CHAPTER VI.

THE REVOLUTION.

REFERENCES.

General. - Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America, vi., vii., Chaps. i., ii.; Winsor's Reader's Handbook of the American Revolution, "a continuous foot-note to all histories of the American Revolution"; G. Bancroft, History of the United States, vols. iv., v.; R. Hildreth, History of the United States, iii. 69-429; Bryant and Gay, Popular History of the United States, iii. 377-623; iv. 1-74; T. W. Higginson, Larger History of the United States, pp. 241-292; John Fiske, The American Revolution, 2 vols., the most graphic and interesting book on the period; his War of Independence is a brief but excellent presentation of the same subject; A. B. Hart, Formation of the Union (Epochs of American History), Chaps. iii., iv.; W. M. Sloane, The French War and the Revolution (American History Series), Chaps. xv.-xxviii.; J. M. Ludlow, The War of American Independence (Epoch Series), Chaps. v.-viii.; J. A. Doyle, History of the United States, Chaps. xviii., xix.; J. R. Green, Short History of the English People, Chap. x., sect. ii. ; S. R. Gardiner, Student's History of England, Chap. xlix. ; W. E. H. Lecky, History of England in the Eighteenth Century, iv., Chap. iv.; G. W. Greene, Historical View of the American Revolution; R. Frothingham, Rise of the Republic, pp. 403-582; B. J. Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution. For reprints of contemporary papers, etc., see Winsor, vol. vi., and Niles's Principles and Acts of the Revolution.

Biographies. - American Statesmen Series, Lives of Washington, Franklin, J. Adams, S. Adams, Hamilton, Jay, Madison, Monroe, Gouverneur Morris, Patrick Henry, Jefferson; and in Makers of America Series, Lives of Hamilton, Jefferson, Robert Morris; F. V. Greene, Nathaniel Greene.

Special. — For Mecklenburg Resolutions: J. C. Welling, North American Review, April, 1874, Magazine of American History, xxi. 221-233 (very full); B. J. Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, ii. 619 (Resolutions given in full); Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, vi. 256; R. Frothingham, Rise

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of the Republic, pp. 422-424; C. M. Wilcox, Magazine of American History, xxi. 31-45; W. A. Grahame, Historical Address on the Mecklenburg Centennial. For Declaration of Independence: For document, see Appendix to this volume; a fac-simile of Jefferson's Draft is in Randall's Life of Jefferson; F. M. Etting, Independence Hall, pp. 91-106, fac-simile of engraved copy as signed. For the West: T. Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, 2 vols. ; B. A. Hinsdale, The Old Northwest, pp. 120-191; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, vi., Chap. ix. For Arnold's Treason: B. J. Lossing, The Two Spies; W. Sargent, Life of Major Andrè; Winsor's Narrative and Critical History, vi. 447-468. Yorktown: J. Fiske, Critical Period of American History, pp. 1-48; H. P. Johnston, Yorktown Campaign. Peace of 1783: Winsor's Narrative and Critical History, vii., Chap. ii.

105. Second Continental Congress; Washington Commander-inChief. (1775.)-The first congress had done nothing but deliberate and issue documents; now the time for action had arrived. The second Continental Congress met May 10, 1775, the day of the taking of Ticonderoga. It instantly resolved to take up the quarrel of Massachusetts as the quarrel of the colonies; it accepted the army of minute-men around Boston as the Continental army, and at the suggestion of John Adams, appointed one of the delegates, George Washington, of Virginia, as commander-in-chief, and provided for the expenses by issuing $2,000,000 in paper money. Washington was already known throughout the colonies as a successful military man, from his part in the French and Indian War; he had been fifteen years a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and had been a member of the first Continental Congress, where he had made a great impression by his "solid information and sound sense.' He was forty-three years old, and in the very prime of his powers. On his acceptance of the position of commander, he refused any pay for his services, though reserving the right to be paid for his expenses. At the close of the war he presented his account, neatly kept, written in his own handwriting. This document may still be seen.

