vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
American Revolution
Women contributed to the American Revolution in many ways , and were involved on both sides . While formal Revolutionary politics did not include women , ordinary domestic behaviors became charged with political significance as Patriot women confronted a war that permeated all aspects of political , civil , and domestic life . They participated by boycotting British goods , spying on the British , following armies as they marched , washing , cooking , and tending for soldiers , delivering secret messages , and in a few cases like Deborah Samson , fighting disguised as men . Also , Mercy Otis Warren held meetings in her house and cleverly attacked Loyalists with her creative plays and histories . Above all , they continued the agricultural work at home to feed their families and the armies . They maintained their families during their husbands ' absences and sometimes after their deaths .
American Revolutionary War
McDonnell ( 2006 ) shows a grave complication in Virginia 's mobilization of troops was the conflicting interests of distinct social classes , which tended to undercut a unified commitment to the Patriot cause . The Assembly balanced the competing demands of elite slave - owning planters , the middling yeomen ( some owning a few slaves ) , and landless indentured servants , among other groups . The Assembly used deferments , taxes , military service substitute , and conscription to resolve the tensions . Unresolved class conflict , however , made these laws less effective . There were violent protests , many cases of evasion , and large - scale desertion , so that Virginia 's contributions came at embarrassingly low levels . With the British invasion of the state in 1781 , Virginia was mired in class division as its native son , George Washington , made desperate appeals for troops .
American Revolutionary War
Congress appointed Horatio Gates , victor at Saratoga , to lead the American effort in the south . He suffered a major defeat at Camden on August 16 , 1780 , setting the stage for Cornwallis to invade North Carolina . The British attempted to subjugate the countryside , and Patriot militia continued to fight against them , so Cornwallis dispatched troops to raise Loyalist forces to cover his left flank as he moved north . This wing of Cornwallis ' army was virtually destroyed on October 7 , irreversibly breaking Loyalist support in the Carolinas . Cornwallis subsequently aborted his advance and retreated back into South Carolina . In the interim , Washington replaced Gates with his trusted subordinate , Nathanael Greene .
American Revolution
In response , Massachusetts patriots issued the Suffolk Resolves and formed an alternative shadow government known as the `` Provincial Congress '' which began training militia outside British - occupied Boston . In September 1774 , the First Continental Congress convened , consisting of representatives from each of the colonies , to serve as a vehicle for deliberation and collective action . During secret debates , conservative Joseph Galloway proposed the creation of a colonial Parliament that would be able to approve or disapprove of acts of the British Parliament , but his idea was not accepted . The Congress instead endorsed the proposal of John Adams that Americans would obey Parliament voluntarily but would resist all taxes in disguise . Congress called for a boycott beginning on 1 December 1774 of all British goods ; it was enforced by new committees authorized by the Congress .
American Revolutionary War
Burgoyne 's defeat had drastic consequences ; France formally allied with the Americans and entered the war in 1778 , and Spain joined the war the following year as an ally of France but not as an ally of the United States . In 1780 , the Kingdom of Mysore attacked the British in India , and tensions between Great Britain and the Netherlands erupted into open war . In North America , the British mounted a `` Southern strategy '' led by Charles Cornwallis which hinged upon a Loyalist uprising , but too few came forward . Cornwallis suffered reversals at King 's Mountain and Cowpens . He retreated to Yorktown , Virginia , intending an evacuation , but a decisive French naval victory deprived him of an escape . A Franco - American army led by the Comte de Rochambeau and Washington then besieged Cornwallis ' army and , with no sign of relief , he surrendered in October 1781 .
American Revolutionary War
On December 29 , 1778 , an expeditionary corps from New York captured Savannah , and British troops then moved inland to recruit Loyalist support . There was a promising initial turnout in early 1779 , but then a large Loyalist militia was defeated at Kettle Creek on February 14 and they had to recognize their dependence upon the British . The British , however , defeated Patriot militia at Brier Creek on March 3 , and then launched an abortive assault on Charleston , South Carolina . The operation became notorious for its high degree of looting by British troops , enraging both Loyalists and Patriot colonists .
History of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania 's residents generally supported the protests common to all 13 colonies after the Proclamation of 1763 and the Stamp Act were passed , and Pennsylvania sent delegates to the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 Philadelphia hosted the first and second Continental Congresses , the latter of which resulted in the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in Independence Hall in 1776 . Pennsylvania was the site of several battles and military activities during the American Revolution , including George Washington 's crossing of the Delaware River , the Battle of Brandywine , and the Battle of Germantown . During the Philadelphia campaign , the rebel army of George Washington spent the winter of 1777 -- 78 at Valley Forge , Pennsylvania . In 1781 , the Articles of Confederation were written and adopted in York , Pennsylvania , and Philadelphia continued to serve as the capital of the fledgling nation until the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 . Notable Pennsylvanians who supported the Revolution include Benjamin Franklin , John Dickinson , Robert Morris , Anthony Wayne , James Wilson , and Thomas Mifflin . However , Pennsylvania was also home to numerous Loyalists , including Joseph Galloway , William Allen , and the Doan Outlaws .
