The American Revolutionary War went on between 1775-1783 and was lead by the patriot general George Washington. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, and was the eldest Washington to make it into adulthood. George was the General in charge of the Continental Army, he had prior experience as a soldier during the French and Indian war. The reason why George Washington was selected to be the general of the continental army was because he was determined to the cause, was “vigorous and young enough to survive the long campaigns of a protracted conflict”, and he was from Virginia.
When choosing the leader of the continental army it was suggested that he was from Virginia because “To make the rebellion a truly continental endeavor, the participation of Virginia-the wealthiest and most populous colony-was essential. ” He was determined to fight for what he had believed in, and so were the other men that respected him. George brought everyone together and was not like the traditional leader, he stayed with his men at Valley forge for the winter when he could have gone home.
The strategy that George Washington took to the Revolutionary War was monumental and led to the success of the Continental army despite all of their losses. George Washington was not the only one of the best candidates for the general of the Continental army, but a morale booster for the for all of the troops that fought beside him. George was a well respected man and he was a good leader because of it. George gave respect to his troops which the troops liked and gave him the respect he deserved. He had gained respect from his troops allowing for a better outlook toward the war.
He was a natural leader and his presence gave the patriot forces hope despite the losses they had to endure. “He learned on the job; and although his army reeled from one misfortune to another, he had the courage, determination, and mental agility to keep the American cause one step ahead of complete disintegration until he figured out how to win the unprecedented revolutionary struggle he was leading. ” George Washington had courage, determination and mental agility to keep up the troops morale despite the struggle he was facing.
That struggle being fighting the best army in the world for the freedom that they wanted. “Later (1775-1783), Washington would lead the Patriots to a surprising victory over Great Britain, “… the best-trained, best-equipped fighting force in the Western world. … Although he lost most of his battles with the British, year after year he held his ragtag, hungry army together” George Washington led a untrained group of soldiers to win against the British and still won. It proves that George kept his spirit up despite the low chance of success and he gave his troops a figure to rally behind.
George Washington’s strategy and his high spirits is what led to the successful battles in the evolutionary war. George was a good strategist when it came to important battles he performed amazing and proved that he was the suited leader to the Continental Army. “For much of the remainder of the war, Washington’s most important strategic task was to keep the British bottled up in New York. Although he never gave up hope of retaking the city, he was unwilling to risk his army without a fair prospect of success.
George Washington’s plan was to keep the British Cafe in New York. the reason for this was so they would not lose New York which was a major business place in post-Revolutionary America. George’s strategy proved to be a success when they kept the British at Bay. The Battle was considered a success because George’s strategy worked, it Was a major morale-booster and the Patriots did not lose the land. Another major revolutionary battle that was won because of George Washington’s strategy was the Battle of Yorktown.
George’s plan was to trap the British at Yorktown and force them to surrender. This plan did work and eventually led to the surrender of General Cornwallis and the end of the Revolutionary War. “Washington and Rochambeau swiftly moved southwards while coordinating with elements of the Continental Army located in Virginia under the command of Major General Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and the French Navy under Admiral Francois Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse.
Lafayette fixed Cornwallis in place while de Grasse kept control of Chesapeake Bay, preventing British naval assistance through his victory at the Battle of the Capes (September 5, 1781). ” The strategy used by George Washington cornered Cornwallis in Yorktown and it did not allow for the British to get reinforcements by sea. The reason why the Battle of Yorktown was so important it’s because it was where the British the lost to the Patriots and was one of the greatest military techniques during George Washington’s career.
George Washington was a good leader because he had an unbreakable spirit and will not give up. Even in the face of defeat the he would not show fear and would keep the troop Spirit up. “Washington’s reputation for leadership and courage was based on his actions in another defeat at the hands of the French. In that battle, at Fort Duquesne (1755, often called the “Battle of the Wilderness” or “Braddock’s Defeat”), Washington had two horses shot from under him and eventually had to assume command from the mortally wounded General Edward Braddock.
Washington led the surviving British and Colonial soldiers on a successful retreat”. This is an example of how his attitude about negative things happening did not affect the next battle, but also how the wins were not over celebrated, so they did not affect the next battle. Basically he viewed each battle/ day as a new day, so it did not matter what happened before. “He learned on the job; and although his army reeled from one misfortune to another, he had the courage, determination, and mental agility to keep the American cause one step ahead of complete disintegration until he figured out how to win the nprecedented revolutionary struggle he was leading.
“This is the second reason why George is a good leader because he has the ability to adapt to situations that seem to have a bad outcome. It also showed The George had a good sense of strategy which helped him win the battles that he needed to succeed in. The Continental Army was unlike any conventional army at the time because it was not organized and mostly made up of random everyday men, but it still performed the way that it needed too. The Army was made up of multiple militias, everyday men and any gun that could be fired.
Militias were not reliable because sometimes they would not help if it was another state even though they were all a part of the Continental Army. “Commissioned by the government of Massachusetts, Arnold claimed that he was to have overall command of the operation. Allen disagreed, and after the Green Mountain Boys threatened to return home, the two colonels decided to share command. On May 10, 1775, Allen and Arnold’s men stormed Fort Ticonderoga, capturing its entire forty-eight man garrison. Moving up the lake, they captured Crown Point, Fort Ann, and Fort St.
John in the weeks that followed. “. The Battle of Fort Ticonderoga was unconventional because it was a military action taken by group of militiamen and was not an important part the strategy. It was beneficial to the cause because it gave the Continental Army the guns that were needed to continue during the war. This was a part of George Washington’s strategy during the Revolutionary War because it gave the Patriots weapons which allowed for them to hold off the British in other more important battles.
Then there were the “Whaleboat Wars,” in which Continental troops and partisans used small boats to capture British officers and destroy British shipping, such as the thirteen-boat raid on Sag Harbor, Long Island in May 1777 that destroyed thirteen ships and numerous supplies. ” This strategy employed by Washington was an attempt to cut off the British supplies by water without having a legit navy in place to do so. This was unique at the time because normally shipping boats do not blow up other ships, they just ship things. George Washington’s strategy during the Revolutionary War was tremendous on the outcome of the war.
It was a historically significant war because had the Patriot’s lost there would not be an America, or it would not have been made at the same time the war ends and the Patriots beat a major western power with whale boats, everyday men, and strategy. The topic of the Revolutionary war affects this time period because had they have lost there would not be an America, and all of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence would have most likely been executed. George Washington’s strategy still matters today because it was what caused the Patriots to win the major battles needed to end the Revolutionary War.