106. Bunker Hill. (1775.) (1775.) Before Washington could reach Boston, another encounter had taken place. General Artemas Ward, the commander of the Massachusetts forces, learning that General Gage intended to fortify Bunker Hill in Charlestown, across the Charles River from Boston, resolved to forestall him. So a detachment of troops was sent on the evening of June 16, to occupy it and throw up entrenchments. The hill beyond, Breed's Hill, was chosen instead, and by morning the astonished British saw the lines of redoubts on the hill before them. At once 3000 British troops were sent across the river to dislodge the Americans. Twice were the regulars repulsed, with heavy loss; the third time, the ammunition of the Americans having given out, they were compelled to retreat. The loss on each side was very heavy, and the British from this time had a dread of attacking entrenchments that served the Continental army well all through the conflict. The battle of Bunker Hill confirmed the colonists in the course they had taken. Washington reached the headquarters of the army at Cambridge and assumed command July 3, 1775.

107. Boston evacuated; Canada. (1776.) - His difficulties were very great; there was hardly any ammunition; the men, unused to military life, were already getting sick of the hardships they had to endure; they did not like the strict discipline of the camp; and they were enlisted only for short. periods; so when Washington reached the army, he found it fully one-third smaller than it had been. In spite of these difficulties, he maintained the siege of Boston successfully. Early in March, 1776, having drilled the army, and thinking it time to make an active demonstration, he seized Dorchester Heights, to the south of the city, and fortified them before the British could prevent him. The British, fearing to attack

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these entrenchments, resolved to evacuate the city, which was done March 17, 1776. The Americans were thus successful in compelling the British to leave Massachusetts.

In the hope of getting the Canadians to join them, the colonists sent an expedition to capture the British strongholds in Canada. They were successful in taking Montreal, but an attack upon Quebec was a total failure, and as the Americans were then driven out of Canada, the expedition did no good. Canada never helped the colonists. This was mainly due to three causes: first, the English population was small; secondly, by the Quebec Act, the French had been confirmed in many of their old rights and privileges and had no cause for grievance; and thirdly, Canada was separated from the other colonies by forests almost impenetrable, except in a few places where there were natural passageways.

108. The King and the Colonists. (1776.) Meanwhile, Parliament had met in England, and the king had already refused to hear or even to receive the petition sent to him by the second congress, but instead had issued a proclamation against rebellion and sedition. Parliament responded to the king by authorizing him to send forces to America and to hire troops of Hanover, Brunswick, and Hesse Cassel. Trade was prohibited with certain of the colonies, a prohibition afterwards extended to all. There was now presented the curious spectacle of a congress fighting against the armies of the king, and exercising many of the prerogatives of an independent government, and yet protesting that it had no wish for independence. But it is almost impossible to fight against a man and yet not wish to escape from his rule, and there were many who saw the inevitable result before the congress did. The Declaration of Independence was the necessary conclusion of the acts of the congress in allowing

the colonies to form their own governments, authorizing British war vessels or transports to be captured, opening the ports of the colonies to all nations, forbidding the slave trade, and appointing Franklin, Jay, and others to maintain intercourse with the "friends of the colonies in Great Britain and elsewhere." On the 1st of January, 1776, a new flag had been hoisted in front of Boston as

COLONIAL FLAG, 1776.

the ensign of the united colonies, having, in addition to the British union, thirteen alternate stripes of red and white.1

109. Origin of the States. In October, 1775, New Hampshire petitioned the Continental Congress to be allowed to set up a government of its own, and in November the people of that colony were advised to "establish such a form of government as in their judgment will best promote the happiness of the people, and most effectually secure peace and good order in the province." South Carolina and Virginia received similar advice. Rhode Island, by act of her legislature, relieved her citizens from allegiance to the king. In Virginia and some other of the colonies, the royal governors fled. So that, one after another, the several colonies, either by advice of Congress or by their own action, set up

1 The British union of two crosses indicated allegiance to the king. June 14, 1777, this union was changed to a blue. field with thirteen stars. This flag was probably first unfurled August 3, 1777, at Fort Schuyler (now Rome), New York. The first battle in which it was used was probably the Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777. In 1795, two stars and two stripes were added for Kentucky and Vermont, but it was seen that the addition of a stripe for each new state would make a very ill-proportioned banner, and so, in 1818, the number of the stripes was reduced to thirteen, with the provision that a new star should be added for every new state admitted. This is done on the 4th of July succeeding its admission.