 - 32:27
    the Continental Congress
  • 32:27 - 32:31
    returns to Philadelphia from Baltimore.
  • 32:31 - 32:33
    April 13, 1777.
  • 32:33 - 32:35
    At Bound Brook, New Jersey,
  • 32:35 - 32:37
    Howe launches a counter-attack
  • 32:37 - 32:39
    after a winter of defeat.
  • 32:39 - 32:41
    The Patriots vacate the area.
  • 32:41 - 32:44
    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
  • 32:44 - 32:47
    May 20th, 1777.
  • 32:47 - 32:50
    South of modern
    Greenville, South Carolina,
  • 32:50 - 32:53
    the Cherokee cede that
    area to South Carolina
  • 32:53 - 32:55
    at the Treaty of Dewitt's Corner.
  • 32:55 - 32:58
    The Cherokee had sided
    largely with the British,
  • 32:58 - 33:00
    and dozens of Cherokee villages
  • 33:00 - 33:03
    had been destroyed by Patriot militia.
  • 33:03 - 33:05
    The treaty promised an easing of tensions
  • 33:05 - 33:09
    between settlers and Natives
    in exchange for land.
  • 33:09 - 33:12
    We will zoom in to the northeast.
  • 33:12 - 33:15
    In May at the Iroquois Village Onaquaga
  • 33:15 - 33:17
    near modern Windsor, New York,
  • 33:17 - 33:21
    Joseph Brant has assembled
    warriors and Loyalists
  • 33:21 - 33:23
    for His Majesty's service.
  • 33:23 - 33:26
    On June 14th in Philadelphia,
  • 33:26 - 33:29
    Congress selects a design
    for the United States flag,
  • 33:29 - 33:32
    which includes 13 stripes and stars
  • 33:32 - 33:34
    all set in red, white, and blue.
  • 33:34 - 33:37
    Also in June 1777,
  • 33:37 - 33:40
    General Burgoyne is in
    motion at Lake Champlain
  • 33:40 - 33:43
    reinitiating the New York campaign.
  • 33:43 - 33:46
    A second British force
    under Barry St. Leger
  • 33:46 - 33:49
    is also advancing up
    the Saint Lawrence River
  • 33:49 - 33:51
    toward Lake Ontario.
  • 33:51 - 33:53
    Burgoyne has a plan.
  • 33:53 - 33:57
    He will move south over Lake
    Champlain to Albany, New York.
  • 33:57 - 34:00
    Meanwhile, St. Leger will march his force
  • 34:00 - 34:02
    from Lake Ontario
    through the Mohawk Valley
  • 34:02 - 34:05
    and rendezvous with Burgoyne at Albany
  • 34:05 - 34:09
    to complete the conquest
    of the Hudson River Valley.
  • 34:09 - 34:12
    July 6th, 1777.
  • 34:12 - 34:15
    Burgoyne captures Fort Ticonderoga.
  • 34:15 - 34:18
    Lake Champlain is now
    under British control.
  • 34:18 - 34:21
    The Americans have
    pulled back near Albany.
  • 34:21 - 34:23
    July 25th.
  • 34:23 - 34:25
    St. Leger's British forces
  • 34:25 - 34:28
    arrive at Fort Oswego on Lake Ontario.
  • 34:28 - 34:31
    It is possible for Howe in New York City
  • 34:31 - 34:33
    to move north along the Hudson River
  • 34:33 - 34:35
    to link up with Burgoyne,
  • 34:35 - 34:39
    thereby isolating New England
    from the other colonies,
  • 34:39 - 34:42
    but Howe believes that Burgoyne is capable
  • 34:42 - 34:45
    of securing Albany all by himself.
  • 34:45 - 34:48
    Instead of advancing up the Hudson River,
  • 34:48 - 34:49
    Howe changes his focus
  • 34:49 - 34:53
    to capturing the rebel
    capital at Philadelphia.
  • 34:53 - 34:54
    July 27.
  • 34:54 - 34:58
    Lord Howe begins a massive
    redeployment from New York City
  • 34:58 - 35:00
    to the capital of the
    new independent nation
  • 35:00 - 35:02
    at Philadelphia.
  • 35:02 - 35:05
    He will ship the British
    army from Philadelphia
  • 35:05 - 35:08
    down the eastern coastline
    to the Chesapeake Bay
  • 35:08 - 35:12
    and then push up the Chesapeake
    to land near Philadelphia.
  • 35:13 - 35:16
    Howe leaves Henry Clinton in New York City
  • 35:16 - 35:18
    with an occupying garrison.
  • 35:18 - 35:20
    With Howe embarking for Philadelphia,
  • 35:20 - 35:23
    the British strategy becomes disjointed.
  • 35:23 - 35:25
    Burgoyne is at Lake Champlain,
  • 35:25 - 35:28
    St. Leger is at Fort Oswego,
  • 35:28 - 35:31
    and Lord Howe is now off to Philadelphia.
  • 35:31 - 35:35
    Thus, Lord Howe's army is
    no longer working in concert
  • 35:35 - 35:37
    with Burgoyne and St. Leger
  • 35:37 - 35:40
    to isolate New England
    from the other colonies.
  • 35:40 - 35:41
    Burgoyne and St. Leger
  • 35:41 - 35:45
    are left to their own
    devices in upper New York.
  • 35:45 - 35:49
    The Continentals also have
    wheels turning in Philadelphia.
  • 35:49 - 35:52
    The professional French
    officer, Marquis de Lafayette,
  • 35:52 - 35:55
    has arrived by now in Philadelphia,
  • 35:55 - 35:58
    ready to serve the Patriot cause.
  • 35:58 - 36:02
    Meanwhile, Burgoyne has
    advanced down Lake Champlain.
  • 36:02 - 36:05
    We will zoom in to Saratoga, New York.
  • 36:06 - 36:08
    Lake George is here.
  • 36:08 - 36:10
    Lake Saratoga is here.
  • 36:10 - 36:12
    The Hudson River is here.
  • 36:12 - 36:16
    Here is a natural high
    ground called Bemis Heights.
  • 36:16 - 36:18
    In July 1777,
  • 36:18 - 36:22
    Continental General Philip
    Schuyler is at Fort Edward.
  • 36:22 - 36:24
    Burgoyne is approaching from the north.
  • 36:24 - 36:28
    On July 31st, Schuyler
    abandons Fort Edward
  • 36:28 - 36:31
    and retreats south down the Hudson River.
  • 36:31 - 36:33
    Both Lake Champlain and Lake George
  • 36:33 - 36:34
    are now in British hands.
  • 36:34 - 36:38
    The Hudson River is now
    in Burgoyne's reach.
  • 36:38 - 36:40
    August 1st, 1777.
  • 36:40 - 36:43
    Burgoyne advances southward
    toward the Hudson River,
  • 36:43 - 36:45
    nearing Saratoga, New York.
  • 36:45 - 36:49
    We will zoom back out to
    the northeastern colonies.
  • 36:49 - 36:53
    By August 3rd, St. Leger has
    advanced to Fort Stanwix,
  • 36:53 - 36:55
    sometimes shown as Fort Schuyler,
  • 36:55 - 36:58
    which is at modern Rome, New York.
  • 36:58 - 37:00
    The siege begins.
  • 37:00 - 37:02
    This British force is
    aided by Iroquois warriors,
  • 37:02 - 37:06
    including the Mohawk warrior Joseph Brant.
  • 37:06 - 37:07
    August 6th.
  • 37:07 - 37:10
    Near Fort Stanwix at Oriskany, New York,
  • 37:10 - 37:13
    a Patriot relief force under Herkimer
  • 37:13 - 37:16
    is intercepted by St. Leger
    and his Iroquois allies.
  • 37:16 - 37:18
    August 8th.
  • 37:18 - 37:21
    St. Leger begins the
    bombardment of Fort Stanwix.
  • 37:21 - 37:24
    We will zoom back to the Saratoga region.
  • 37:24 - 37:28
    Schuyler has reassembled
    near Stillwater, New York.
  • 37:28 - 37:30
    Burgoyne is at Fort Edward.
  • 37:30 - 37:35
    In August, Burgoyne has detached
    German Hessians under Baum
  • 37:35 - 37:39
    to seize supplies at
    Bennington, now in Vermont.
  • 37:39 - 37:40
    August 16.
  • 37:40 - 37:42
    At Walloomsac, New York,
  • 37:42 - 37:46
    John Stark's Patriots strike the Hessians.
  • 37:46 - 37:49
    Burgoyne's force takes a significant loss.
  • 37:49 - 37:53
    We will zoom back out to
    the northeastern colonies.
  • 37:53 - 37:54
    August 22nd.
  • 37:54 - 37:58
    Benedict Arnold, following
    the Mohawk Valley from Albany,
  • 37:58 - 38:01
    rescues Fort Stanwix
    from the British siege.
  • 38:01 - 38:04
    St. Leger retreats to Fort Oswego.
  • 38:04 - 38:06
    On August 25th,
  • 38:06 - 38:10
    Lord Howe's force arrived
    near modern Elkton, Maryland.
  • 38:10 - 38:12
    Also in August,
  • 38:12 - 38:15
    Horatio Gates is the commander
    of the northern theater.
  • 38:15 - 38:18
    Albany has been a center
    of Patriot activity
  • 38:18 - 38:19
    in the northern theater.
  • 38:19 - 38:22
    It is now the object
    of Burgoyne's capture,
  • 38:22 - 38:25
    and it will be fiercely
    held by the Patriots.
  • 38:25 - 38:28
    Albany is now set in blue.
  • 38:28 - 38:31
    September 11, 1777.
  • 38:31 - 38:32
    Near Philadelphia,
  • 38:32 - 38:34
    Howe defeats Washington
    at Brandywine Creek
  • 38:34 - 38:37
    near modern Kennett Square, Pennsylvania,
  • 38:37 - 38:40
    Brandywine is the
    largest single-day battle
  • 38:40 - 38:42
    of the American Revolution.
