How George Washington Saved the American Revolution

20. There is little doubt Washington saved the American cause in 1776-77

As Washington’s army retreated before the British in October, 1776; as men deserted and enlistments began to run out, he contemplated retreating into the mountains and conducting a guerrilla war. That’s how desperate the situation was for the Patriots in the months following independence. In just a few months he had lost most of his army, several battles, America’s largest city, his second-in-command, and much of his reputation. But he hadn’t lost his faith in himself, nor in the men he led. His actions of December 1776 and January 1777 were bold, daring, and possibly even reckless. Had he failed the Continental Army would have been destroyed. But he didn’t fail. He succeeded at a time when success was the only option for the cause, no matter how remote the possibility for success may have been.

In recent years it has become fashionable to disparage George Washington. His generalship, his leadership, and his character have all been questioned, largely due to his ownership of enslaved people. In late 1776 his character was such that he would not succumb to impossible odds. He was enough of a leader to get defeated, demoralized men to follow him against imposing physical barriers and the guns of a numerically superior enemy, in bitterly cold and snowy weather. He brought the best out of hungry, poorly clothed, long-suffering men. And he was general enough to see and seize an opportunity no one else could see. In doing so, he and the men he led, under the password “Victory or Death” saved the American Revolution.

Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

“1776” David McCullough. 2005

“John Sullivan”. Biography, American Battlefield Trust. Online

“Overlooked Hero: John Glover and the American Revolution”. Article, Saint Paul’s Church, National Park Service. Online

“Escape from New York”. Norman Goldstein, Historynet. November 1, 2016

“Washington’s Retreat Across New Jersey: A British Fox Chase”. Harry Schenawolf, Revolutionary War Journal. August 5, 2019. Online

“Joseph Reed”. Article, George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Online

“10 Facts about Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware River”. Article, George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Online

“American Revolution: Major General John Sullivan”. Kennedy Hickman, Thoughtco. August 2, 2018

“Trenton, New Jersey, December 26, 1776”. Article, American Battlefield Trust. Online

“What Happened to the Captured Hessians?”. Article, Washington Crossing Historic Park. Online

“Charles Cornwallis”. Biography, National Park Service. Online