Military history of the United States
Beginning in 1689 , the colonies became involved in a series of wars between Great Britain and France for control of North America , the most important of which were Queen Anne 's War , in which the British conquered French colony Acadia , and the final French and Indian War ( 1754 -- 63 ) when Britain was victorious over all the French colonies in North America . This final war was to give thousands of colonists , including Virginia colonel George Washington , military experience which they put to use during the American Revolutionary War .
United States
The American Revolutionary War was the first successful colonial war of independence against a European power . Americans had developed an ideology of `` republicanism '' asserting that government rested on the will of the people as expressed in their local legislatures . They demanded their rights as Englishmen and `` no taxation without representation '' . The British insisted on administering the empire through Parliament , and the conflict escalated into war .
Loyalist (American Revolution)
New York City and Long Island were the British military and political base of operations in North America from 1776 to 1783 and had a large concentration of Loyalists , many of whom were refugees from other states .
American Revolution
Members of American colonial society argued the position of `` no taxation without representation '' , starting with the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 . They rejected the authority of the British Parliament to tax them because they lacked members in that governing body . Protests steadily escalated to the Boston Massacre in 1770 and the burning of the Gaspee in Rhode Island in 1772 , followed by the Boston Tea Party in December 1773 , during which Patriots destroyed a consignment of taxed tea . The British responded by closing Boston Harbor , then followed with a series of legislative acts which effectively rescinded Massachusetts Bay Colony 's rights of self - government and caused the other colonies to rally behind Massachusetts . In late 1774 , the Patriots set up their own alternative government to better coordinate their resistance efforts against Great Britain ; other colonists preferred to remain aligned to the Crown and were known as Loyalists or Tories .
American Revolutionary War
Cornwallis had discovered that the majority of American supplies in the Carolinas were passing through Virginia , and he had written to both Lord Germain and Clinton detailing his intentions to invade . Cornwallis believed that a successful campaign there would cut supplies to Greene 's army and precipitate a collapse of American resistance in the South . Clinton strongly opposed the plan , favoring a campaign farther north in the Chesapeake Bay region . Lord Germain wrote to Cornwallis to approve his plan and neglected to include Clinton in the decision - making , even though Clinton was Cornwallis ' superior officer , and Cornwallis then decided to move into Virginia without informing Clinton . Clinton , however , had failed to construct a coherent strategy for British operations in 1781 , owing to his difficult relationship with his naval counterpart Marriot Arbuthnot .
American Revolutionary War
After 1765 , growing philosophical and political differences strained the relationship between Great Britain and its colonies . Patriot protests against taxation without representation followed the Stamp Act and escalated into boycotts , which culminated in 1773 with the Sons of Liberty destroying a shipment of tea in Boston Harbor . Britain responded by closing Boston Harbor and passing a series of punitive measures against Massachusetts Bay Colony . Massachusetts colonists responded with the Suffolk Resolves , and they established a shadow government which wrested control of the countryside from the Crown . Twelve colonies formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their resistance , establishing committees and conventions that effectively seized power .
Loyalist (American Revolution)
As a result of the looming crisis in 1775 the Royal Governor of Virginia , Lord Dunmore , issued a proclamation that promised freedom to servants and slaves who were able to bear arms and join his Loyalist Ethiopian Regiment . Many of the slaves in the South joined the Loyalists with intentions of gaining freedom and escaping the South . About 800 did so ; some helped rout the Virginia militia at the Battle of Kemp 's Landing and fought in the Battle of Great Bridge on the Elizabeth River , wearing the motto `` Liberty to Slaves '' , but this time they were defeated . The remains of their regiment were then involved in the evacuation of Norfolk , after which they served in the Chesapeake area . Eventually the camp that they had set up there suffered an outbreak of smallpox and other diseases . This took a heavy toll , putting many of them out of action for some time . There was a slave by the name of Boston King who joined the Loyalists and wound up catching smallpox . Boston King and other soldiers who were sick were relocated to a different part of the camp so that they did not contaminate the healthy soldiers . The survivors joined other British units and continued to serve throughout the war . Black colonials were often the first to come forward to volunteer and a total of 12,000 African Americans served with the British from 1775 to 1783 . This factor had the effect of forcing the rebels to also offer freedom to those who would serve in the Continental Army ; however , such promises were often reneged upon by both sides .
