vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
American Revolutionary War
In the colonies , the success of Thomas Paine 's pamphlet Common Sense had boosted public support for independence . On July 2 , Congress voted in favor of independence with twelve affirmatives and one abstention , issuing its declaration on July 4 . Washington read the declaration to his men and the citizens of New York on July 9 , invigorating the crowd to tear down a lead statue of the King and melting it to make bullets . British Tories criticized the signatories for not extending the same standards of equality to slaves .
American Revolutionary War
Armies were small by European standards of the era , largely attributable , on the American side , to limitations such as lack of powder and other logistical capabilities ; and , on the British side , to the difficulty of transporting troops across the Atlantic , as well as the dependence on local supplies , which the Patriots tried to cut off . The largest force Washington commanded was certainly under 17,000 , and may have been no more than 13,000 troops , and even the combined American and French forces at the siege of Yorktown amounted to only about 19,000 . By comparison , Duffy notes that in an era when European rulers were generally revising their forces downward , in favor of a size that could be most effectively controlled ( the very different perspective of mass conscript armies came later , during the French Revolutionary and then the Napoleonic Wars ) , the largest army that Frederick the Great ever led into battle was 65,000 men ( at Prague in 1757 ) , and at other times he commanded between 23,000 and 50,000 men , considering the latter the most effective number .
American Revolutionary War
Few operations were conducted against the Dutch , although several Dutch colonies were captured by the British in 1781 . Sint Eustatius , a key supply port for the Patriots , was sacked by British forces under George Rodney on 3 February 1782 , plundering the island 's wealth . India
American Revolution
In the winter of 1775 , the Americans invaded Canada under generals Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery . The attack was a complete failure ; many Americans who were n't killed were either captured or died of smallpox .
American Revolutionary War
Washington still favored an assault on New York , but he acquiesced to the French when they opted to send their fleet to their preferred target of Yorktown . In August , the combined Franco - American army moved south to coordinate with de Grasse in defeating Cornwallis . The British lacked sufficient naval resources to effectively counter the French , but they dispatched a fleet under Thomas Graves to assist Cornwallis and attempt to gain naval dominance . On September 5 , the French fleet decisively defeated Graves , giving the French control of the seas around Yorktown and cutting off Cornwallis from reinforcements and relief . Despite the continued urging of his subordinates ,
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War Campaigns and theaters Boston Canada New York and New Jersey Saratoga Philadelphia Western Northern Northern ( after Saratoga ) Southern Yorktown Naval
American Revolutionary War
Washington withdrew to Manhattan without any losses in men or ordnance . Following the withdrawal , the Staten Island Peace Conference failed to negotiate peace , as the British delegates did not possess authorization to grant independence . Howe then seized control of New York on September 15 , and unsuccessfully engaged the Americans the following day . He attempted to encircle Washington , but the Americans successfully withdrew . On October 28 , the British fought an indecisive action against Washington , in which Howe declined to attack Washington 's army , instead concentrating his efforts upon a hill that was of no strategic value . British
Siege of Yorktown
On December 20 , 1780 , Benedict Arnold sailed from New York with 1,500 troops to Portsmouth , Virginia . He first raided Richmond , defeating the defending militia , from January 5 -- 7 before falling back to Portsmouth . Admiral Destouches , who arrived in Newport , Rhode Island in July 1780 with a fleet transporting 5,500 soldiers , was encouraged by Washington and French Lieutenant General Rochambeau to move his fleet south , and launch a joint land - naval attack on Arnold 's troops . The Marquis de Lafayette was sent south with 1,200 men to help with the assault . However , Destouches was reluctant to dispatch many ships , and in February sent only three . After they proved ineffective , he took a larger force of 8 ships in March 1781 , and fought a tactically inconclusive battle with the British fleet of Marriot Arbuthnot at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay . Destouches withdrew due to the damage sustained to his fleet , leaving Arbuthnot and the British fleet in control of the bay 's mouth .
