Why Is The Fatal War Important

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.

During the Revolutionary War, there were many battles that were fought, but there were a few that changed the result of the war. The battles of Trenton and Princeton were fought strategically. During both of the battles, Washington made bold moves that later impacted the army’s success. Another battle that was fought was the Battle of Saratoga, and before this battle, the Continental Army did not have a strong chance of winning because they were facing the powerful and well equipped British army. The Battle of Saratoga was the battle that completely changed the tide of the war. The Battle of Yorktown was the last land battle fought of the Revolutionary War. It was also the battle where the British surrendered to the Americans and won

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.

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

That morning the light frost was just beginning to melt, but the air was still cold. The battle began at about noon that day and lasted for approximately two hours before it came to an end. Nathanael Greene’s tactic to win the battle was to line his men up in three parallel rows. The battle started with the cannons being fired rapidly at their enemy. Greene’s men began to panic and then began to scatter in every direction. The troops heavily fought on both sides, but in the end, Nathanael Greene and his troops decided to retreat. The British may have won the battle, but they ended up suffering tremendous losses. After this battle, Cornwallis decided to forget campaigning and instead decided to take his army to Virginia, where in October of that very same year, he surrendered to General George Washington. After the battle, Greene returned south and again took control over most of the Carolina's and Georgia. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was the second to last major battle of the American Revolution.

The British forces in Virginia were led by General Cornwallis who was accompanied by forces led by

The Battle of Cowpens was an important battle for General Daniel Morgan and to the benefit of the United States. “Daniel Morgan is most well known for his courage and military tactics on the battlefield(“Daniel Morgan Facts”). He also led a group of riflemen from Virginia in a successful siege of Boston”(“Daniel Morgan”). Daniel Morgan was well known after this event by men like President George Washington. Because of his excellence, strategies, and experience on the battlefield of war, President George Washington promoted him. He was also put in command at the Battle of Cowpens. He had tremendous success in the Battle of Cowpens. “He made strategies that confused the British Army and resulted in more British casualties which was an advantage towards the Americans”(“Daniel Morgan”).

The second crucial battle of Saratoga, the Battle of Bemis Heights, occurred on October 7, 1777. The start of the American revolution taking a complete turn. General Burgoyne was determined to launch an attack on the Americans at Bemis Heights. By this time, American General Gates was reinforced with his army of about 12,000 men versus around 4,000 British and Germans. The French Alliance changed the face of the war for the British, “the American war for independence was now in essence a world war”. France had been secretly supplying weapons and ammunition to the American soldiers. They kept it a secret because the French didn’t want a show or create an open alliance, but soon the French realized that the Patriots had an opportunity to win the war. They were now willing to form an open alliance with the Americans against the British. The alliance with French was critical and essential for winning the war. Without the French, the Patriots would have lost. Some benefits of the alliance were that the French provided supplies and ammunitions to the Americans so that they could continue fighting. French also volunteered their soldiers and generals. America was now ready for war with the British. Since Freeman's Farm, the Patriots had increased in strength. Gates’ army now had

The Battle of Camden started on August sixteenth 1780 and finished that same day in Camden, South Carolina. After the colonialist triumph at Saratoga and the French entered the war the British troops embraced another "Southern Style" of battling keeping in mind the end goal to win back the defiant settlements. Subsequent to seeing that Camden was a key area for the colonialists to win, the British chose to assault. Also, at last succeeded in overcoming the numerically prevalent colonialist armed force that day. The real players in this contention were General Horatio Gates, General Charles Cornwallis and Nathaniel Greene. General Gates was a resigned British warrior who served as an American General amid the American Revolution. He was credited for the American triumph in Saratoga

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

Leading up the battle of Yorktown, in February, 1781, Major General Marquis de Lafayette was ordered to take his Continental troops to Virginia. About a month later General Cornwallis and his army had entered Virginia believing that if the American forces had resistance, he would have victory against the Americans and the French. Later that year in August on 1-2, 1781 Cornwallis and his army set up at Gloucester point, hoping to use it as a base for supply and weapons. Couple of weeks later, Washington heard about the base and sent a large army to destroy Cornwallis base. A month later on September 14, 1781, French General Rochambeau and General Washington arrived, and sent 400 French soldiers and 400 American soldiers to storm the British redoubt. On October 19, 1781, being taken under heavy from the Americans and the French, Major General Cornwallis realized that he was short of troops and decided to escape Yorktown before surrendering. Making the move to escape, a sudden storm from the Americans and French ruined his evacuation plan and Cornwallis was forced to surrender, due to the lack troops and supplies.

The Civil War caused a shift in the ways that many Americans thought about slavery and race. Chandra Manning’s What this Cruel War Was Over helps readers understand how soldiers viewed slavery during the Civil War. The book is a narrative, which follows the life of Union soldier who is from Massachusetts. Chandra Manning used letters, diaries and regimental newspapers to gain an understanding of soldiers’ views of slavery. The main character, Charles Brewster has never encountered slaves. However, he believes that Negroes are inferior. He does not meet slaves until he enters the war in the southern states of Maryland and Virginia. Charles Brewster views the slaves first as contraband. He believes the slaves are a burden and should be sent back to their owners because of the fugitive slave laws. Union soldiers focus shifted before the end of the war. They believed slavery was cruel and inhumane, expressing strong desire to liberate the slaves. As the war progresses, soldiers view slaves and slavery in a different light. This paper, by referring to the themes and characters presented in Chandra Manning’s What this Cruel War Was Over, analyzes how the issue of slavery and race shifted in the eyes of white Union soldiers’ during Civil War times.

- British troops win at Battle of Camden, but soon the tables are turn by a valiant American effort at the Battle of King’s Mountain.

In July 1780 France's King Louis XVI had sent to America an expeditionary force of 6,000 men under the Comte Jean de Rochambeau.  In addition, the French fleet harassed British shipping and blocked reinforcement and resupply of British forces in Virginia.  French and American armies and navies, totaling 18,000 men, parried with Cornwallis all through the summer and into the fall. Finally, on October 19, 1781, after being trapped at Yorktown near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000 British soldiers.