Great Generals of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War

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Great generals are crucial to the prospering of a nation. They impart unity to a country and defend against any enemy it may encounter. There are two wars showcasing such brilliant generals in American history: the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. In one, the English colonists on the continent of North America broke off from their mother country to form their own. In the other, the nation of the United States, having been firmly established at that point, was fighting against itself over the issue of slavery. In both instances, the people needed strong, brave, and selfless generals to lead them through their trials. Generals George Washington of the Revolutionary War and Ulysses Grant of the Civil War are excellent exemplars of these qualities. While both generals were successful in their respective wars and are two of the greatest generals of American history, George Washington was superior to Ulysses Grant in several ways, including early successes, war strategies, effectiveness, and leadership.

The only area where Grant has a slight advantage over Washington is in his early experience and military successes.Unlike Grant, Washington had very informal military training (Lengel 11). Even though he flourished in this instruction, it put him at a disadvantage. His second notable early shortcoming is in his role in the French and Indian War. In 1754, he led a successful ambush on a group of French soldiers, but was later forced to retreat and surrender (Selesky). The battle being horribly humiliating to Washington’s force and Britain, combined with his later lack of success was not indicative of his coming military success (Washington 46-50). Despite his relative ineffectiveness as an officer, he gained i...

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... Our Nation. New York: F. Watts, 1986. Print.

Mintz, S., and S. McNeil. "The Revolutionary War." Digital History. Digital History, 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Selesky, Harold. "George Washington." Encyclopedia of the American Revolution: Library of Military History. Ed. Harold E. Selesky. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. Biography in Context. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Smith, Gene. Lee and Grant: A Dual Biography. New York: New American Library, 1985. Print.

Washington, George, and Donald Jackson. George Washington: A Biography in His Own Words. Ed. Ralph K. Andrist and Joan Paterson Kerr. Vol. 1-2. New York: Newsweek, 1972. Print.

"Washington: Was George Washington a Great Military Strategist?" History in Dispute. Ed. Keith Krawczynski. Vol. 12: The American Revolution, 1763-1789. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 301-309. U.S. History in Context. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

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