BEKKAH+F+--+ Analyze+the+political,+diplomatic,+and+military+reasons

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**Theme:** Independence **Topic:** Reasons the United States won in the Revolutionary War **Free Response Question**: Analyze the political, diplomatic, and military reasons for the United States victory in the Revolutionary War. Confine your answer to the period 1775-1783. Introductory Paragraph **Setting:** The Revolutionary Was was a complex war since it was a fight for political indepence from the mother country, Britain. **Basis for Analysis**: The United States had support from other countries along with great generals and foreign military help (Von Steuben), not to mention they were fighting on their own territory. Evee, thn though Britain had a tremendous navy the United States managed to fight back successfully. **Partitions**: The poorly prepared militia men worried many Americans, yet General Washington was successful in turning them into real soldiers with the help of other nations arming the militia. It helped that many colonists and political leaders supported the war and the military was fighting for their liberty, while the British were just fighting another war. **Thesis:** The American victory of the Revolutionary War was due to other countries aiding them and foreign military leaders, such as Von Steuben, improving the American troops. In addition, most colonists truly wanted victory in the war since it would mean freedom from the Mother Country. The support of the majority of the country helped inspire the soldiers to be victorious and finally gain the indepence they so desperatly wanted. The 3 partitions are political, diplomatic, military. Make sure you address all three.

**Partition 1:** Foreign Aid **Partition 2:** Fight for Freedom
 * Von Steuben-Captain of Prussian War, volunteered to train Washington's troops, improved sanitation at military camps, made the soldiers a lot better, became Major General in Contiental Army
 * Marquis de Lafayette-had a lot of military experience, entered into Continental Army as Major General, fought without pay, helped in British surrender at Siege of Yorktown
 * France sent America weapons and lots of money-wanted to see Britain defeated
 * Spain sent money and weapons
 * The Netherlands gave the American army weapons
 * Colonists were fighting for their freedom and Britain was just trying to stop the rebels, they never expected to lose-the colonists had a true passion to win the war
 * People, such as Thomas Paine, showed other colonists how unjust the British laws were (taxing them without representation in Parliment)
 * Colonists were sick of having to be controlled by the Mother Country and thought it was time to become an independent country
 * Britain sending troops to the colonies upset many people and caused conflict (Boston Massacre). The Quartering Act made the situation worse when colonists were told they had to allow redcoats to stay in their houses

** Partition 3: ** Support from Within
 * Many colinsits supported the war since they wanted to be independent from Britain, even though there were a few (Loyalists) who still supported the King
 * Second Continental Congress united the states together to fight Britain
 * The Founding Fathers were advocates for winning indepence and republican ideals (Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, etc.)
 * Even though at first political leaders fought over whether or not to fight for independence from Briatin, they all eventually knew it's what had to be done

General Information:
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">About 5000 African Americans fought in the war
 * Washington was not paid for his military service
 * Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, fighting still continued for 2 more years until the Treaty of Paris was signed
 * War was from 1775-1783