Wachong Thor Section 3 was pretty significant. What Washington did by crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night has made a huge impact on history still today. It really helped rally the troops after what happened in New York. My question is in a drawing, the soldiers were sitting down, but in the book they were standing. Which one is historically correct?
Lee's and Reed's perspective of Washington being a weak leader really weakened the army. Washington also agreed that he has done some wrong things, but he really wished that they would've talked to him instead. The cause and effect of this section was displayed during the night attack. Howe and Cornwallis were on vacation/rest and the Continental Army needed a boost of energy so this is what caused the attack. The effect of this was restoration of the rebellion cause and also the leaders of the British Army to come back to the army.
-James-Paul Vang- I had a great visual when Washington was on his horse racing to Kips Bay. He was raging, I could see how he was raging and saw his troops surrender to the British forces.
I was also shocked to see that in chapter 6 to read all the lost of Washington. Also all the retreat he made. In Chapter 7 it was quite devastating to see that General Washington fame became re-announced. Also how everyone lost almost all there faith in Washington, and no one believe that they could win this battle against the British. To my amazed Washington had the knowledge from his experiences of the lost to be able to re-announced his glory from his first battle. But the bigger picture of this isn't that Washington won against the British, but that the Declaration of Independence was signed on the year of 1776.
-Commenting on Wachong Thor Post-
I agree Wachong, that what Washington did on Christmas night, did make a huge impact on history, but not only that became re-model to certain people. A lot of the troops did lose there moral, and even his Officers and Generals lost there hope on Washington, but when Washington won his battle, the morale went up, and the American's knew that they could win this and get there Independence.
Ramsey Beilke- I am somewhat disappointed in the British. Had they decisively decided to full on attack the American's they probably would have one the war. However, the half effort in England's parliament seemed to shoot the British in the foot. The British could probably have come up with three times the "Troops" that the Continental army did, since they already had about twice as many there. Thankfully for us, they didn't.
One thing about this book I have to laugh at is the fact that it is very America RULES! but if you lived in Britain, your take on this would be different. What we call fantastic perseverance and courage, they would call dumb luck. Also, David McCullough has written about a lot of historical things, which means he has read thousands of historical documents. This means that some of the bias from these documents probably shows in his work, especially this one, since it is very much two sided.
Something that surprised me, and contradicted my past knowledge was how few soldiers actually died in the battles. I always believed that considerable numbers of troops would be killed or seriously wounded during the fighting, something like 1/5 through 1/3 each battle. But that is not the case. That being said, there were a lot of prisoners taken, which also came as a shock. How did the American's hold the ~900 Hessians captured at Trenton? The British had their prison ships. Going on that though, did the British give the American prisoners back? They had no cause to, the American's were really no threat to the British, so they could have just sunk the ships. They had no need for bargaining chips, they lost, they could do whatever they wanted.
I found it rather interesting that the battle of Trenton was not very big, and there was fighting. I remember learning that the Americans had snuck up on the British in the dead of night, and while they were still sleeping, captured thousands of BRITISH. Not only were the numbers off, but so was the time, as well as the nationality of the troops. Maybe curriculum should be rethought. Also, it is hard to imagine being so distraught as the Americans that winning over 1,000 or so troops causes enough happiness to win an almost lost war.
Personally, I believe that the Americans won the war because they were exposed to more diversity than the British. This diversity allowed them to keep pushing through when others would have given up. It gave them the perseverance to win.
Commenting on James' post- I would have to agree about how devastating it must have been to see thousands of British come at you with their cannons constantly hammering your defenses and losing men all around. I think that Washington got criticized more than he should have. He was pretty much one of the only people, as far as this book tells us, that really tried. He might have made a few mistakes, be them costly, but everyone makes mistakes, nobody is perfect. To maintain an army through those devastating defeats and then go on to win the war is an amazing feat.
I don't necessarily agree that the big picture of this is all about the Declaration of Independence. I believe that it has a part to play, but the Americans were upset at the British for awhile, and through these battles they proved that they had what it takes to be their own country separate from Britain. So the big picture is not so much the "Declaration of Independence," but more A Declaration of Independence.
James-Paul Vang You had a very good point about the importance of Bunker (Breeds) Hill I would agree that it is a turning point. It appears after reading you have a grasp on why the world was not convinced that the Americans could beat the British. Obviously Army's do need training, supplies, leadership and experience helps. Thanks for your blogs!
Ramsey Beilke You have obviously given a great deal of thought to how poorly the American Army did and how they won. Great insight and questions. I would add and I know whoever you have as a teacher will talk a little bit about this in class...for all of Washington's weakness he understood something very important. As long as the United States had a uncaptured (still standing army) anywhere the British had not won. Washington made sure that the Army was always out there and that the war was not over. Thanks for all you comments I enjoyed reading them.
Question: I wander why the Hessian were describe so badly. It says that " When a number of other Americans surrendered, with their hands uplifted, the Hessians shot or bayoneted them" (McCullough 213); I wonder what perspective this is from.
Connections: A really good connection that I made was that when it mention the British blamed the Hessians and the Hessians blamed the British and the Americans blamed both sides. It connects to present day because when crisis appear other blames others like a cycle that continues.
Different Perspectives: If we look closely, the British says that the Hessians has no manner at all in war, but their is no proof of that because there was no mention of any Hessians letter or journal to back this proof. Maybe the Hessians have their own reasons for doing what they are doing to the American army or its just a big myth to scare the American army.
Cause and Effect: A great effect would be that the British commander made a big mistake because when James Grant doubt that the rebels would try to attempt a surprise attack at Trenton; here Grant made a big mistake because of this the American army now have a much bigger moral than before because they have taken 900 prisoner which where all Hessians and six artillery pieces. With this cause it lead to the confident of the American army.
Commenting on Ramsey Beilke: I agree with Ramsey that the British could have won if they did a full assault on the American army. Also with the whole luck thing because the generals went back home for Christmas party and let other take charges which cost them a fortune.
Commenting on Chang Lee’s Post: I think that the perspective that the Hessian soldiers were portrayed from was about the same for both sides. For example, when the Hessians were reportedly ravishing women in the city, both the American and British army were disgusted and upset with them.
Importance: A key quote in chapter six would be the one in the very beginning by Henry Knox: “We want great men who when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” This is a significant quote because it summarized what the first Roman numeral of the chapter was about, which was about the Americans’ struggle for hope while they weren’t faring well in the war. The passage from pg. 212-213 summarized how sadly unprepared and under qualified the majority of Washington’s army was.
Using the Past: How does the past help us make sense of the present? The behavior of the army during the Revolution helps us understand how different the army is now and how unprepared their army was compared to today’s army, where there is so much training. How can we learn from the past? We can learn about the functions and trials of the American army during the Revolution in order to know how to better prepare our armies today.
