Guerilla+Warfare+and+the+American+Revolution

(file can be downloaded as well: //﻿////﻿////﻿////﻿////﻿////﻿[|American Rev and Guerilla Warfare (9th grader essay).doc]//)//﻿// Southern Guerrilla Warfare in the American Revolution by   Steven Kraplin

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Title Page . 1    II. Table of Contents . 2    III. “Southern Guerrilla Warfare in the American Revolution” . 3    III. Works Cited .. 7

ESSAY Guerrilla warfare played a huge part in the American Revolution. The American settlers were exponentially outnumbered by the British during the war. Since they were exponentially outnumbered if they fought a traditionally by the terms of the British they would have lost without ever winning a battle. Thus people like Francis Marion formed groups of devoted men who would fight a small battle and retreat with minor casualties, but taking many a man to the grave from the British. Guerrilla warfare tactics are what won the American Revolution for America because they were used to their advantage, leading them to their victory. The actual word Guerrilla means small war, the diminutive of the Spanish word //guerra// (//war//). They are fought largely by independent, irregular bands, sometimes linked to regular forces. It features the use of ambushes, hit‐and‐run raids, sabotage, and, on occasion, terrorism to wear down the enemy. Typically, a small guerrilla force seeks to concentrate its strength against the weaker portions of the enemy's forces, such as outposts or lines of communication and logistics, to strike suddenly, and then to disappear into the surrounding countryside unharmed. In America this type of warfare has been used since the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution four men are famous for using these types of tactics; these men are Ethan Allen, Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens, and Thomas Sumter. Fort Ticonderoga was a great concern of American Revolutionaries. It had cannons and large artillery which were in short supply for the Americans. After the battle of Lexington and Concord the Americans decided to seize Fort Ticonderoga before it could be reinforced by the British. There were two expeditions from Massachusetts and from Connecticut to attack the fort. Ethan Allen assembled 100 of his Green Mountain Boys; these were snipers of the revolution. They used Guerrilla tactics to snipe away the enemy on the fort while it was infiltrated by the other force. Francis Marion was a great man and a great contribution to the American Revolution. Francis Marion was known as the Swamp Fox by both the Americans and the British. He was a plantation owner as well as a fighter during the French and Indian War. In 1780 Marion organized a troop of men which after the American defeat at Camden in the Carolina campaign, constituted the chief colonial force in South Carolina. He engaged in guerrilla warfare by disrupting the British lines of communication, capturing scouting and foraging parties, and intimidating loyalists. After their battles/skirmishes he and his troop disappeared into the swamps which later earned him his nickname of The Swamp Fox. A very notable battle that involved Francis Marion and his men was at Eutaw Springs where their guerrilla tactics won them the battle. After the war, Marion served in the South Carolina senate, where he advocated a lenient policy toward the Loyalists. (Marion, Francis) Andrew Pickens was a guerilla warfare leader during the American Revolution. After 1761 he was at war against the Cherokee in South Carolina. During the American Revolution he rose in rank from Captain to Brigadier General. One he acquired the Brigadier General status he fought his battles using guerilla warfare tactics against his enemies, killing British and British Loyalists in battle. (Pickens, Andrew) Lastly Thomas Sumner was a great man who contributed to the guerilla warfare tactics during the American Revolution. Just like Francis Marion he formed a guerilla band and harassed the British forces in the Carolinas. He was known as the “gamecock of the Revolution,” at times during his battles he barely escaped with his life and his men but almost always his tactics succeeded at gaining him the advantage and winning the battle. Francis Marion and Thomas Sumner bled the British in the Carolinas and were an enormous contribution to the revolution. (Sumner, Thomas) Guerrilla tactics are mostly known to be used 20th century but that is a false concept, they have been used in the past starting from the French and Indian War in America. In the French and Indian War Indian tactics would be used against the French, and because these tactics were so alien, Americans greatly succeeded in this war. In the American Revolution people would fire from behind trees, from swamps, hidden in fields and a multitude of other places where it is very hard to get hit. They would kill a certain amount of men and then retreat. In large battles groups would attack the flanks of the enemy weakening the sides while taking minor casualty. Modern guerrilla warfare is capable of violence on a much larger scale then was possible during the revolution, due to technological advances in weaponry and population growth. Generally, the tactics are all the same, all involve methods of hit and run. In traditional battles America would have lost no matter what kinds of tactics they used, the British had cavalry and an advanced militia, while the American militia consisted of farmers and hunters. Francis Marion realized there was no way he could win any battle traditionally, his band was made up of the best hunters and trappers in the Carolinas. They would ambush British Loyalist settlements, supply wagons and British messengers. Capturing British plans and supplies they were able to stay hidden from British forces and sustain themselves with the supplies they captured. Since the Americans were low on bullets and gun powder they could not attack much larger forces without losing or suffering major casualties. For example, at Bunker and Breeds hill the Americans ran out of bullets and had to retreat before they could get slaughtered. The British still suffered major casualties while the Americans didn’t because of the advantage of higher ground. During the final battle at Yorktown guerrilla tactics were used by the forces of Francis Marion. While George Washington and other forces attacked them from the center, Francis Marion and his men attacked from the sides killing those units who stayed from battle and weakening the flanks. Because of their bravery and pure genius the British had to retreat in the end. Thanks to the French and their support the British lost the American Revolution due to the genius of American Generals and the guerrilla tactics. Guerrilla tactics were a major contribution to the American Revolution. They caught the British off guard and allowed Americans to have the advantage. Francis Marion and other men alike all contributed to the American Revolution, winning one battle at a time and advancing against the British. They were all great men when it came to what they did for country and flag. Guerrilla tactics were very important during the revolution as they are today. Even in Modern times they are used to fight wars. Guerilla tactics were a major contribution to the revolution and as such are an important part of history and the men who contributed should be remembered for all time.

**Questions for analysis:** //1. What is the major difference between traditional warfare and guerilla warfare? What factors (political, social, and/or economic) cause some groups to choose to conduct guerilla warfare instead of traditional?// //2. How did guerilla tactics contribute to the 13 North American colonies gaining independence from Great Britain?// //3. How are those "guerillas" of the revolution viewed by U.S. citizens today?// WORK CITED "http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/.html." //The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.// © 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 12 Jun. 2008 . McGranahan, Ronald W. "Brigadier General Francis Marion." __The American Revolution Home Page__. 1998. 12 June 2008 . Cummings, Scott. "Patriot Militia General Francis Marion." __The Patriot Resource__. 1999. 12 June 2008 . M, K. "Francis "the Swamp Fox" Marion." __Find a Grave__. 1 Jan. 2001. 12 June 2008 . "American Revolution." __MSN Encarta__. 1993. Microsoft Corporation. 12 June 2008 . Benjamin, Carl. "American Revolution: Francis Marion, the Father of Modern Day Guerrilla Warfare." __Associated Content__. 13 July 2007. 12 June 2008 . "Guerrilla Warfare." __HighBeam™ Research, Inc.__ 2008. 12 June 2008 . || Top of Form Bottom of Form || Marina, William. "The Dutch-American Guerrillas of the American Revolution." __The Independent Institute__. 1 May 1983. Florida Atlantic University. 12 June 2008 . "Guerrilla Warfare." __Answers.Com__. 12 June 2008 <http://www.answers.com/topic/guerrilla-1>. "http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/.html." //The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.// © 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 16 Jun. 2008 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0847208.html>. "http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/.html." //The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.// © 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 16 Jun. 2008 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0838943.html>. "http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/.html." //The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.// © 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease.