In late 1776, General George Washington desperately needed a victory. His Soldiers morale was slumping, and public attitude was deteriorating. Washington had set his sights on Trenton, but for him to assure some much needed success; he needed intelligence on the British’s camp at Trenton. He turned to a strong patriot, John Honeyman who agreed to embed himself as a spy for General Washington. Washington sent Honeyman forth from his home in Philadelphia to Griggs town, New Jersey which was 17 miles from Trenton. Honeyman settled in and posed as a butcher and a loyalist to the British King. Honeyman immediately made numerous contacts with the opposition and was soon regularly supplying beef to the Hessian troops stationed at Trenton, and consistently gaining their trust. The demand for beef was continues as the Christmas holidays approached, and Honeyman became familiar with the Hessian camp and the roads around the town. This is exactly what General Washington was looking for, an informant that new the inside of the opposition. General George Washington was a firm believer in intelligence and especially the hidden secret of the intelligence world and stated, “The necessity of procuring good Intelligence is apparent & need not be further urged--All that remains for me to add is, that you keep the whole matter as secret as possible. For upon Secrecy, Success depends in most enterprises of the kind, and for want of it, they are generally defeated, however well planned & promising a favorable issue.” George Washington
At the end of 1776 the destiny of the Continental Army and its commander, George Washington, were at a low fade. Despite the great optimism inspired by the publication of Paine’s Common Sense and the Declaration ...
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...next day the Army had won their first major victory. After the battle of Trenton, Honeyman continued spying for General Washington. Honeyman played his role as a loyal man to the British so well that the patriots who were not in on this secret ring had latter caught and jailed him for treason. When General Washington had gotten word of this he Colonel Jacob Hyer to step in and arrange bail so that Honeyman was not hung for treason.
The overall effect of the battle of Trenton was out of all proportion to the numbers involved and the casualties. General Washington and his troop’s efforts at Trenton spread across the colonies and the psychological governance achieved by the British in the previous year was no turning. Congress and the American people were stunned that such a strong German contingent could be surprised in such a manner with such little resistance.
In 1863, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was awoken to the beginning of what was to be the turning point of the Civil War for the Union. It began as a small skirmish, but by its end it involved so many Americans to which would become one of the bloodiest battles ever taken place on Unites States soil. The Battle of Gettysburg was not only a turning point in the war.
In 1776, David McCullough gives a vivid portrayal of the Continental Army from October 1775 through January 1777, with sharp focus on the leadership of America’s greatest hero, George Washington. McCullough’s thesis is that had not the right man (George Washington) been leading the Continental Army in 1776, the American Revolution would have resulted in a vastly different outcome. He supports his argument with a critical analysis of Washington’s leadership during the period from the Siege of Boston, through the disastrous defense of New York City, the desperate yet, well ordered retreat through New Jersey against overwhelming odds, and concludes with the inspiring victories of Trenton and Princeton. By keeping his army intact and persevering through 1776, Washington demonstrated to the British Army that the Continental Army was not simply a gang of rabble, but a viable fighting force. Additionally, Mr. McCullough supports his premise that the key to the survival of the American Revolution was not in the defense of Boston, New York City, or any other vital terrain, but rather the survival of the Continental Army itself. A masterful piece of history, 1776 is not a dry retelling of the Revolutionary War, but a compelling character study of George Washington, as well as his key lieutenants, and his British adversaries, the most powerful Army in the 18th Century world. When I read this book, I went from a casual understanding of the hero George Washington to a more specific understanding of why Washington was quite literally the exact right man at the exact right place and time to enable the birth of the United States.
In a time full of chaos, desperation, and dissenting opinions, two definitive authors, Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry, led the way toward the American Revolution. Both men demanded action of their separate audiences. Paine wrote to inspire the commoners to fight while Henry spoke extemporaneously to compel the states’ delegates to create an army. Despite the differences between the two, both had very similar arguments which relied heavily upon God, abstract language, and ethos. In the end, both men were able to inspire their audiences and capture the approval and support of the masses. If not for these two highly influential and demanding men, the America that we know today might not exist.
The British army woke up the next morning and was amazed to see how much hard work took place that night by the American army. Since the British army was surrounded they had no other option but to surrender, and vacate the city.... ... middle of paper ... ... But he always learned from his mistakes.
He suffered from stage fright and often “blushed and faltered”, (18) even at his inauguration as President, “he trembled and several times could scarce make out to read his speech” (18) This weakness of his is often glossed over as it doesn’t seem to fit in with his image as the towering, imposing “founding father”. Yet today, it is essential for a President to be able to deliver impressive and clear speeches to the whole country. Finally there are some criticisms that he was not as effective General as is often believed. Thomas Paine claimed that he was a bad general whose strategy consisted of “doing nothing” (19). Although Paine had a personal agenda in condemning George Washington as he resented not being appointed Postmaster-General, and then later by not being rescued from French persecution by the government, it is true that George Washington did lose more battles than he won (20) and often did seem to do nothing for long periods of time. There is also the issue of his harsh treatment towards his own soldiers, any who were caught deserting or plundering were “flogged” (21) and he even a “Gallows near forty feet high erected” to terrify the rest into obedience.