Big Idea/Generalizations: In chapter seven, I found a generalization that not only applies to the entire rest of the book, but also other wars: when outnumbered and without any set plan, the army retreats. Also, if Washington had made a set plan to attack, he probably would have retreated anyways, in order to try to get more troops first.
Turning Points: How did past decisions or actions affect future choices? In chapter seven, Washington’s decision to plan and execute a surprise attack on the British soldiers in Trenton affected General Howe and Cornwallis’ decisions to go back overseas to their army. How did decisions or actions narrow or eliminate choices for people? Washington’s decision narrowed the British’s choices of what to do next. Since the British army’s leaders were gone, their choices of what to do next were limited to retreating or fighting without any set plan.
Turning points: Undoubtedly, there were a lot of mistakes made on both sides during the war. Washington being indecisive during times would hurt the chances of the army winning. Time was the enemy for Washington, with so many soldiers being free of their commitment in 1777. Information was constantly under scrutiny over whether to follow or dismiss it. The British and Hessians had dismissed some of the intelligence gathered during a time when it was most crucial, and thus Washington would prove to win the last two battles of 1776 because of the lack of urgency. (In a way the roles switched as the Americans were making a great attack and the British were astounded and made to retreat).
Change and Continuity: There were major changes in this last section of the book for both sides. Many of the people of New York would go to the British and tell of their loyalty to the King to be safe from their attack and thus forever loyal to the British. Many of the American soldiers were pushed to their limits, and with the lack of hope they would leave the army asap. They both had to go into a cold winter, with Washington pressing onward to the British that were occupying the houses in preparation for winter. Finally the Americans had won and were once again focused on winning. The change of positions played a huge role in this part, where the British would retreat from the attacking Americans. Much of the change in the first part of this section showed the British reaping the benefits, but as the time grew nearer for the end of so many soldiers contracts, the Americans pulled it together and fought to control the area.
Visualize: Throughout this section I had visualized the British scaring away the Americans into retreat over and over. It was hard to see that there was to be any change in plot. Eventually it started to change with Washington pulling his forces together and making a full fledged attack as almost his last stand to defend the country. The vision of him crossing the Delaware and defeating the Hessians in their own settling was very vivid, with the streets crowded with soldiers bayoneting the enemy in close combat. The victory was the most powerful visual in my mind, of a rejoicing army finally being able to defeat their enemy after such a long retreat.
Question: What would have happened had the food and supplies not had been so great for the British? What if New York was filled with rebel civilians instead of so many loyalists? What would have happened if there was a British traitor instead of the American one that had given away the position of the Americans? Many questions of "what if" had gone through my head as there are millions of different turns this war could have taken.
Commenting on Karsyn's post: I agree that the generalization that came from Washington's plans were usually of retreat. He didn't have a great enough power to stop and fight back with his troops divided so much, so he had to reconvene and retreat to an area safe enough to get a real plan going.
Preview/Predict: Once I read how low the morale of the Rebels had been after they landed in New York and with the section’s title—The Long Retreat—in mind, I immediately began thinking that the Rebels were not going to be very successful for the remainder of the year. Soldiers were giving up and leaving, they were questioning Washington’s leadership, and desertion, plundering, cowardice, and disobeying orders were becoming increasingly common. Most of the men had given up hope, making in near impossible for them to win any battles.
Cause and Effect: General Howe’s hesitant ways effected many events in the war, and were present throughout all chapters. From his refusal to capture and take control of Dorchester Heights before Rebels had a chance, to cautious, time consuming digging of trenches instead of calling for an open attack on Long Island that would’ve probably not allowed for the Rebels to escape the island, to his orders to Cornwallis that he halt his troops after occupying (New) Brunswick, allowing for the Rebels to buy some time and “escape” the British, his hesitation likely was one of the reasons the war kept dragging on. He kept allowing the Rebels to narrowly avoid devastating British attacks and gave them a chance to “live another day”. The entirety of the war would’ve been completely different had he been less hesitant and cautious. He seemed to worried to avoid another Bunker Hill.
Question: I am not sure if I missed this in the reading or if it was never answered, but who/what was responsible for starting the “Great Fire” of New York that ended up burning 25% of the city?
Turing Points: This section ended with a huge turning point in the war—the Battle of Trenton. It was kind of like another Dorchester Heights in that it gave the Rebels hope and boosted their morale greatly. In Trenton though, there was actual fighting (which the Rebels won) proving that the Americans were capable of besting their enemy. They had outfought and outsmarted the Hessians in this battle, making it a much bigger turning point for the Rebels than Dorchester Heights was.
Comment on Dustin Johnson’s Post: I too was able to create a vivid visualization of the crossing of the Delaware and then the defeat of the Hessians at the Rebels hands. McCullough is very skilled at describing the specific aura of the many historically significant scenes.
Predict: Before reading from looking at the title of the section only, "The Long Retreat", because no pictures were presented for this part I gathered that there is going to be a retreat. A long one at that, is it because of nature or distance? What factors caused it to be so long?
Vocabulary/Concept: "The hallooing of hundreds of men in their difficulties getting horses and artillery out of the boats, made it rather the appearance of Hell than any earthy scence" (262). When I came across the word hallooing I read and reread the passage trying to figure out what the word was supposed to mean. Finally, I ended up looking it up and found that it means like shouting, or a mean to attract attention, which when put into the context then made sense.
Turning points: Washington's decisions in the end compared to the beginning left the British in retreat because instead of waiting and wasting time on making quick decisions Washington was indecisive, but the roles "switched" it caused the British to have to think on their feet without being totally on the same page.
Using the Past: The past helps us today learn from our mistakes and build off them to only become stronger. We now have more extensive weapons and training. I feel some of the problem was in the past there was a lack of experience and obviously a lack of technology compared to today. Today we are just more prepared and equipped for combat. Also, commitment today is much higher!
Visualization: When I read a book, I often try to visualize the events to get a picture of how one event affects another. For example seeing Washington and his men cross the Delaware, the battle of Trenton with Knox's cannons, and even the rebels running time after time always looking back to see the British chasing after helps me to see the big picture as well as the small details.
Through Their Eyes: Imagine being a soldier back in November 1776, running from the British and leaving city after city, Brooklyn, New York, and many others on the way; feeling shame from not fighting back and seeing your feet bleed from marching for so long, with little or no hope left to win, almost hoping that the British would capture you just so you could stop marching. It is no surprise me that the rebels left in such high numbers.
Cause and Effect: One minor event that slightly changed the war was the capture of General Lee and his 4,000 men. Those men and Lee's advice would have been of great help to George Washington. One minor event that had a greater effect was how careless General Rall was in not taking the rebel threat seriously and not preparing for them at all. That was a major blunder that showed how the rebels were seen by the British.
