concepts and beliefs rather than your traditional army. so, what is the continental army? anyone? >> of america. so it's based in america became the first united states army paid before it is the u.s. armyr it is the army of america yes. but what elements of america? certainly part of the american revolution specifically? >> united colonies were. >> so when does the continental army begin not necessarily the start of the revolution. there is a story at the beginning of the war. a couple classes ago we were talked about the french and indian war. the french and indian war was a world war that fundamentally altered several different nations primarily in france remove from the north american continent. britain and the british colonies. and many americans have fought alongside british soldiers and british officers during the war. can anyone recall some things that transpired in the two groups interacted? [inaudible] packs a lot of ways the british are looking down on the colonists for a number of reasons. and that had to do with tactics, a lack of formal military training. some of it had to do with how they dressed. we know there's lots of resistance. there's also a large aspect over who holds the higher rank. there is a colonial officer outranked a british officer? as we recall the british officer said the outranked any colonial officer which infuriated just young george washington. so our story begins after the french and indian war and the start of the americaned revolution. whoiv wants to give it the standard answer what because the american revolution? >> the tea party. exit taxes give us the phrase? that aleppo. >> no taxation without representation. or it is teary, perfect. so, from there from taxes it's also more than that that right. it's about treat it as a full subject a full british subject. an openly it revolves into violence asserts after the tea party there's the boston court bills and intolerable acts are going to a shut down local government. going to bring in martial law for boston massachusetts. the british under thomas gage starts easing powder in seizingr weapons leading to increased tension. this opens to potential chance to seize gunpowder or maybe even arrest sons of liberty the leading revolutionary figures for samuel adams and john hancock. in the results as this. the shot heard round the world may be. we note one of the first shots of the american revolution is fired when the british regulars meet up with colonial militiamen. and shots are fired. who fires the first shot? >> nobody knows. >> exactly. who to the british they fired? the colonists rebels. who did the colonists say fired? the british. and it is from this the war begins. now this is initially a met militia unit. a militia unit was basically anyone 16 and 60 they would wheat out roughly once a month drill in trait and traditional tracking think about the national guard today. most american colonists do have some experience with the gun, a moscow. more so than your average a british soldier from hunting or fighting native americans. fobut they do not necessarily a formal military training fighting in ranks and lines. shots are fired, they call this was the british win here this is the profound moment is going to begin a war. in thomas jefferson's going to refer to this very specifically. on provoked murder. open violation of faith and honor and defiance of the sacred obligation of treaty which even savage nations observe. so what is jefferson getting here? >> he sank with the british did was straight up slaughter. we didn't really provoke them they decided to kill us. >> there is no ethics behind it. it is fundamentally immoral. we use the term honor to say with the british have done is something that is so barbaric to use the term, this cannot be looked over. this is a justification for war. we talked about briefly the just war principal. what makes a work just in almost every circumstance? it basically come down to who attacked sue. the americans are presenting party.ves as a aggrieved they are fighting a defensive war which means what? they are in the rights, their war is just. largely based on everyone theorists who in his law of nations is very much going to cast the correctness of the morality or the honor of a war based on who started. they start the work justifies. meanwhile another concorde bridge. named that because it has a bridge. so the americans are successfully conquered bridge if it gets more trained and skilled regulars. you may remember this from william wallace. [inaudible] >> see haptic crouched across the bridge, chokepoint unique number it don't matter yet the final end. this is rick at the quote unquote shot heard around the world if you believe the 19th century poem. this is where americans under orders w fire. at lexington the both are under orders not to fire. so, what we think of american colonial militiamen fighting we probably think of a romanticized notion of the minutemen, okay? what is a minute man? okay. they're going to jump out of bed fully clothed, that their hat on and grab their ran out ready to fight. averageve musket in the time it takes a and a half to load. so the idea is that militia man is fighting a regular start what we call today guerrilla style. very much copying the native american style. white the american develop this style as opposed to the british as opposed to the line formation the did in british. >> had to defend themselves against the native people therea were living there when they got there so they had to adapt to their tactics. they learn from the indians per. >> they would adapt over centuries. >> also the british equipped to fight in that style of warfare. they would march in a line. >> 16 this specifically bethink back to the french indian war with the braddock's defeat. a british army is defeated by french and native allies using the sameve tactics. >> the british have the higher numbers and they had accommodate for that. >> you have to accommodate and adapt. now the popular perception on the march back from concorde is an attack from the tree line from hidden positions on the exposed flank of the british army. what's interesting though, on this long march back, think about this the british army is marching back after doing intermediate march at night from boston to the outskirts andm the marching back with limited ammunition. they can just be picked off. week we can see on this map of these little explosion marks. every time you see that it was actually a moment where there was a battle. despite the comment romanticized element of them hiding behind trees there are pitched battles along the