American Revolutionary War
Ali then renewed the siege at Arcot instead of pressing on for a decisive victory against a second British army at Madras , capturing it on 3 November . The delay allowed British forces to regroup for campaigning the following year .
American Revolutionary War
At the start of the war , the economy of the colonies was flourishing , and the free white population enjoyed the highest standard of living in the world . The Royal Navy enforced a naval blockade during the war to financially cripple the colonies , however , this proved unsuccessful ; 90 % of the population worked in farming , not in coastal trade , and , as such , the American economy proved resilient enough to withstand the blockade .
Thirteen Colonies
The British and colonists triumphed jointly over a common foe . The colonists ' loyalty to the mother country was stronger than ever before . However , disunity was beginning to form . British Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder had decided to wage the war in the colonies with the use of troops from the colonies and tax funds from Britain itself . This was a successful wartime strategy but , after the war was over , each side believed that it had borne a greater burden than the other . The British elite , the most heavily taxed of any in Europe , pointed out angrily that the colonists paid little to the royal coffers . The colonists replied that their sons had fought and died in a war that served European interests more than their own . This dispute was a link in the chain of events that soon brought about the American Revolution .
American Revolution
Many Loyalists realized that independence was bound to come eventually , but they were fearful that revolution might lead to anarchy , tyranny or mob rule . In contrast , the prevailing attitude among Patriots , who made systematic efforts to use mob violence in a controlled manner , was a desire to seize the initiative . Labaree also wrote that Loyalists were pessimists who lacked the confidence in the future displayed by the Patriots .
American Revolution
The radical provisions of Pennsylvania 's constitution lasted only 14 years . In 1790 , conservatives gained power in the state legislature , called a new constitutional convention , and rewrote the constitution . The new constitution substantially reduced universal male suffrage , gave the governor veto power and patronage appointment authority , and added an upper house with substantial wealth qualifications to the unicameral legislature . Thomas Paine called it a constitution unworthy of America .
American Revolution
The resulting constitutions in states such as Maryland , Virginia , Delaware , New York , and Massachusetts featured :
American Revolutionary War
After the fall of Mobile to Spanish troops under Bernardo de Gálvez , an attempt to capture Pensacola was thwarted due to a hurricane . Emboldened by the disaster , John Campbell , British commander at Pensacola , decided to recapture Mobile . Campbell 's expeditionary force of around 700 men was defeated on 7 January 1781 . After re-grouping at Havana , Gálvez set out for Pensacola on 13 February . Arriving on 9 March , siege operations did not begin until 24 March , owing to difficulties in bringing the ships into the bay . After a 45 - day siege , Gálvez decisively defeated the garrison , securing the conquest of West Florida . In May , Spanish troops captured the Bahamas , although the British bloodlessly recaptured the islands the following year on 18 April .
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Historian Robert Calhoon wrote in 2000 , concerning the proportion of Loyalists to Patriots in the Thirteen Colonies :
American Revolutionary War
On April 18 , 1775 , 700 troops were sent to confiscate militia ordnance stored at Concord . Fighting broke out , forcing the regulars to conduct a fighting withdrawal to Boston . Overnight , the local militia converged on and laid siege to Boston . On March 25 , 4,500 British reinforcements arrived with generals William Howe , John Burgoyne , and Henry Clinton . The British seized the Charlestown peninsula on June 17 after a costly frontal assault , leading Howe to replace Gage . Many senior officers were dismayed at the attack , which had gained them little , while Gage wrote to London stressing the need for a large army to suppress the revolt . On July 3 , George Washington took command of the Continental Army besieging Boston . Howe made no effort to attack , much to Washington 's surprise . A plan was rejected to assault the city , and the Americans instead fortified Dorchester Heights in early March 1776 with heavy artillery captured from a raid on Fort Ticonderoga . The British were permitted to withdraw unmolested on March 17 , and they sailed to Halifax , Nova Scotia . Washington then moved his army to New York . The
Jamestown, Virginia
During the American Revolutionary War , although the Battle of Green Spring was fought nearby at the site of former Governor Berkeley 's plantation , Jamestown was apparently inconsequential . In 1831 , David Bullock purchased Jamestown from the Travis and Ambler families .