Importance: This time was the most pivotal in the Revolutionary War. But what would have happened if the British took the rebel threat more seriously and were more aggressive toward them? I believe this goes without saying, but the war would have been lost if that happened. In all honesty I believe that what happened at the end was simply a miracle combination of luck, skill, and leadership.
Commenting on Lauren's Post: I disagree with your statement concerning technology leading to better victory, because the technology would have came anyway, but the rebels compared to the British, the technology was the same, it was how it was used the determines the outcome. Also, commitment is debatable. While yes, hope is generally higher, now we have drafts as well so getting more men is less of a problem.
Visualize: I pictured the troops crossing the Deleware River, all crowded together and freezing on the boat, waiting for their perilous journey to finally be over. However, other sources have depicted the soldiers in the boat to be sitting with ample room, not unbearably crowded and standing up. Because of this contradicting information, I must question which source(s) is correct.
Preview/Predict: If this book were to continue capturing the events of history, it would most likely continue to focus on Washington and his political struggles. It would also follow Congress's development and even possibly the drafting and implementation of the constitution.
Turning points: (Although this is not nessecarily a turning point, it still greatly affected the war.) The British decided not to do a full-on attack on the Americans. Even though the British knew the extreme disadvantages the Americans were faced with, they still held back the true terror that they could have inflicted on the Americans. This changed the outcome of the war by probably letting th American forces win.
Change and Continuity: Until this war, the British had been a superpower- their empire stretched around the globe and they never bowed to the pressure of defeat. They thought that they were so good that they neglected to send the necessary ships and men down to win the Revolutionary War. While their cocky attitude, fearlessness, and streak of war victories remained throughout the war, that all soon changed after they were beaten by a much smaller, weaker, and disadvantaged group.
Commenting on Ramsey Bielke's post about the number of fatalities: I completely agree. I was absolutely shocked when I read about the defeats that were defeats because a mere 28 people died. In more recent wars, many more people have died for a battle to end or for a retreat to be called.
Change/ continuity- The main difference between the previous section of the book and this one is the commanders of the armies. Britain continued to have a much stronger army, but they were defeated at Trenton because of the well planned attack by Washington and Colonel Rall and his inability to prepare for an attack.
Turning points- The victory at Trenton was the turning point of the war. The rebel army was tired of losing and ready to give up. Many troops had already left and more were ready to. If they had not succeeded when spring came around the British would have been ready to beat them quickly.
Questions- Where was the rest of the British army? I didn’t understand why there was only a few Hessians at Trenton when they attacked.
Reading Thoughts Questions: My question is how they (the Americans) could think that it was all Washington’s fault (pg. 201) when he was trying his best to protect his people and his beliefs, coupled with the fact that he (Washington) didn’t have many men who he could count on for military advice. He was under a lot of pressure and I just wonder how people could have thought like that (I know that they just lost majorly- but Washington was doing his best with what he had)
Preview/Predict: On pg. 205 it questions whether Joseph Reed will be able to hold up under the pressure of being Washington’s right hand man. I’m not sure he will be able to because though he is a smart and philosophical man and a great confidante to George, I don’t think he’ll be able to keep it up- it takes a strong man to stay in the military. Not only that, but his wife wanted him home for the birth of their fourth child.
Visualize: On pg. 241 I can see how Fort Washington was being defended by all of the Americans and how all of the British and Hessian troops were attacking.
Reading like A Historian Through Their Eyes: Looking through the British’s eyes after the Americans left New York. They were looking through all of the supplies that they had and everything that they built and on some accounts, the British were impressed with what they found. On pg. 220, there is a quote from Lieutenant Frederick Mackenzie on how there were about 14 miles of fortification and how he was impressed. I think the British should look at this and be able to say “wow, they (the Americans) are serious!” because really they didn’t take the Americans serious at all.
Turning Point: On page 221, where the fire started, I thought that this was a turning point because even though it wasn’t ordered, the fire was still started and it burned down “nearly 500 houses” and “approximately a quarter of the city”(222). It said that “more than 100 suspects were rounded up” but there was no evidence against them. I thought that this might be a turning point because the Americans were willing to go against orders of congress and burn down New York to make sure that the British didn’t have their belongings and supplies to use against them.
Obvious Turning Point: When Washington crossed the Delaware to invade the town and how he beat the Hessians there.:)
Responding to Bryce's Question: If I understand your question correctly, then what I think is that because the British didn't really take the Americans seriously, they just stationed the Hessians in major cities to "ward off" attacks from the Rebels.
~Lydia Hunger~ Preview/Predict - The Long Retreat. “These are the times that try men’s souls.” - Thomas Pain, The Crisis, December 1776. “We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” - Colonel Henry Knox. “I hope this is the dark part of the night, which is generally just before the day.” - General Nathanael Greene. Looking through each of these quotes and titles of the chapters, I could tell that the Americans were about to face a difficult time. The long retreat sounds to me like tired, aching soldiers marching miles, in perhaps a cruel, dark time. But the men have to be brave, and have to go through this dark time before they can see the light of day, their freedom. Freedom wasn’t gained by one man, or one battle alone. I can see even with the rebels retreating currently, that more bloodshed and/or strategic planning will need to occur before the battle is completely over. Visualize: George Washington crossing the Delaware was a visual that I had rooted in my mind for many years. The famous painting of him and his men paddling in row boats across the ice chunk filled water was an expertly portrayed piece that I had always found to show the heroic, gallant, and valiant leader that George Washington truly was, to both his troops and our great nation. After losing New York to the British and facing the long retreat through New Jersey, this moment or pride was rightfully deserved. Turning Point: With Washington crossing the Delaware river, the soon after win of the Battle of Trenton, Washington not only turned and brought his troops and the Colonists hope, but also brought a turning point to the war. An army with low self-esteem is like an army living without blood in their veins. Once they won this battle, a glimmer of hope was there for both their independence, and their futures ahead of them. This truly was a “long retreat”, and I wouldn’t blame any of the soldiers for simply rejoicing at this moment. “From the state of mind bordering despair, courage was invigorated, every countenance brightened.” (McCullough 292) Questions: Did anyone else find it odd that King George III always seemed so willing to take back any rebels that wished to become loyalists again? Admiral Lord Howe on page 211 seemed to be the messenger of this, talking of putting “a stop to these ruinous extremities” and if the rebels/ the Americans would give up “independency”. To me it almost seemed that the king wanted his people back for a much more powerful reason that brought him to fight to keep them in his grasp. Whether it was to keep a claim of the American soil, or keeping people on his own soil, I found this to be interesting. Responding to Kelli: I found your turning point made me process the scene in a whole new way. For the Americans to go against orders as such, but also to think about how the men that were “caught on the scene” were so brutally killed, and for how little George Washington told Congress in his report. This all could be considered a turning point because the British seemed so ready to pounce on whatever Elephant in the room they could, so they must be more on edge. It could also be seen that nearly 1/4 of the city was destroyed which could maybe be seen as a rebellion and turning point in the battle and struggle for control over the war. However, I must add that your more obvious turning point could be more easily explained as a turning point of the war in it's entirety.
IAN HILL Change and Continuity: Troops were still in a downward spiral morally which also seemed to be a theme of section 2. One change that struck me as different was that Washington lost some of the respect he had in every other chapter. When the Army started losing the troops gave up on themselves and mostly Washington.
I visualized Washington crossing the Delaware just because it is the easiest for me to picture due to the famous portrait... Washington in his grand blue suit at the tip of his small ship with about ten men around him and surrounded by many more of the same craft. Question and responding to Zachary: Zachary Bluestein brought up something very interesting in his comment of Prediction: What would Washington do after the war? Did Washington want another position of power after the stress he encountered in the War?
Turning point: I think a turning point was when the troops lost respect for Washington because after this there was really no one to guide them away from chaos and disbandment. Another turning point was when Washington decides to cross the Delaware and beat the Hessians.
predict/preview:(Before reading part 3) When I read the title The Long Retreat I thought this part was going to focus on more failures of the American Army causing them to retreat farther.
Questions: (relating to Ian's question) Was he even planning on being involved in the new country in any sort of political way ,or did he want to focus on his military careeer.
Cause and Effect: The retreat (from Part 2) caused the troops to lose respect for Washington. This caused Washinton to feel the need to do something that would win the support of his troops, this being him crossing the delaware and attacking the Hessians.
Change and Continuity: During this part Washington's troops lose alot of respect for him. In this part he feels like he needs to redeem himself so he attacks the Hessians by crossing the Delaware.
One thought that I had while reading was that David McCollugh did a great job describing the seen where General Washington was in a great rage when all of his men were retreating during the battle of Kips Bay. Another thought that I had while reading this section was that the British always seemed to stop pushing onward at the worst times. In most cases if they would’ve kept on forcing the American forces back instead of stopping they would’ve crippled the American forces in such a way that we couldn’t recover from.
Reading Like a Historian
Turning Points, When Johann Rall was warned that the Americans were planning tro attack he didn’t take it very seriously. He considered that the few shots were fired at the Hessians were the attack that was spoken of. However later that night when he had been drinking and playing cards another warning was given to him. This time he hardly made a note of it and went back to drinking and playing cards. Rall’s in-ability to take things seriously led to the British receiving a crippling blow from George Washington and the American forces. Change and Continuity, From the start of this section to the end of this section many things changed. In the beginning the American forces where in a very low state. Then throughout the section the Americaqns planned better and by the end they were in control of things and their spirits were very high. Comment on Nate Kitchell’s Post I agree with your statement on Washington’s need to redeem himself after the retreats. I think that if he wouldn’t have had the surprise attack on the Hessians he might have lost his job of leading the army.
Preview/Predict When I heard, The Long Retreat, I jumped to the conclusion of the Rebels retreating. I did this because of the previous battle in New York, the British definitely had the upper hand at this point in the war. I believe that the British will ride that momentum of a victory and force the Rebels into a corner.
Connections While I was reading, a small connection I made to now-a-days is that of blaming one another. The British blamed the Hessians. The Hessians blamed the British. And the Americans blamed both of them. I believe some of the same kind of thing goes on today, a never ending cycle of blaming for one another's problems.
Turning Points Many occurrences during this part of the book was that of retreat by the Rebels. It seemed like things were not going to turn positive for the Americans. I kept picturing their backs to the battlefield with the British following. Eventually, things starting turning around for the Americans as Washington pulled all his forces together and made an overpowering attack, almost like a last attack to defend his country. When the army crossed the Delaware and defeating the Hessians was very well described, such as the streets packed with soldiers in close combat. The victory really boosted the confidence of the Rebels as they finally won a battle after being defeated for such a long period of time.
Cause and Effect During the war, General Howe's hesitancy appears many times throughout the whole novel. From refusing to capture Dorchester Heights to, also, not ordering a strike on Long Island which aloud for the enemies to escape. His hesitation was one of the reasons that the war kept dragging on. If he had made more decisive and quick decisions, the war could have ended extremely differently.
Comment to Jake Coenen I agree with you that if the British would have gone one step farther in many situations, it would have crippled the Americans in such a way they couldn't have recovered. Part of this was due to General Howe's hesitancy to make a decision. This hesitancy was part of the downward spiral of the British.
Using the Past: Throughout this entire book, McCullough references to how unfit the rebel troops were for combat, especially in comparison with the British army. For instance they were hardly able to identify their generals, they definitely didn’t obtain military skills or experience, and in many battles they were easily outnumbered. Today it is easy to point out their weaknesses and learn from them. Our army now has drastically improved. It makes sense that today we have military drafts and extensive training is provided. People willingly offer their service so commitment is also increased.
Differing Perspectives: Many people began doubting Washington and their faith began to falter away from him. It seemed many of the rebels hung their heads and had doubts themselves while retreating. However, Washington refused to give up in the war and he would not admit defeat. Congress entrusted him with more power which gave him a boost in morale. Meanwhile Cornwallis, Howe, and both the British and Hessian troops thought they had basically won. Cornwallis and Howe left their troops which resulted in Washington’s surprise attack that lead the rebels to a victory.
Visualization: The part I was able to visualize the most from this section was when Washington crossed the Delaware. Everyone’s seen the famous drawing of it but McCullough made it seem so real as he described it. I could envision the troops trying to be very secretive and as quiet as possible trying to make their ways into the boat and through the river. I can see the storm causing the soldiers to be extremely cold and uncomfortable, even with the slight heat from the fire. The storm would have been a huge setback however it didn’t stop them and it actually helped cover their noise.
Preview and Predict: Section 3 was called “The Long Retreat” which automatically made me think negatively about the rebels outcome in the war. I assumed based off what happened in New York that the British would stay ahead and claim a victory in the end. However, I was obviously incorrect.
Zack: I definitely agree with your cause and effect. Many times I asked myself why the British decided to back off instead of pressing on to defeat Washington’s army a couple times? In one instance Cornwallis and Howe ordered the British not to make a move for 6 days. I’d have to agree with the many angry British soldiers and local Loyalists who saw no reason to let up on the chase because I don’t see why they would stop while they’re ahead.
Generalization: When Washington’s men were retreating when the British were attacking New York, it seemed that Washington finally realized something. That his army wasn’t up to par, that these men weren’t trained for combat and even though they all volunteered, some were still not ready to die for their country.
Evaluation: The fact that Washington decided to split up his army again was a shock to a lot of people. It me, and as stated in the book, a lot of other people, splitting up the army would be one of the last things to be thought of after the first defeat due to the splitting. With Washington making this decision many people thought of him as weak, that he had no clue what the British army was doing, even though he should have. Granted no one could know every single move someone else, or another army could make, but the people of America we’re looking up to Washington to know the unknown.
Turning Point: A turning point in the war was when General Lee was captured by the British army. When everything seemed to be turning around and getting better for the American side, this happened. But for the British this was a big accomplishment. They felt capturing General Lee was even more important than capturing any higher ranked American just due to the fact that he was a British soldier. Because of this, it just gave the British more hope, and more will power to keep fighting.
Cause and Effect: When the British and the Hessian’s landed on the beaches and started to attack New York the American soldiers started retreating and running away. With this happening the British army felt more accomplished and powerful. But if they would have just waited one more day to attack the American army wouldn’t have even been there to fight back. So if the British were just able to take New York instead of fight for it I feel they wouldn’t have had so much self-confident and wouldn’t have been so excited and happy. Yes they would have been happy to have New York, but there is some pride that comes with winning a fight and taking something that you don’t get with just having it handed to you. And in most cases, a happy soldier fights better than a miserable one.
Comment on Ashley Kroll’s post: I was thinking the same thing on your using the past paragraph. There seemed to be, and were a lot of mistakes with the way the soldiers were treated and prepared. I don’t even really know if prepared is the word, because most of the American soldiers weren’t prepared at all. Today we have learned from that and now there is a lot of preparation and training given to our soldiers. Plus they are provided steady pay, food, descent clothing, and SHOES.
Reading Thoughts Preview/Predict: I believed that the title to this section,"The Long Retreat" alluded to how Washington's forces would finally receive the upper hand against the British and drive them out of battle. Since we already know the outcome of the war, I was certain that this was similar to what the ending of the book was going to be.
Visualize: When it comes to history, McCullough doesn't play around. When I say this I mean by how he characterizes the events on what actually happened, unlike how some authors like to "sugar up" some key events to make them sound more intriguing. An example being Washington's crossing of the Delaware and the relentless journey his men and him faced.
Reading Like a Historian Different Perspectives: It is surprising how many began doubting George Washington's ways and how his soldiers almost gave up on him. In his own mind, the general saw America as his family and never gave up an inch for freedom. It's amazing how a farmer could turn out such a pure leader, fighting for his people and not power.
Using the Past: From communication to artillery, people in the Revolutionary war must have had it rough compared to the equipment at our disposal today. In 2011, our military has billions of dollars to spend on high tech gadgets that wouldn't even require them to be in the battlefield! In 1776, they were lucky to fire 3 shots from their rifle a minute while today we could do it in less than a second. What we can learn from the brave men that fought in the war is that it's not the size of the gun your wielding, but the amount your willing to fight and give for your country. @Ramsey Beilke It was a shocker to me as well as to the little amount of people who lost their lives in battle compared to today. As regarding to prisoners taken, I believe that they had use for them oversees; working mainly for them as slaves. Slave trading was at the height in the 1700s and even Washington owned a few slaves himself. It is not surprising that they would try to rack some free workers while trying to fight a war since they were greedy.
Visualization: On the field of battle a mile away from Kips Bay was probably the one of the only places Washington lost his head during the war. It was easy to see him cantering around on his horse shouting at his soldiers to "take the walls!" When none listened to him, he went into a rage putting his own life at risk charging the Hessians. I was surprised that his aides had to grab his horse's bridle just to get him away from the field. It was easy to picture just how difficult it was to subdue him.
Importance: I found that the letter exchanged between General Lee and Reed that Washington accidentally read was significant. This made Washington not only lose faith in Lee and Reed, along with other officers that had already let him down, but also in himself. He had to face the fact that he had hesitated at an important moment and that had cost the Continental Army greatly. It most likely made him more determined than ever to live up his position as commander-in-chief.
Turning Points: There is no doubt that the rebels taking Trenton from the Hessians was a major turning point in the war, even though it ended over six years later. This victory seemed insignificant to the British compared to all their other victories, but to the Continental Army, it was a huge morale booster and proof that they did have a chance under the leadership of Washington. After this battle Washington chose to continue to surprise the enemy again and achieved another victory. Only by the persuasion of Greene, Knox, and a few others did he stop and allow the army their needed rest.
Differing Perspectives: Though many people in the Continental army, both soldiers and officers, lost faith in Greene, he continued to be one of Washington's most trusted comrades. This was crucial since Greene played a very significant role in the capture of Trenton, and in future battles. I agree with Washington's decision to continue to trust in Greene since he was much more experienced and dependable than his other officers.
Responding to Johanna Bixby: Since the British mostly just wanted the war in America to end so they could return home, I think they would have been glad to take New York without a fight of any kind. They had already thought before taking New York that the rebels were weak and would be easy to overpower.
Previewing..While skimming through the pictures on this section, picture 42 caught my eye because I knew I had seen it before. So I asked my sister and she recalled seeing it in Wasshington Dc. Since it was displayed in our nation's capitol, I knew there was going to be something big going to happen that played a big role in the American history and how we as Americans tell a lot of our stories through art in pictures and it writings.
Connection/Turning point..I connected Trenton to Dorchester heights because I saw both of those being turning points in the story. Both scenarios the end of the two, it gave the rebels hope.
Perspectives..I loved when McCullough made it so easy to see through the perspectives of the British people when General Lee was captured, and then how the officers for the Americans were upset because obviously one of their people were captured, it was interesting to see the different and feel the different perspectives.
Cause and Effect..A lot of little things if they were played out differenct would have changed the way the story came out. For example, when the British got ahold of the letters that Washingtons and other members of the American side, things would have been different if they didn't because they wouldn't have had that information to help them defeat the Americans at Fort Washington.
Lindi- I like your differing perspectives on how Washington's people percieved Washington. You would think his people would have faith in him, but its surprising in fact how many did doubt him.
Reading Like a Historian Turning Points: An obvious turning point was when General Washington decides to cross the Delaware and beat the allies of Great Britain, the Hessians. Shortly after this win, the Continental Army went on to win the Battle at Princeton and the Revolutionary War took a turn for the Americans and increased their morale significantly, so much so that many men stayed on to fight instead of going home.
Change and Continuity: One can read this book and say that change occurred after each battle. Through the highs and lows of war, the soldiers learned from their mistakes and failures and went on to pursue their goal. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the continuity of America's soldiers. Where else will you find men so patriotic? Where else will you find men dying for the benefit of someone else? No country does this like America. Through thick and thin, It's an amazing story of courage, extreme hardship, and loyalty these men had for our country.
Reading Thoughts
Preview/Predict: After knowing the quite low morale the Rebels all ready had, reading this title's section ("The Long Retreat",) I could infer that I would not be reading about the success of the Rebels. Most of the men had given up hope, immediately not allowing them to succeed in whatever task fell upon them.
Visualise: Throughout this book, readers have seen the Rebels scared away by the British again and again. All the change there was really was the place and time. Although war is certainly not comedic, that is all I could think about. There was an ever-constant motion picture in my head of the British and Rebels fighting, and the scenery just changing behind them.
Comment on Johanna Bixby's post: I never thought of General Lee's capture when thinking of turning points, but after reading your post I can see why. There's always something that happens that boosts or lowers some group's morale and drive in this book, and that compels them to fight harder in the future and that causes another turning point.
Visualize: One of the best pictures McCullough put into my head was of a solider carrying home a cannonball to his mother, so that she could crush mustard seeds with it. That was actually kind of funny. Also, all the soldiers walking up a very narrow muddy road while heavy rains came down put a great picture in my head.
Through Their Eyes: During this section I was trying to see things through the soldiers eyes, and I realized that carrying their guns and ammunition with them everywhere might have been helpful not only for protection, but for other things too!
Prediction: While previewing this section, i ran into a quote at the beginning of Darkest Hour by Nathanael Greene stating: “I hope this is the dark part of the night, which is generally just before the day.” This quote is showing that there is some hope in some of the men, which is always good, because if every man had no hope, then they would've lost the war already. Based on this quote however, I was able to predict that things would start to not go so well for the Continental Army.
Turning points: When Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware and surprised the Hessians at Trenton. After the attack, only 5 American soldiers had been injured. On the other hand, 21 Hessians were killed, and over 900 more were taken prisoner. After Washington did that, many troops reenlisted in the war because I think they believed that they might turn this thing around and actually win this war. Washington regained the trust that was slowly being lost in his men.
I thought that it was weird that people were being punished for being cowards and running away, I think being put to death is a little harsh, because they already have to live with the guilt of running away..But i guess making an example out of someone like that shows the army that its not okay to be a coward. I wonder what they do to soldiers today who decide to run from the war? I'm guessing its not good.
Questions: On page 216 it says Mrs. Murray was 50, and already had 12 children, Is that normal for back then to have so many children? On page 228 I was wondering why the American army didn't put boats in the water to fight against the British, did we even have a navy?
Responding to herolind: I completely agree with you about how other authors tend to "sugar up" scenes to make them seem more intriguing, but the fact that McCullough doesn't do that at all, actually makes the book even more interesting than ordinary fiction books, because this actually happened, and that was how it was.
Preview/Predict: If this book were to continue capturing the events of history, it would most likely continue to focus on Washington and his political struggles. It would also follow Congress's development and even possibly the drafting and implementation of the constitution. In addition like I said in my last post at this point if I didn't know what really happended, I think that the British could come back and better than ever and maybe win the war.
Visualization: I was able to picture when I was reading this third section was when Washington and his men cross the Delaware, the battle of Trenton with Knox's cannons, and even the rebels running time after time always looking back to see the British chasing after.
Cause and Effect: General Howe's hesitancy appears many times throughout the whole novel. From refusing to capture Dorchester Heights to, also, not ordering a strike on Long Island which aloud for the enemies to escape. His hesitation was one of the reasons that the war kept dragging on. If he had made more decisive and quick decisions, the war could have ended extremely differently.
Change and Continuity: Troops were still in a downward spiral morally which also seemed to be a theme of section 2. One change that struck me as different was that Washington lost some of the respect he had in every other chapter. When the Army started losing the troops gave up on themselves and mostly Washington.
Obermeier: I have to aggree with you with your thinking on Fort Washington that the information helped the British win that battle, but I also think that the British could have won Fort Washington, but just not as easily.
Predict: "The Long Retreat" makes it obvious that there is a retreat but what caused it to be long? The factors I thought of could be lack of supplies, distance, weather, attacks, and casualties.
Connections: In chapter seven, I related the retreat to wars today and how when the army is at a disadvantage and without a plan, they retreat.
Importance: I agree with Jonathan. This time was the most influential in the Revolutionary War. I agree the British didn’t use all their strength and strategy against the rebels. I see how you believe that what happened at the end was a miracle.
Using the Past: We still today use the lesson of learning from our own mistakes. Even with today’s technological advances and strategic defenses, if we don’t learn from history it’s bound to repeat.
Brandon Dively Main Idea/Generalizations: Washington's retreat was inevitable due to a small number of troops in addition to his lack of strategy when it came to his attacks. Chapter seven showed a great point that sums up war as a whole. To put it simply,"Lack of organization in any armed force will lead to a retreat."
Turning points: Due to a lack of experience, Washington did not understand the importace of quick decision making and anticipation. This flaw affected his forces. As in any war, mistakes were made. The tables had turned and Washinton's attacks would end in British retreats. The Hessians and the British had greatly overlooked Washinton's troops and information that they had obtained, which led to two final Washington victories in the year 1776.
Cora, your visualization is prime! I couldn't agree more about the cannonball and mustard seeds. That picture in my head made me laugh. Also the soldiers marching in the rain was almost like a movie scene in my mind. Great descriptions by McCollough.
Preview and Predict: The previous section of the book, Fateful Summer, ended with the Rebel Army in very low confidence. Because of this, I thought the next section would focus on the troops struggles. Washington's men were giving up, loosing the battle before it even started, because of their attitudes.
Cause and Effect: Washington had decided that on Christmas night, an attack on 1,500 Hessian troops stationed at Trenton was to occur. General Johann Gottlieb Rall had recieved numerous and urgent warnings from several different loyalists, yet he ignored them all. Because the British General didn't heed the warnings, the Americans emerged with a stunning victory, loosing no lives, and having only four men wounded. On the other hand, 21 Hessians were killed, 90 wounded, about 900 taken prisoner, and 500 escaped. Had the British General listened to the warnings, this outcome could have been very different.
Turning Point: "The army that had shown remarkable discipline and unity through the night of the escape from Brooklyn had rapidly become engulfed with despair, turned surly and out of hand." (p. 201) Men were giving up and going home, questioning Washington's leadership, especially after he, yet again, decided to split up the army. When the mens attitudes changed (although it was also in section two) it was a major turning point for the book because it showed them loosing hope and giving up.
Differing Perspectives: After Washington's victory at Trenton, many of the British believed that what happended was only a minor defeat... "An aggrivating affair, but of no great consequence and hardly comparable to such large scale British victories of 1776, as the Battle of Brooklyn, or the taking of Fort Washington." (p.290) Yet, the Rebels saw this victory of theirs as "a glorious day for our country." (p. 282, Washington) It rekindled the fight inside of them, giving them more confidence and will to win this war.
Comment: Danielle, I also made the connection where I thought that Trenton was much like Dorchester Hieghts, in the sense that it renewed the rebel army's courage, fight, and hope.
