The Most Influential Battles of the American Revolution Essay

“The battle pitted approximately 2,400 soldiers of the Continental Army, commanded by George Washington, up against about 1,400 Hessian soldiers commanded by Colonel Johann Rall.”(Battle of Trenton Facts)This fact shows how the Americans had more soldiers than the British side.Causes, leaders ,events,effects of the battle shows how this battle was a major battle.

During the American Revolution, the Americans and French (Franco-American coalition) fought the British at the Battle of Yorktown also known as “The Siege of Yorktown”. The Americans and the French fielded a combined force of roughly 16,000 soldiers to defeat the British force estimated at 7,000 soldiers. American General George Washington and French Lieutenant General de Rochambeau led the American and French soldiers. The British commanding officer was Major General Lord Cornwallis. The battle occurred from September 28 thru October 19, 1781. Cornwallis lost his dominance in the Carolinas and decided to march his army north to Virginia and seize Yorktown and Gloucester along the York River.

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.

The battle at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781 is most famously known as the “ battle that ended the Revolutionary War.” While this is true, there is still much that can be learned from the principles applied, that still has relevance today. General George Washington, along with his allied French commanders, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau and Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, they exquisitely displayed how a execute siege operations. This battle also displayed a great example of how multinational operations can be successful.

During the time of the American Revolution, there were many battles that took place and affected the Revolution. One battle though, made a huge impact on the American Revolution. The Battle of Saratoga proved that the disadvantaged and weaker American forces were strong enough to overpower the British forces. It all started when General John Burgoyne needed to get his forces to Albany. He and his army headed across the Hudson River, where they would then take a road south-ward to Albany. Burgoyne knew the enemy (American forces) were in the area, but he did not know of their exact location. Leading to the Battles of Bemis Heights and Freeman's Farm, the Battle of Saratoga became known as a highly significant battle

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.

For instance, The battle of Trenton on Christmas Eve in 1776 proved the colonist were dedicated and a capable force. The colonists were wary about fighting the very powerful Hessian, therefore on Christmas Eve, they planned a sneak attack to defeat them. The patriots marched and fought in icy and poor conditions before dawn, hoping to defeat the powerful Hessians. After the surprise attack the Colonists had totaled 2 dead and 5 wounded. The Hessians had 22 dead and 90 wounded and 918 captured. This victory would change the image of the colonist’s army and bring about great change. After the battle of Trenton, they were now viewed as a definite threat to the British. On the other hand, the battle of Saratoga gave the colonist hope for the upcoming battles. On October 17th,1777 the colonist surrounded General Burgoyne and his army continue to hold strong, the army fought until the British surrendered to the colonist. This was significant for the colonist because the British surrendered to the colonist. This showed the British that the colonist held up a good fight and that this war was going to be long and hard. In conclusion, this

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

The days before the battle helped the Americans capture a victory at Yorktown. At first, the war was between the Colonies and the British; however, the French came into the war to help aid the Colonists and win the war over Great Britain. Before the battle of Yorktown, General George Washington was stationed in New York with his army. “In the spring of 1781, Washington traveled to Rhode Island to meet with Comte de Rochambeau and plan to attack on Clinton” (“History of the Siege”). Lieutenant General Henry Clinton is a British general who marches through the northern and middle colonies in an attempt to gain control in those areas. The French were a big advantage to the Colonists because of their naval fleet. George Washington was expecting the French fleet to arrive in New York and help aid in the attack on Clinton, however, he “learned that the French fleet was sailing to the lower Chesapeake Bay”

The Battle of Yorktown gave General Washington the advantage he needed to win. General Washington, with the help of the French saw the opportunity to end the war by cornering General Cornwallis at Yorktown. (The History Channel Website, n.d.) Prior to the surrender of General Cornwallis to General Washington at Yorktown, the British were winning several battles. General Washington needed to do something before he had no other options left. General Washington’s forces were low in numbers and strength but knew the land to give them an edge in being rooted out by the British. (Lanning, 2005) General Washington used time and heavy militia to replenish his losses but did not have the troops to capture British Garrisons. (Lanning, 2005) The British in turn, could not pass the militia aiding General Washington. (Lanning, 2005)The militia, fighting alongside continental troops, had the land and the support of the people who aided their cause during the battle. The stalemate continued with no sign of either side budging. Guerilla-style operations were used to win many fights and battles that General Washington’s own troops could not. (Lanning, 2005) General Cornwallis, saw Yorktown in Virginia as a viable location to gather resources for future encounters with the Americans. General Cornwallis moved northward from the Carolinas toward Virginia and occupied Yorktown with an estimated 6,000 to 9,000 British troops. (Lanning, 2005) (The History

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

The Revolutionary War was a dreadful war leaving almost 70,000 U.S. and British soldiers dead or wounded. The war lasted eight years with America, France, Spain, and the Dutch on one side and Great Britain on the other. On October 19, 1781 the last major land battle took place, the Battle of Yorktown. Similar to other battles in the Revolutionary War, the Americans were fighting for independence from the British and as threats from them kept increasing, the situation did not get any better. George Washington is recognized to having inspired the victory achieved over the British forces. The tactics, skills, courage and the collaboration George Washington sought with the

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.