Episode 081: Don Glickstein, After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for American Independence

by Liz CovartMay 10, 2016

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When did the fighting of the American War for Independence end?

In school we learn that the war came to an end at Yorktown. But, this lesson omits all of the fighting that took place after Charles, Earl Cornwallis’ surrender in October 1781.

Today, Don Glickstein, author of After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for American Independence, takes us on a whirlwind and global tour of the fighting that took place after Yorktown.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Don Glickstein, author of After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for American Independence, takes us on a whirlwind and global tour of all the fighting that took place during the War for Independence after Cornwallis’ surrender in October 1781.

During our global tour of the war, Don reveals details about the Battle of Yorktown; Fighting that took place in North America, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and India; And, when the war actually ended and what happened when it came to an end.

What You’ll Discover

Why Don avoids using the terms “Patriots” and “Loyalists”
The Battle of Yorktown
French military and financial assistance
How Britons and Americans reacted to the Battle of Yorktown
Fighting in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox
Fighting in New York’s Mohawk Valley
Colonel Walter Butler
The fight for Arkansas Post
Why France and Spain joined the War for Independence
Fighting in the Caribbean
How the American Revolution became a European conflict
Fighting in the Mediterranean
Gibraltar
How the American War for Independence manifested in India
Hyder Ali, General and Leader of Mysore
Admiral Pierre André de Suffren
The British evacuation of the United States
Fate of Native American allies
Why the War for Independence ended on May 12, 1784

Reddition_armee_anglaise_a_Yorktown_1781_avec_blocus_naval — Overview of the capitulation of the British army at Yorktown, with the blockade of the French squadron. 30 December 1780.

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Time Warp Question

In your opinion what might have happened if Cornwallis had not surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781? Would the war have played out any differently than it did given that so much fight took place in North America, and around the globe, between 1781 and 1783?