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Peter Nagle , Continental soldier sentenced to death in 1777 for attempting to join the Loyalist forces
Siege of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown Part of the American Revolutionary War Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull , depicting the British surrendering to Benjamin Lincoln , surrounded by the French ( left ) and American ( right ) troops . Oil on canvas , 1820 . Date September 28 -- October 19 , 1781 Location Yorktown , Virginia 37 ° 14 ′ 21 '' N 76 ° 30 ′ 38 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.239301 ° N 76.510692 ° W ﻿ / 37.239301 ; - 76.510692 Coordinates : 37 ° 14 ′ 21 '' N 76 ° 30 ′ 38 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.239301 ° N 76.510692 ° W ﻿ / 37.239301 ; - 76.510692 Result Decisive Franco - American victory End of major land operations in North America Beginning of peace negotiations Belligerents United States Canadian auxiliaries France Great Britain Loyalists Hesse - Kassel Ansbach Commanders and leaders George Washington Benjamin Lincoln Henry Knox Alexander Hamilton Marquis de Lafayette Baron von Steuben Thomas Nelson Moses Hazen Comte de Rochambeau Comte d'Aboville Marquis de Choisy Comte de Grasse Lord Cornwallis Charles O'Hara Banastre Tarleton Robert Abercromby Thomas Dundas Thomas Symonds Matthew Fuchs August Voight Strength French : 7,800 -- 8,800 regulars 29 warships American : 8,000 regulars 3,100 militia Total : 18,900 9,000 ( includes German troops ) Casualties and losses 88 killed 301 wounded 142 -- 309 killed ; 326 -- 595 wounded prisoners ; 7,416 -- 7,685 captured Yorktown campaign Waters Creek Cape Henry Blandford Spencer 's Ordinary Green Spring Francisco Chesapeake Yorktown ( order of battle )
Siege of Yorktown
With the arrival of Cornwallis and more reinforcements from New York , the British Army numbered 7,200 men . Cornwallis wanted to push Lafayette , whose force now numbered 3,000 men with the arrival of Virginia militia . On May 24 , he set out after Lafayette , who withdrew from Richmond , and linked forces with those under the command of Baron von Steuben and Anthony Wayne . Cornwallis did not pursue Lafayette . Instead , he sent raiders into central Virginia , where they attacked depots and supply convoys , before being recalled on June 20 . Cornwallis then headed for Williamsburg , and Lafayette 's force of now 4,500 followed him . General Clinton , in a confusing series of orders , ordered Cornwallis first to Portsmouth and then Yorktown , where he was instructed to build fortifications for a deep water port .
American Revolutionary War
In the West Indies , on 29 -- 30 April 1781 , a Royal Navy squadron under Samuel Hood was narrowly defeated by the French , led by the Comte de Grasse , who continued seizing British territories : Tobago fell on 2 June ; Demerara and Essequibo on 22 January 1782 ; St. Kitts and Nevis on 12 February , despite a British naval victory on 25 January ; and Montserrat on 22 February . In 1782 , the primary strategic goal of the French and Spanish was the capture of Jamaica , whose sugar exports were more valuable to the British than the Thirteen Colonies combined . On 7 April 1782 , de Grasse departed Martinique to rendezvous with Franco - Spanish troops at Saint Domingue and invade Jamaica from the north . The British under Hood and George Rodney pursued and decisively defeated the French off Dominica between 9 -- 12 April . The Franco - Spanish plan to conquer Jamaica was in ruins , and the balance of naval power in the Caribbean shifted to the Royal Navy .
American Revolutionary War
On the mainland , Louisiana Governor Bernardo de Gálvez intercepted intelligence that the British were planning to invade New Orleans , and he decided to strike first . He intended to conquer West Florida and set out with 670 men on August 27 , 1779 , though his force soon grew to 1,400 with the addition of local Indians . On 7 September , Fort Bute fell to the Spanish , who then marched on to Baton Rouge ; they arrived on September 12 and the town fell after a nine - day siege . Galvez left a garrison there and returned to New Orleans to recruit additional troops . In early 1780 , he mounted an expedition to take Mobile , setting off with 750 troops on 11 January and joined by reinforcements from Havana . They commenced siege operations on March 1 , and the town fell after a 14 - day siege . Gálvez had hoped to push on to Pensacola , the British capital of West Florida ; however , a hurricane devastated his expedition , stalling it till 1781 .
Siege of Yorktown
As the allies began to put their artillery into place , the British kept up a steady fire to disrupt them . British fire increased on the 2nd and the allies suffered moderate casualties . General Washington continued to make visits to the front , despite concern shown by several of his officers over the increasing enemy fire . On the night of October 2 , the British opened a storm of fire to cover up the movement of the British cavalry to Gloucester where they were to escort infantrymen on a foraging party . On the 3rd , the foraging party , led by Banastre Tarleton , went out but collided with Lauzun 's Legion , and John Mercer 's Virginia militia , led by the Marquis de Choisy . The British cavalry quickly retreated back behind their defensive lines , losing 50 men .
American Revolutionary War
The new Continental Army suffered significantly from a lack of an effective training regime , and largely inexperienced officers and sergeants . The inexperience of its officers was compensated for in part by its senior officers ; officers such as George Washington , Horatio Gates , Charles Lee , Richard Montgomery and Francis Marion all had military experience with the British Army during the French and Indian War . The Americans solved their training dilemma during their stint in Winter Quarters at Valley Forge , where they were relentlessly drilled and trained by General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben , a veteran of the famed Prussian General Staff . He taught the Continental Army the essentials of military discipline , drills , tactics and strategy , and wrote the Revolutionary War Drill Manual . When the Army emerged from Valley Forge , it proved its ability to equally match the British troops in battle when they fought a successful strategic action at the Battle of Monmouth . Population
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown , also known as the Battle of Yorktown , the Surrender at Yorktown , German Battle or the Siege of Little York , ending on October 19 , 1781 , at Yorktown , Virginia , was a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by British peer and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis . The culmination of the Yorktown campaign , the siege proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in the North American theater , as the surrender by Cornwallis , and the capture of both him and his army , prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict . The battle boosted faltering American morale and revived French enthusiasm for the war , as well as undermining popular support for the conflict in Great Britain .
History of New York (state)
New York played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War . The colony verged on revolt following the Stamp Act of 1765 , advancing the New York City -- based Sons of Liberty to the forefront of New York politics . The Act exacerbated the depression the province experienced after unsuccessfully invading Canada in 1760 . Even though New York City merchants lost out on lucrative military contracts , the group sought common ground between the King and the people ; however , compromise became impossible as of April 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord . Two powerful families had for decades assembled colony - wide coalitions of supporters . With few exceptions , men long associated with the DeLancey faction went along when its leadership decided to support the crown while members of the Livingston faction became Patriots
American Revolution
Convinced that the Revolution was the work of a full few miscreants who had rallied an armed rabble to their cause , they expected that the revolutionaries would be intimidated ... . Then the vast majority of Americans , who were loyal but cowed by the terroristic tactics ... would rise up , kick out the rebels , and restore loyal government in each colony .
