American Revolution, 1775-1781: Lexington to Yorktown | American Independence, US Colonial History
The American Revolutionary War represents the final stage of the colonial period.
Thomas Gage is in Boston, Massachusetts with redcoats in April, 1775. Paul Revere and William Dawes sound the alarm to Lexington.
The "shot heard round the world" occurs at Lexington. The British make it to Concord, Massachusetts, but are attacked by Minutemen.
The British are defeated at Bunker Hill/Breed's Hill.
Rebels secure Fort Ticonderoga in New York. General Knox delivers canons to Washington at Boston. The British abandon Boston.
Benedict Arnold attempts to secure Quebec, Canada. However, the British defend Canada.
Lake Champlain in New York and Vermont becomes the scene of action. General Horatio Gates defends upper New York on the Hudson River. A British force under Burgoyne is captured at Saratoga, New York.
The British under Lord Howe secure New York City in 1776. At the same time in Philadelphia, on July 2, the Continental Congress adopts independence. On July 4th, 1776, Congress approves Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
John Dickinson drafts the Articles of Confederation, a governing document for the new United States. States ratify the document.
Washington's Continental Army becomes disciplined by von Steuben at Valley Forge.
General Henry Clinton attempts a southern strategy. Benjamin Lincoln loses Charleston, South Carolina. Savannah, Georgia and Augusta, Georgia are also captured by the British.
However, the Continental Army wins at King's Mountain. British General Cornwallis marches north from Wilmington, North Carolina to Virginia.
France and Spain declare war on Britain. French admiral Comte d'Estaing and deGrasse bring French ships to the war effort. Spain secures portions of British Florida.
Cornwallis becomes trapped in Yorktown, Virginia in October, 1781. He surrenders to the Continental Army under Washington. The French officers Lafayette and Rochambeau are present.
Film by Jeffrey Meyer
Пікірлер: 309
I've never seen a clearer account of the Revolutionary War. I finally understand it. No bells, no whistles, no jokes, just history as it happened. Thank you so much!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you for watching!
@natedlc854
7 ай бұрын
I think I heard maybe one or two joke in there. Maybe.
@alexondrick141
6 ай бұрын
Came here to say this same thing: Thank you for the crystal clear account, and for the wonderful mapping! 🙏
@helloitsmehb
6 ай бұрын
Perfect for Millennials
@resmarted
6 ай бұрын
I like whistles.
Another Masterclass in American history. Great job on this presentation
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Context is everything, and you put everything in context. Thank you!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
I've still got about 30 minutes left, but I couldn't wait to comment. THANK YOU! It is a shame that the History Channel can't hire you, because they don't do history docs anymore.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Great video! I would like to add some forgotten items: English anti-war emotion. All the English were NOT against the colonies NOR for the war. -1775 letter from a group of merchants and traders in the southwestern port city of Bristol sheds light on the economic concerns provoked by the burgeoning revolution. They wrote to the king to express their concern about the “unhappily distracted empires” and urged him to give the American colonists the freedoms they wanted rather than risk a precious trading relationship. -1776 Diary by Right Honorable Thomas Townshend that “the Government and Majority have drawn us into a war, that in our opinions is unjust in its Principle and ruinous in its consequences.” -1780 The Gordon Riots several days of rioting in London motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. The protest led to widespread rioting and looting, including attacks on Newgate Prison and the Bank of England and was the most destructive in the history of London. Troops had to fire on the rioters. After the first march to Parliament, further riots occurred involving groups whose grievances were nationalist, economic, or political/antiwar, rather than religious. Not merely tea or stamps or newspapers, but even rabbit hair for women's hats was taxed. Ink, paper, all kinds of things were taxed. And these were nuisance taxes because the British didn't want to raise the property tax, but eventually they had to do that, too. And so the war was largely unpopular because it was an economic dent in the British. -1780, there was unrest, both in Parliament and in the country in opposition for the continuance of the war and in rumblings of domestic reform at home. Even before the news of the disaster at Yorktown reached England, all the ministers in North’s cabinet, save one, Lord Germain, Secretary of State for America and in charge of prosecuting the war, were looking for a way to cut the losses and mediate an end to the war. He, with the backing of the king, still thought the war was winnable. -1781, that “opinion was that those who could understand were against the American war, as almost every man is now…” read James Boswell’s diary entry.
Really outstanding technique. This is an outline for a deeper dive in history.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
I've been watching since you began releasing content on the civil War a few years ago. Your videos on the revolutionary War are so in depth, detailed, and make sense of that period of time. Please continue what you are doing. Such enjoyable content.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you! I am working on the next Gettysburg video. It will take a month or two, but it's in the works.
