Revolutionary War
Taylor Hunter
ENG/101
October 26, 2014
The battle of Trenton and Princeton began to erupt in the same year of the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War had started because the Americans wanted the same rights the as the British citizens had. The British refused to give Americans the same rights because they (British) didn’t think the Americans shouldn’t be represented as a part of the British Parliament, instead their (British) minds were more focused on building revenue. The British had ignored the Americans demands in which the British thought the Americans demands were a cause of outrage. There were so many different wars that had erupted during the Revolutionary War. The battle between Trenton
…show more content…
George Washington knew that his men had exceeded their expectations with the battle on Trenton and that they had more challenges to face. George Washington knew that doing nothing would be dangerous so he turned his focus to planning another attack at Princeton. George Washington was convinced that his men couldn’t hold Trenton against British. George Washington had learned about General Charles and James Grant with the eight hundred British Troops marching south from Princeton. George Washington had deployed five hundred men who he had assigned to watch campfires and the rest of the troops marched to Princeton. During the battle on Princeton the first secretary of the US Treasury, Alexander Hamilton had cannons fired at the British because he had applied to Princeton, in which he was not accepted. George Washington had sent in a force who was under General Hugh Mercer to destroy a bridge. General Hugh Mercers’ men were killed. There was a rally by the Americans. George Washington gave hope to others that they could also beat the British. After the Battles of Trenton and Princeton the Americans quickly withdrew after taking prisoners, arms and their supplies but they fell back after the Americans had won the battle on Princeton. George Washington wanted to take his men to New Brunswick, but was overruled by his officers. George Washington’s’ Continental Army had marched to Morristown, NJ to establish
There are many causes of the Battle of Trenton. Washington was driven out of New York.In the text, MacKenzie says “After being driven out of New York by the British and forced to retreat to the West bank of the Delaware during the late summer of 1776.” They were forced to retreat and get ready for
Washington first plans for a strategic defensive, thereby preserving his army. He avoids battle whenever possible and continues to draw the British into a prolonged war of attrition. It is this continuous maneuvering that gives Washington control of the flow of the War. For no matter where the British Army strikes, or what city they may take, or
Some of the Hessian and British soldiers tried to escape over Assunpink Bridge, but General Sullivan led troops to the bridge and guarded it to prevent more escapes. The Hessians and British were now trapped. The Hessians who tried to escape through the apple orchards and over Assunpink Bridge were all forced to surrender. The Americans had won the battle of Trenton in less than two hours.
Washington took away that fear when he launched the attack on Hessian troops. He followed up this victory by a win at Princeton. Next, he was forced to fight a battle that he knew he would lose. The British navy took over Philadelphia at the battle of Brandywine Creek. Washington’s militia was strengthened in October, when General Gates won at Saratoga, New York. In the spring of 1778, good news arrived when the French decided to send money, troops, and a fleet to help the colonies. When the British heard the news they decided to consolidate their position to New York and New Jersey. In the time period between 1778 and 1781 Washington kept the British army concealed to New York City. At the time he faced a variety of disappointments by losing the battles of Brooklyn Heights, Kip’s Bay, Harlem Heights, and White Plains.
Guerrilla warfare was a big part in winning many battles in the Revolutionary war. One of biggest wins using this tactic was the Battle of Trenton. The Battle of Trenton was fought December 26, 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey. General George Washington decided to take the Hessians by surprise. The Hessians were approximately 30,000 German soldiers that Great Britain hired to help them win the war and about 1,400 were in Trenton. General George Washington took his soldiers and crossed the Delaware river at the stroke of midnight. They were going to attack the Hessians while they were all sleeping. Most people think that the
A major battle in the book 1776, and an important turning point of the year, was the Battle of Trenton. After crossing the Delaware River, the Continental Army opened fire on the surprised Hessian troops that were stationed there. After a 45-minute battle, the Hessians surrendered, giving the Americans a much needed victory. McCullough shows the importance of this battle by describing multiple American victories that followed, such as the Battles of Princeton and Fort Lee.
The Battle of Trenton persuaded men to reenlist so Washington would still have an army in the new year. Washington planned on surprising the British in Princeton, but decided to wait considering Ewing and Caldwalader never made it across the river. A week later, on January 3, 1777 Washington recrossed the Delaware River with his troop into Princeton. The battle lasted less than an hour, but around one hundred British men were killed or wounded and they captured two hundred. The Americans only suffered forty casualties (Dupuy 83-84). These two wins boosted the patriot’s morale and helped Washington rise back to the top as a military commander (Murphy). These two victories also convinced America that the war was not over yet, there was still hope. Overall winning these battles created a spark of hope and a wave of electricity. There were many battles Washington led, but
Washington and Rochambeau decided that a battle in New York would be too difficult to win. They agreed to attack Charles Cornwallis while he and his army were stationed in Yorktown, Virginia. Cornwallis was located on a peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay because, there, he could receive supplies via boat from New York. (Creating America) They were expecting more troops from New York, but they never arrived. The lack of reinforcements was lucky for General Washington and Rochambeau because Cornwallis had a comparatively better army; the battle might not have ended the same if the enemy had more troops. (The British Surrender at Yorktown)
Later on, in 1775 George was unanimously selected to be Commander-in-Chief of the Second Continental Congress, ("Primary Documents in American History"). 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 men look to their leaders for guidance and motivation. The people of America looked up to George Washington because of his military knowledge and his keen and sneaky tactics. General George Washington learned that Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army was encamped near Yorktown, VA. After discussing options with his French ally, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau, Washington decided to quietly move his army away from New York City with the goal of capturing and making a blockade around Cornwallis' force. General Cornwallis. The French and American men are to siege and contain the surrounding area until either death or surrender by the British.
The Revolutionary War started in 1775. The American colonies have had enough of the British occupants and set their foot down in pursuit to freedom and independence. Each battle that happened during the Revolutionary War had its own significance and contributions to the independence of the colonies. Many brave men laid their lives in pursuit of the dream of independence from British control. One particular battle paved the way for that independence to become a reality. That battle is known as the Battle of Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown took place in what we know today as Virginia. It was a decisive battle that turned the table during the Revolutionary War. The battle ultimately led to the liberty of the American Colonies from 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
George Washington’s tactics and skills when it came to the Continental army and war were very helpful in the many battles that he led. In Trenton, Washington planned a sneak attack on the British, in which they had to cross the Delaware River on. Because of Washington’s quick thinking and great army skills allowed the Continental Army to succeed in surrounding all the Hessians in Trenton in an orchard, leaving them with
A motivating force behind the revolution was the American embrace of a political ideology called "republicanism", which was dominant in the colonies by 1775. The "country party" in Britain, whose critique of British government emphasized that corruption was to be feared, influenced American politicians. The commitment of most Americans to republican values and to their rights, helped bring about the American Revolution, as Britain was increasingly seen as hopelessly corrupt and hostile to American interests; it seemed to threaten to the established liberties that Americans enjoyed. The greatest threat to liberty was depicted as corruption. The colonists associated it with luxury and, especially, inherited aristocracy, which they condemned.
The Battle of Trenton occurred approximately 20 months after the revolution started. On November 16, 1776, the Battle of Fort Washington marked a decisive victory for the British. The British forces killed 59 Continental soldiers and took another 2,837 prisoner (“Weapons and war,” n.d.). Due to the defeat, Continental soldiers retreated across New Jersey into Pennsylvania. The Continental Army did not suffer any losses, but the troops suffered from a sense of defeat. Washington and his men faced a cold winter ahead, they were not sufficiently equipped to survive, enlistment contracts neared the end, local militants refused to take up arms, and the Continental Congress abandoned the