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Philip Van Cortlandt ( 1739 -- 1814 ) , New York - born Major of the Third Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers Peter van Schaack ( March 1747 -- 17 September 1832 ) , New York lawyer John Vardill ( July 5 , 1749 -- January 16 , 1811 ) , New York City - born British spy , clergyman , educator , pamphleteer , playwright , and poet
American Revolutionary War
During the winter of 1776 -- 1777 , Howe split his army into scattered cantonments . This decision dangerously exposed the individual forces to defeat in detail , as the distance between them was such that they could not mutually support each other . This strategic failure allowed the Americans to achieve victory at the Battle of Trenton , and the concurrent Battle of Princeton . While a major strategic error to divide an army in such a manner , the quantity of available food supplies in New York was so low that Howe had been compelled to take such a decision . The garrisons were widely spaced so their respective foraging parties would not interfere with each other 's efforts . Howe 's difficulties during the Philadelphia campaign were also greatly exacerbated by the poor quality and quantity of available provisions . Clinton
American Revolutionary War
Following Dutch entry into the conflict , East India Company troops under Hector Munro captured the Dutch port of Negapatam after a three - week siege on 11 October 1781 . Soon after , British Admiral Edward Hughes captured Trincomalee after a brief engagement on 11 January 1782 . The
Spain and the American Revolutionary War
After many delays , the expedition began to move up the San Juan River on March 17 , 1780 . On April 9 , Nelson -- in the first hand - to - hand combat of his career -- led an assault which captured a Spanish battery on the island of Bartola . The siege of Fort San Juan , located five miles ( 8 km ) upstream and manned with about 150 armed defenders and 86 others , began on April 13 . Because of poor planning and lost supplies , the British soon began to run low on ammunition for the cannons as well as rations for the men . After the tropical rains started on April 20 , men began to sicken and die , probably from malaria and dysentery , and perhaps typhoid fever .
American Revolution
Dissenting churches of the day ( i.e. , Protestant , non-Church of England ) were , in the words of Patricia Bonomi , the `` school of democracy . '' President John Witherspoon of the College of New Jersey ( now Princeton University ) wrote widely circulated sermons linking the American Revolution to the teachings of the Bible . Throughout the colonies , dissenting Protestant ministers ( Congregationalist , Baptist , and Presbyterian ) preached Revolutionary themes in their sermons , while most Church of England clergymen preached loyalty to the king , the titular head of the English state church . Religious motivation for fighting tyranny transcended socioeconomic lines to encompass rich and poor , men and women , frontiersmen and townsmen , farmers and merchants .
American Revolutionary War
Having considered his options , Burgoyne decided to continue the advance . On September 19 , he attempted to flank the American position , and clashed at Freeman 's Farm . The British won , but at the cost of 600 casualties . Burgoyne then dug in , but suffered a constant haemorrhage of deserters , and critical supplies were running low . Henry Clinton did capture two key forts on October 6 to divert American resources , though he turned back ten days later . Meanwhile , the American army was growing in size daily , swelling to some 15,000 men . On October 7 , a British reconnaissance in force against the American lines was repulsed with heavy losses . Burgoyne then withdrew with the Americans in pursuit , and by October 13 , he was surrounded . With no hope of relief and supplies exhausted , Burgoyne surrendered on October 17 , and 6,222 soldiers became prisoners of the Americans . The decisive success spurred France to enter the war as an ally of the United States , securing the final elements needed for victory over Britain , that of foreign assistance . Washington
American Revolutionary War
After regrouping at Halifax , William Howe determined to take the fight to the Americans . He set sail in June 1776 and began landing troops on Staten Island on July 2 . Washington split his army to positions across the city due to poor intelligence , and an informal attempt to negotiate peace was rejected by the Americans . On August 27 , Howe defeated Washington and forced him back to Brooklyn Heights . Howe restrained his subordinates from pursuit , opting to besiege Washington instead .
Siege of Yorktown
After initial preparations , the Americans and French built their first parallel and began the bombardment . With the British defense weakened , on October 14 , 1781 Washington sent two columns to attack the last major remaining British outer defenses . A French column under Wilhelm of the Palatinate - Zweibrücken took Redoubt No. 9 and an American column under Alexander Hamilton took Redoubt No. 10 . With these defenses taken , the allies were able to finish their second parallel . With the American artillery closer and its bombardment more intense than ever , the British position began to deteriorate rapidly and Cornwallis asked for capitulation terms on October 17 . After two days of negotiation , the surrender ceremony occurred on October 19 ; Lord Cornwallis was absent from the ceremony . With the capture of more than 7,000 British soldiers , negotiations between the United States and Great Britain began , resulting in the Treaty of Paris of 1783 .