American Revolution
It may be said as truly that the American Revolution was an aftermath of the Anglo - French conflict in the New World carried on between 1754 and 1763 .
American Revolution
British commander Sir Henry Clinton evacuated Philadelphia and returned to New York City . General Washington intercepted Clinton in the Battle of Monmouth Court House , the last major battle fought in the north . After an inconclusive engagement , the British successfully retreated to New York City . The northern war subsequently became a stalemate , as the focus of attention shifted to the smaller southern theater . Hessian
American Revolution
Tensions erupted into battle between Patriot militia and British regulars when the king 's army attempted to capture and destroy Colonial military supplies at Lexington and Concord on April 19 , 1775 . The conflict then developed into a global war , during which the Patriots ( and later their French , Spanish , and Dutch allies ) fought the British and Loyalists in what became known as the American Revolutionary War ( 1775 -- 83 ) . Each of the thirteen colonies formed a Provincial Congress that assumed power from the old colonial governments and suppressed Loyalism , and from there they built a Continental Army under the leadership of General George Washington . The Continental Congress determined King George 's rule to be tyrannical and infringing the colonists ' rights as Englishmen , and they declared the colonies free and independent states on July 2 , 1776 . The Patriot leadership professed the political philosophies of liberalism and republicanism to reject monarchy and aristocracy , and they proclaimed that all men are created equal .
American Revolution
Washington forced the British out of Boston in the spring of 1776 , and neither the British nor the Loyalists controlled any significant areas . The British , however , were massing forces at their naval base at Halifax , Nova Scotia . They returned in force in July 1776 , landing in New York and defeating Washington 's Continental Army in August at the Battle of Brooklyn . Following that victory , the British requested a meeting with representatives from Congress to negotiate an end to hostilities .
American Revolution
The Continental Army forced the redcoats out of Boston in March 1776 , but that summer the British captured and held New York City and its strategic harbor for the duration of the war . The Royal Navy blockaded ports and captured other cities for brief periods , but they failed to defeat Washington 's forces . The Patriots unsuccessfully attempted to invade Canada during the winter of 1775 -- 76 , but successfully captured a British army at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 . France now entered the war as an ally of the United States with a large army and navy that threatened Britain itself . The war turned to the American South where the British under the leadership of Charles Cornwallis captured an army at Charleston , South Carolina in early 1780 but failed to enlist enough volunteers from Loyalist civilians to take effective control of the territory while fighting partisans . A combined American -- French force captured a second British army at Yorktown in the fall of 1781 , effectively ending the war in North America . The Treaty of Paris , signed September 3 , 1783 , formally ended the conflict , confirming the new nation 's complete separation from the British Empire . The United States took possession of nearly all the territory east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes , with the British retaining control of Canada and Spain taking Florida .
American Revolution
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 may have played a role in the separation of the United States from Great Britain , as colonists at the time wanted to continue in the economically beneficial cultural practice of taking land for one 's own livelihood as part of the drive west . The lands west of Quebec and west of a line running along the crest of the Allegheny mountains became Indian territory , temporarily barred to settlement .
American Revolution
However , the national government had no money to pay either the war debts owed to European nations and the private banks , or to pay Americans who had been given millions of dollars of promissory notes for supplies during the war . Nationalists led by Washington , Alexander Hamilton , and other veterans feared that the new nation was too fragile to withstand an international war , or even internal revolts such as the Shays ' Rebellion of 1786 in Massachusetts .
American Revolution
The British provided arms to Indians who were led by Loyalists in war parties to raid frontier settlements from the Carolinas to New York . They killed many settlers on the frontier , especially in Pennsylvania and New York 's Mohawk Valley .
History of Native Americans in the United States
During the American Revolution , the newly proclaimed United States competed with the British for the allegiance of Native American nations east of the Mississippi River . Most Native Americans who joined the struggle sided with the British , based both on their trading relationships and hopes that colonial defeat would result in a halt to further colonial expansion onto Native American land . Many native communities were divided over which side to support in the war and others wanted to remain neutral . The first native community to sign a treaty with the new United States Government was the Lenape . For the Iroquois Confederacy , based in New York , the American Revolution resulted in civil war . The only Iroquois tribes to ally with the colonials were the Oneida and Tuscarora .
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War ( 1775 -- 1783 ) , also known as the American War of Independence , was a global war that began as a conflict between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies which declared independence as the United States of America .
