Question

How was George Washington able to secure a victory over the most powerful nation in the world? Does he win the war singlehandedly or were there other important factors?

Answer 1

In comparison to Boston's successful Siege, attempts to defend New York City ended in a near-disaster for the Continental Army and the cause of independence. Washington's forces on August 22, 1776, were flanked out of their positions atop the Gowanus Heights (part of today's modern Brooklyn) and soundly defeated by William Howe 's approximately 20,000-man-force on Long Island in what proved to be the largest battle of the Revolutionary War in terms of total combatants.

One of the best-known episodes of the Revolutionary War is Washington's great victory over the Hessian forces at Trenton on December 26, 1776. = Washington hurled its exhausted warriors and frozen Hessian prisoners back to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, anticipating a counterattack by British regulars. Not only did the victories at Trenton and Princeton help strengthen the morale of the American army and encourage recruitment, but these bold actions also greatly impressed the French who actively weighed their involvement in the war.

Starting in Morristown, New Jersey, during the winter of 1777, Washington took the bold and controversial move to have soldiers in its army inoculate against infection with smallpox using a technique called variolation. Washington went even further later during the winter camp at Valley Forge, demanding that his entire army be inoculated – an action that required a great deal of secrecy as inoculated soldiers were disabled for a period of time. According to some reports, death by smallpox in the ranks fell from 17 percent of all deaths to a low of 1 percent of all deaths reported – a tremendous reduction.

Local farmers were more likely to give their food and supplies in exchange to neighboring British who had hard currency to sell. By contrast, the Continental Army could give payment only in highly devalued paper money, or via IOUs. Washington became so concerned about the poor state of supply that he appointed his new quartermaster, Gen. Nathanael Greene. Greene, who was initially concerned about taking this thankless work, overhauled the obsolete supply network and through his efforts he greatly improved the state of the Continental Army.