Differing perspectives: While reading this final section I came across an interesting quote. Approaching the attack at Kips Bay William Howe issued a final order to the troops recommending "an entire dependence upon their bayonets, with which they will ever command that success which their bravery so well deserves."(209) McCullough goes on to pont out, "There was no ringing call for valor in the cause of country or the blessings of liberty, as Washington had exhorted his troops at Brooklyn, only a final reminder of the effectiveness of bayonets." This quote goes to show the lack of "community" within the British army. War to them was a job. Howe, instead of building the morale of his army, reminded them of the importance of the weapon,carnage bound, held in their hands. Their pride was in their bayonets and cannons.
Visualization: One section I found easy to picture was the last words and hanging of Captain Nathan Hale. Hale was caught spying for the rebel army and was ordered to be hanged without trial by Howe. He died September 21, his last words being,"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."(224) A British officer described the hanging and told of a board with Washington painted on it, hung next to the Hale's corpse.
Through their eyes: Although it was necessary for Washington to maintain a strong army I could easily sympathize with the 2000 men that walked away without an apology as soon as their enlistment terminated. They were in a horrible situation. while families pleaded for their husbands and sons return, they had Washington continually fostering determination that this war will gain independence. The chances seemed slim and they lost hope.
Question: In reguards to the fire, did anyone actually confess to it, or was it really accidential?
Brandon- I was thinking the same thing pertaining to Washington and his numerous retreats. To assume he would not have to retreat in the first place would be unreasonable. He was outnumered, unorganized, and inexperienced as a unit. Taking this into consideration they put up more of a fight than what could have been expected.
Preview and Predict I thought this section, given the last one being about the American army being very discouraged would be about them either struggling with that or overcoming it.
Visualize During this part i was able to imagine Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware and the battle of Trenton. This created a very vivid image for me as they battled it our with Knox's cannons.
Cause and Effect I think that with the Americans deciding to use the element of surprise it really helped them and caught the British off guard. This resulted in victory.
Turning Point When I was reading I noticed that a lot of men were losing hope and deciding to walk away. This especially happened after Washington decided to split forces yet again in section 3. I think this was a turning point because it showed that this battle was really starting to wear on the soldiers and it showed them giving into that discouragement and really starting to lose hope.
Comment to Corinna Martell I loved how you touched on the soldiers losing hope in Through Their Eyes. I feel the exact same way that these soldiers obviously had to be tired and that the more Washington pushed on the more they wanted to quit.
Predict and Preview- After reading the title of section 3- the long retreat I immidately predicted that this section would focus on the failures of the American army, along with Washingtion's leadership.
Questions- Going off of Corinna Martell's blog, the book never seemed to explain the fire enough. I had the same queston as her, wondering if this fire was accidental or if in the future anyone had confessed.
Turning points- One major turning point was with the victories of the American army. Although in this past secion Washington had many losses, by the end of section three he had a good outcome with the two final victories.
Question: If America had lost the Revolution, would they all (the army) have been executed? This sounds ridiculous, because it would have been a loss of a large number of people. But they had committed treason by writing and signing the Declaration of Independence, and I believe the punishment for that was death.
Generalizations: The element of surprise the rebel army always seems to reserve is a reoccurring theme during the war. Not just with surprise attacks, but surprise retreats as well. This seemed to be a main strategy for the Continental Army, as it gave them a way to try and make the battles more fair. Their talent for surprise also helped them retain some dignity when they fled from the Long Island defeat.
Cause and Effect: The carelessness of General Rall (British side) greatly effected the outcome of the battle at Trenton. Rall was informed of the surprise attack as soon as the 25th, I believe, but he failed to ready his troops, or so much as lift a finger. He was again alerted the night before the attack, but replied with ignorance and went on to drink a bit that night. If the British troops at Trenton had been alerted before the attack it could have been a more intense battle, or just a British victory.
Turning Points: Trenton was another major gain and turning point for the Americans in this section. They fully deserve their reward, as they rowed and worked across the Delaware river all night, and as always, on little sleep. It was said that they performed gallantly and bravely, despite being desolate from the Long Island retreat. It also inspired the rest of the country, like Dorchester Heights had, to be strong and determined.
Stephanie, I liked your "Differing Perspectives" section. I wholly agree. Although Trenton was an excellent victory for the rebels, the British claimed it was a mere defeat. Despite this, I think it was just talk, and that the British didn't want to give the rebels a feeling of satisfaction.
Zackry Wiese Predict: I predict that the Rebels will win the war and become an actual country free from British rule. I also think that the British will suffer many casualties in the final days of war. Visualization: In section 3 it was easy to visualize the crossing of the Delaware river. I can see the wooden boats with the men struggling past the large chunks of ice and Washington watching carefully for any sign of activity. I picture what Emanuel Leutze, the artist who painted the most famous depiction of Washington on the Delaware did. I also picture a transformation of Washington’s ragtag group of farmers into a fully fledged organized army. Different perspectives: I find that different perspectives can be seen even within the British people. The government and strict loyalists will see the loss of America as a crushing blow and a large loss of goods and income. On the other hand the regular people will see it as a loss but not as goods but as just a loss of people, citizens, and land to the empire. It’s not like losing America means Great Brittan is completely lost it’s just one loss to many victories. In response to: Bridget I agree with your question. And I think depending on how the captured army reacted towards the British would determine what punishment they had. Of course they could all sentenced to death because of High Treason.
Rebecca Rieckhoff Reading Thoughts- Importance- I thought that it was important to note that, while the Continental Army had been strong and successful in their retreat from New York, it was quickly crumbling to the ground in the beginning of The Long Retreat. Men deserted daily, and the ones that stayed had considerably low enthusiasm levels. General Washington's leadership and judgement was being called into question, and it just seemed to me, as I read it, that nothing was really going very well for the Continental Army. I thought that it was important to note how low they sunk at the beginning, because acknowledging the hole they were in then helps me to appreciate what a great feat it is that the Americans eventually won the war.
Visualization- One thing that appeared really vividly in my head as I read the last section of the book was the sight of New York burning. It is hard to imagine that much land being burned to the ground, and I can't begin to imagine how helpless it made people feel, as they had no resources to put it out. It must have been bittersweet for the Continental soldiers to watch the fire, on one hand, the area where their enemy was stationed was burning, but on the other hand, New York was part of their country, and the shops and houses that burned down were once owned by their fellow countrymen.
Reading Like a Historian- Change and Continuity-I think it is important to note that, throughout the entire war, George Washington, Nathanael Greene, and Henry Knox were constantly there for the entire duration of the Revolutionary War. Despite failures, and doubts, despite lost confidences and sicknesses, these three remained key figures to the success of the war. No matter where the war was being fought, or how hard the opposition, they never gave up. I believe that, because of this, the Continental Army had a great benefit. Without these three brave men, particularly Washington, the outcome of the war could have been completely different. I am in no way saying that they were perfect, or that they never made mistakes in judgement, but despite those mistakes, these men were great American patriots.