American Revolution
Most Indians did not participate directly in the war , except for warriors and bands associated with four of the Iroquois nations in New York and Pennsylvania which allied with the British . The British did have other allies , especially in the upper Midwest . They provided Indians with funding and weapons to attack American outposts . Some Indians tried to remain neutral , seeing little value in joining what they perceived to be a European conflict , and fearing reprisals from whichever side they opposed . The Oneida and Tuscarora among the Iroquois of central and western New York supported the American cause .
American Revolution
On January 5 , 1776 , New Hampshire ratified the first state constitution . In May 1776 , Congress voted to suppress all forms of crown authority , to be replaced by locally created authority . Virginia , South Carolina , and New Jersey created their constitutions before July 4 . Rhode Island and Connecticut simply took their existing royal charters and deleted all references to the crown . The new states were all committed to republicanism , with no inherited offices . They decided what form of government to create , and also how to select those who would craft the constitutions and how the resulting document would be ratified . On 26 May 1776 , John Adams wrote James Sullivan from Philadelphia :
American Revolutionary War
The North government had gained support in Parliament after the British successes at Newport and Charleston , but the decision to allow Irish Catholics to enlist in the army was deeply unpopular and triggered a massive protest in London in 1780 , culminating in widespread rioting . The riots were the most destructive in London 's history , damaging the prestige of the government . On 25 November 1781 , the situation worsened when news arrived in London of the surrender at Yorktown . Prime Minister Lord North is said to have repeatedly exclaimed , `` Oh , God ! It 's all over ! '' King George III received the news with dignity , though later became depressed and considered abdication . The Whig opposition gained traction in Parliament , and a motion was proposed on December 12 to end the war which was defeated by only one vote . On 27 February 1782 , the House voted against further war in America by 19 votes .
American Revolution
Subsequent English governments continued in their efforts to tax certain goods , passing acts regulating the trade of wool , hats , and molasses . The Molasses Act of 1733 in particular was egregious to the colonists , as a significant part of colonial trade relied on the product . The taxes severely damaged the New England economy , and the taxes were rarely paid , resulting in a surge of smuggling , bribery , and intimidation of customs officials . Colonial wars fought in America were often the source of considerable tension . The British captured the fortress of Louisbourg during the War of the Austrian Succession , but then ceded it back to France in 1748 . New England colonists resented their losses of lives , as well as the effort and expenditure involved in subduing the fortress , only to have it returned to their erstwhile enemy .
American Revolutionary War
Wealthy Loyalists wielded great influence in London and were successful in convincing the British that the majority view in the colonies was sympathetic toward the Crown . Consequently , British planners pinned the success of their strategies on popular uprisings of Loyalists , which never transpired on the scale required . Historians have estimated that Loyalists made up only 15 -- 20 % of the population ( vs. 40 - 45 % Patriots ) and that they continued to deceive themselves on their level of support as late as 1780 . The British discovered that any significant level of organized Loyalist activity would require the continued presence of British regulars , which presented them with a major dilemma . The manpower that the British had available was insufficient to both protect Loyalist territory and counter American advances . The vulnerability of Loyalist militias was repeatedly demonstrated in the South , where they suffered strings of defeats to their Patriot neighbors . The most crucial juncture of this was at Kings Mountain , and the victory of the Patriot partisans irreversibly crippled Loyalist military capability in the South .
Stamp Act 1765
New Hampshire declined to send delegates , and North Carolina , Georgia , and Virginia were not represented because their governors did not call their legislatures into session , thus preventing the selection of delegates . Despite the composition of the congress , each of the Thirteen Colonies eventually affirmed its decisions . Six of the nine colonies represented at the Congress agreed to sign the petitions to the King and Parliament produced by the Congress . The delegations from New York , Connecticut , and South Carolina were prohibited from signing any documents without first receiving approval from the colonial assemblies that had appointed them .
American Revolution
The Revolution became a matter of contention in the 1850s in the debates leading to the American Civil War ( 1861 -- 65 ) as spokesmen of both the Northern United States and the Southern United States claimed that their region was the true custodian of the legacy of 1776 . The United States Bicentennial in 1976 came a year after the American withdrawal from the Vietnam War . Speakers stressed the themes of renewal and rebirth based on a restoration of traditional values .
American Revolution
The capture of a British army at Saratoga encouraged the French to formally enter the war in support of Congress . Benjamin Franklin negotiated a permanent military alliance in early 1778 , significantly becoming the first country to officially recognize the Declaration of Independence . On February 6 , 1778 , a Treaty of Amity and Commerce and a Treaty of Alliance were signed between the United States and France . William Pitt spoke out in parliament urging Britain to make peace in America and to unite with America against France , while other British politicians who had previously sympathized with colonial grievances now turned against the Americans for allying with Britain 's international rival and enemy .