The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal battle during the American Revolutionary War which took place on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. ... After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans. It was also called battle of the assunpink creek.
On October 9, 1781, General George Washington surrounded General Lord Charles Cornwallis at the Virginia port city of Yorktown with 8,500 American soldiers and around 10,000 French soldiers. The bruised up British army contained only around 8,000 soldiers. The Siege of Yorktown lasted eight days, and Cornwallis had to surrender to American forces. The British loss crushed their southern army and forced them to give up on the war. The surrender of Yorktown could easily be one of the greatest moments in American history. Not only did the surrender signal the end of the war, but it also signaled that independence had been won by the colonies. No longer would the colonies have to answer to Great Britain and the tyrants that ruled it.
The War of 1812 was a difficult one for the new the United States of America, as the country struggled to find its place on the world stage. It was hampered by its association with France, the presence of Great Britain and her native allies to the north, the uncertainty of the path its leaders would choose for her and in no small part her own hubris. All of these factors would be present in some part at the battle of Bladensburg, which has often been referred to as “the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms” and that defeat changed the mindset of many, setting the US on the path that created today's modern military. I will examine the immediate ramifications if there was a change in the proficiency of US military intelligence of the day and how that would have affected Bladensburg. Further I will hypothesize on how the US would look today if Bladensburg had been a US victory.
Across the winter of 1782-1783, the Continental Army huddled in its huts at Newburgh, New York. For all intents and purposes, the war was over. All that remained was for the diplomats to agree on the details. An army of farmers, artisans, and mechanics had achieved victory in its struggle against Great Britain. The Continental Army's growing prowess as well the international nature of the conflict had finally exhausted Britain's will to continue. There would be no victory parade for Washington's army. Officers and men would wait in vain for pay and allowances from the Continental Congress. In the end, Washington would send his men home on furlough, knowing that they would never return to Newburgh. In victory, his army disintegrated because
It was the evening of Christmas, 1776. The voice of an army sergeant shouted, “Everybody, up this instant! We’ve got a battle to win!” George Washington’s order awoke us soldiers, and we prepared for a rough night, as General Washington knew it would be more than strenuous to get the Continental Army, made up of 2,400 men, across the Delaware River especially in such harsh weather conditions. The plan was to attack in the morning since the Hessians would be celebrating Christmas tonight, they will hopefully be too tired to put up a fight tomorrow morning. The cold, brisk air intruded into the tent, as the rest of the soldiers arose from their slumber, not knowing what the day would bring them, or should I say, night.
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
The American Revolution saw the rise of the American spy, and the father of these spies was George Washington, commander in Chief of the Continental Army. The siege of New York demonstrated the importance and dire need for intelligence to General Washington. Unfortunately, the difficulty, at least initially, lies with finding people willing and able to serve in this manner. Upon recognizing the necessity for a network of subterfuge, Washington created the Culper spy ring. Housed in New York City under the command of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge, its purpose was more than merely gaining intelligence.
...e gun, it seemed, the greater the owner‘s pride in it.” (McCullough 33) The Continental army certainly did not look like an army yet these people were brought together in this fight for freedom and prevailed even winning the support of Americans who had no hope the British would be defeated.” Merchant Erving had sided with the Loyalists primarily because he thought the rebellion would fail. But the success of Washington‘s army at Boston had changed his mind as it had for many” (McCullough 108). The reader must comprehend the power of this accomplishment for the rag-tag army. “Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning-how often circumstance, storms, contrary winds, the oddities or strengths of individual character had made the difference- the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.” (McCullough 294).
The Revolutionary War was one of America’s earliest battles and one of many. Although, many came to America to gain independence from Great Britain many still had loyalty for the King and their laws. Others believed that America needs to be separated from Great Britain and control their own fate and government. I will analyze the arguments of Thomas Paine and James Chalmers. Should America be sustained by Great Britain or find their own passage?
While Greene could be considered a great leader, another Patriot, Nathan Hale, was very heroic when he risked his life to spy on the British. Hale knew that this was a risky plan, but when George Washington needed someone to step up, he was the one to do so (Stewart 38). Dressed as a normal citizen, he crossed Long Island from Norwalk (Anderson 96). Hale spent a week gathering information and hiding his notes in his shoes (“Patriot Nathan Hale”). As he was on his way back with the crucial information about the British army’s plans that Washington needed, General William Howe caught him (Anderson 97). Howe found papers that talked about how his cousin was a British sympathizer under Howe’s command and he had betrayed him. Hale was ordered