In this weeks Skemp readings you can start to see how Benjamin and William start to go their serparate ways. Benjamin starts to share his harsh feelings for the empire with William, though these thoughts concern William, he could not see him and Benjamin going their serparate ways. Benjamin became greatly angered after he was removed from his post office position, two days later he wrote a letter to William revealing his pain, and asking William to resign his position as governor. Benjamin reminded William that he had no chance of promotion, and that the position was poorly funded. My question is, is Benjamin simply overreacting, or is this a desperate attempt to convince William to side with the patriots?
In chapter 6 of America a concise history, we read about how the colonies declared independence which lead to the Revolutionary war. In the first two years of the war the British army dominated the Continental army, George Washington and his men retreated time after time. In 1777 the battle of Saratoga proved to be the turing point for the war, following this victory the French signed a treaty with America, and unlitimately helped defeat the British in Yorktown in 1781. My question is, do you believe the Continental army would have eventually defeated the British without help from the French?
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I do think the revolution would be a success but not in the way it happened at all. Without the French aid the British naval power would stop trade from going in and out of the colonies. As a result the revolutionist would sercome to defeat. But I think at that point the British and Americans would be so far apart the Britain would always need to have a strong military presence in order to have control, and occupations are expensive and always fail.
No, I don't think the colonies could have won the war without any French aid. The French sent loads of money, provided military support, and many important supplies. America didn't have the manufacturing to produce the necessary military supplies to win the war. For example, the French provided the muskets and cannons at the Battle of Saratoga, which was the turning point in the war.
i believe it would have been possible for the colonies to defeat the french but i think it would have taken a few more years. the french didn't really help much until the very end when they blockaded gates exit. if he could've of left, gone back to england and returned with more troops it might have lasted longer. i say longer because this would have given the colonies time to rebuild and brace itself for defense.
Personally, I do not believe that the Patriots could have won this war of attrition without the aid of the French. At the end of the Saratoga battle, the patriots had been wrought by disease, harsh conditions, and diminishing supplies. Without aid of manpower, guns and food, and a distraction to keep the British occupied, the British forces would have eventually defeated the colonist (unless they hired only generals such as Burgoyne to do battle...)
When dealing with the help from the French, I really like how you introduced it. Saying that prior to the Battle of Saratoga and the alliance with the French, we were losing battle after battle to the British. I think it helped to have won the Battle of Saratoga for the fact that the French knew we were ready and still willing to fight until we reached our goal. Yet, it does show how much we were losings and having troubles until the French came along. I think we were able to do various things to enable the French to ally with us, but at the same time, if it weren't for that allegiance we may have eventually been in trouble
As far as William and Benjamin go, I think Benjamin asking Will to resign was his way of asking him to join the Patriots, but he would never word it like that. He knows how loyal William is to the crown, and understands that him asking something such as that would only hurt their relationship even more.
Without the French, the colonies would have lost the war, no doubt about it. They gave them tons of supplies that they did not have. It is a good thing that Britain was their enemy! And also that they could benefit in trading too from helping them out.
I feel that even though Washington's strategy including fighting a war of attrition, there was really only so long the American Continental Army/militia could hold out. They did have the advantage of knowing the land over the British. However, the British far outnumbered the Americans. Even though the war became extremely unpoplar in Britain itself, by being such a dominate world power the British could have manipulated another one of their colonial subjects or even the Indians into maintaining the war even if they themselves did not. Without the aid of the French the Americans indeed would have been lost. No supplies, no money, barely food, desserting men, it simply did not look good for the Americans pre-French support.
I think the French alliance was necessary to win the war once and for all. The patriots were shaky in their position and were struggling to fend off the British, and although they were succeeding, one could wonder how long that would last. When the patriots allied with France that was a huge step because it showed British that they had ongoing, lasting support.
About Will and Ben. I believe Ben reaching out to Will and begging him to resign was kind of his last attempt or test to see if Will would become a patriot. It seems that Ben raised Will to be very persistent and even stubborn. It seems that as they added years, Will became more and more set in his ways(stubborn) while Ben began to become somewhat of a radical and opened his mind up. Maybe Ben raised his son to be too much like he was as a younger person and Will never grew out of it.
The French were absolutely vital to the colonies. Without their help, the war would have just dragged on and inevitably the colonists would have lost and god knows where we would be now.
I think the question of Ben over-reacting could go either way. It does seem stubborn to demand for Will to resign, because if it had been the opposite I can't see Ben resigned his post office position. But I also think part of it was Ben standing up for what he believes in, along with the pride of his job.
I think its interesting how the conflict between Ben and Will can be compared in some ways to the conflict between the British and the colonies. It also happened around the same time period. There were many reasons for the conflict between the Franklin's, but Ben getting fired was what upset him, and William seemed offended, to me, when his father asked him to resign.
I think Benjamin was hurt that William had gone in such an opposite way with his political views. Benjamin's reaction was not exactly subtle but it was for a reason. It is hard to say as a father what one would do in such a situation. Benjamin felt betrayed.
I think that the colonies would have had a difficult time winning the war without the help of the french. Although the colonies were beginning to win some battles, their troops and supplies were dwindling. The French were able to help the colonies with these problems and helped to lead to their success in the revolution.
I disagree that the colonies would have won the war without the help from the French. Besides the money and support the french military gave, it also gave the american colonies a minset that they had the security of the french to back them.
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