Tidbits invites readers to celebrate 250 years of freedom this week with facts about the beginning of the road to independence.
• Although there had been anger for years about the increasing authority of Britain’s Parliament over the 13 American colonies, the grievance of “no taxation without representation” was increasing, as Britain imposed taxes on tea along with requiring all printed materials be produced on stamped paper from London. In 1773, the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans protested by tossing 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. Britain called it treason and responded with more penalties. British troops were sent to control the rebellious actions of the colonists.
• In 1775, when the British troops were ordered to seize the Patriots’ military supplies near Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, a battle ensued, and the “shot heard ‘round the world” was fired, although it’s unclear which side fired it. The Patriots were warned of the British plans by Paul Revere on his famous “midnight ride,” which was actually two separate rides on the two nights before the skirmish. Revere was assisted by two others, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, who provided the colonists with the information that the British were approaching.
• The Battles of Lexington and Concord launched the Revolutionary War, an eight-year conflict. More than 230,000 colonists served in the Continental Army over its course before the colonies broke free from British rule.
• Two months after the opening shots, 43-year-old George Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Just three days after his confirmation, the Battle of Bunker Hill occurred, with Colonel William Prescott leading the Americans. It was during this battle that the phrase, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” originated, most likely uttered by Prescott or General Israel Putnam, an instruction to let the British get close before opening fire because of ammunition shortages. Every shot needed to count! Although the British experienced more than twice the number of dead or wounded than the Americans, losing 40% of their army, they were actually the victors in this battle, but it became evident that the Colonists were a formidable force to be reckoned with.
• The first major battle that took place after the signing of the Declaration of Independence took place on the western end of Long Island seven weeks after the Declaration in 1776. It was also the largest battle of the war, as 10,000 Patriots, mostly volunteers with little training, were up against 20,000 British and Hessian troops. The battle was Britain’s attempt to capture New York City and control the Hudson River Valley, leading to a division of the American forces. It was a tragic loss for the Patriots, with more than 1,900 killed, wounded, or captured. The British, with much better battle tactics and numbers, experienced losses of just 320. The battle, which resulted in the loss of American control of New York City, was an indication that there would be no easy victory.
• George Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River took place on Christmas night, 1776, as a vicious snowstorm with brutal winds raged. Large, flat-bottomed boats ferried 2,400 Continental soldiers across the River to engage the Hessian army stationed at Trenton, New Jersey. It wasn’t just soldiers being transported – horses, cannons, and other artillery were also moved across the icy river. Once across, the troops began a nine-mile march to Trenton, some with bare feet, in the midst of cold and blinding snow, with at least two dying from exposure along the way. The Battle of Trenton was a resounding victory for the Continentals, with two-thirds of the Hessians surrendering, and minimal losses to the Americans.
• The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 was a sound victory for the Patriots, a turning point in the war, which provided enough confidence to France to prompt its military support to the Americans. It was actually two battles, fought during September and October, with 15,000 Americans against about 8,000 British troops. The British army, led by General John Burgoyne, was eventually surrounded, leading to surrender. At the conclusion, 90 Americans had been killed, compared to 440 British deaths.
• The final major battle on land of the war took place at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. After the Continentals had marched 450 miles from New York, they joined the French military troops for a total of nearly 20,000 men to defeat the British Army, 9,000 soldiers commanded by General Charles Cornwallis. American deaths were 88 and British deaths numbered around 300, but the remaining British troops surrendered, leading the British government to enter into peace negotiations, even though they still held several major port cities.
• The key French military officer during the Revolutionary War was Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, more familiarly known as the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette was just 19 years old when he arrived in America to join Washington’s Continental Army in 1777. Born into a wealthy French family, he had been commissioned as a French officer at 13.
• The British forces consisted of more than just those from Britain. They were joined by 30,000 German (Hessian) auxiliary troops and an estimated 50,000 colonists loyal to the British crown. The Americans were supported by French troops and financial support from Spain and the Netherlands.
• When the Revolution began, the population of the 13 colonies was about 2.5 million people. Virginia had the largest population with 447,000. Philadelphia was the largest city, population 43,000, followed by New York City with 25,000. An estimated 15% - 20% of the colonial population were Loyalists.
• About 25,500 Americans lost their lives in the eight-year War, but just 27% of those died in battle. Both sides suffered thousands of casualties from diseases – typhus, malaria, typhoid fever, dysentery, and influenza – that spread through camps. North America was also experiencing a smallpox epidemic throughout the war, with an estimated 100,000 people perishing from the illness. Many Patriots died aboard the British ships that were used to confine POWs. The number of American war casualties may not look large, but compared to the population at the time, it amounted to 1% of the total. In today’s terms, that would be the equivalent of a loss of 3.5 million. • Peace negotiations began in April, 1782, and continued for several months. The Treaty of Paris, the city where it was negotiated and signed, declared the United States as “free, sovereign, and independent,” with Britain relinquishing all claims. It was signed on September 3, 1783.
