American soldier, born in Norwich, Connecticut, on the 14th of January 1741. He was the great-grandson of Benedict Arnold, thrice colonial governor of Rhode Island between 1663 and 1678; and was the fourth in direct descent to bear the name. He received a fair education but was not studious, and his youth was marked by the same waywardness which characterized his whole career. At fifteen he ran away from home and took part in an expedition against the French, but, restless under restraint, he soon deserted and returned home. In 1762 he settled in New Haven, where he became the proprietor of a drug and book shop; and he subsequently engaged successfully in trade with the West Indies. Immediately after the battle of Lexington Arnold led the local militia company, of which he was captain, and additional volunteers to Cambridge, and on the 29th of April 1775 he proposed to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety an expedition against Crown Point and Ticonderoga. After a delay of four days the offer was accepted, and as a colonel of Massachusetts militia he was directed to enlist in the west part of a Massachusetts and in the neighboring colonies the men necessary for the undertaking. He was forestalled, however, Ethan Allen, acting on behalf of some members of the Connecticut Assembly. Under him, reluctantly waiving his own claim to command, Arnold served as a volunteer; and soon afterwards, Massachusetts having yielded to Connecticut, and having angered Arnold by sending a committee to make an inquiry into his conduct, he resigned and returned to Cambridge. He was then ordered to co-operate with General Richard Montgomery in the invasion of Canada, which he had been one of the first to suggest to the Continental Congress. Starting with 1100 men from Cambridge on the 17th of September 1775, he reached Gardiner, Maine, on the 20th, advanced through the Maine woods, and after suffering terrible privations and hardships, his little force, depleted by death and desertion, reached Quebec on the 13th of November. The garrison had been forewarned, and Arnold was compelled to await the coming of Montgomery from Montreal. The combined attack on the 31st of December 1775 failed; Montgomery was killed, and Arnold was severely wounded. Arnold, who had been commissioned a brigadier-general in January 1776, remained in Canada until the following June, being after April in command at Montreal. Some time after the retreat
When it came to General Thomas Gage, he was the commander and chief of British forces in the new world. In 1774, he was known to be the most powerful man in North America.
He volunteered in 1776 at the Battle of Bunker Hill, under the command of General Ward. He was in charge of the colonials around Boston. Soon after, in 1775, George Washington arrived in Boston to take command of the army. There he met with Knox, developing a strong friendship, and soon after, promoting Knox to position of chief artillery officer of the Continental Army because of his knowledge on artillery. Knox gave Washington the idea to use the cannons that they had claimed from the recently capture Fort Ticonderoga. He was tasked by Washington to retrieve and transport the cannons to Boston. He moved the heavy artillery over 300 miles of winter terrain with the use of ox-drawn sleds. In 1776, the cannons were used to force the British out at Dorchester Heights, the key to Boston, which was successfully executed, winning victory for
Nathanael Greene, although not afforded many victories in battles, was a masterful strategist, soldier and statesman. He was able to successfully employ militia, regular, light and mounted units during his command in the South. He built upon the reputation that he made for himself at the beginning of the war in Boston. It is because of this reputation and his ability to produce results that made him the second most important general in the continental army, next only to George Washington.
Washington understood that what lies ahead would be difficult, considering he would be facing the most powerful country in the world. But he probably didn't expect his worst problems to come from his own army, which was an undisciplined and untrained group that would eventually tamper with his great patience. Through it all, he would stay determined and always try to stay one step ahead of the enemy. In the summer of 1775, the Americans prepared to attack the British in Boston. But Washington was informed that they were shorthanded on gunpowder.
On April 19th, 1775 British troops marched to Lexington and Concord, where many militia men already awaited their arrival. The British were after the ammunition of the militia. Paul Revere previously warned the militia so that they could be prepared. Many people are unaware of the fact that Paul Revere was accompanied by William Dawes on his midnight ride.
General Edward Braddock was commander in chief of the British forces in North America during the actions at the start of the French and Indian war. Braddock was born in Perthshire, Scotland in January, 1695. His father was also named General Edward Braddock and his mother's name is unknown. Braddock was about sixty, a short, stout, bad-tempered martinet with little experience in action and none of the type of fighting that was in store for him. His rudeness and arrogance made a thoroughly bad impression on the colonials and were to contribute to a jaundiced view of the British officer class. In February 1755, the first British general to ever set foot in the colonies, Edward Braddock, arrived in Virginia. Edward Braddock, most famous for his disastrous mistake made during the French Indian War, led the British to a loss against the French.
After defecting to the British side Arnold received remuneration which included pay land in Canada, pensions for himself and a commission as British Provincial brigadier general. Even though the British provided for Arnold they never truly trusted him and only allowed him to serve in minor engagements with the Americans. One of these engagements was in 1781 where he led the British attack against Virginia destroying the Virginian Navy
Patrick Henry, also known as "the Orator of Liberty" , wrote speeches supporting the American democracy. During the British rule in the American colonies, Henry was one of the first opponents. Great Britain and the American colonies were divided in 1775. Henry felt the only choice was hoping to work out the disagreements. In his speech "Speech in the Virginia Convention" , Henry was hoping to persuade his fellow Virginian Patriots to go to war. Although some did not want to go to war, Henry used ethos, pathos, and logos throughout his speech to convince the Virginia Convention to go to war with Britain.
...he surrender. Even if he would have arrived much sooner, a British defeat was inevitable. He left the colonies in 1782. The colonies had become the newest nation, and named itself the United States of America. The hero of the war, George Washington went on to become the first president of the United States. Many wanted him to become the king, but he refused because he didn’t want all the power just like their tyrant cousins.
Unfortunately, in their delay, the city had been reinforced. He could not wait to attack on December 31, 1775 since many of his men’s enlistments expired on New Year’s day. Although, Arnold suffered a severe leg wound in battle, he never gave up his post. The Americans fought on and were forced to retreat. It was a crushing defeat.
Following the events in Massachusetts at Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775, state militiamen from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont gathered in Cambridge and the area surrounding Boston. British General Gage and 6,500 soldiers and marines were in possession of Boston proper, while the American force consisted of over 16,000 men. Sickness and missing brought the number of available soldiers closer to 9,000. In addition the American force was extremely short of gunpowder, having only some 30 or so half barrels of powder beyond that carried in the horns of the citizen soldiers.
Despite the low expectations for the American colonies, they amazed the world as they rose to the occasion by taking advantage of their military assets, even those they did not know they had. For instance, George Washington proved to be a valuable asset for the American colonies. Washington was already held in high esteem prior to the Revolution for his few, but impactful, military accomplishments prior to the Revolution and for his praise-worthy character. (Schweikart and Allen 74) Because of his lack of experience commanding, he learned to excel in familiarizing himself with new tactics and responsibilities very quickly. (Mount Vernon) He used strategy to make up for what he lacked in supplies or force. In 1776, he valiantly crossed the Delaware river for a successful surprise attack on Trenton and days later successfully took Princeton, two undertakings which contributed significantly to the American victory along with Washington defeating Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1...
On July 3rd, 1775, Washington took control of the Continental Army. He accepted the position without pay and left for Boston. The troops were under trained and supplies were limited. As a leader, Washington was fearless and never acted until he considered any and every outcome and would push through if conflicts did emerse. The army had won few battles but stood strong and endured the war. Finally, with the help of the French, Washington and his troops managed to capture the British during the Battle of Yorktown. Thus, the eight year Revolutionary war was at an end on October 17th,
Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut to wealthy merchants. When the family business went down due to his father’s drinking problem, Arnold had to drop out of school at age fourteen. Arnold was sent away to learn to become a shop apprentice. When he was twenty-one, Arnold completed his apprenticeship and went to New Haven, Connecticut to open his own drugstore. He soon sunk into debt and was forced to close his store. Then, he became a sea captain for the next ten years. He bought three ships and launched a trading business, trading horses from Canada for rum and molasses in the West Indies. He was eventually able to reopen his store in New Haven and became a member of the New Haven Masonic Lodge. However, British laws began placing heavy taxes on the colonists in order to pay for the colonial war. As a result, Arnold, like many other merchants, began smuggling goods on his sh...
"He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares