The most influential leader of the Revolutionary War

    One of the most influetial and greatest leaders in during the Revolutionary
War George Washington was not only our nations founding father  -- the first President of the United States of America -- but was a great General who personally led many soldiers into war with the British in order to defend our freedom and give this budding country of ours the chance to grow into full bloom.  During the Revolutionary War the Colonies allied armies were able to engage the superior British forces and after many years or war and battles too numerous to count were able to defeat the British and claim independence.  Much of this is due to one man, the Commander in Chief, the first President of the United States of America General George Washington.

    General Washington was a man that had been involved in the military since
he was a young man and had years of military experience behind him when he was
elected into office, “The Delegates ot the United Colonies in Congress unanimously
resolve to appoint Colonel George Washington ‘to be General and Commander in
chief, of the army of the United Colonies... for the Defense of American Liberty.’”
(Arnold 3).

Birth of a General

    Born into the family of wealthy planters George Washington became
accustomed to politics while he was growing up he also received because of his
parents wealth.  At twenty-one George's father Gus Washington passed away, but
George soon found a new father figure who would turn George's life towards the
military.  Colonial Fairfax took young George under his wing and taught him many
virtues and life lessons.  George developed a lust for education, he wanted to learn
all that he could and did everything in his power to improve upon himself.  At
twenty-one Washington was already a Private and became somewhat involved in
politics after Robert Dinwiddle the current Governor of Virginia took an interest in the boy.  When Washington's former commander died during a battle George was given the rank of Colonial by Governor Dinwiddle.

 Unknowingly Washington and his men had started the French and Indian war
or the Seven Years’ War after attacking and killing a band of ten French soldiers.
Soon after marring Washington went back to run his wife's plantation and left the
military for a short time.  Washington quickly became a well known figure and was
soon called upon to become a member of Congress a position which he excepted.

The burden of leadership during the Revolutionary War

    With the breakout of war with the British Washington was soon called upon
to take up the rank of General Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental
army.  Washingtons’ biggest problem was the lack of man power as while as the
overwhelmingly larger British forces.  Washington did have an advantage over the
British which was the use of tactics he had learned from fighting the Indians in his
earlier military days mostly using gorilla warfare tactics and the element of surprise.
Washington had little actual experience of in field command and due to vastly
superior British forces Washingtons first major battle of the Revolutionary War ended in his army's defeat and withdrawal from Long Island.

    Washingtons after retreating from British forces for a while takes his first
major victory came in his taking of Trenton.  Washington sent a spy into the camp
of the German mercenaries employed by the British Due to a sneak attack
Washington was able to completely defeat all of the German mercenaries with very
little loss to his own men.  Washington was soon forced to implore his men to stay
on for another six weeks after their service in the army would end succeeding in
retaining the bulk of his army Washington was forced out of Trenton by the British.  Afterwards Washington made attacks against many different small British forces in Princeton finally forcing the British to retreat from Princeton.

    After retreating Washington occupied a planking position threatening the british
line of communication forcing them to withdraw their garrisons from central and
western New Jersey.  In nearly ten days Washington had managed to completely
reverse the strategic situation in a brilliant display of leadership ability.  Frederick
the Great characterized this campaign as “one of the most brilliant in military
history.”  Washington's victories boosted morale and showed the people that with
persiverence the revolution did in fact have a chance of succeeding.
 

Washingtons Victory over the british

    In 1783, after the last of the British ships had left port to retreat back to
England Washington decided to withdraw from his position as general and retire
from the military.  A few years after the end of the revolutionary war the Continental Congress decided that the colonies must be united and put into motion the building of the united states of america.  In February of 1789 Congress unanimously elected Washington as this countries first President of the United States of america.

 Conclusion

    Much of Washington's life had based around the military and he was a militaristic genius who was able to lead the colonies to independence from the english.  First a Private then soon he became a Colonial then rising in the ranks rapidly to become a General and finally attaining the highest position of the newly formed United States of America the position of Commander in Chief, the position of President of the United States of America, Washington became on of the most well known an influential people of his time.
 

Works sited

Davis, Burke “George Washington and the american revolution.”  New York:
Random House Inc., 1975.
Wall, Charles Cecil “George Washington: Citizen Soldier.”  Charlottesville:
University Press of Virgina, 1980.
Arnold, James R. “Presidents under fire”.  New york: orion books, 1994.
Ferling, John E. “The First of men” charge ask: A life of George washington.”
Knokville: University of Tennesse Press, 1988.
Freeman, Douglas Southall “George Washington: A biography Volume four" Leader of the Revolution.  New York: Charles Scibner’s Sons, 1951
Flexner, John Thomas “George Washington: In the american revolution
(1775-1783).”  Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1967, 1968.
Nettels, Curtis P. “George Washington and american independence.”  Boston:
Little, Brown and Company, 1951.
Higginbotham, Don “George Washington and the american military tradition.”
Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1985.