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HIST 116: The American Revolution

Lecture 12 - Civil War. Professor Freeman concludes the discussion of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was widely circulated and read aloud throughout the colonies. Professor Freeman argues that by 1775-1776, British and American citizens were operating under different assumptions about how the conflict between them could be resolved. The American colonists began to organize themselves for defensive measures against an aggressive British state. Meanwhile, the British assumed that the rebels were a minority group, and if they could suppress this radical minority through an impressive display of force, the rest of the colonists would submit to their governance again. Spring of 1775 saw the beginnings of military conflict between the British army and colonial militias, with fighting at Lexington, Concord, and Breed's Hill. As a result, the colonists began to seriously consider the need for independence, and the Continental Congress began the process of organizing a war. (from oyc.yale.edu)

Lecture 12 - Civil War

Time Lecture Chapters
[00:00:00] 1. The Editing Process of the Declaration of Independence
[00:04:26] 2. Short Cheers for Independence, Looming Plans for War
[00:10:16] 3. British Thoughts on Colonial Radicalism and Plans for Display of Force
[00:19:19] 4. The Symbolic Battle at Salem
[00:25:07] 5. The Conciliatory Resolution and Gunshots at Lexington and Concord
[00:35:23] 6. Changing British and Americans Opinions at Breed's Hill
[00:41:42] 7. Congress's Efforts to Organize War Efforts and Conclusion

References
Lecture 12 - Civil War
Instructor: Professor Joanne Freeman. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov].

Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures:

Lecture 01 - Introduction: Freeman's Top Five Tips for Studying the Revolution
Lecture 02 - Being a British Colonist
Lecture 03 - Being a British American
Lecture 04 - "Ever at Variance and Foolishly Jealous": Intercolonial Relations
Lecture 05 - Outraged Colonials: The Stamp Act Crisis
Lecture 06 - Resistance or Rebellion? (Or, What the Heck is Happening in Boston?)
Lecture 07 - Being a Revolutionary
Lecture 08 - The Logic of Resistance
Lecture 09 - Who Were the Loyalists?
Lecture 10 - Common Sense
Lecture 11 - Independence
Lecture 12 - Civil War
Lecture 13 - Organizing a War
Lecture 14 - Heroes and Villains
Lecture 15 - Citizens and Choices: Experiencing the Revolution in New Haven
Lecture 16 - The Importance of George Washington
Lecture 17 - The Logic of a Campaign (or, How in the World Did We Win?)
Lecture 18 - Fighting the Revolution: The Big Picture
Lecture 19 - War and Society
Lecture 20 - Confederation
Lecture 21 - A Union Without Power
Lecture 22 - A Road to the Constitutional Convention
Lecture 23 - Creating a Constitution
Lecture 24 - Creating a Nation
Lecture 25 - Being an American: The Legacy of the Revolution