George Washington and Revolutionary War

The latter half of the 18th century was a period of turmoil for the inhabitants of the thirteen united former British colonies in the North American continent, as they wrested freedom from the British rule. By 1775, the revolutionaries had gained control over all thirteen colonies and formed the Continental Army on 14th June, for which they were declared traitors by the Britishers. The American Revolutionary War, also called the American War of Independence lasted for eight years, between 1775 and 1783. At the end, the revolutionaries called themselves Americans and formally declared their independence, claiming sovereignty as a free state, naming their country the United States of America.

George Washington was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, by the Second Continental Congress, in Philadelphia. Washington in his acceptance speech humbly said, "with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the Command I am honored with." Washington lead his revolutionary army through the following cities and onto victory:

Boston
George Washington after taking over as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army immediately left for Boston and took command of an army of barely 14,500 men, mostly untrained for combat. To overcome a dismal shortage of gunpowder, he ordered raids on the British arsenal. He moved the American artillery on Dorchester Heights, overlooking the city and that made it impossible for the Britishers to enter the city, thereby cutting off their supplies from adjoining places. The British were forced to evacuate Boston after the loss of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill.

New Jersey
Enthusiastic with victory, Washington moved the troops to New York. However, under the command of British General William Howe and massive naval and land attacks, he was defeated in the Battle of Long Island on 22nd August, 1776. He was forced to retreat further down to New Jersey after sustaining more losses, raising doubts on the credibility of the Continental Army.

On the night of 25th December, 1776, in a counter attack by his army, Washington captured 1000 Hessian troops (British troops of German origin) in Trenton, New Jersey. More surprise attacks were staged and New Jersey finally came under the control of the Americans, forcing the Britishers to move back to New York City. This win boosted the morale of the army and restored trust in the army.

Philadelphia
British General Howe occupied the then American capital Philadelphia, defeating the forces of the Continental Army. This defeat provided an much-awaited opportunity for Washington's detractors in the Congress, and they asked for his immediate removal from the command. However, this was not possible, as the men he led did not allow it.

The British forces were scattered fighting in many battle zones, which decreased their strength and reducing their arsenal. Washington saw this as an opportunity and in October 1777, led a massive attack on the British forces at the Battle of Germantown. Although he was defeated, he left the British army completely scarred. Meanwhile, British General John Burgoyne who had reached New York was trapped, and forced to surrender his entire army at Saratoga.

This surrender combined with the losses of General Howe's army, was a massive blow to the British and proved to be the turning point. France and its allies Spain and Netherlands, entered the war as America's allies leading to a major worldwide war, that hoped to curb the already decreasing domination of the British Empire.

Valley Forge
Left with just 11,000 men, Washington camped at Valley Forge, in December 1777, for the next six months. The winter was hard on his men, who were low on food and medical supplies. He ordered a full-scale training program that entailed combat and full health restoration, under the command of the Prussian General Staff veteran Baron von Steuben. By spring next year, his army was fully restored and was ready for combat.

Victory
Unable to stretch themselves any further in war, the British evacuated Philadelphia in 1778 and moved back to New York City. Washington kept mounting attacks on them, all along the way in the Battle of Monmouth, weakening them further. The British strategy of capturing the Southern states, while fighting the French and its allies across the world at the same time, backfired. In 1781, the Americans with the French army's help, trapped the Britishers, forcing them to surrender in Virginia. On 17th October, 1781, General Charles Cornwallis of the British army surrendered at Yorktown, effectively ending the war. A peace treaty was signed between Britain and America in 1783.

George Washington is credited with establishing the understanding that the ultimate authority of the military should rest in the hands of a democratically elected government and not a handful of army officers. On 23rd December, 1783, he resigned from his post of commander-in-chief and declared his intent to retire from public life. However, that was not to be, as he was elected as the first president of United States of America in 1789.