Cary Racioppi US History Bowler 9/16/14 Unit II Essay Prompt #1 Although George Washington may not be exalted as a successful military leader when assessing number of wins; he is still, due to his unremitting persistence and prudent tactics, such as strategic retreat, among those, such as Napoleon, who are highly regarded when discussing renowned military leaders. One of the things that makes a general memorable and considered successful today is determined by their accomplishments and their endeavors to achieve these accomplishments. A main reason George Washington is recognized today as a legendary general, is because, despite the unskilled army he was provided, he managed to attain the pivotal goal for America; gaining its independence. George Washington had a very well understanding of military power, and was forced to aid in making an army of untrained farmers into an army of warriors. Over time, the army progressed, but nowhere near as qualified as the great British army they were fighting against. The lack of experience among Washington’s continental army …show more content…
Washington knew, with the army provided, there would be no way to win a war against one of, if not the strongest militaries during the time. Being the sage of a general he is known to be, he refined an effective tactic; strategic retreat. This martial device enabled Washington to survive the battles leading up to the win of the American Revolution, as opposed to losing his men and the entire war. Strategic retreat was a strategy Washington utilized that did not allow his army to be surrounded, did not involve any fighting or weaponry to be used, and would be mentally and physically exhausting to the British. In hopes that the British would give up, strategic retreat was the only thing Washington’s army was capable of while against the strong British
General Washington and the Continental Army had been routed in the Battle of Long Island and withdrew to the defenses of Brooklyn Heights, which left them confined between Hessian and British troops and the East River. General Washington was able to keep the revolution alive by maintaining the Continental Army in the field.
We all know that George Washington, the first President of the United States, is on the one dollar bill. But did you know that he was the commander-in-chief of the US Continental Army during the Revolutionary War? George Washington sure had a very impressive resume, from his rise in the Virginia militia, to fighting in the French and Indian War, serving in the US Continental Army and pursuing a political future. George Washington has a major impact on US history but most people don't know about his own very exciting life.
The British were over confident and made poor decisions, whereas George Washington carefully thought out his tactics. The colonists used Guerilla Warfare, and militia were quick and often popped out from behind trees to attack. Using this type of warfare was very beneficial to the Colonists, as it did not give the British enough time to shoot the colonists before they were killed. Guerrilla Warfare was known to “weaken the enemy” (McDougal,210). By focusing on winning small battles, in their own land, the colonists were able to keep enough supplies, food and men to eventually win the war. In the battle of Yorktown, “British general Cornwallis set up his base, located on a peninsula” (McDougal, 209), which was a bad move on their part. Washington saw the opportunity and made the smart decision to block the one land entrance, so that the British could no longer get any supplies that they needed. Washington’s plans along with the Colonists motivation were the were the reason they won the
The Battle of New York would soon prove to be a disaster. It was Washington's first command on a large scale battle. He and his general officers had not only failed, but they looked like fools from the British point of view. After the battle, troops began to run away in fear. Even Washington's closest friend, Joseph Reed, began plotting behind his back. Washington suffered another bitter defeat at Fort Washington, N.Y. The colonists were intimidated, and surrendered Fort Washington. It was a severe blow to the colonists, 2000 were taken prisoner, 59 killed, 146 cannons lost to the British and Hessians in a matter of hours. It was a humiliating blow. During one particularly disastrous skirmish with the British, Washington saw his own troops fleeing from the enemy, and they were refusing to obey orders. Washington threw his hat on the ground in disgust. And
He was a General, a Quartermaster, and one of Washington’s most trusted men. His ingenuity lead to the hit-and-run tactic that lead us to win the Revolutionary war. And his leadership was truly shown by being ables to guide his men with his new tactic to carry it out and do so expertly. These qualities make an intelligent, initiative-taking person. But it takes a special kind of person to do something with those qualities.
