George Washington's Role In The American Revolution

Makenna Hawley

D’Abbene, p.7

American History 8

18 December 2015

George Washington

Have you ever thought about who played the biggest role in the American Revolution? George Washington did a lot of smart things to help win the war, especially when he crossed the Delaware River and attacked the Hessians. Additionally, he led the troops through the winter at Valley Forge. They all struggled with shortage of supplies, but Washington held them together. Finally, George Washington being an ally to the French also played a big part in winning because they offered weapons, supplies, and ships with people on them. The French played a big part in helping win the war. George Washington was the most influential figure during the American Revolution era

because he crossed the Delaware River, led the troops through the winter at Valley Forge, and was an ally to the French,
One of the biggest and most important moves during the American Revolution was when Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River.

On December 25, 1776, Washington and his troop of 2,400 men left when the sun set. Washington kept everything a secret, “... kept almost all of the details of the crossing a secret; as a result, none of the soldiers knew anything about their upcoming mission”(“The Revolutionary War” 3). The plan was to march down to Trenton and attack a group of about 1,500 Hessians before the sunrise. This was all based on a well thought out plan, because they needed a victory after months of losing. So, the only way they stood a chance was to create a surprise attack. George Washington’s plan worked due to the Hessians surrendering. With all of this in mind, George Washington created this plan, and without the plan, they would have never won the war.

George Washington chose to go to Valley Forge due to many important reasons. First off, it was a good spot because it was far away enough so that people can give them a warning if the British were coming. But, the British were camping at Philadelphia, and Valley Forge is near there. With that, he can keep an eye on them and protect people in

Philadelphia.
Even though Valley Forge was a tough time for all of the troops, the hard work and determination from George Washington managed to keep the army together and strong. Many people had diseases such as smallpox and typhus due to bad conditions. He even managed to help the army get stronger and even better by receiving training from the Europeans and evaluating his own troops. According to Philander, “Washington reported 2,898 of about 11,000 rank and file in camp as unfit to do duty”(3). Due to this, it made him a better leader with a better army. Washington gave them all of his troops the motivation they needed to keep going. Even people who questioned his leadership skills were proved wrong. So, even though there was a brutal winter, lack of supplies, and men dying with disease, Washington cared for the men and gave them the encouragement, supplies, and hope that they needed to keep going.
Additionally, George Washington being an ally to the French helped out the army a lot. France offered weapons, supplies, and ships during the war. The supplies they gave to them were gunpowder, cannons, clothing, etc. Also, the French provided them with money and some of their navy to fight against the British navy and they combined forces and worked together to achieve things. Rochambeau and Washington combined troops and marched Virginia to trap General Charles Cornwallis and his army. This strategy was a success. Cheryl Lederle states “a key trait for any leader is the ability to build strategic alliances” (1). Additionally, Washington definitely showed that trait. Also, some French soldiers helped the Americans win in Yorktown. There were many other allies to America but, “The assistance by France especially was crucial in putting an end to the war” (“American Revolution American Allies” 12).Therefore, George Washington showed that key trait as a leader by having a strong sturdy alliance with the French.
In conclusion, you should consider that George Washington played the biggest role in the American Revolution.

He did a lot of smart things and created a lot of smart strategies to help win the war. He crossed the Delaware River stealthily with a smart plan to accomplish their goal of attacking the Hessians. He also led his troops through the winter at Valley Forge. The fact that it was a brutal winter, they had a lack of supplies, and diseases were spreading throughout the troops, was impressing because Washington motivated and encouraged them to keep going and to fight through the pain. Lastly, he was an ally to the French who provided everything they needed and even managed to combine the troops to achieve many important things. Therefore, George Washington was the most influential figure during the American Revolution

era.