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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC00099.077 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection of letters, documents & briefs from Edmund Pendleton to the Madisons |
| Title | Edmund Pendleton to James Madison re: siege of Yorktown, foreign affairs |
| Date | 8 October 1781 |
| Author | Pendleton, Edmund (1721-1803) |
| Recipient | Madison, James |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Discusses the siege at Yorktown and foreign affairs. Also mentions the French fleet and the British attack on Pigeon Hill (General Nelson's farm near York, Virginia) and difficulties with Spain. Three penciled notes on A1v (possibly JM's?): 1. next to line penciled next to lines 8-16: "[illegible] Resolution of 2 Jan 1781", 2. Referring to "x" in line 12: "navigation of the Mississippi" (uses long "s"), and 3. inserted above "Minister to Spain" in line 16, "Mr. Jay." |
| Subjects | President Military History Revolutionary War Continental Army Global History and Civics France Navy Battle (Siege, Surrender) of Yorktown |
| People | Pendleton, Edmund (1721-1803) Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis, Marquis (1738-1805) Madison, James, Sr. (1723-1801) |
| Place written | Edmundsbury, Virginia |
| Theme | Foreign Affairs; The American Revolution; The Presidency; Naval & Maritime |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | After Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Sir Henry Clinton still had 16,000 British troops in New York. But British leaders were fearful that they might lose other parts of the British empire if the American war continued. During the eighteenth century, the Caribbean, not the thirteen mainland colonies, was the heart of Britain's New World empire. During the early 1700's, the value of exports to England from islands like Antigua, Barbados, Montserrat, and Jamaica was fourteen times greater than the value from all the colonies north of the Chesapeake combined. By the end of 1781, the American Revolution had become a global war, with fighting taking place in India, the West Indies, and Florida. In Europe, France and Spain were planning an offensive against Gibraltar. In Britain there was much internal opposition to the American war and even sympathy for the colonists. In April 1782, the British began peace talks with the Americans in Paris and the two sides agreed to a peace treaty in November. The following letter was written a few weeks before Britain and the United States reached a peace agreement. Total American war-related deaths were more than 25,000. About 7,200 Americans were killed in battle. Another 10,000 soldiers died of disease and exposure; approximately 8,500 died in British prison camps; and about 1,400 soldiers were reported missing in action. British deaths numbered about 10,000. To assist soldiers following the war, many states offered aid in the form of bonuses or land. Congress, however, did not agree to provide pensions to soldiers until 1818. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |
| Transcript | Show/hide |