  • 38:42 - 38:45
    Philadelphia is in danger
    of British seizure.
  • 38:45 - 38:49
    We will zoom back to the Saratoga region.
  • 38:49 - 38:51
    On September 13th,
  • 38:51 - 38:53
    Burgoyne has advanced
    down the Hudson River
  • 38:53 - 38:56
    toward the Saratoga region.
  • 38:56 - 38:59
    Facing Burgoyne is the
    Continental General Horatio Gates
  • 38:59 - 39:01
    at Bemis Heights.
  • 39:01 - 39:05
    Gates stands in the way of
    the British advance on Albany.
  • 39:05 - 39:08
    On September 19th near Saratoga, New York,
  • 39:08 - 39:10
    Burgoyne clashes with Horatio Gates
  • 39:10 - 39:13
    at the Battle of Freeman's Farm.
  • 39:13 - 39:15
    Benedict Arnold stops Burgoyne's advance.
  • 39:15 - 39:19
    This is often referred to as
    the First Battle of Saratoga.
  • 39:19 - 39:22
    We will zoom back out to the northeast.
  • 39:22 - 39:24
    September 25th.
  • 39:24 - 39:26
    Howe captures Philadelphia.
  • 39:26 - 39:28
    The Continental Congress
    has fled the city.
  • 39:28 - 39:32
    The capital of the new
    republic is in British hands.
  • 39:32 - 39:37
    Congress leaves Philadelphia
    for York, Pennsylvania.
  • 39:37 - 39:39
    The Continental Congress
    will remain in York
  • 39:39 - 39:43
    during the British
    occupation of Philadelphia.
  • 39:43 - 39:45
    Meanwhile, in New York City,
  • 39:45 - 39:47
    General Clinton is conflicted.
  • 39:47 - 39:49
    On the one hand, he wants to ensure
  • 39:49 - 39:51
    the city is well defended.
  • 39:51 - 39:55
    On the other hand, Burgoyne
    needs to help secure Albany.
  • 39:55 - 39:58
    However, Clinton will advance men
  • 39:58 - 40:01
    against the Patriot
    defenses on the Hudson River
  • 40:01 - 40:04
    on the condition that New
    York is not threatened.
  • 40:05 - 40:08
    October 4, 1777.
  • 40:08 - 40:12
    Washington counter-attacks near
    Philadelphia at Germantown,
  • 40:12 - 40:15
    but Howe repulses the Continentals.
  • 40:15 - 40:16
    On October 6th,
  • 40:16 - 40:19
    General Clinton has advanced
    up the Hudson River.
  • 40:19 - 40:22
    Clinton secures both Fort Montgomery,
  • 40:22 - 40:26
    and ironically, as we can
    see in a war between kinsmen,
  • 40:26 - 40:30
    the fort named after a
    Patriot general, Fort Clinton.
  • 40:30 - 40:33
    Up the Hudson, Burgoyne is also trying
  • 40:33 - 40:35
    to crack through the Hudson defenses.
  • 40:35 - 40:38
    We will zoom in to the Saratoga region.
  • 40:38 - 40:41
    On October 7th, Burgoyne
    will attempt again
  • 40:41 - 40:45
    to secure Bemis Heights
    near Saratoga, New York.
  • 40:45 - 40:48
    However, Gates still stands his ground.
  • 40:48 - 40:52
    Benedict Arnold again
    stops the British advance.
  • 40:52 - 40:56
    This is often referred to as
    the Second Battle of Saratoga.
  • 40:56 - 40:58
    Burgoyne is stuck.
  • 40:58 - 41:02
    He cannot crack through Gates' defenses.
  • 41:02 - 41:04
    We will zoom back out to the northeast.
  • 41:04 - 41:07
    Clinton has made progress
    up the Hudson River,
  • 41:07 - 41:11
    however, he is still about
    100 miles from Albany.
  • 41:12 - 41:16
    Clinton is out of reach
    to support Burgoyne.
  • 41:16 - 41:18
    Howe has requested
    reinforcements in Philadelphia.
  • 41:18 - 41:20
    Clinton must now return to New York City
  • 41:20 - 41:23
    and fulfill Howe's requests.
  • 41:23 - 41:26
    Burgoyne is now alone at Saratoga.
  • 41:26 - 41:29
    On October 17th, Burgoyne
    is out of options.
  • 41:29 - 41:32
    He surrenders to Horatio Gates.
  • 41:32 - 41:36
    It's the first time a British
    army has surrendered en masse.
  • 41:36 - 41:40
    The British have lost their
    northern expeditionary force.
  • 41:40 - 41:42
    However, the British
    remain in a strong position
  • 41:42 - 41:45
    at the rebel capital in Philadelphia.
  • 41:45 - 41:47
    We will zoom in to Philadelphia.
  • 41:48 - 41:51
    Washington is near
    Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania.
  • 41:51 - 41:53
    The British hold the city of Philadelphia.
  • 41:53 - 41:58
    However, the Continentals
    control two forts below the city.
  • 41:58 - 42:00
    These forts are Fort
    Mifflin in Pennsylvania
  • 42:00 - 42:04
    and Fort Mercer across the
    Delaware River in New Jersey.
  • 42:04 - 42:06
    These forts threaten the British supply
  • 42:06 - 42:09
    coming up the Delaware River.
  • 42:09 - 42:11
    October 22nd.
  • 42:11 - 42:13
    The British attempt to
    knock out Fort Mercer
  • 42:13 - 42:15
    near Red Bank, New Jersey,
  • 42:15 - 42:18
    but Patriots repel the Hessian attack.
  • 42:18 - 42:22
    It's a much needed morale
    booster for Washington's army.
  • 42:22 - 42:25
    November 1st, 1777.
  • 42:25 - 42:28
    West of Philadelphia
    in York, Pennsylvania,
  • 42:28 - 42:33
    Henry Laurens is now president
    of the Continental Congress.
  • 42:33 - 42:35
    November 10, 1777.
  • 42:35 - 42:38
    British cannons fire on Fort Mifflin.
  • 42:38 - 42:42
    On November 15th, Fort Mifflin
    can no longer withstand
  • 42:42 - 42:43
    the British bombardment.
  • 42:43 - 42:45
    The fort is abandoned.
  • 42:45 - 42:46
    We will zoom out.
  • 42:46 - 42:49
    On the same day in York, Pennsylvania,
  • 42:49 - 42:50
    the Continental Congress
  • 42:50 - 42:52
    adopts the Articles of Confederation.
  • 42:52 - 42:57
    The document is now sent to
    the states for ratification.
  • 42:57 - 42:59
    Congress has thus taken the next step
  • 42:59 - 43:01
    in creating a new nation.
  • 43:01 - 43:04
    The infant national
    government has a document
  • 43:04 - 43:07
    outlining and limiting national powers.
  • 43:07 - 43:09
    We will return to Philadelphia.
  • 43:09 - 43:11
    December 1777.
  • 43:11 - 43:14
    Washington winters his
    army at Valley Forge
  • 43:14 - 43:17
    just about 20 miles from
    the British in Philadelphia.
  • 43:17 - 43:20
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 43:20 - 43:22
    Across the Atlantic,
  • 43:22 - 43:24
    news is arriving in Europe
  • 43:24 - 43:27
    of Burgoyne's disastrous
    surrender at Saratoga,
  • 43:27 - 43:31
    and there is a realization
    in both London and in Paris
  • 43:31 - 43:34
    that the Continentals might actually win.
  • 43:34 - 43:37
    1777 comes to a close.
  • 43:37 - 43:41
    We will zoom back in to
    the northeastern colonies.
  • 43:41 - 43:45
    In February 1778, Henry
    Clinton is in New York City,
  • 43:45 - 43:47
    replaces Howe as commander
  • 43:47 - 43:50
    of British forces in North America.
  • 43:50 - 43:54
    In New York City, Clinton is
    developing a new strategy.
  • 43:54 - 43:57
    With Burgoyne's force
    defeated at Saratoga,
  • 43:57 - 43:59
    Clinton essentially
    foregoes another attempt
  • 43:59 - 44:02
    against rebellious New England.
  • 44:02 - 44:04
    Instead, he will shift south.
  • 44:04 - 44:07
    Even if the New England colonies are lost,
  • 44:07 - 44:08
    it might still be possible
  • 44:08 - 44:13
    to keep the cash crop
    colonies within the empire.
  • 44:13 - 44:15
    The next day, February 6th,
  • 44:15 - 44:18
    France officially
    recognizes the United States
  • 44:18 - 44:20
    as an independent nation.
  • 44:20 - 44:23
    France is now a public
    ally of the United States.
  • 44:23 - 44:27
    In February at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania,
  • 44:27 - 44:31
    Washington reports that his
    men are hungry and ill-clothed.
  • 44:31 - 44:34
    By this time in early 1778,
  • 44:34 - 44:37
    Congress is dealing with a
    looming financial problem.
  • 44:37 - 44:40
    The American currency, the Continental,
  • 44:40 - 44:42
    is quickly depreciating in value.
  • 44:42 - 44:46
    Congress' paper notes have
    little perceived value.
  • 44:46 - 44:48
    There is also political gossip.
  • 44:48 - 44:51
    Some important persons in
    Congress and in the army
  • 44:51 - 44:54
    think Horatio Gates,
    the victor of Saratoga,
  • 44:54 - 44:56
    not Washington,
  • 44:56 - 44:59
    who was beaten out of New
    York and Philadelphia,
  • 44:59 - 45:01
    should be the head of the army.
  • 45:01 - 45:03
    March 17, 1778.
  • 45:03 - 45:06
    Britain declares war on France.
  • 45:06 - 45:07
    The American War of Independence
  • 45:07 - 45:10
    is now becoming a global conflict.
  • 45:10 - 45:12
    We will zoom back in to Philadelphia.
  • 45:13 - 45:15
    By April 1778,
  • 45:15 - 45:19
    the professional Prussian
    officer Baron von Steuben
  • 45:19 - 45:23
    is training Washington's
    army at Valley Forge.
  • 45:23 - 45:24
    The Continentals are shaping into
  • 45:24 - 45:27
    a veteran disciplined force.
  • 45:27 - 45:30
    At Valley Forge, there is
    a Rhode Island Regiment
  • 45:30 - 45:32
    composed of African Americans.
  • 45:32 - 45:34
    The New England states
    will fairly compensate
  • 45:34 - 45:37
    African American soldiers
    for their service.
  • 45:37 - 45:40
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 45:40 - 45:44
    In April, a French fleet
    under Comte d'Estaing
  • 45:44 - 45:48
    embarks from Toulon, France to America.
  • 45:48 - 45:50
    The United States now has ships
  • 45:50 - 45:52
    to stand up to the British navy.
  • 45:52 - 45:54
    The entrance of France into the war
  • 45:54 - 45:57
    presents a real strategic
    problem for Britain.
  • 45:57 - 45:59
    His Majesty's fleet,
  • 45:59 - 46:00
    though the largest in the world,
  • 46:00 - 46:04
    must now contend with the
    rebellious North American coast
  • 46:04 - 46:07
    while also protecting loyal Canada,
  • 46:07 - 46:09
    her precious Caribbean islands,
  • 46:09 - 46:11
    and even the British
    mainland from French attack.
  • 46:12 - 46:15
    This April, Britain sends
    the Earl of Carlisle
  • 46:15 - 46:17
    on a peace commission.
  • 46:17 - 46:19
    Parliament realizes that the war
  • 46:19 - 46:22
    is expanding into an
    international conflict,
  • 46:22 - 46:24
    and Parliament is willing to cancel
  • 46:24 - 46:27
    all laws the colonists find objectionable
  • 46:27 - 46:29
    to the imperial relationship.
  • 46:30 - 46:32
    The Continental Congress, however,
  • 46:32 - 46:34
    is determined on independence.
  • 46:34 - 46:36
    The struggle will continue.
  • 46:36 - 46:39
    In the wee hours of April 23rd,
  • 46:39 - 46:42
    John Paul Jones brings the war to Britain.
  • 46:42 - 46:45
    His ship, the Ranger,
    raids Whitehaven, England.
  • 46:45 - 46:47
    May 20th, 1778.
  • 46:47 - 46:50
    Near Philadelphia,
    Continentals under Lafayette
  • 46:50 - 46:54
    repulse an attack near
    Valley Forge at Barren Hill.
  • 46:54 - 46:55
    Later in May,
  • 46:55 - 46:57
    General Clinton is now in Philadelphia,
  • 46:57 - 47:01
    replacing Lord Howe as British
    commander in North America.
  • 47:01 - 47:04
    While the Philadelphia
    theater has quieted,
  • 47:04 - 47:06
    the western frontier country
  • 47:06 - 47:09
    is a tinderbox between
    settlers and Natives.
  • 47:09 - 47:13
    On May 30th in Cobleskill, New York,
  • 47:13 - 47:14
    that town is destroyed
  • 47:14 - 47:18
    by Iroquois warriors and
    Loyalists under Joseph Brant.
  • 47:18 - 47:20
    While many Iroquois support the British,
  • 47:20 - 47:21
    the Iroquois Confederacy
  • 47:21 - 47:25
    is divided amongst
    itself over the conflict.
  • 47:25 - 47:28
    Also in May, at York, Pennsylvania,
  • 47:28 - 47:29
    Congress learns that Ben Franklin
  • 47:29 - 47:31
    has made a formal alliance
  • 47:31 - 47:34
    with His Most Catholic Majesty Louis XVI.
  • 47:34 - 47:36
    The Continental Army soldiers,
  • 47:36 - 47:39
    on a mission to cast King
    George out of North America,
  • 47:39 - 47:42
    now rejoice for the king of France.
  • 47:42 - 47:46
    June 18, 1778.
  • 47:46 - 47:49
    Clinton is redeploying his forces.
  • 47:49 - 47:51
    Command in Britain wishes
    to secure New York City,
  • 47:51 - 47:54
    especially with the French
    fleet in the Atlantic.
  • 47:54 - 47:58
    Thus, the British will leave
    Philadelphia for New York City.
  • 47:58 - 48:00
    Thousands of Philadelphia Loyalists
  • 48:00 - 48:03
    follow on British ships for New York.
  • 48:03 - 48:05
    The army will move by land
  • 48:05 - 48:06
    from Philadelphia to New York.
  • 48:07 - 48:10
    The British army and
    thousands of Loyalists
  • 48:10 - 48:12
    evacuate Philadelphia.
  • 48:12 - 48:14
    The next day, June 19th,
  • 48:14 - 48:17
    Washington's army leaves Valley Forge
  • 48:17 - 48:19
    in pursuit of the British.
  • 48:19 - 48:22
    Washington's men soon occupy Philadelphia.
  • 48:22 - 48:25
    The capital is restored
    to the United States.
  • 48:25 - 48:27
    The Continental Congress can now return
  • 48:27 - 48:30
    from York, Pennsylvania to Philadelphia.
  • 48:30 - 48:32
    June 28th.
  • 48:32 - 48:34
    Washington strikes the British at Monmouth
  • 48:34 - 48:37
    at modern Freehold, New Jersey.
  • 48:37 - 48:39
    July 1778.
  • 48:39 - 48:43
    Clinton's army arrives in New York City.
  • 48:43 - 48:45
    On July 2nd, 1778,
  • 48:45 - 48:46
    the Continental Congress
  • 48:46 - 48:48
    is again in session in Philadelphia,
  • 48:48 - 48:50
    returned to the liberated capital
  • 48:50 - 48:54
    on the second anniversary of
    its approval of independence.
  • 48:54 - 48:56
    The next day, July 3rd,
  • 48:56 - 49:00
    in the Wyoming Valley near
    Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
  • 49:00 - 49:01
    Patriots and their families
  • 49:01 - 49:04
    are killed by Iroquois
    and Loyalist militia.
  • 49:04 - 49:09
    The Patriot side will remember
    this Wyoming massacre.
  • 49:09 - 49:10
    We will zoom out.
  • 49:11 - 49:14
    On the 4th of July, George Rogers Clark,
  • 49:14 - 49:17
    working under Virginia's authority,
  • 49:17 - 49:21
    secures Kaskaskia near
    modern Ellis Grove, Illinois.
  • 49:21 - 49:23
    The arm of the American Revolution
  • 49:23 - 49:26
    stretches into the Midwest
    at the Mississippi River.
  • 49:27 - 49:31
    On July 8th, Comte
    d'Estaing's French fleet
  • 49:31 - 49:33
    arrives near New York City.
  • 49:33 - 49:35
    There is now the threat
    that the British army
  • 49:35 - 49:38
    can be pinned between the
    Continental Army on land
  • 49:38 - 49:41
    and the French Navy at sea.
  • 49:41 - 49:42
    July 9.
  • 49:42 - 49:45
    In Philadelphia, the
    Articles of Confederation
  • 49:45 - 49:46
    is on the table.
  • 49:46 - 49:48
    Delegates from New
    Hampshire, Massachusetts,
  • 49:48 - 49:50
    Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
  • 49:50 - 49:53
    Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina
  • 49:53 - 49:56
    sign and ratify the
    Articles of Confederation.
  • 49:56 - 50:00
    Eight of the 13 colonies have
    adopted the new government.
  • 50:00 - 50:02
    Charleston, South Carolina,
  • 50:02 - 50:05
    following South Carolina's ratification
  • 50:05 - 50:07
    of the Articles of Confederation,
  • 50:07 - 50:08
    is now set in blue
  • 50:08 - 50:13
    with other unoccupied cities to the north.
  • 50:13 - 50:14
    July 11th.
  • 50:14 - 50:16
    Comte d'Estaing's French fleet
  • 50:16 - 50:18
    is now blockading New York City.
  • 50:18 - 50:20
    July 20th.
  • 50:20 - 50:23
    Washington has returned
    to his previous position
  • 50:23 - 50:26
    above New York City at White Plains.
  • 50:26 - 50:29
    On July 21st in Philadelphia,
  • 50:29 - 50:30
    North Carolina delegates
  • 50:30 - 50:34
    sign and ratify the
    Articles of Confederation.
  • 50:34 - 50:37
    Wilmington, North Carolina
    is now set in blue.
  • 50:37 - 50:42
    Nine of the 13 colonies have
    now adopted the new government.
  • 50:42 - 50:46
    Three days later on July
    24th, again in Philadelphia,
  • 50:46 - 50:48
    Georgia delegates sign and ratify
  • 50:48 - 50:50
    the Articles of Confederation.
  • 50:50 - 50:53
    Savannah, Georgia is now set in blue.
  • 50:53 - 50:57
    10 of the 13 colonies have now
    adopted the new government.
  • 50:57 - 50:59
    We will zoom out to a global view.
  • 51:00 - 51:02
    July 27, 1778.
  • 51:02 - 51:05
    Across the Atlantic, the
    great sea powers clash
  • 51:05 - 51:10
    near the island of Ushant just off France.
  • 51:10 - 51:11
    Britain's powerful fleet
  • 51:11 - 51:14
    must now keep many ships
    near the British Isles,
  • 51:14 - 51:17
    as the fight is coming to their doorsteps.
  • 51:17 - 51:19
    In August 1778,
  • 51:20 - 51:24
    the American Revolution
    sparks off even farther away.
  • 51:24 - 51:26
    Across the globe in India,
  • 51:26 - 51:30
    Britain attacks a port
    there in French Pondicherry.
  • 51:30 - 51:33
    We will zoom in to the
    northeastern colonies.
  • 51:34 - 51:35
    The Franco-American forces
  • 51:35 - 51:38
    cannot dislodge Clinton in New York City.
  • 51:38 - 51:41
    They realize that the garrison
    in Newport, Rhode Island
  • 51:41 - 51:46
    may be a more successful blockade
    target than New York City.