In 1775, during the summer time, the Continental Congress was convinced by John Adams to create an army that is a unified continental. Adams then convinced the Continental Congress to make George Washington, whom was a Virginian Colonel, a general. Washington's overall demeanor, characteristics, actions and many other forms of his altogether way he was, essentially helped Americans become victorious. Not only was Washington a great leader, he also was very fierce and held many military defeats. Washington was able to obtain the knowledge to understand that the Americans needed to fight a defensive war in order to see victory amongst themselves. This knowledge aso allowed him to be aware of how to dodge the direct obstacle of the more mighty armies within Britain
General George Washington was a brave man, a strong man, an honourable man. He was not the kind of man to quit on his troops, I knew he would get us what we needed. General Washington was the kind of man who would send letters to the Continental Congress every week to save us from this cold winter. Once he even succeeded in getting a committee from the Continental Congress to come and see our dire conditions for themselves. General Washington spoke for all of us telling the men of our lack of supplies, of our soot-covered lungs, and of our rumbling stomachs (Doc. C). If that is not enough General Washington once even told the Continental Congress "the soldiers eat every kind of horse fodder but hay,"(Doc. A). All these things and more show
George Washington, son of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington, was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He served as general and commander in chief of the Revolutionary War, and was later chosen as one of the seven Virginia delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 1787. The convention met with the purpose of creating a constitution for the newly formed nation of the United States of America. Due to Washington’s background, he was unanimously elected president of the convention. His favor with the other delegates promoted the ratification of the US Constitution in 1788. One year later, in 1789, members of the Electoral College unanimously nominated him as the new nation’s
General Washington 's adherence to mission command principles promoted the environment needed to win. Senior allied partners deferred decision making to Washington based on trust and collaborative input. Effective communications encouraged subordinate commanders to propose constructive alternatives aimed at streamlining action. The Siege of Yorktown embodied the approach effectiveness. Admiral Lafayette’s decision to avoid a major naval battle in Chesapeake Bay demonstrated this. Lafayette’s understood Washington’s intent, and the established trust ensured vital Colonial waterway supremacy. This decisive act ensured Lord Cornwallis’ entrapment throughout the siege. (COL Jerry A. Turner, 2015)
Later on, in 1775 George was unanimously selected to be Commander-in-Chief of the Second Continental Congress. Even though Washington was used to commanding a small militia, he had an excellent strategy. His first move was to occupy Dorchester Heights where he brought supplies from Fort Ticonderoga and forced the British to evacuate Boston. Throughout the war for Independence, Washington continued to use his unique strategies. His strategies he used on the Hessians in Trenton was the surprise attack. Most of the battles he fought, he planned out very well. He failed sometimes but that didn’t stop him from fighting. Washington was well organized, very attentive to details, and expected hard work and effort from his troops. During every war Washington would visit his home ten times, he stayed in Valley Forge. During the wars he would also write letters to help his army by giving cattle to his army to feed them. Then, The Treaty of Paris ended the war for Independence and started The Revolutionary War. In June of 1775, Congress ordered General Washington to lead the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. During the Revolution Washington lost more battles than he won.
War many soldiers gave to the world and America because they could fight for their own country to save within their own culture and capture others land and food sources to further eliminate others. George Washington was a very big part of the war and his leadership and sense of a brave character, he lead America into what it is today. On this day in 1775, George Washington, who would one day become the first American president, he leads the Continental Army. George Washington had been controlling his family’s little village or in the chapter Notes is called a “plantation” and serving in the “Virginia House of Burgesses” when the second “Continental Congress” voted to have him lead the revolutionary army. He had earlier distinguished himself,
The Battle of Trenton is widely regarded as a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. With enlistments in the Continental Army about to expire at the end of the year, General George Washington risked everything in harsh winter conditions to advance across the Delaware River and execute a surprise attack on Hessian troops in Trenton, N.J. An evaluation of the moments that led up to the battle, the setting, area of operations, the Continental and Opposing forces, along with the use of intelligence will reveal the major factors that led to the outcome of the battle. An analysis of the battle will illustrate how Washington devised an offensive plan that demonstrated many of the principles of war still utilized in military operations today.
He had the notoriety, the military experience, the charm and military bearing, the notoriety of being a solid loyalist. He was eager to forfeit his own wants for more note worthy’s benefit of his nation. He picked up his energy by his availability to surrender it. Additionally, Washington resigned his command of the Continental Army out of a belief that government should be run by the people rather than the military or some other powerful force. seemingly his most prominent military triumph was his renunciation, which was itself a political demonstration. While president he irritated numerous Americans and lost the help of numerous previous partners. However, by keeping America unbiased in the war amongst France and England, in supporting an arrangement of open back, and in looking to open the western wilderness to settlement, he prevailing with regards to protecting and extending the new country. Legislative issues never presented to him the distinction or respect that military administration did, however it was the more troublesome of the two occupations, and he dealt with it
Despite failing several times throughout his early career, George Washington never gave up. In fact, when he was facing multiple defeats with the Virginia militia, he retired until the start of the Revolutionary War. (The Biography.com Website., 2015) However,
Washington even used to read Thomas Paine’s The Crisis to his troops during times of hardship during the war to remind them of what they were fighting for. Quotes like, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph ” would resonate with the troops and compel them to fight hard. Throughout the war, Washington and his troops fought valiantly to secure Northeastern cities, such as Boston and New York. Washington continued to lead his troops until the end of the war and was a crucial factor in the American victory over the British . Without George Washington, America might not have ever won the war.