Washington desperately needed to gain intelligence of General William Howe’s next plan of attack, however there were few who wanted to risk partaking in such a dishonorable task as spying. Hale was the first, and most well known, of the many spies to scout
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.
Between 1770 and 1776, resistance to imperial change turned into a full-on revolution. The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, was a time of revolting and political uprising, in which the 13 colonies separated from the British Empire, forming the independent nation known as the United States of America. Though the American Revolution began because the colonies wanted independence from Britain, many important historical events and revolts also lead to the tensions and resistance to what resulted in freedom and independence for the colonies from British rule. Events such as the Stamp and Sugar Acts, the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, and the Continental Congress led to expanding tensions and soon to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
In regards to the American Revolution, the point that armed rebellion became inevitable arrived when after nearly five constant years of American colonist protesting. American 's had enough and needed to take a stand for the numerous inequalities they were forced to deal with. It was foreseeable that the American Revolution took place due to the unfair taxes that the British were giving Americans. Also, England was not allowing Americans their freedom, along with violence and the political dominance by the Parliament over the colonies by announcing the Stamp Act in 1765, which happened to nearly affect all Americans tremendously.
It was the first revolution to majorly succeed and change how people saw their countries, it was the American Revolution. The American Revolution was the first successful revolution against a European empire that provided a model for many other colonial peoples who realized that they too could break away and become self-governing nations (New world Encyclopedia, 1).The American Revolution was vital to history because ideas seen by other countries started a chain reaction. Many ideas were taken into account when the Americans revolted against Europe and all of these played important factors throughout history. Ideas about liberty, equality, representation, and natural rights were first seen as properly put into action to change old systems in the American Revolution. As the American Revolution was the first to succeed and earn freedom, it greatly affected countries all around the world on how they made freedom and equality a part of their government
When the American Revolution first broke out, many countries did not give the colonies more than a passing thought; most assumed that this rebellion would quickly be quelled by the world renowned British army and the colonies would once again be under their control. However, under the leadership of military officers and the guidance of laws and proclamations set forth by the Founding Fathers, America succeeded in their revolution against the control of Britain. Textbooks and teachers have praised America for years, stating that the revolution was a major turning point in world history, setting precedence for future revolutions, such as the French Revolution just a decade after the American Revolution ended. However, in later years, historians have begun to argue that the American Revolution was not the first of its kind, or unique in the way researchers previously stated. The Declaration of Independence, though groundbreaking in its own right, was influenced by documents and declarations in the English Civil War, such as the Petition of Rights and the English Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence, in turn, was a base for the authors and contributors of France’s Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Furthermore, for all the connections in the chain of antecedents for these documents and the documents themselves, such as philosophical and religious writings, they did not build off of each other in terms of giving rights to more and more people; women and other
As far as convincing goes, I believe Washington was vary convincing. As he showed what he believed would be the worst evils the United States would face.
People responded so positively to Washington because of how wellknown he was and how you could trust him in any situation. One could easily, “distinguish him from all the others. His personal appearance is truly noble and majestic, being tall and wellproportioned” (McCullough 34). People at the time of the American Revolution saw him as this, practically seeing him as a person on perfection. It was also believed by the people at this time that, “a leader must look and act the part” (McCullough 42). Washington made sure that he did this by looking and acting how a leader should and by doing this he lead the Americans to their
He was a self-made man, who had no more than a fourth grade education, and taught himself practically everything he knew. Washington created a reputation for himself as a hard worker and renowned military leader, even before the Revolutionary war. He was responsible for creating the American character, which defined the nation and set a precedent for those who followed in his footsteps. Washington wrote, “We now have a National character to establish; and it is of the utmost importance to stamp favourable impressions upon it; let justice then be one of its characteristics, and gratitude another.” His character helped sustain his troops throughout the war and become the most knowledgeable military man within the colonies, convince delegates to the Constitutional Convention to assign significant powers to the presidency, secure the ratification of the Constitution, and enable the new republic to survive against all odds. He believed his character was much more important to the success of the republic than his policies, and he spent much of his career creating and preserving a reputation for integrity and decency. Washington’s own moral sense was the compass of both his private and public life. The accumulation of the habits and dispositions, both good and bad, that one acquired over time defined one’s character. In 1788, Washington wrote to his trusted
“The revolution was effected before the war commenced. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.” - John Adams, 1818
The American Revolution was undeniably the most pivotal time period in respect to United States History, but who was really to blame for initiating the conflict? While both the British politicians and American colonists shared the blame for the kindling of the revolution, one party was certainly more at fault than the other: the British. Through short-term causes of taxation and incommodious trade acts, and long-term causes of salutary neglect and involvement in the burdensome French & Indian War, the British politicians proved to ultimately be the most responsible for igniting the Revolutionary War.
There are many different views on how the American Revolution came to be and how it actually was. One way is that the colonists that had money and were known as the elite were trying to preserve their power from the British and this is what caused the revolutionary war. Then on the other hand before the revolutionary war occurred when the colonists were being over controlled by the British, then in result of the American Revolution the colonists were able to win against the British and become stronger, more united, and have the type government they wanted. As described in Gordon S. Wood’s essay Radical Possibilities of the American Revolution, the colonists only wanted to be free from the control of the British and the only way they could accomplish that was to have a war with Britain to show that they could hold their own.
If someone was to lay their life on the line for something that had little to no survival rate, little to no people would do it. Very few men had the courage. Washington is a well-known historical figure for leading the way through the revolutionary war. As Washington states before the Battle of Long Island, “The fate of the unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the
The reader follows General Washington throughout the Revolution and McCullough does a great job depicting George Washington as he evolves throughout the war, doubts and all. Even when Washington felt swirls of emotions he was never any less of a leader to his men. “Washington was a man of exceptional, almost excessive self command, rarely permitting himself any show of discouragement or despair, but in the privacy of his correspondence with Joseph Reed, he began now to reveal how very low an bitter he felt, if the truth were known.” (McCullough 64) General Washington however hard it may be to believe was only human and McCullough does an amazing job showing this, making the
General Washington was respected not just by the rank and file, but also by people in all parts of the colonies. Although he did not inspire his men to fanatical loyalty as Napoleon or Nelson, the troops under his command knew they could count upon his valor, military judgment, and fair justice always. (Morison, p. 314-5) Everyone, from the highest gentleman in Congress to the lowest private in the Army, could depend on George Washington's character at all times.