One of the most interesting Revolutionary War facts is that, despite not having extensive experience in instructing large, traditional army forces on the battlefield, George Washington’s powerful controlling presence and strength organized the American army for long enough to protect its success at Yorktown and freedom for his new country. Below there are 10 interesting facts about the Revolutionary War that should be known by all kids or grown-ups alike.
10. Washington was named leader of the Continental Army on Jun 14, 1775. He would not come back to Mt. Vernon until six years later
On Jun 14, 1775, at the Second Continental Congress, as an answer to the increasing problems near Boston, it stated that one of its own leaders – George Washington – should take control of the recently named Continental Army. It was not just because he had the most military skills amongst the Congressional associates, but as John Adams outlined, there were also great governmental benefits in having a person outside of New England to take control of a military power that was gathered around Boston and mostly composed of New Englanders.
9. Prior to the appointment as commander of the Continental Army, George Washington had never lead a huge military force on the battlefield
Washington was only one of just a few choices considered by the Second Continental Congress who had a significant military background. But by Western requirements, Washington’s capabilities in instructing a huge traditional military were almost non-existent. Until the France and Indian War, he had ably leaded the Virginia Regiment, but the provincial military forces never had more than 1,500-2,000 men in their positions. In 1754, George Washington led approximately 100 regular soldiers and 300 militia forces at the infamous Battle of Fort Necessity.
8. The Continental Army barely escaped from complete devastation in the New York campaign in 1776
Unlike the effective Siege of Boston, the initiatives to protect the city of New York led to a near catastrophic outcome for the Continental Army and the fight for independence. In what turned out to be the biggest fight of the American Revolutionary War facts regarding the number of combatants, Washington’s army on Aug 22, 1776 was flanked out of its position on top of the Gowanus Heights (a part of today’s Brooklyn) and easily beaten by William Howe’s approximately 20,000 man power on Long Island.
7. The Continental Army crossed the Delaware River two times in Dec 1776
Washington’s great victory against the Hessian troops at Trenton on the Dec 26, 1776 is among the best-known facts about the Revolutionary War. Worrying about a counterattack by English regulars, George Washington hustled his exhausted fighters and freezing Hessian captives to return to the Pennsylvania part of the Delaware River.
Could this individual success over one Hessian garrison represent enough to maintain the spirit and motivation of the infamous Patriot cause? Motivated by reports of his enemies’ common misunderstandings in New Jersey and an effective strategy to increase the enlistments, Washington tried to go again to the battle at Assunpink Creek.
6. The smallpox inoculation system represented one of the best decisions of the Revolutionary War
Up until recent times, illness, not the bullets, bayonets or cannon projectiles, had been the biggest killers of troops in all militaries. In 1775, a smallpox epidemic had so many victims among the American military in Canada that the leaders bemoaned that the infection is ten times more dreadful than the English, Indians and Canadians together.
Having lived through his own round with the smallpox a few years before that, Washington was completely acquainted with how illness could kill the cause of a practical military. Not only would it destroy troops in their positions, but the risk of disease also scared many of the soldiers that Washington’s forces relied upon.
5. Supply problems became one of the Continental Army’s biggest challenges
One of the earliest army adages say that beginners research techniques, while professional soldiers research strategies. As with all army strategies, providing for the wide material necessities of an army on the battlefield needs a focus on logistics and effective supply methods. Unfortunately, for the Continental Army, a bad supply sequence became a serious issue that adversely affected fight efficiency.
The biographers declare that seldom in recent history have the leaders been incapacitated by such regularly negative condition. He continuously had to exhort the authorities and the 13 states to find a solution for anxious shortages of men, shirts, shoes, bedding and gunpowder. This intended working with self-centered, indifferent states and bureaucratic mess in the legislature. He worked well under a dreadful stress that would have damaged a smaller man.
Local farm owners were more likely to deliver their foods and provisions to the encompassing English who had hard currencies to give in return. The Continental Army by evaluation could only provide payment in significantly devalued paper money or through IOUs. George Washington became so involved over the inadequate condition of provisions that he hired Gen. Nathanael Greene as the new quartermaster. Gen. Greene, who was previously worried about taking this tough job, redeveloped the ineffective provisions system and significantly enhanced the condition of the Continental Army through his initiatives.
