George Washington and the American Revolution

George Washington was the first President of the United States, and the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Born on 22nd February, 1732 in Colony of Virginia, Washington started his military career at an early age of 20, as an Adjutant General, in the Virginia militia. He made rapid progress in the military, and was commissioned to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and eventually to the rank of colonel. In 1758, he participated in General John Forbes' expedition to Fort Duquesne, as a brigadier general. Later, the same year, he resigned from military service and spent the next few years of his life as a planter and a politician in Virginia.

George Washington and the American Revolution

The American Revolutionary War, or the American War of Independence, broke out between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the former British colonies in North America, in April 1775. George Washington was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Continental forces on 15th June, 1775. He took the command in Boston, on 3rd July, 1775. He was assigned the task to intercept the advancing British forces at Boston. On joining, he realized that he was given an unorganized and poorly equipped army, but he successfully overcame these problems with his brilliant strategies. He fortified Dorchester Heights, and forced the British troops to withdraw from Boston on 17th March 1776.

After the British forces evacuated Boston, Washington moved the Continental forces to New York, but he was unable to hold onto it for a long time. On 27th August, 1776, he was defeated by the British General William Howe, in the Battle of Long Island, and was forced to flee to the mainland. A few more defeats followed, and the Continental forces were forced to retreat till New Jersey. On 25th December, 1776, Washington led a strong counterattack on the British forces and captured one thousand Hessians, (the German soldiers in the British service), in Trenton, New Jersey. This was followed by a victory over the British forces at Princeton. These surprise counterattacks by the Continental Army forced the British back to New York City.

In 1777, Washington divided his army into two parts; a part of the army, under the leadership of General Horatio Gates, was sent to tackle British General John Burgoyne's forces near the river Hudson; while the other part, under the leadership of Washington, tried to defend Philadelphia from General William Howe. On 11th September 1777, Washington was defeated in the Battle of Brandywine. On 4th October 1777, he tried to capture Germantown. But this attempt turned to be a second straight defeat for the General. At this point of time, some congressmen tried to get rid of Washington from the position of Commander-in-chief, but he survived this attempt of remotion.

The Continental Army camped at Valley Forge, for a period of six months in the winter of 1777-78. After tackling numerous problems, such as diseases and exposure to cold, the revitalized army returned to the battlefield. In 1778, with the entry of the French army in the war arena on the behalf of the United States, the British lost their supremacy. While the British forces concentrated on capturing the southern states, Washington stayed back with his army, outside New York City waiting for the right moment. After the French naval forces overpowered the British Naval forces in Virginia, in 1781, the Continental Army and the French army got an opportunity to trap the British forces. On 17th October, 1781, the British forces surrendered in Yorktown, Virginia. This surrender by General Lord Cornwallis marked the end of the American Revolutionary War.

The Treaty of Paris (1783), signed on 3rd September, formally recognized the independence of the United States and brought the American Revolution to an end. With his remarkable planning and superb handling of difficult situations, George Washington was successful in earning the much sought-after respect for the United States of America.