We just think of him as capital L leader, but in fact hes all of these things. [113] Washington chose Valley Forge, over recommendations that he camp either closer or further from Philadelphia, because it was close enough to monitor British army movements, and protected rich farmlands to the west from the enemy's foraging expeditions. He sometimes doubted himself. Historian Robert Leckie observes that the battle was a near thing, and that a small number of changes might have resulted in a decisive victory for Washington. 7 Hard-Fought Battles That Helped Win the American Revolution | HISTORY Washington led the colonial forces in the revolutionary war. How important was George Washington to the American success in the This I esteem as one of the most precious Talents.. George Washington was the first president of the United States, he was chosen because he was a war hero. Cornwallis informed Clinton that he would do so at Yorktown. So there are all these basic logistical problems with the army, and now add this one into the mix, right? So one historian has said basically, George Washington was the virtuoso of resignations. [laughs] He perfected the art of getting power by giving it away. Prior to the issuing of the. He had said at the moment where everyone expected him to keep it, No. He says: There is something charming to me in the conduct of Washington. [42] In search of heavy weapons, he sent Henry Knox on an expedition to Fort Ticonderoga to retrieve cannons that had been captured there. Washington strategized with the French on how best to cooperate in actions against the British, leading to ultimately unsuccessful attempts to dislodge the British from Newport, Rhode Island, and Savannah, Georgia. They often, more often than not, had conflicting advice. American morale was dealt a blow later in the year, when the second major attempt at Franco-American cooperation, an attempt to retake Savannah, failed with heavy casualties. There was no other serious competition for the post, although Washington did nothing to actively pursue the appointment. It cost him a great exertion sometimes, and a constant Constraint, but to preserve so much equanimity as he did, required a great Capacity. He had to be someone who could maintain his dignity and maintain his position, not just to command an army, but also to command the respect of the enemy. [195] Washington met with Carleton to discuss the Treaty of Paris, during which he pressed Carleton to support the return of fugitive slaves which had joined the British to their American enslavers. Maybe they were going to be a lawyer or they would serve in public service in their own colony, and suddenly the horizon opens and theyre able to be nation-founders, and they know it and they rise to the occasion to promote themselves and to do public good, to do both things at the same time, take advantage of the opportunity and act. Its David Letterman-esque: the top ten talents of George Washington that made him so great. He just didnt know what to do, because he just didnt expect to confront this figure who would just stand there and say, No. You may wish to have students read this essay as well, particularly if they have not . I think thats partly because Adams does not possess the gift of silence. After serving as President of the United States (1789 to 1797), he briefly was in charge of a new army in 1798. As part of the march troops appeared to establish camps and other works on the west side of the Hudson, as if preparing for an attack on New York. Yale University. What is this? Left: Portrait of Alexander Hamilton, by John Trumbull, 1806 / Washington University Law School [68], After the loss of New York, Washington's army was in two pieces. February 22, 1732 Virginia Died: December 14, 1799 (aged 67) Mount Vernon Virginia Title / Office: presidency of the United States of America (1789-1797), United States Continental Congress (1774-1775), United States . Professor of History and American Studies On the 14th two outer redoubts of the British defenses were stormed, and the entirety of the British camp was with range of the French and American cannons. In 1777 Washington was again defeated in the defense of Philadelphia, but sent critical support to Horatio Gates that made the defeat of Burgoyne at Saratoga possible. Engraved portrait of Gouverneur Morris by J. Rogers, 1787 / Library of Congress. The second way in which he earned his reputation has to do really with the simple fact that hes the right person with the right talents, at the right place, at the right time. Hes really sensitive to these prevailing fears and hes really skilled at appeasing them. [155] Washington greatly respected Arnold for his military skills, and with his serious injuries saw he was not ready for a combat command so he gave him a role in Philadelphia. After the war, Washington retired from the army . Really, he is in many ways particularly when he becomes the first President the only person people could think of trusting in that role of having extreme power. He really wanted to make a certain impact, and he did. [109] He was court martialed and cashiered from the army. Fourth, he took charge of training the army and providing supplies, from food to gunpowder to tents. West Point George Washington's Mount Vernon [202], Washington is often characterized as complaining about undisciplined militia forces, but he understood that they were a vital part of the nation's defenses, since regular army troops could not be everywhere. Like a lot of other Virginia gentlemen he was a skilled horseman, which was a very prized skill in Virginia. [129] Despite the presence of two of Washington's most reliable subordinates, Lafayette and Greene, the attempt at cooperation was a dismal failure. "[37][38], Washington assumed command of the colonial forces outside Boston on July 3, 1775, during the ongoing siege of Boston, after stopping in New York City to begin organizing military companies for its defense. [141] The war was declining in popularity, and the inflationary issuance of paper currency by Congress and the states alike harmed the economy, and the ability to provision the army. Troops mutinied in Pennsylvania, inspiring troops in New Jersey to also do so. What was it about this period that you have Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison? He said he just wanted the floor to open up so he could just go through, like poof, Im gone, [laughter] and he supposedly went back to Hamilton and said, Yeah, I won the bet, not worth it really not worth it. After the wedding she kept in contact with Andr, who in 1779 became the head of British spy operations in New York City. So one reason for the phenomenon of Washington, as Ill talk about in a moment here, has to do with his self-presentation and concrete skills in presenting himself as a leader. Washington taking Control of the Continental Army, 1775 / Copy of lithograph by Currier & Ives, 1876. Right? French entry into the war changed its dynamics, for the British were no longer sure of command of the seas and had to worry about an invasion of their home islands and other colonial territories across the globe. Two