4. Mt. Vernon escaped devastation in 1781, but the technique used to obtain its protection frightened the army leaders
In Apr of 1781, the English ship of war HMS Savage came menacingly on the Potomac River near Washington’s farmville home at Mt. Vernon. The ship, under the control of Capt. Thomas Graves, was raiding up and down the river and now required that the General’s property offer the sloop a huge amount of provisions. If his order to offer provides was opposed, Mt. Vernon was to be burned as other nearby farmhouses had been before it.
While the sloop was anchored near the coast, 17 smart Mt. Vernon slaves went down to it and obtained their freedom as they came on the warship. Lund Washington, Henry a distant relative of George Washington and property administrator, first wanted to avoid the ultimatum per the instruction, but later decided to offer sheep, pigs and numerous other articles to the sloop, partly in an effort to take back the runaway slaves.
3. Prior to its major success at Yorktown, the American army teetered upon whole collapse
A long time of widespread military investing, economic mismanagement or hyperinflation powered by an effective English strategy to overflow the colonies with fake paper money has left the American economical coffers helpless. Washington, in a correspondence with David Laurens who was at the time in France, announced in Jan 1781 that they could not even make payments for the teams that were needed to bring supplies to the soldiers.
A depressed and disappointed Washington confessed that they were at the end of their tether and that they deliverance had to come as soon as possible. France difficulties in Rhode Island, information of English achievements in the Southeast territories and espionage reviews showing possible French quitting in 1781 all formed the sensation of upcoming beat.
In late May in 1781, George Washington’s situation and the destiny of the American fight started to quickly improve day by day. Comte de Rochambeau, the leader of the French soldiers in America, told him that France has delivered a 6 million livres gift to the large Continental Army. However, it was the information that Rochambeau did not share with George Washington the one that produced an even larger effect.
2. Washington masterfully put down an increasing army rebellion
Despite having obtained a major success at the Battle of Yorktown in Oct of 1781, risks to the Patriotic cause were continuing. In March of 1783, a lot more American military authorities, frustrated by the lack of regular payment and continuous financial support, started to freely talk about options that involved a wanton disbandment of the military or possibly even an armed show of power aimed straight towards the Congress.
George Washington, who discovered the “Newburgh Conspiracy” by reading a printed camp paper, showed up at a March 15, 1783 conference and pushed the confronted the group of military authorities. “My God! What can these authors have in view, by suggesting such measures! Can they be an ally to the army? Can they be an ally to this nation? Rather are they not some dangerous foes?” Towards the end of the speech, Washington searched into his wallet to take a pair of glasses and in a theatrical action outlined that “…I have not only become gray, but almost sightless in service to my nation.” This show of self-sacrifice from an historical innovator greatly influenced many of the military men who in turn left their treasonous ideas and came back to the respect for their leader.
1. The biggest show of power was an abandonment of power
On Dec 23, 1783, George Washington entered into the statehouse at Annapolis in Maryland and gave up his army percentage to a thankful Congress. At the front side of the hall with the gathered congressmen, he announced: “Having now completed the work allocated to me, I stop working for the great theater of Action – and putting in a bid for a passionate goodbye to this August system under whose command I have served for such a lengthy time, I here provide my Commission and take the leave of all the employments of community life.”
History is loaded with example after example of army commanders confiscating governmental power during periods of revolution – Oliver Cromwell, Julius Caesar, Mao Zedong, Napoleon Bonaparte and Muammar Gaddaffi are only some of the more popular illustrations of this dictatorial behavior. We take it for granted nowadays that the U.S. Armed Forces are subordinated to civil ruling, but in the 1700s it was far from the norm that any general would basically give up his own power to a civilian body of government. But for George Washington, private management of the army was a primary aspect of his values. Washington’s sudden resignation signaled to the globe and the American citizens that this new country would be established on different concepts.
Images source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