  • 51:46 - 51:48
    By August, Comte d'Estaing's fleet
  • 51:48 - 51:50
    has redeployed to Newport.
  • 51:50 - 51:54
    John Sullivan has ground
    troops near Newport.
  • 51:54 - 51:56
    On August 9th,
  • 51:56 - 51:59
    Comte d'Estaing coordinates
    his ships and French troops
  • 51:59 - 52:02
    with John Sullivan's
    Continental ground forces,
  • 52:02 - 52:04
    striking the British at Newport.
  • 52:04 - 52:07
    However, a storm damages the French fleet
  • 52:07 - 52:10
    and Sullivan's attack stalls.
  • 52:10 - 52:13
    On August 20th, Comte d'Estaing redeploys
  • 52:13 - 52:17
    the French battle group
    to Boston for repairs.
  • 52:17 - 52:18
    August 29th.
  • 52:18 - 52:20
    At Newport, Rhode Island,
  • 52:20 - 52:23
    the British under General
    Pigot strike the Patriots.
  • 52:23 - 52:25
    Sullivan withdraws.
  • 52:25 - 52:28
    Newport, Rhode Island
    remains in British hands.
  • 52:28 - 52:32
    The first major French-American
    coordination has failed.
  • 52:32 - 52:35
    Washington and Clinton are
    deadlocked at New York City.
  • 52:35 - 52:37
    Thus, in the coming months,
  • 52:37 - 52:41
    much of the conflict will
    shift to the backwoods country.
  • 52:41 - 52:44
    In the context of the
    English-speaking world at this time,
  • 52:44 - 52:47
    the Appalachian Mountain area is the west.
  • 52:47 - 52:50
    In September 1778,
  • 52:50 - 52:53
    Joseph Brant's Iroquois
    warriors and Loyalists
  • 52:53 - 52:54
    attack German Flatts,
  • 52:54 - 52:57
    modern Herkimer, New York.
  • 52:57 - 53:02
    However, on September 17th
    at Patriot-held Fort Pitt,
  • 53:02 - 53:04
    modern Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
  • 53:04 - 53:07
    the Patriots sign a treaty of
    friendship with the Delaware,
  • 53:07 - 53:10
    helping to quell Native
    resistance in that region.
  • 53:10 - 53:11
    So it's important to remember
  • 53:11 - 53:15
    that different Native tribes
    are taking different positions
  • 53:15 - 53:16
    during the American Revolution.
  • 53:16 - 53:18
    Some are allied with the British,
  • 53:18 - 53:22
    while others are making
    peace with the Patriots.
  • 53:22 - 53:24
    On October 8th, 1778,
  • 53:24 - 53:26
    Patriots under Colonel William Butler
  • 53:26 - 53:30
    attack Joseph Brant's base
    at the town of Onaquaga
  • 53:30 - 53:32
    near modern Windsor, New York.
  • 53:32 - 53:34
    The town is destroyed.
  • 53:34 - 53:36
    November 11, 1778.
  • 53:36 - 53:40
    More Native and settler violence
    occurs in upper New York.
  • 53:40 - 53:41
    Native Americans and Loyalists
  • 53:41 - 53:44
    attack the town of
    Cherry Valley, New York.
  • 53:44 - 53:45
    About this time in November,
  • 53:45 - 53:49
    Comte d'Estaing's squadron
    leaves the theater
  • 53:49 - 53:51
    for the Caribbean.
  • 53:51 - 53:55
    The Patriots are again
    without serious sea power.
  • 53:55 - 53:58
    On November 26th in Philadelphia,
  • 53:58 - 54:02
    New Jersey delegates sign the
    Articles of Confederation.
  • 54:02 - 54:05
    11 colonies have now
    adopted the new government.
  • 54:05 - 54:09
    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
  • 54:09 - 54:11
    Meanwhile, during this November,
  • 54:11 - 54:14
    General Clinton remains
    deadlocked at New York City
  • 54:14 - 54:16
    against Washington.
  • 54:16 - 54:19
    However, he has dispatched British forces
  • 54:19 - 54:20
    under Archibald Campbell
  • 54:20 - 54:23
    from New York City toward the south.
  • 54:23 - 54:26
    Their target is Savannah, Georgia.
  • 54:26 - 54:29
    Clinton will hold the
    major port city of New York
  • 54:29 - 54:33
    while initiating a
    simultaneous southern strategy.
  • 54:33 - 54:36
    The British will focus on
    securing major southern ports.
  • 54:36 - 54:39
    From there, they hope to
    gain a footing in the south
  • 54:39 - 54:41
    by joining with what they hope
  • 54:41 - 54:44
    is a large Loyalist population.
  • 54:44 - 54:47
    On December 10th, 1778,
  • 54:47 - 54:51
    John Jay becomes president
    of the Continental Congress.
  • 54:51 - 54:53
    December 17th.
  • 54:53 - 54:56
    The British under Hamilton
    advance from Fort Detroit
  • 54:56 - 55:01
    and secure Fort Sackville at
    Vincennes in modern Indiana.
  • 55:02 - 55:05
    Christmas Day, Campbell's
    force nears Savannah, Georgia.
  • 55:05 - 55:08
    On December 29, Campbell secures Savannah,
  • 55:08 - 55:12
    capturing hundreds of Patriot militia.
  • 55:12 - 55:14
    The southern theater is now active.
  • 55:14 - 55:17
    Meanwhile, a western
    theater is also developing
  • 55:17 - 55:21
    between Patriot Fort Pitt
    and British Fort Detroit.
  • 55:21 - 55:23
    At Fort Pitt, General McIntosh
  • 55:23 - 55:27
    has built Fort Laurens at
    modern Boulevard, Ohio,
  • 55:27 - 55:30
    a stepping stone toward Fort Detroit.
  • 55:30 - 55:33
    1778 comes to a close.
  • 55:33 - 55:36
    January 1779.
  • 55:36 - 55:38
    British General Augustine Prevost,
  • 55:38 - 55:42
    stationed at Saint Augustine,
    arrives in Savannah.
  • 55:42 - 55:45
    We will zoom in to the Southern Colonies.
  • 55:45 - 55:47
    It's important to
    remember that New Orleans
  • 55:47 - 55:50
    at this time is part
    of the Spanish Empire.
  • 55:50 - 55:53
    January 9, 1779.
  • 55:53 - 55:57
    The British secure Fort
    Morris near Savannah, Georgia.
  • 55:57 - 55:59
    The British will now push
    up the Savannah River
  • 55:59 - 56:01
    against Augusta, Georgia.
  • 56:01 - 56:03
    January 29.
  • 56:03 - 56:06
    Loyalists and allied Native Americans
  • 56:06 - 56:07
    secure Augusta, Georgia.
  • 56:08 - 56:11
    Georgia has not yet fallen, however.
  • 56:11 - 56:15
    In February 1779 at nearby
    Charleston, South Carolina,
  • 56:15 - 56:17
    General Benjamin Lincoln
  • 56:17 - 56:21
    has sent a force under John
    Ashe to retake Augusta, Georgia.
  • 56:21 - 56:24
    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
  • 56:24 - 56:28
    By February 1779, at Fort Detroit,
  • 56:28 - 56:31
    Hamilton is aware of Fort
    Laurens in the Ohio Country.
  • 56:31 - 56:35
    He sees what the Patriots at
    Fort Pitt are attempting to do.
  • 56:35 - 56:39
    Hamilton dispatches Henry
    Bird against Fort Laurens.
  • 56:39 - 56:42
    On February 14th, northwest
    of Augusta, Georgia,
  • 56:42 - 56:45
    near modern Washington, Georgia,
  • 56:45 - 56:48
    Patriots defeat Loyalists at Kettle Creek.
  • 56:48 - 56:50
    February 23rd.
  • 56:50 - 56:53
    George Rogers Clark's
    Patriots attack Fort Sackville
  • 56:53 - 56:56
    at Vincennes at modern Indiana.
  • 56:56 - 56:59
    The western outpost is now
    in the hands of the Patriots.
  • 56:59 - 57:02
    On the same day, Bird's
    British and Native force
  • 57:02 - 57:06
    siege Fort Laurens in the Ohio Country.
  • 57:06 - 57:09
    Meanwhile, February sees
    back and forth raids,
  • 57:09 - 57:11
    bombardments, and property destruction
  • 57:11 - 57:13
    in the region of New York City
  • 57:13 - 57:17
    near the large armies under
    Washington and Clinton.
  • 57:17 - 57:20
    March 3rd, 1779.
  • 57:20 - 57:23
    Ashe's Continentals clash with
    the British at Brier Creek
  • 57:23 - 57:25
    near Sylvania, Georgia.
  • 57:25 - 57:27
    the British repulse the Patriots
  • 57:27 - 57:30
    and Georgia remains contested.
  • 57:30 - 57:32
    On March 6th in Pennsylvania,
  • 57:32 - 57:34
    a Continental force under John Sullivan
  • 57:34 - 57:37
    will begin to advance
    up the Susquehanna River
  • 57:37 - 57:39
    toward New York State
  • 57:39 - 57:43
    in order to prepare a
    campaign against the Iroquois.
  • 57:43 - 57:44
    March 23rd.
  • 57:44 - 57:46
    In the Ohio Country,
  • 57:46 - 57:50
    Bird's siege at Fort
    Laurens is called off.
  • 57:50 - 57:51
    However, on the rebel side,
  • 57:51 - 57:54
    with western fighting intensifying
  • 57:54 - 57:56
    in the Iroquois lands in
    Pennsylvania and New York,
  • 57:56 - 58:00
    a push against Fort
    Detroit is not practical.
  • 58:00 - 58:04
    Fort Laurens will be
    abandoned by the Continentals.
  • 58:04 - 58:07
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 58:07 - 58:09
    April 1779.
  • 58:09 - 58:11
    At Aranjuez, Spain,
  • 58:11 - 58:14
    Spain joins a secret alliance with France
  • 58:14 - 58:15
    against the British.
  • 58:15 - 58:19
    We will zoom back to the
    northeastern colonies.