days later terms were agreed, and his 8,000 men paraded in surrender. American Revolution Basics Important Historical Figures Key Events U.S. Presidents . Washington literally just said, Thank you very much and went back to Mount Vernon, end of story. You heard him say that if some bad thing happens to my reputation his reputation He does truly fear that maybe he isnt up to the task. [79] During the night Washington evacuated the position, masking his army's movements by instructing the camp guards to maintain the appearance of a much larger force. [85] Washington's performance also received international notice: Frederick the Great, one of the greatest military minds, wrote that "the achievements of Washington [at Trenton and Princeton] were the most brilliant of any recorded in the history of military achievements. For starters his face is on every U.S. dollar bill! And then finally, the third reason for the Washington phenomenon is kind of a combination of the previous two, and thats basically the idea that during the prime years of Washingtons life, Americans lost a king and needed some other figure of central importance to fill this vacuum of national leadership, some other leader who they could honor as sort of the symbolic core of their new nation. Congress insisted that he defend it and recognizing the city's importance as a naval base and gateway to the Hudson River, Washington delegated the task of fortifying New York to Charles Lee in February 1776. When he makes a big decision about should I do this or should I not do this, its clearly part of that decision is what will this do to my reputation? [208] Washington also became the first President General of the Society of the Cincinnati. [39] His first steps were to establish procedures and to weld what had begun as militia regiments into an effective fighting force. He did keep a careful account of all of his expenses as Commander-in-Chief, but again thats a pretty significant statement to make. It is not what people thought would happen at the end of the war. Washington had also laid the seeds for conflict between Arnold and Gates when he gave Arnold command of forces in Rhode Island in late 1776; because of this move Gates came to view Arnold as a competitor for advancement, and the previously positive relationship between Gates and Arnold cooled. And its for all of these reasons why, when King George III finally is let go of right? Arnold pleaded with Washington, who appointed him commander of West Point, the major Patriot strong point in New York. Adams mentions grace, dignity all of these things that would make a gentleman noticeable and someone who would seem to be superior. Its true that Washington didnt have the same sort of formal education that someone like Jefferson or Madison or even Adams had, but he was more than a man who just looked the part. [170] Joining with the army of Phillips, he maneuvered against the growing Continental presence led by Lafayette, while continuing to raid and destroy economic and military targets in the state. It was being given to him but he was not seeking it. [16] As tensions rose in 1774, he assisted in the training of county militias in Virginia and organized enforcement of the boycott of British goods instituted by the Congress. But there is something about Washington that was different and in a sense, there had to be something different to put him in the exalted position of being quite literally, as one of his friends said at his death, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen., General George Washington at Trenton, by John Trumbull, 1792 / Yale University Art Gallery. The Importance of George Washington in the American Revolution - Brewminate Second, he provided leadership of troops against the main British forces in 17751777 and again in 1781. [74], Despite the loss of troops due to desertion and expiring enlistments, Washington was heartened by a rise in militia enlistments in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. On July 3 George Washington assumed command of the American forces at Cambridge. [120] Gates in particular was viewed by Conway and Congressmen Benjamin Rush and Richard Henry Lee as a desirable replacement for Washington. I want this position, certainly hes not he was not someone who was going to look away. 9. A large imposing Fortune consisting of a great landed Estate left him by his Father and Brother and in addition to this immense tracts of land of his own acquisition. So now, enter George Washington who is given command of the American army and, as youve already seen and discussed in the course, one of the most obvious and deadly tools of tyranny is a standing army. "[35], After the Battles of Lexington and Concord near Boston in April 1775, the colonies went to war. Hes not thinking about the things that Adams thinks people should be thinking about if theyre great statesmen. Weve seen how and why this was so important to Americans in revolutionary and early national America. In part to silence his critics, Washington planned an elaborate assault on an exposed British base in Germantown. Okay. He was not usually in command of the many state militia units. When Howe then moved his army southwest from New Brunswick, Washington correctly interpreted this as a move to draw him out of his strong position, and refused to move. 4. Ill come back to that momentarily. . "The people are discontented," George Washington wrote to John Laurens in early 1781, "but it is with the feeble and oppressive mode of conducting the war, not with the war . British and Hessian (German) soldiers were camped on the opposite bank. 4 What was the colonial victory in the American Revolution? Why is he such a trusted character? Why was George Washington important? [194] Thereafter he was occupied with the logistics of prisoner exchanges, and pressed Congress to ensure soldiers being furloughed or discharged received at least some of their back pay. In response, Congress temporarily relocated to Princeton, and Washington dispatched troops south from New York. We encourage all our visitors to read Why the American Revolution Matters, our basic statement about the importance of the American Revolution . By the 9th guns had been emplaced on the first parallel, and began firing on the entrenched British camp. [156] During his administration there, Arnold entertained lavishly in high society yet had made many political enemies. By: Patrick J. Kiger. Lee was court martialed and eventually dismissed from the army. Hes sort of this block of marble who sort of glides through history like: well, yeah, I fought a war, became the President, went home and died. George Washington, the guy he doesnt get to be a real person. [110], Meanwhile, Burgoyne, out of reach from help from Howe, was trapped and forced to surrender his entire army on October 17, ten days after the Battle of Bemis Heights. Theres an instance of Washington really, really just losing it during a cabinet meeting in which one of his cabinet members came in with a cartoon from a newspaper making fun of Washington, and Washington just lost it.
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