@ballsrawls
6 ай бұрын
@@JeffreytheLibrarian I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks for mentioning Gen George Rogers Clark! Too many people don’t know about him and the patriots on the Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Missouri frontier that fought in the Revolution. I didn’t until researching my ancestors 😀 my husband and I have many ancestors that fought, his ancestors were at Lexington and Concord one of mine was at Valley Forge
@richardpcrowe
6 ай бұрын
Kentucky had the greatest per capita number of patriot deaths.
Thank you for putting the military capital of the Revolution, Morristown, NJ on the map. Few outside of NJ know of the significance of this area. The Watchung mountains were basically Washington's fort for the entire war and his bulwark against the British doing anything effective out of new york. The Continental army spent soooooooooooo much time in Central and Northern NJ it's insane. The entire Jockey Hollow and Morristown encampments (all four of them) were poorly documented and as such the rural areas around Morristown still bear remains of possible encampments. The Continental army also built several stone redoubts (poorly documented) that are still extant... Also nearby is a complete earthen redoubt from the Middlebrook encampment... one of the only complete original Revolutionary war fortifications in the country. New Jersey does a really shitty job highlighting it's Revolutionary war history.
@njnature
6 ай бұрын
At Jockey Hollow a plaque states: The Jersey troops were relieved by the Connecticut Line, which moved into this area in May. Although the weather had improved, the rations had not. Two hungry Connecticut regiments mutinied here on May 25th, 1780. Washington declared that the mutiny gave him, "infinitely more concern than anything that has ever happened." Interesting point about NJ not giving its residents and visitors enough information about the War. We can definitely do more. The NJ Historical Society is under the radar to say the least. Today, Trenton is more concerned with... I'll digress. Jockey Hollow is a US National Park not affiliated with the state. Washington Rock in Green Brook is amazing, yet a mere roadside stop. Other sites along The Watchung Ridge which served as lookout points between New York and Philadelphia are not recognized to my knowledge. At Rutgers, I learned that key players in the Revolution were Presbyterian Church members in and around Princeton and New Brunswick. This was over 20 years ago so I've forgotten much, but isn't that the central point of the age old saying, warning us not to forget history, lest we shall repeat it? An incredible Historical novel full of fascinating Revolutionary War facts and stories is, Bootmaker To The Nation. It largely focuses on the Morristown area and gives credit to one of Washington's greatest assets, a young female horse rider who ran messages for the General because she was among the best riders he had.
@Boglim
6 ай бұрын
George Washington stayed in a house in my small Bergen county town. Lots of history here
This was extremely detailed. What a story and great narration
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 ай бұрын
Thank you for watching!
So happy to see real history on KZread. Will share. Thanks!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
These are great videos!! I have watched just about all of the revolutionary and civil war vids. Can you do a video on how generals communicated with their units? And maybe how important Calvary was and how it was used in battle? Just two topics that may be interesting.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you for the recommendations. I think those are great topics worthy of discussion.
@nowthisnamestaken
7 ай бұрын
How polite not to correct me.. Thank you again Jeffrey the Librarian
@justamessenger4577
7 ай бұрын
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Cool. If you can do that at some point in time, I will be looking forward to it. 👍
I really enjoyed that. Its always odd to me that Howe seemed content with just sitting in NYC for nearly the entire conflict.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
There is suspicion that some of the British generals like Howe were sort of sympathizers. There is question about why Howe didn't just crush Washington at Valley Forge.
Well done! Your videos are so refreshing to watch. Let’s get straight to the point with really effective maps. Keep up the good work. I’ll tell anyone who will listen to check out your work
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Much appreciated. Thank you!
Thanks for the continuation of our national story!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching.
Well done. We enjoyed the presentation. So informative in a condensed time. Great job. Keep them coming.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Bravo Jeffrey! Excellent as usual. Thanks for doing these!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you! I will keep making more.
Excellent! Thanks for these videos, they're all great!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
This is BRILLIANT! I have been looking for this sort of clear step-by-step analysis for a long time. Thank you.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 ай бұрын
Thank you for your nice comments!
Beautiful presentation. Thank you for your hard work and ability to concisely explain a complicated subject.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
What a fine production, professional in every way. Many other events await your fine format. TYVM!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
What a beautifully detailed account of what was happening (& where) across the world. As this rebellion became an international war, the viewer can see how Indian, French, and then Spanish forces came to weigh on British decision making. Even as a long student of American revolutionary politics and battles, it's wonderful to see the entire continental aspects laid out in such a masterful tableau. I only realise now you have other videos of the American continent which I look forward to seeing! Well done, please keep it up!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you for your nice comments. I really appreciate it.