  • 58:19 - 58:20
    On April 18th,
  • 58:20 - 58:23
    a Patriot expedition under Van Schaick
  • 58:23 - 58:27
    from Fort Stanwix at modern Rome, New York
  • 58:27 - 58:29
    is moving in advance of
    the Sullivan campaign
  • 58:29 - 58:32
    into Iroquois lands.
  • 58:32 - 58:35
    Van Schaick's Patriots
    deploy to Lake Oneida.
  • 58:35 - 58:38
    They attack Onondaga villages there.
  • 58:38 - 58:41
    May 5th, 1779.
  • 58:41 - 58:44
    In Philadelphia, Delaware's delegates
  • 58:44 - 58:47
    sign and ratify the
    Articles of Confederation.
  • 58:47 - 58:50
    12 of the 13 colonies have adopted
  • 58:50 - 58:52
    the Articles of Confederation.
  • 58:52 - 58:55
    We will slide down to
    the southern theater.
  • 58:55 - 58:57
    On May 10th, Norfolk, Virginia
  • 58:57 - 59:00
    is hammered by the British fleet.
  • 59:00 - 59:03
    At this time, British General Prevost
  • 59:03 - 59:07
    is advancing from Savannah
    towards Charleston.
  • 59:07 - 59:09
    However, Benjamin Lincoln
  • 59:09 - 59:12
    has a Continental force
    to defend Charleston.
  • 59:12 - 59:16
    On May 13th, Prevost is
    repulsed from Charleston
  • 59:16 - 59:18
    and he will return to Savannah.
  • 59:18 - 59:21
    We will slide up to the northern theater.
  • 59:22 - 59:25
    On May 23rd, from a
    source in Philadelphia,
  • 59:25 - 59:27
    a British spy receives secret information
  • 59:27 - 59:29
    on the Continental Army.
  • 59:29 - 59:33
    The spy's informant is Continental
    General Benedict Arnold.
  • 59:34 - 59:37
    Meanwhile, the British are
    gonna reopen the offensive
  • 59:37 - 59:39
    against Washington's New York defenses
  • 59:39 - 59:41
    up the Hudson River.
  • 59:41 - 59:44
    We will zoom in to the New York City zone.
  • 59:45 - 59:46
    May 30.
  • 59:46 - 59:47
    General Clinton advances
  • 59:47 - 59:50
    up the Hudson River from New York City,
  • 59:50 - 59:53
    securing the rebel post at Stony Point.
  • 59:53 - 59:56
    Clinton is trying to bait
    Washington into a fight,
  • 59:56 - 59:59
    but Washington will not bite.
  • 59:59 - 60:02
    In June 1779, near
    Sleepy Hollow, New York,
  • 60:02 - 60:06
    General Clinton offers the
    Philipsburg Proclamation,
  • 60:06 - 60:10
    emancipating slaves who side with Britain.
  • 60:10 - 60:12
    It is possible that some 20,000 slaves
  • 60:12 - 60:16
    will join the British side
    during the whole conflict.
  • 60:16 - 60:19
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 60:19 - 60:21
    On June 21st,
  • 60:21 - 60:23
    Spain officially declares war on Britain.
  • 60:23 - 60:25
    Britain is now contending
  • 60:25 - 60:27
    with multiple major powers in Europe.
  • 60:27 - 60:30
    A few days later on June 24th,
  • 60:30 - 60:32
    Spain besieges the British
  • 60:32 - 60:35
    at the critical post at Gibraltar,
  • 60:35 - 60:38
    the strategic entrance
    to the Mediterranean.
  • 60:38 - 60:43
    In July 1779, Britain's problems grow.
  • 60:43 - 60:46
    In the Caribbean, Comte
    d'Estaing's French fleet
  • 60:46 - 60:48
    secures British Grenada.
  • 60:48 - 60:52
    Britain's critical sugar
    islands are endangered.
  • 60:52 - 60:54
    Then, following sustained fighting
  • 60:54 - 60:56
    against the British fleet,
  • 60:56 - 60:58
    Comte d'Estaing sails back
  • 60:58 - 61:00
    towards the North American continent
  • 61:00 - 61:02
    to directly aid the Continental Army.
  • 61:02 - 61:05
    We will zoom in to New York City.
  • 61:05 - 61:07
    July 15.
  • 61:07 - 61:08
    General Anthony Wayne
  • 61:08 - 61:11
    leads a late-night assault on Stony Point.
  • 61:11 - 61:13
    The British surrender the fort.
  • 61:13 - 61:16
    The British gains on the
    Hudson River are lost.
  • 61:16 - 61:20
    However, the colony of New
    York remains a tinderbox.
  • 61:20 - 61:23
    We will zoom out to the
    northeastern colonies.
  • 61:23 - 61:27
    On July 22nd, the British-allied
    Mohawk warrior Joseph Brant
  • 61:27 - 61:30
    defeats the Patriots at
    Minisink in New York.
  • 61:31 - 61:34
    In August 1779,
  • 61:34 - 61:37
    Continentals retaliate
    against the western Natives.
  • 61:37 - 61:40
    Patriots from Fort Pitt
    advance up the Allegheny River
  • 61:40 - 61:44
    and destroy Seneca villages
    in northwestern Pennsylvania
  • 61:44 - 61:47
    in the region of modern
    Warren, Pennsylvania.
  • 61:47 - 61:50
    Meanwhile, near modern
    Athens, Pennsylvania,
  • 61:50 - 61:53
    John Sullivan's
    Continentals have assembled
  • 61:53 - 61:55
    for their campaign against the Iroquois.
  • 61:55 - 61:59
    Sullivan's force advances
    towards Iroquois territory
  • 61:59 - 62:01
    in upstate New York.
  • 62:01 - 62:02
    August 29.
  • 62:02 - 62:05
    Sullivan defeats Joseph Brant
    at the Battle of Newtown
  • 62:05 - 62:08
    near modern Elmira, New York.
  • 62:08 - 62:09
    With Brant defeated,
  • 62:09 - 62:13
    the Iroquois countryside
    is open to invasion.
  • 62:13 - 62:16
    Sullivan advances into
    the Iroquois heartland.
  • 62:16 - 62:19
    Over the coming months,
    dozens of Native villages
  • 62:19 - 62:21
    in New York State's Finger Lakes region
  • 62:21 - 62:24
    are destroyed by Sullivan's forces,
  • 62:24 - 62:28
    a devastating era for
    the Iroquois Confederacy.
  • 62:28 - 62:32
    We will now shift down
    to the Southern Colonies.
  • 62:32 - 62:34
    September 9, 1779.
  • 62:34 - 62:37
    Comte d'Estaing's fleet
    arrives off Savannah
  • 62:37 - 62:41
    with French warships and
    thousands of French infantry.
  • 62:41 - 62:43
    The British under General Prevost
  • 62:43 - 62:46
    prepare to defend the city.
  • 62:46 - 62:50
    Meanwhile, Benjamin Lincoln
    is descending from Charleston
  • 62:50 - 62:53
    to coordinate with the French at Savannah.
  • 62:53 - 62:54
    On September 16th,
  • 62:54 - 62:59
    a Franco-American force
    sieges Savannah, Georgia.
  • 62:59 - 63:00
    The situation in the south
  • 63:00 - 63:03
    has grown more complicated for Britain.
  • 63:03 - 63:07
    With Spain now in a state of
    declared war against Britain,
  • 63:07 - 63:09
    Spanish Louisiana,
  • 63:09 - 63:12
    the territory west of
    the Mississippi River,
  • 63:12 - 63:14
    creates a new front.
  • 63:14 - 63:17
    Britain will be fighting
    a two-front conflict.
  • 63:17 - 63:22
    New Orleans in 1779 is
    part of the Spanish Empire.
  • 63:22 - 63:24
    September 21st.
  • 63:24 - 63:27
    The Spanish under Bernardo de Galvez
  • 63:27 - 63:31
    have advanced from New Orleans
    against British West Florida.
  • 63:31 - 63:33
    De Galvez captures Fort Bute
  • 63:33 - 63:36
    in modern Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  • 63:36 - 63:38
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 63:39 - 63:42
    On September 23rd, across the Atlantic,
  • 63:42 - 63:45
    off the coast of Bridlington, England,
  • 63:45 - 63:47
    the American ship Bonhomme Richard
  • 63:47 - 63:49
    commanded by John Paul Jones
  • 63:49 - 63:52
    defeats the British ship Serapis.
  • 63:52 - 63:54
    September 28th.
  • 63:54 - 63:56
    In Philadelphia, Samuel Huntington
  • 63:56 - 63:59
    is now president of the
    Continental Congress.
  • 63:59 - 64:02
    We will zoom back to
    the Southern Colonies.
  • 64:02 - 64:04
    The Continentals have their units in order
  • 64:04 - 64:06
    at Savannah, Georgia.
  • 64:06 - 64:08
    The French under Comte d'Estaing
  • 64:08 - 64:09
    and Americans under Benjamin Lincoln
  • 64:09 - 64:12
    are ready to attack the British there.
  • 64:12 - 64:15
    On October 8th, 1779,
  • 64:15 - 64:18
    the Franco-American
    forces attack Savannah.
  • 64:18 - 64:21
    The British throw back their attack.
  • 64:21 - 64:23
    Despite the setback,
  • 64:23 - 64:26
    Lincoln will try to keep
    the siege at Savannah going.
  • 64:26 - 64:28
    October 18.
  • 64:28 - 64:31
    The Patriot siege at
    Savannah cannot continue.
  • 64:31 - 64:33
    Savannah remains in British hands.
  • 64:33 - 64:36
    Lincoln's Continentals
    return to Charleston.
  • 64:36 - 64:40
    Comte d'Estaing returns
    French ships to the Caribbean.
  • 64:40 - 64:43
    We will slide up to the northern colonies.
  • 64:43 - 64:47
    Meanwhile, British General
    Clinton in New York City
  • 64:47 - 64:50
    has planned a counter-attack in the south.