spirits basically going to force the british to retreat to boston and defend themselves. ultimately the british are going to attempt to take four or fiveo colonial positions at bunker hill. which every trivia person knowns was actually fought on? but they inflict heavy, heavy casualties. but still this is not the continental army. these are colonialil militia. there have been pretty good when loss ratios in a retreat to boston. sort of a pure victory the idea the british when and have heavy losses due to thend colonists. that it's the fighting in massachusetts that ultimately is going to force unified responses by the columnists. is this america's war? is it massachusetts war? armies can be formed by you guess? >> under the continental congress we are going to george washington as commander-in-chief. is going to sayt he's serving based on my country's honor and my own character which iser very different than the young washington we talked about in his early 20s we actually resigned his commission and he says for his own honor. it's a fundamental reversal of what washington said. i am taken a separate duty to the nation. he says i take my orders from congress. i do not function through military dictator. meanwhile there is opposition. and a lot of it comes from this man, his name is charles reed. you may remember him he is a general. so charles lee british trained he'd actually been all around europe trying to change his ranks accumulate ranks. he thought he would be one of the ones named commander-in-chief. there are others as well. he is british trained fighting in a traditional european style. he thanks the americans should be using this guerrilla hit and run militia style. in fact maybe he would retreat west. washington is fundamentally against this. washington knows he uses multiple styles. in the very much more on the tradition of european-style. there are a few reasons why. one of them he is concerned with thhis reputation and how this revolution. they are fighting as other europeans to they are fighting and a quote unquote gentlemen civilized weight. if they are not they may not gain certain alliances or support from other nations. there is a stigma of opinion these two will clash throughout the revolution. ultimately washington will prove successful. that story is coming. anyway, washington is going to take command. he is going to be for now continental army in boston late spring 1775. this is right after bunker hill. and at first the two sides do not get along. particularly the militiamen of massachusetts. if you think back would talk to early colonial warfare the massachusetts militia in particular elects their officers. in virginia, where washington is from her elected. what's the prom with elected officers versus appointed officers? many times a comes a popularity contest rather than skill. people are often unwilling to order they friends into combat. >> i feel like when you arere voting on who is going in i feel like people don't run is auteure oh i'm going to this because it's cool. >> often time's who wins is who brought them as beers to the barbecue or what everer happene. so washington though is going to try to staff his army. he's going to urge a certain type of person to beiv officer., nowadays you've heard about this. nowadays every man is a general. but in 18th century it meant something different it's a man of honor. a man of bravery and talents. shwashington is saying if you ae a gentleman, a man of honor ine, civilian life we can translate that to the military because america does not have a military academy. they do not have a professional army. so who are your officers? who are your soldiers? regular people with no formalized training. summit fought the french and indian war but very limited overall. so, here are the british trapped in boston. you will note back here the british forever retreating. in any of these elevated positions we have american -- continental army. they forced the british out by bombarding certain areas. they will going to go back to boston. uain section two days ago march 17. there's a big overarching map of the campaign is 1775 technically the last was 1771. if you are british when you're tactics here? how were you going to beat the americans? >> in numbers per. >> okay numbers, superior army hands down. >> get them to quit cut them ofe for the rest of the world too. >> how you cut them up for the rest of the world? reyou're going to blockade the coast. and then the british are going to make another tactical decision. they believe that since the war has begun in massachusetts, if you cut off massachusetts what can you stop? what's the war. >> heidi shut off massachusetts? >> you cut them off from the ocean. >> you blockade them and? >> you blockade the hudson. >> you take new york, go up the hudson and split them off. the some of the worst cap military secrets. washington knows areno going to attack there, the british know they're going to attack there so why attack there? >> is the only thing they can do. >> the british no they have a good shot here. the harbor they can use. washington doesn't want to defend that the cut metal congress as you must.ng it's a basic obligation of the government? there you go. they do not do it they are failing just as the british had like lexington and n concorde. the declaration of independence is red right before the battle of long island. these are the reasons they are giving. some of the chief reasons they are going away from britain. the king, when the third by declaring out of his protection and waging war against us. so, how do you split the king? because he is no longer at your king he has done something wrong. at the same time the americans are taking issue with the conduct of the war. particularly the british are going to hire mercenaries commonly known as hutchings. they are from a german state and the popular belief is they are sort of mercenaries fighting purely for money. there actually the armies rented out by their prints. they are fighting for their regular position is just the prints was actually cashing in on this. so, battle of new york does not go well. in fact, numerous retreats here's washington's retreat from long island to manhattan island. for extremely difficult moving and army across anybody of armor. washington proved quite successful. the british are easily going to take new york. and again the continental army is forced to retreat. literally crossing the bluffs of the palisades. traditionally in a major defeat like this would be crushing to a war. crushing to a commander. it's how washington interprets this in washington uses this to fundamentally change the way we look at military warfare. and how does he do that? he studies. washington complained about his defective education his whole life he never went to formal school. how did it most officers learngt to become officers? but have betrayed by the british, how did they learn? they get a book. the two most successful generals, henry knox and hero.ct arnold, american [laughter] up until a certain time anyway, sold books. making it a little simplistic question rick henry knox becomes the head of artillery because he wrote a book on it. so their men are self-taught they are going to these military techs to learn to be officers and soldiers. and religion upon which true honor is founded for the ethical basis and honor. honor consists of virtue and the duty of the soldiers honorable and honest. the idea that if you act well in a campaign you are doing yourtl duty you can receive honor. they used to be honor was only for the victor. james wolf whoho had been a british general who actually died" back it's a also the character of your honor he does not want a drunken vicious irregular army. but that virtue, courage and obedience of your troops are you sure guard against all assaults to execute their part with honor. why would your want a drunken vicious army reaping, pillaging and brutalizing? >> because you cannot organize them. >> they can't maintain order that breaks on the military. the revolution is about ideas so who do you want on your side? thee gentleman certainly but who else? you fighting this war in america. >> americans because you do not want to upset the delicate balance between potential patriots and loyalists who are thean neutrals. okay so frederick the great focused on him before. and this point there's a central point of or a general who honor and reputation take extreme care to conserve and recruit his troops. the idea they are taking -- he is concerned with the well-being of the average soldier. what is so shocking about that if you think about war and the common soldier prior to this whether it's in the british army or anyny european army they were the dregs of society there the absolute lower classes you join the military because you had nowhere else. they were viewed as expendable. so what does frederick the great doing here? it is fundamentally different. >> he is talking about how the numbers of your army is really important because each individual manch like a single person could make you win or lose. >> you are dependent upon the conductso of your soldiers. at the same time for washington what happens if the army is defeated and loses too many men? >> at the revolution, the war i over. so there is an understanding soldiers ared. something differt another british general published a book that a lot take seriously. an officer has to miss fortune is all under will not suffer if he's done his duty and acted like a soldier. at some point an officer will lose. and it should be -- shouldn't be an officer chasing victory a potential victory. as long as they put in a valid effort when the odds make sense they can be honorable they are performing their duty. washington is literally going to relay this to lafayette. he says no rational person will condemn me for not fighting with the odds against you. so much of it dependingig on all censure that's not attentive a success. what is washington getting at here? >> itt? is okay if you -- at the odds are against you don't do it. but if you have a small chance and the odds are with you. >> yes you have an obligation to preserve the honor. some of it is maintained in the army in the field to the revolution can stay alive. some of it iser protecting the n not complete rank difference bc the british army. there is less difference between gentlemen officer and your ersoldier. so, washington is going to use we go back to the tactics. this is the moment the general there's classic defensive tactics that are first employed in the classical era. fabian which we talked about long, long ago involves a defensive war. that a defensive war implies fighting when it makes sense for you. forcing the enemy to act. so it i washington is only going to fight when it makes sense. otherwise he's going to retreat. he's literally going to retreat from new york through new jersey. he'll have the british chasing him particulate general cornwallis. just like ben franklin. [inaudible] anyway, he refers to washington as the fox. and he treats this is a game. this is a hunt. he's literally hunting washington. washington is literally running and hiding. he's using these tactics not as a cowardice but using it because he wants to maintain the army. and then when the situation is in his favor such as here crossing the delaware he is able to swing is very elaborate difficult silent night crossings of rivers, the delaware, attacking hutchings and really successful battles keeping and preserving the war but giving americans is big moral boost and commissions are running out. it is from fighting this warin fighting defensively rather than make ultra- aggressive. the idea of the older model of attack, attack, attack. and washington views army very differently. he was so i hope every post will be deemed honorable which gaveho them an opportunity to serve his country. and by this he doesn't mean soldiers he means officers pretty anyone conserve. he also expands it to anyone in the military that could be civilians providing food or clothing could be women taking collections to feed the army. that could be african americans who are joining the army to serve in a variety of capacities. in expands the definition of who is a gentleman. sentiment is a hierarchical term. early 1775 right at the start of the war have a new term called the gentleman soldier. at it is being done in sermons. it's used for the continental army. it's used for the militia which are fundamentally different. there national guard units of men. gentleman soldiers his good conduct" character. in that service of their country. so they become honorable, they become gentlemen by serving their nation. duty to their nation rather than obtain that we talked about earlier. average soldier should be a a gentleman. if you recall back to the french and indian war the militia under washington it started to promote based on merit rather than based on status. soldiers have to regard their duty to become honorable. it doesn't have to say happy absolutely victorious. this is carried on two other officers. again another officer and maryland, howard. the idea honor is for soldiers, it's for officers and it's not just for the individual. so