Amazing breakdown man, easily the most concise and detailed presentation I’ve seen anywhere on the platform. Keep up the great work brother! Your channel is well on its way to blowing up big time, you deserve nothing less. God speed and happy thanksgiving !
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
@Brian-nw2bn
6 ай бұрын
@@JeffreytheLibrarian happy to provide some small affirmation of your brilliant work mate. Shared the video to a few people and all basically echoed what I had to say. Such a great idea going about showing the war with key people hightlighted at the bottom and more importantly showing which side held what through out. If I was teaching the topic your video would be the one I’d use to my students to get the best picture with the most detail but not in an overwhelming way. Again, simply brilliant work man. Truly thank you for making it and look forward to everything you have in store for us. God bless !
This is incredible content! Thank you sir
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Thank you for a well constructed and presented video.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
I was just looking up your channel yesterday to see if you posted anything new lately. Then today you drop this entire documentary. Oh happy days. Thank you for your work, it means so much to me that you do what you do. Do you have outlets to be to directly support you other than likes, comments, views, and subscriptions??
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for your kindness. The two outlets I have now for direct support are the merchandise that appears below the videos or the "thanks" button that is listed under the video (it's often in the drop-down menu next to the "download" button under the video). Thank you again for your kindness.
Thank you for this whole series on the Revolution. It was very complex, but you helped to make it clear.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
thanks for watching!
Very nicely done!! Thank you!!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
Ай бұрын
Thank you!
This is great! Excellent primer, on America history. When you consider how short our history is, in compared to Europe and Asia, just a couple hundred years, it’s crazy that our schools can’t even teach this much.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Highly recommend downloading 'The Haldiman Papers' for a very intimate view of 'Loyalist' activity during the 'War of the Revolting Americans', their few defeats and remarkable success. Makes for some remarkable reading & tells stories of good men long forgotten by almost all.
Its easy to forget that Americans fought each other a lot during this war. In many ways, it was our first civil war
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
That's a great point.
Outstanding presentation! Much appreciated 👏 👏 👏
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Thank you for this. It was an excellent presentation.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
5 ай бұрын
Much appreciated!
Your stuff is top notch. Thanks!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
3 ай бұрын
Much appreciated!
Thank you for you work and thorough research!!! A+
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Much appreciated!
This presentation was spot on loved it!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 ай бұрын
Much appreciated!
Really excellent work!!!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
I appreciate it!
Awesome video, thanks!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you for watching!
Great stuff, JtL. 👍
@JeffreytheLibrarian
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
great, just found your chanel. what a find.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Welcome aboard!
Excellent video! I had forgotten about Nathan Hale. Thanks for the reminder.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you for watching!
Been waiting for this
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
I finally got it done. I know it took a while.
This is a really good video I know it took a lot of time thank you
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you! It is a lot of work, but it is worth it!
Awesome video! You’ve earned my subscription and like! I’ve been complaining for years about every history peace forgetting or just omitting St. Ledgers part in Burgoyne’s pincher plan to take Albany. Especially the ambush of General Herkimer at Oriskany where Mohawks with the British fired upon other Iroquois that were with General Herkimer, thereby breaking the Great Peace established amongst the Iroquois nations by Hiawatha almost 400 years prior.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
The Iroquois campaign in the Revolution is a critical part of the story, and it's often overlooked.
Fantastic video
This is such a well put together video.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@jamessimon2002
6 ай бұрын
@@JeffreytheLibrarian I hope your channel grows.
Great Video
@JeffreytheLibrarian
5 ай бұрын
Thanks!
Just in time for the weekend...love it!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
The whole conflict in one video. Well done. I’d be interested in your bibliography.
Amazing work. Amateur, no music, no gimmicks. Just a chronological account of how things went. A calming voice and a nice satellite map showing everything. I love it!!!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 ай бұрын
Thank you, I appreciate the nice comments!
Wow this was amazing !
@JeffreytheLibrarian
3 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Excellent Presentation!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 күн бұрын
Thank you!
Fun fact: in November 1777, the Marquis de Lafayette defeated a British force in Gloucester City, NJ. It’s called the Battle of Gloucester (1777)
Great video!! I’ve always loved history, and the American Revolution is one of my favorite wars to read about. Even more so now that I’ve done my family genealogy and discovered a 6th great-grandfather who fought in it! He enlisted a day or two after Bunker Hill, fought at the end of the Quebec campaign, was at the siege of Boston, fought at Trenton and Princeton, then at both battles at Saratoga, went through the winter at Valley Forge, and his last big battle was at Monmouth. He did serve for the duration and was mustered out in 1782. After the war, he married the daughter of a New York Loyalist who didn’t sign the Oath of Allegiance to the Revolution until he was tossed onto a prison ship for three weeks.