  • 64:50 - 64:52
    The increasing efforts in the south
  • 64:52 - 64:55
    will require significant numbers of men,
  • 64:55 - 64:58
    including the garrison
    at Newport, Rhode Island.
  • 64:58 - 65:03
    On October 25th, the British
    abandon Newport, Rhode Island,
  • 65:03 - 65:06
    which they had held
    for nearly three years.
  • 65:06 - 65:09
    Rhode Island, like the
    other northern lands
  • 65:09 - 65:10
    outside New York City,
  • 65:10 - 65:14
    is now essentially
    liberated from British rule.
  • 65:14 - 65:15
    With the exception of New York,
  • 65:15 - 65:17
    which is locked in stalemate,
  • 65:17 - 65:21
    the northern colonies by
    this time are liberated.
  • 65:21 - 65:22
    It makes sense at this time
  • 65:22 - 65:25
    that General Clinton will
    readjust to the south,
  • 65:25 - 65:28
    where he hopes to find
    a larger Loyalist base.
  • 65:28 - 65:32
    We will slide down to
    the Southern Colonies.
  • 65:32 - 65:34
    Also in October in the southwest,
  • 65:34 - 65:39
    the Spanish General de
    Galvez secures Fort Panmure
  • 65:39 - 65:41
    at modern Natchez, Mississippi.
  • 65:41 - 65:45
    Spain is making progress in
    the reconquest of Florida,
  • 65:45 - 65:47
    which it had held for centuries
  • 65:47 - 65:48
    before losing it to Britain
  • 65:48 - 65:51
    after the recent Seven Years' War.
  • 65:51 - 65:55
    Britain now loses control over
    the Lower Mississippi River.
  • 65:55 - 65:57
    Spain can send supplies
  • 65:57 - 66:01
    up the Mississippi and Ohio
    Rivers to the Patriots.
  • 66:01 - 66:04
    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
  • 66:04 - 66:06
    In December 1779,
  • 66:06 - 66:09
    in the northern theater
    near New York City,
  • 66:09 - 66:12
    Washington returns to
    Morristown, New Jersey
  • 66:12 - 66:14
    for winter quarters.
  • 66:14 - 66:16
    By December 26th,
  • 66:16 - 66:18
    General Clinton embarks from New York City
  • 66:18 - 66:23
    to join forces with Prevost
    in Savannah, Georgia.
  • 66:23 - 66:25
    Clinton leaves New York City
  • 66:25 - 66:30
    under the German General
    Wilhelm Baron von Knyphausen.
  • 66:31 - 66:34
    1779 comes to an end.
  • 66:34 - 66:36
    In January 1780,
  • 66:36 - 66:39
    at Washington's Continental
    camp at Morristown, New Jersey,
  • 66:39 - 66:42
    the rebel soldiers are half starved.
  • 66:42 - 66:44
    It is a bitter winter in the north.
  • 66:44 - 66:48
    January 30th, 1780.
  • 66:48 - 66:51
    Clinton's forces arrive by
    ship at Savannah, Georgia.
  • 66:51 - 66:55
    Clinton, now united with
    Prevost at Savannah,
  • 66:55 - 66:58
    plans to advance with
    British-held Savannah
  • 66:58 - 67:00
    against Patriot-held Charleston.
  • 67:02 - 67:03
    March 1780.
  • 67:03 - 67:06
    In Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Assembly
  • 67:06 - 67:10
    passes the Act for the
    Gradual Abolition of Slavery.
  • 67:10 - 67:11
    Pennsylvania is the first state
  • 67:11 - 67:14
    to legislatively abolish slavery.
  • 67:14 - 67:17
    We will zoom in to the Southern Colonies.
  • 67:17 - 67:21
    On March 14th, the Spanish
    under Bernardo de Galvez
  • 67:21 - 67:24
    secure Mobile in British West Florida,
  • 67:24 - 67:26
    now in modern Alabama.
  • 67:27 - 67:29
    Meanwhile, on the Atlantic coast,
  • 67:29 - 67:31
    Clinton's forces are advancing
  • 67:31 - 67:34
    from Savannah to Charleston by ship,
  • 67:34 - 67:36
    and by April 1780,
  • 67:36 - 67:38
    Clinton's ground forces have disembarked.
  • 67:38 - 67:41
    The Siege of Charleston has begun.
  • 67:41 - 67:45
    The Siege of Charleston will
    be by both land and sea.
  • 67:45 - 67:47
    May 9, 1780.
  • 67:47 - 67:50
    The British guns open up on Charleston.
  • 67:50 - 67:51
    May 12th.
  • 67:51 - 67:53
    Benjamin Lincoln has no options.
  • 67:53 - 67:55
    The Continentals surrender.
  • 67:55 - 67:58
    Clinton secures
    Charleston, South Carolina.
  • 67:58 - 68:00
    The Continental Army in the south,
  • 68:00 - 68:03
    some 5,000 men, surrender to the British.
  • 68:03 - 68:05
    The surrender of Charleston
  • 68:05 - 68:07
    is as devastating for the Continentals
  • 68:07 - 68:09
    as Saratoga had been for the British.
  • 68:09 - 68:12
    Charleston is now held by the British.
  • 68:13 - 68:15
    With the southern Continental Army lost,
  • 68:15 - 68:18
    the Patriot efforts turn back to militia.
  • 68:18 - 68:21
    The Carolina backcountry will be engulfed
  • 68:21 - 68:25
    in a brutal
    neighbor-against-neighbor conflict.
  • 68:25 - 68:27
    On the British side,
    with Savannah, Georgia
  • 68:27 - 68:30
    and Charleston, South
    Carolina now in their hands,
  • 68:30 - 68:33
    the British will advance northward.
  • 68:33 - 68:36
    A British force under Banastre Tarleton
  • 68:36 - 68:39
    advances into South Carolina backcountry
  • 68:39 - 68:42
    in the direction of
    Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • 68:43 - 68:45
    May 29.
  • 68:45 - 68:46
    At Waxhaws, South Carolina
  • 68:46 - 68:49
    near Lancaster, South Carolina,
  • 68:49 - 68:52
    Tarleton ruthlessly
    strikes the Continentals.
  • 68:52 - 68:55
    Tarleton will develop a
    reputation for cruelty
  • 68:55 - 68:58
    raiding in the Carolina backcountry.
  • 68:58 - 69:00
    On June 3rd, 1780,
  • 69:00 - 69:03
    Clinton demands that South Carolinians
  • 69:03 - 69:05
    take an oath of loyalty.
  • 69:05 - 69:07
    This essentially backfires,
  • 69:07 - 69:10
    because now individuals
    are forced to take sides.
  • 69:10 - 69:13
    Instead of pacifying the population,
  • 69:13 - 69:15
    Clinton has inflamed it.
  • 69:15 - 69:17
    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
  • 69:18 - 69:20
    About this time, Clinton has learned
  • 69:20 - 69:23
    that the French officer
    Comte de Rochambeau
  • 69:23 - 69:25
    is bringing a large French force
  • 69:25 - 69:29
    against the now undefended
    Newport, Rhode Island.
  • 69:29 - 69:33
    Clinton will leave the south
    and return to New York City.
  • 69:33 - 69:37
    Thus, on June 5th at Charleston,
  • 69:37 - 69:39
    Cornwallis is left in command
  • 69:39 - 69:41
    of the British troops in the south.
  • 69:41 - 69:44
    On June 7th up north,
    Washington's Continentals
  • 69:44 - 69:47
    clash with British and Hessians
  • 69:47 - 69:51
    at the Battle of Connecticut
    Farms near Newark, New Jersey.
  • 69:51 - 69:54
    Later in June, General
    Clinton has returned
  • 69:54 - 69:56
    to New York City.
  • 69:56 - 69:59
    In July 1780, Comte de Rochambeau
  • 69:59 - 70:01
    arrives in Newport, Rhode Island.
  • 70:01 - 70:04
    Thousands of French
    troops are now in a city
  • 70:04 - 70:07
    which previously had been
    a British stronghold.
  • 70:07 - 70:10
    Also in July, in North Carolina,
  • 70:10 - 70:13
    General Horatio Gates
    replaces Benjamin Lincoln
  • 70:13 - 70:17
    as commander of a reorganized
    southern Continental force.
  • 70:17 - 70:20
    We will zoom in to the southern theater.
  • 70:20 - 70:23
    In August 1780, Cornwallis is advancing
  • 70:23 - 70:26
    from Charleston towards Charlotte.
  • 70:26 - 70:27
    At the same time,
  • 70:27 - 70:29
    Gates advances from North Carolina
  • 70:29 - 70:32
    toward Camden, South Carolina.
  • 70:32 - 70:33
    The Continentals are now moving
  • 70:33 - 70:37
    to Counter Cornwallis in South Carolina.
  • 70:37 - 70:39
    August 16.
  • 70:39 - 70:42
    Cornwallis engages Gates
    near Camden, South Carolina.
  • 70:42 - 70:45
    Cornwallis crushes the Continentals.
  • 70:45 - 70:46
    A second Continental army
  • 70:46 - 70:49
    has been destroyed in South Carolina.
  • 70:49 - 70:54
    So far, the British southern
    strategy is a success.
  • 70:54 - 70:57
    In September 1780, the
    British seem to have control
  • 70:57 - 71:00
    of Georgia and South Carolina.
  • 71:00 - 71:02
    Cornwallis is advancing from Camden
  • 71:02 - 71:05
    toward Charlotte, North Carolina,
  • 71:05 - 71:08
    but the Patriots turn
    to guerilla fighting.
  • 71:08 - 71:12
    On September 14, Francis
    Marion, the Swamp Fox,
  • 71:12 - 71:15
    defeats Loyalists at Black Mingo Creek
  • 71:15 - 71:18
    near modern Hemingway, South Carolina.
  • 71:18 - 71:20
    We will slide up to the northern theater
  • 71:20 - 71:23
    and then zoom in to the New York sector.