Thank you for posting! Another great video of our history! Have you ever considered Sherman’s campaign in the Carolinas?
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you! Yes, I will get to each part of the Civil War. We will get to Sherman.
Amazing video.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Can you please make a video from 1781 leading up to the American Civil War!? I’m about 7 hours in on American history thanks to you! 😂 Awesome Videos! Thank you!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
3 ай бұрын
Thank you! More to come. I'm working on a colonial period one now, but yes, I will continue on with the post Revolution soon.
Excellent job.
Long form Is awesome Thank you
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
It kept getting bigger and bigger.
outstanding video, I can see why they didn't go over the whole war in school, Iam taken by surprised to know how litle i know of this most important event in American History, thank you for your time and energy to do this
@JeffreytheLibrarian
5 ай бұрын
Thank you for your nice comments. It was a labor of love.
That.. was astounding. I LOOOVED the fact that America’s birthplace started Jamestown, just 15 miles away, in Yorktown, after 174 years, it was finally solidified. 😆 GREAT presentation
@JeffreytheLibrarian
3 ай бұрын
Thank you! I love the fact that Yorktown is down the road from Jamestown. Everything gets tied back together.
This is so well researched. Only wished you briefly stated the reasons for the revolution in the first place, as it gives off the vibe that the video is cut off at the start.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for the feedback. I cover the causes in the previous video, Revolutionary Stirrings, 1763-1775
Love that Fort Mifflin and Mercer got a mention! quietly very important fights, and Fort Mifflin is still around today for visits
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
I like to include as many local places as possible to make these big events come home.
What a great presentation …… maybe your best video….
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Your information is very good, thank you very much. I was wondering if you had more on the age of discovery especially Christopher Columbus.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
2 ай бұрын
I have one video called "Age of Exploration" on this topic. Although I will have more to come.
Thanks!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! Your contribution is appreciated!
Excellent video. I'd never heard of Joseph Brant before. He was a pretty tough nut to crack for the early Americans. Any thoughts on a documentary regarding the peace process from 1781-1783?
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Yes, sir! I am going to continue chronologically. The next video in this series will be the 1780s.
Within 15 secs I knew I found my sleep time video! And I say that with the most respect!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
this is a great video btw, but based on the way you're telling it i mean i feel like the british couldve gone on? They still held onto New York after all those years as well as several major southern cities, I don't really understand how they saw the battle of yorktown as a large enough defeat to warrant surrender
This was a great one over the world brief of this time period. But I wish you would do one a little more detailed covering the time period 17Oct1781 until the Treaty of Paris of 03Sept1783. There were still lots of local conflicts and actions going on.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
4 ай бұрын
I will cover the treaty in the next video on this timeline. I thought about getting to the treaty, but the video was so big. The process will be covered in the future.
@covertops19Z
4 ай бұрын
@JeffreytheLibrarian Many thanks. But please cover as much as possible all the little scrapes in the South that Nathaniel Greene had to clean up and the residual loyalist action in the North.. Hit on Privateering, which was still a biggie, post 17Oct1781.. You have a great channel. Keep up the good work.
Excellent
@JeffreytheLibrarian
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Excellent video. So much I didn't know. In my hometown of Philadelphia, there's a house (in Germantown) that has holes from musket balls from the battle fought there. I wonder: Are there other locations that still have evidence with the scars of battles from the Revolutionary War? I think history becomes real when people are able to see and touch what actually occurred.
Brilliant!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
another banger
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Jeffrey's videos focus on the tactics of each little military movement but forget about the motives and the strategies behind the revolution
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
The motives are covered in the previous video, "Revolutionary Stirrings, 1763-1775."
@biloz2988
6 ай бұрын
@@JeffreytheLibrarian the serial videos which abut each other by year do not mention nor focus on ongoing motive. The fact that the American revolution was the first in modern history and got its revolutionary ideas and thoughts from the French, as well as the importance of the French helping the Americans during their struggle to win over the British are not even touched upon. These deserve at least a mention albeit brief.
41:47 Thank you for talking about Fort Mercer, it’s an often overlooked and forgotten important area in the Revolutionary War and the reason why Southern New Jersey was able to resist the British occupation as long as they did.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
I try to get as many towns and forts in as I can, because so many people live near these interesting places and have no idea the role they played.