  • 71:23 - 71:25
    Benedict Arnold has
    recently assumed command
  • 71:25 - 71:27
    at West Point, New York
    on the Hudson River.
  • 71:29 - 71:33
    On September 21st below West
    Point in Haverstraw, New York,
  • 71:33 - 71:37
    Benedict Arnold meets with
    the British spy John Andre.
  • 71:37 - 71:38
    Arnold agrees to hand over
  • 71:38 - 71:41
    the rebel fortifications at
    West Point to the British
  • 71:41 - 71:46
    in exchange for cash and a
    British officer commission.
  • 71:46 - 71:47
    September 24th.
  • 71:47 - 71:50
    Washington arrives at West Point.
  • 71:50 - 71:53
    Benedict Arnold is absent from his post.
  • 71:53 - 71:55
    Retrieved documents show that Arnold
  • 71:55 - 71:58
    has been supplying
    information to the British.
  • 71:58 - 71:59
    Arnold has already fled
  • 71:59 - 72:01
    to the British lines at New York City.
  • 72:01 - 72:04
    However, Andre is captured.
  • 72:04 - 72:07
    October 2nd, 1780.
  • 72:07 - 72:11
    In Tappan on the New
    York-New Jersey border,
  • 72:11 - 72:14
    John Andre is sent to the gallows.
  • 72:14 - 72:15
    We will zoom out
  • 72:15 - 72:18
    and slide back down to
    the southern theater.
  • 72:19 - 72:23
    By now, Cornwallis is nearing
    Charlotte, North Carolina,
  • 72:23 - 72:25
    On Cornwallis' left,
  • 72:25 - 72:28
    there is a force of Loyalists
    on the western wing.
  • 72:28 - 72:30
    The Loyalists find good ground
  • 72:30 - 72:33
    at Kings Mountain in
    northern South Carolina,
  • 72:33 - 72:35
    just west of Charlotte.
  • 72:35 - 72:38
    However, on October 7th, 1780,
  • 72:38 - 72:41
    backwoods Patriots, the Overmountain Men,
  • 72:41 - 72:43
    hit Kings Mountain.
  • 72:43 - 72:45
    The Loyalists are defeated.
  • 72:45 - 72:49
    Cornwall has lost a large Loyalist army.
  • 72:49 - 72:53
    Cornwallis is now spooked
    by the backcountry.
  • 72:53 - 72:54
    The British cancel their advance
  • 72:54 - 72:56
    on Charlotte, North Carolina
  • 72:56 - 72:59
    and turn back into South Carolina.
  • 72:59 - 73:02
    Cornwallis, largely
    invincible up to this point,
  • 73:02 - 73:03
    has been bested.
  • 73:03 - 73:06
    Patriot morale improves.
  • 73:06 - 73:09
    Also in October, Nathanael
    Greene replaces Gates
  • 73:09 - 73:12
    as the Continental commander in the south.
  • 73:12 - 73:15
    The southern Continental
    Army is reforming yet again.
  • 73:15 - 73:19
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 73:19 - 73:21
    In December 1780,
  • 73:21 - 73:24
    Britain's list of formal
    enemies grows further.
  • 73:24 - 73:26
    Upon discovering that the Netherlands
  • 73:26 - 73:28
    has been aiding and supplying the rebels,
  • 73:28 - 73:32
    His Majesty declares war on the Dutch.
  • 73:32 - 73:35
    We will zoom in to the Southern Colonies.
  • 73:35 - 73:39
    From here, we will zoom in
    to the Carolina countryside.
  • 73:39 - 73:40
    In December 1780,
  • 73:40 - 73:44
    the Continentals under Greene
    and Morgan are at Charlotte.
  • 73:44 - 73:46
    Greene moves the southern Continental Army
  • 73:46 - 73:49
    to Cheraw, South Carolina.
  • 73:49 - 73:51
    Daniel Morgan moves his Patriot force
  • 73:51 - 73:54
    West from Charlotte to Cowpens.
  • 73:54 - 73:57
    Meanwhile, Cornwallis
    has retreated southward
  • 73:57 - 74:01
    to make winter camp at
    Winnsboro, South Carolina.
  • 74:01 - 74:03
    1780 comes to an end.
  • 74:03 - 74:06
    In January 1781, up north,
  • 74:06 - 74:10
    Washington has Lafayette
    redeploy to Virginia.
  • 74:10 - 74:11
    Back in South Carolina,
  • 74:11 - 74:15
    Cornwallis, with Tarleton
    on his left wing,
  • 74:15 - 74:18
    is pursuing Morgan toward Cowpens.
  • 74:18 - 74:23
    On January 17th at Cowpens
    near Chesnee, South Carolina,
  • 74:23 - 74:25
    Tarleton runs into a trap
  • 74:25 - 74:27
    set by Daniel Morgan.
  • 74:27 - 74:30
    The notorious Tarleton is smashed.
  • 74:30 - 74:33
    The Patriots now have two
    solid victories in a row
  • 74:33 - 74:34
    west of Charlotte,
  • 74:34 - 74:38
    one at Kings Mountain the
    previous year, shown here in blue,
  • 74:38 - 74:40
    and a second now at Cowpens.
  • 74:40 - 74:43
    The momentum in the south is turning.
  • 74:43 - 74:46
    However, Cornwallis continues
  • 74:46 - 74:48
    his pursuit of Greene and Morgan.
  • 74:48 - 74:50
    The army's now moving in the direction
  • 74:50 - 74:53
    of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina.
  • 74:53 - 74:55
    We will zoom out to the wider colonies.
  • 74:55 - 74:58
    March 1st, 1781.
  • 74:58 - 75:01
    In Philadelphia, Maryland
    delegates sign and ratify
  • 75:01 - 75:03
    the Articles of Confederation.
  • 75:03 - 75:06
    All 13 colonies have now adopted
  • 75:06 - 75:08
    the Articles of Confederation.
  • 75:08 - 75:11
    The colonies now have a
    national government document.
  • 75:11 - 75:14
    The colonies are officially,
    from their perspective,
  • 75:14 - 75:18
    a new nation, and are now called states.
  • 75:18 - 75:20
    The United States has a formal
  • 75:20 - 75:23
    national legislative document.
  • 75:23 - 75:26
    March 9, 1781.
  • 75:26 - 75:29
    General de Galvez's Spanish force
  • 75:29 - 75:31
    arrives at Pensacola, Florida.
  • 75:31 - 75:33
    The British there are now besieged.
  • 75:33 - 75:37
    We will zoom in to the
    Carolina countryside.
  • 75:37 - 75:39
    On March 15th at Guilford Courthouse
  • 75:39 - 75:42
    at modern Greensboro, North Carolina,
  • 75:42 - 75:45
    Cornwallis and Greene clash.
  • 75:45 - 75:47
    Cornwallis throws Greene from the field
  • 75:47 - 75:50
    at a great cost to his ranks.
  • 75:50 - 75:52
    Greene will recover his forces
  • 75:52 - 75:55
    and move back toward
    Camden, South Carolina.
  • 75:55 - 75:57
    Cornwallis, however,
  • 75:57 - 76:00
    will advance toward
    Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 76:00 - 76:03
    in order to reconnect with supply ships.
  • 76:03 - 76:04
    In April 1781,
  • 76:04 - 76:07
    Cornwall is in Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 76:07 - 76:11
    and Greene has arrived at
    Camden, South Carolina.
  • 76:11 - 76:13
    While the main armies are separated,
  • 76:13 - 76:17
    the region still has guerilla
    fighting at this time.
  • 76:17 - 76:18
    April 15th.
  • 76:18 - 76:21
    Patriot forces under
    Francis Marion and Henry Lee
  • 76:21 - 76:26
    are sieging Fort Watson near
    Summerton, South Carolina.
  • 76:26 - 76:27
    On April 23rd,
  • 76:27 - 76:31
    Henry Lee and Francis
    Marion secure Fort Watson.
  • 76:31 - 76:32
    April 25th.
  • 76:32 - 76:34
    The British counter-attack.
  • 76:34 - 76:38
    At Hobkirk's Hill at
    Camden, South Carolina,
  • 76:38 - 76:40
    the British under Lord Rawdon
  • 76:40 - 76:43
    drive Greene's forces from high ground.
  • 76:43 - 76:46
    Rawdon pulls southward for supply,
  • 76:46 - 76:47
    while Greene redeploys westward
  • 76:47 - 76:51
    toward the British-held
    post at Fort Ninety Six.
  • 76:52 - 76:54
    This May, General Cornwallis
  • 76:54 - 76:57
    advances from Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 76:57 - 77:00
    northward towards Virginia on foot.
  • 77:00 - 77:03
    He is hoping to solidify
    a strong Virginia port
  • 77:03 - 77:07
    as a naval stronghold to
    secure the Chesapeake.
  • 77:07 - 77:09
    From there, General Clinton
  • 77:09 - 77:11
    is hoping to redeploy Cornwallis
  • 77:11 - 77:14
    to a larger port like New
    York City or Charleston.
  • 77:14 - 77:17
    We will zoom out to the
    wider southern theater.
  • 77:17 - 77:19
    May 8, 1781.
  • 77:19 - 77:22
    De Galvez secures British Pensacola.
  • 77:22 - 77:26
    British West Florida has
    lost another major port.
  • 77:26 - 77:30
    On May 20th, Cornwallis is
    at Petersburg, Virginia.
  • 77:30 - 77:34
    However, the Continentals
    are also in Virginia.
  • 77:34 - 77:38
    Coming from the north is
    Lafayette to oppose Cornwallis.
  • 77:38 - 77:41
    We will zoom out to the
    transatlantic world.
  • 77:41 - 77:42
    Also in May,
  • 77:42 - 77:45
    the French officer
    Rochambeau in Rhode Island
  • 77:45 - 77:50
    requests support from Admiral
    de Grasse in the West Indies.