A topic often ignored by yt gamers is supply/logistics challenges. I think that will be a great topic for your research abilities.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
That's a great idea. I do intend to do supply in the future.
@lamwen03
7 ай бұрын
That was the first thing I thought of. How did they ever manage to keep so many men, women, and children supplied in the field? They must really have been marching and fighting on almost nothing.
Well done!!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
SUPERB
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
22:35 Campbell and Sullivan are maiden surnames of 2nd great grandmothers of mine.
Thank you for such a clear and concise explanation of the American Revolution. (Defund Higher Education!!)
Great presentation. My only disagreement is that I believe the Battle of Brooklyn (aka Battle of Long Island) was the biggest. Funny thing is that I grew up and went to school in that section and the Battle was hardly mentioned
OUTSTANDING
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
This is just super. It should form the spine of a national curriculum on the subject - because it organizes the geography and time line so succinctly they can be covered in a couple of classroom hours or as a homework assignment. That would free up teachers to focus on interesting social topics of their choosing, such as what the term "all men" might have meant in a place like Philadelphia at a time like 1776.
@NathanDudani
7 ай бұрын
Lol
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
Wow! I full doc!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
It turned into a full feature length movie. Labor of love!
I wonder how the 2nd American Revolution will be told and by whom?
Wow this is unbelievable. Please do a video like this on the Texas Revolution one day.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you! I will keep moving through American history, so we will get to Texas.
One thing I’ve always pondered is if we hadn’t rebelled against our mother country, would they have ended slavery and repatriated the Africans back to Africa?
Seeing that Concord is so far inland, makes me question why there would ever be "two if by sea..."?
Well done
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
1:23:32 Just a heads up, the British surrender at Kut in 1916 was larger than that of Yorktown…
Never forget the powder alarms ‼️ April 19, 1775 With a Bible in one hand and a musket in the other, the Republic was born
you don't need to state that you're zooming out or in, it can be clearly seen
Great!
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
Thank you!
I CANT BELIEVE your opening account. No mention that PR's ride was to warn Adams and Handcock AND provoke the Brits with that shot, same plan Adams had used in Boston for years, but didn't get away with it thanks to his sober brother.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
I got to get the whole war in a single video. In the future I can drill through the details on Revere.
Hold it... I'm confused right from the start: Boston to Concord is over 10 miles (about 14.5 miles if you go through Lexington). How did this army travel 28 miles in a day and manage to also spend time fighting in the same day????
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
This is a Herculean feat for us... but 18th century Redcoats were probably the most disciplined soldiers in the world. A 20+ mile march in a day would be a regular part of the regime. The redcoats started at 2am. They are at Lexington at 5am. They are at Concord at 7am. They retreat at noon. They are back at Boston at 7:30pm.
@EngRMP
7 ай бұрын
Thanks Jeffrey, That is really impressive. BTW, I love your videos...it is so interesting to follow this history as you lay it out.@@JeffreytheLibrarian
Why did Burgoyne surrendur 41:25 ? Why doesn't he just march back north?
@JeffreytheLibrarian
7 ай бұрын
I believe he had been encircled and was vastly outnumbered. He had no other options.
@lamwen03
7 ай бұрын
His troops ,and all the wives, children, and camp followers (which was very large ), were so short on supplies that he couldn't maintain them. That Hessian defeat in it's bid for supplies was a desperation move. The American forces had slowed his way south every way they could, felling trees and blocking roads. And, as Jeffery points out, the delay had given the Americans a chance to substantially increase their forces.
@carlpeterson8279
7 ай бұрын
I wondered the same thing. Fort Ticonderoga was still held by the British at that time.
I just can't imagine what it was like to live in America during this time period. You were quite likely living in communities where some of your neighbors were probably very "loyalist", and some were leaning more and more "patriot". Add beer at a local pub... or, the local preacher expressing his opinion... or a neighbor all of a sudden carrying a gun with them in town. (I know, someone is going to say "look around us today... it's coming"). Let's keep this in the context of that period... as the war progressed, the local folk must have felt more and more fearful for their lives.
@JeffreytheLibrarian
6 ай бұрын
Yes, communities and families were divided. Franklin's son was the royal governor of New Jersey. They did not speak to each other.
@EngRMP
6 ай бұрын
Man, that story would make a great book...@@JeffreytheLibrarian
I never considered the proximity between Yorktown and Jamestown where British colonial rule bagan and ended interesting insight
@JeffreytheLibrarian
2 ай бұрын
It's crazy. One of my favorite facts on the Revolution.
26:14 Fog helped him