  • 77:50 - 77:52
    Soon, de Grasse is moving
  • 77:52 - 77:54
    toward the continent with his fleet,
  • 77:54 - 77:56
    and Rochambeau will soon be advancing
  • 77:56 - 77:57
    from Newport, Rhode Island
  • 77:57 - 78:01
    to rendezvous with
    Washington's army in New York.
  • 78:01 - 78:03
    We will zoom in to Virginia.
  • 78:03 - 78:07
    In June 1781, Virginia
    becomes a battleground.
  • 78:07 - 78:09
    Cornwallis advances from Petersburg
  • 78:09 - 78:12
    around Lafayette and around Richmond.
  • 78:12 - 78:15
    Lafayette pulls back toward Culpeper
  • 78:15 - 78:19
    to meet with Anthony Wayne's
    approaching reinforcements.
  • 78:19 - 78:22
    Cornwallis turns toward
    Elk Head, Virginia.
  • 78:22 - 78:26
    Tarleton breaks off and moves
    towards Charlottesville.
  • 78:26 - 78:27
    June 4th.
  • 78:27 - 78:30
    Tarleton's raiders hit
    Jefferson's hometown
  • 78:30 - 78:32
    of Charlottesville, Virginia.
  • 78:32 - 78:34
    Jefferson flees Monticello.
  • 78:35 - 78:38
    We will zoom out to the
    wider southern theater.
  • 78:38 - 78:41
    While much of the conflict is
    now converging on Virginia,
  • 78:41 - 78:42
    the backcountry in the south
  • 78:42 - 78:45
    is still the scene of
    back and forth action.
  • 78:45 - 78:47
    Greene's Continentals
    are sieging Loyalists
  • 78:47 - 78:51
    at Fort Ninety Six near
    Greenwood, South Carolina.
  • 78:51 - 78:52
    On June 5th,
  • 78:52 - 78:56
    Augusta, Georgia is
    secured by the Patriots.
  • 78:56 - 78:59
    On June 6th, Anthony Wayne joins Lafayette
  • 78:59 - 79:01
    near Culpeper, Virginia.
  • 79:01 - 79:03
    They can now pursue Cornwallis.
  • 79:03 - 79:06
    On June 18, Loyalists have rebuffed
  • 79:06 - 79:09
    Nathaniel Greene's siege
    of Fort Ninety Six.
  • 79:09 - 79:10
    Greene withdraws.
  • 79:10 - 79:13
    The conflict remains
    stalemated in the south.
  • 79:13 - 79:16
    However, gears are turning in the north.
  • 79:16 - 79:19
    We will slide up to the northern colonies,
  • 79:19 - 79:22
    which will include Virginia on this map.
  • 79:22 - 79:27
    On June 19th, Rochambeau is
    moving his 5,000 French troops
  • 79:27 - 79:29
    out of Rhode Island
  • 79:29 - 79:31
    to link with Washington in New York.
  • 79:31 - 79:34
    We will zoom in to the Virginia theater.
  • 79:34 - 79:37
    By June 20th in Virginia,
  • 79:37 - 79:39
    Lafayette has pursued Cornwallis
  • 79:39 - 79:41
    from Charlottesville
    into the Richmond area.
  • 79:41 - 79:43
    June 25th.
  • 79:43 - 79:45
    Lafayette continues to pursue Cornwallis
  • 79:45 - 79:48
    down the peninsula toward Williamsburg.
  • 79:48 - 79:51
    July 6, 1781.
  • 79:51 - 79:52
    Near Williamsburg,
  • 79:52 - 79:55
    Lafayette and Anthony Wayne
    are rebuffed by the British
  • 79:55 - 79:58
    at Green Spring, Virginia.
  • 79:58 - 80:01
    We will zoom back to
    the northern colonies.
  • 80:02 - 80:04
    Also on July 6th,
  • 80:04 - 80:07
    Rochambeau has linked up
    with Washington's army
  • 80:07 - 80:09
    at Dobbs Ferry, New York.
  • 80:09 - 80:10
    July 7.
  • 80:10 - 80:13
    In Philadelphia, Thomas
    McKean is now president
  • 80:13 - 80:15
    of the Continental Congress.
  • 80:15 - 80:19
    Also in July, Cornwallis
    is instructed by Clinton
  • 80:19 - 80:22
    to find a suitable place
    along Virginia's coast
  • 80:22 - 80:24
    that can support naval operations.
  • 80:24 - 80:26
    The British army needs to coordinate
  • 80:26 - 80:28
    with His Majesty's fleet.
  • 80:28 - 80:31
    Cornwallis chooses Yorktown, Virginia.
  • 80:32 - 80:35
    August 1st, 1781.
  • 80:35 - 80:38
    Cornwallis has redeployed
    to Yorktown, Virginia.
  • 80:38 - 80:42
    On August 14th, back at
    Dobbs Ferry, New York,
  • 80:42 - 80:45
    Washington learns that the
    French Admiral de Grasse's fleet
  • 80:45 - 80:48
    is en route to the Chesapeake Bay region.
  • 80:49 - 80:51
    Washington will plan to trap Cornwallis
  • 80:51 - 80:53
    between the Franco-American army
  • 80:53 - 80:55
    and the incoming French fleet.
  • 80:55 - 80:57
    Washington and Rochambeau
  • 80:57 - 81:00
    are now about to begin
    a major redeployment,
  • 81:00 - 81:02
    moving from the New York City sector
  • 81:02 - 81:04
    southward toward the Chesapeake.
  • 81:05 - 81:07
    About this time, de Grasse's French fleet
  • 81:07 - 81:09
    is nearing the Chesapeake.
  • 81:09 - 81:13
    On August 30th, de Grasse's
    fleet is in the Chesapeake.
  • 81:14 - 81:17
    September 1st, 1781.
  • 81:17 - 81:18
    Clinton is responding
  • 81:18 - 81:20
    to the French presence in the Chesapeake.
  • 81:20 - 81:23
    A British fleet under Admiral Graves
  • 81:23 - 81:24
    sets out from New York City
  • 81:24 - 81:27
    to engage de Grasse in the Chesapeake.
  • 81:27 - 81:28
    On September 3rd,
  • 81:28 - 81:32
    Washington and Rochambeau
    are in Philadelphia.
  • 81:32 - 81:35
    On September 5th, guns
    roar in the Chesapeake
  • 81:35 - 81:37
    between de Grasse's French ships
  • 81:37 - 81:39
    and Graves' British ships.
  • 81:39 - 81:42
    De Grasse throws back the British ships.
  • 81:42 - 81:45
    De Grasse maintains a
    hold on the Chesapeake.
  • 81:45 - 81:48
    Cornwallis is without supply.
  • 81:48 - 81:49
    On September 6th,
  • 81:49 - 81:53
    Washington and Rochambeau
    are embarking on ships
  • 81:53 - 81:56
    at Elkton, Maryland and at Baltimore.
  • 81:56 - 81:59
    The army will travel by
    water down the Chesapeake,
  • 81:59 - 82:01
    which is protected by the French fleet.
  • 82:02 - 82:03
    By September 30th,
  • 82:03 - 82:05
    Washington and Rochambeau's forces
  • 82:05 - 82:08
    arrive at Williamsburg, Virginia.
  • 82:08 - 82:11
    Cornwallis is now sealed
    in from all sides.
  • 82:11 - 82:14
    We will zoom in to the Yorktown region.
  • 82:14 - 82:16
    October 1781.
  • 82:16 - 82:20
    Cornwallis is now
    besieged by land and sea.
  • 82:20 - 82:22
    Cornwall is at Yorktown here.
  • 82:22 - 82:26
    Washington's Franco-American
    army is in position.
  • 82:26 - 82:29
    The American army is here
    under Benjamin Lincoln
  • 82:29 - 82:32
    and the French army
    under Rochambeau is here.
  • 82:32 - 82:36
    Further out, de Grasse
    is blockading the sea.
  • 82:36 - 82:38
    October 6th.
  • 82:38 - 82:42
    The Franco-American siege
    line is being fortified here.
  • 82:42 - 82:43
    October 9th.
  • 82:43 - 82:45
    The siege line is complete.
  • 82:45 - 82:46
    Washington and Rochambeau
  • 82:46 - 82:49
    now have cannons in range of Yorktown.
  • 82:49 - 82:51
    The bombardment begins.
  • 82:51 - 82:54
    On October 11th, the
    Franco-American siege line
  • 82:54 - 82:57
    has advanced closer to Yorktown here,
  • 82:57 - 82:59
    near point-blank range.
  • 82:59 - 83:01
    October 14.
  • 83:01 - 83:04
    Alexander Hamilton leads men into action,
  • 83:04 - 83:06
    capturing Cornwallis' flank.
  • 83:06 - 83:08
    On October 17th,
  • 83:08 - 83:12
    Cornwallis offers Washington
    a cessation of hostilities
  • 83:12 - 83:15
    to discuss the British surrender.
  • 83:15 - 83:18
    October 17th happens to
    be the fourth anniversary
  • 83:18 - 83:21
    of Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga.
  • 83:21 - 83:23
    October 19th.
  • 83:23 - 83:27
    Cornwallis officially
    surrenders to George Washington.
  • 83:27 - 83:30
    Yorktown will be the last mass surrender
  • 83:30 - 83:33
    of a large British force
    until World War II.
  • 83:33 - 83:36
    When word of the surrender
    reaches Parliament,
  • 83:36 - 83:40
    the British government will
    look to negotiate peace.
  • 83:40 - 83:43
    So the British colonial story
    in the future United States
  • 83:43 - 83:45
    ends at Yorktown, Virginia,
  • 83:45 - 83:49
    just 15 miles from where
    it all began at Jamestown,
  • 83:49 - 83:54
    174 years before Cornwallis' surrender.
  • 83:54 - 83:56
    (birds singing)
  • 84:01 - 84:03
    (birds singing)
Title:
American Revolution, 1775-1781: Lexington to Yorktown | American Independence, US Colonial History
Description:

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Video Language:
English
Duration:
01:24:06

English subtitles

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    DigitalAccessibility-UTSA Feb 24, 2025, 9:56 PM