Differing Perspectives- George Washington viewed the behavior of the soldiers who retreated from Kip's Bay "shameful, scandalous, disgraceful, and dastardly." (p.214) But the soldiers who fled viewed it as saving their own lives from what was sure to be a defeat. Whether the men would have been defeated, we cannot know, but put in the same situation, I cannot guarantee that I would have stayed and fought. Honorable or not, what the soldiers did at Kip's Bay certainly isn't so hard to understand.
In response to Bridget's question about whether or not the whole army would have been killed after the war, had the colonists lost, I think you bring up a really interesting point. I think, had the colonists lost, the death tolls in the war for the Americans would have been much higher than they were, and I believe the book said 25,000 American lives were lost with the war ending with an American win. That being said, there still would be a lot of people left to kill, because it would be all surviving soldiers and officers, everyone who signed the constitution, and everyone who was supportive to the cause. I don't think that the british would be willing to kill that many people, as it would amount to a healthy chunk of the population. I think that, most likely, all of the signers of the constitution would have been put to death, and probably all major officers in the army. In addition to that, they probably would sentence anyone who was still violently protesting British rule in America.
Brandon Dively Bridget, I love that question. I feel as though there would have been some sort of decision-making meeting where certain people would be selected for execution. The people of higher roles more than likely would have been killed as a way to make an example of them. This would deter others from ever rebelling again. I don't think the King would want to wipe out such a high number of colonists. It wouldn't be a very wise decision from any stand point. Do you know what I mean?
Importance: I think a big theme of this book is how perseverance can cause the tides to quickly change. Washington and his army were in a sorry state for the beginning of "The Long Retreat." There were 2,000 soldiers who did not reenlist and many more who weren't able to fight. Washington was being criticized for his decisions and the army was continually on the run because they knew they couldn't win with such a small number. However they finally turned around at the end of the year and gained momentum.
Questions: How did the fire in New York really start? Why did Washington decide not to retreat for the winter like Howe?
Turning Points: I think the major turning point is when Washington finally got reinforcements. If he didn't get them, he would have permanently been on the run and eventually forced to surrender. There is no way he could have won with an army of 2000 men, no matter how good they were.
Through Their Eyes: I can imagine during this time people were always wondering what was going on with the war. Since there was no modern form of communication, it could take weeks to get the news. They might be thinking that they were winning the war, but they had actually just lost it.
Drew: I agree that if I didn't know what actually happened, I would guess that the British would come back to win the war. After all, their main army wasn't even defeated yet. The battle that Washington won was only a small victory, the British still had way more power.
The big idea of part three is that circumstances were changing for the rebels. The attack on Trenton was a huge success. It was clear that the Hessian mercenaries had expected an attack. They patrolled the perimeter and Colonel Rall told his soldiers to keep their weapons near them at all times in case of an attack. Even though they were ready for an attack they didn't expect the Americans to attack in such a number in the horrible weather. The aftermath of the Battle of Trenton was the most astonishing. Only five Americans died and forty Hessian mercenaries. While those captured were around 900 men. Only five hundred mercenaries escaped. This was the real focal point of this section because King George III received news of this disappointment in October next year, over 10 months. This battle halted any further deployment of British troops.
Change and Continuity: Clearly much changed for the Americans for the months that followed the Battle of Long Island the Americans still used the retreat method of outlasting the British. That was until General Howe decided to suspend military operations until the spring. This move allowed Washington to gather his forces and have a surprise attack on the British once more. These two changes really affected the course of the war and both benefited the Americans.
Through their eyes: I could imagine the attack on Trenton must have been a large plan for the Americans. Especially for Washington. First of all this attack had him leading 2400 men to McKonkey's Ferry nine miles upstream. A majority of this attack rested on his shoulders, any mistake could leave them retreating. The soldiers understand their assignments and how the attack will work yet anxious and cold as they stealth-fully row their way to the shores of Trenton.
I really like the first question John posted because I kind of had the same question going through my mind. The book never really explained it. I would imagine that some rebels did it to further set back the British. I recall from the book that General Howe didn't try to stop the fires at night, because he felt some rebels would attack them. But honestly I have no clue either as to who started the fires.
Importance: I think it's quite evident that the victory at Trenton was more than it seemed. After almost a year of defeats a victory, as small as it was, was made by the American's giving a huge boost to American morale.
Visualize: The fire in New York evoked quite a picture. I could see a red twilight on the horizon, and could just picture an aerial view of the city looking like smoldering red embers.
Differing Perspectives: Reiterating, the victory at Trenton was strategically insignificant, especially to the British, but was a morale booster for the Americans.
Change and Continuity: The British have gained significant leeway in New Jersey driving Washington across the Delaware. However, things are not always static, Washington's victories in Trenton and Princeton are proof of that.
Comment: I agree with Jon's comment on communication in their time. The distance between America and London was so large that it was crippling, as was seen in the Siege of Boston.
Andy Mahler- Turning point- A major turning point of the novel is when the battle of Trenton was won by the rebels. This was very important because, had they not won when they did, the british would have had been able to stay longer and win the battle.
Zach W.- i am amazed at how accurate your predection was for this section. It's like you had previous knowledge that the outcome would be as it was. i am thuroughly impressed.
Big Idea/Generalization: The majority of section three showed two main points. One was that of the condition of Washingtons troops. Most of them werent trained enough for battle or lacked the courage to fight which cause them to retreat. The other showed how important the battle of Trenton was for the Americans in the war.
Importance: The battle of Trenton was one of the most important victories for the rebels in the war. WIf the battle had been lost then we probably would have lost the war.
Turning Point: The capturing of the Hessians sent a message to the British that showed them that they still could fight. It also brought the rebels morale from an all time low to an all time high which helped win the war.
Differing Perspectives: The battle of Trenton to the British wasnt much of a defeat strategically, but to the Americans it was one of the biggest victories in the war. To the Americans they were in awe at the courage of the soldiers as the crossed the Delaware and got the enemies in there sleep. To the British it was just luck.
Comment:Tom Siegharter I also was amazed as how well the plan worked out with each soldier doing what needed to be done as it seemed allot of hope for them had been lost from past defeats.
Preview and Predict: The title of this section, The Long Retreat, kind of has a negative tone to it and sounds like it was not very fun. Paging through the section, I noticed on of the pictures was of a document of Thomas Paine's American Crisis; this made me think that this section was depicting the hardships of the Rebels near the end of the war.
Cause and Effect: The successful American attack on the Hessian troops at Trenton on Christmas day really boosted the the Rebels' confidence. I think this success and confidence boost led to their victory and Princeton.
Visualization: I, like Taylor, could easily visualize Washington storming around on his horse, barking orders at his troops, who ignored him. Then when he was restrained to keep him from taking matters into his own hands, I could sense his anger and frustration.
Turning Point: I feel that there is a reoccuring turning point throughout the novel; it's the drop in American confidence. The Americans are on an emotional roller coaster during the course of the war. They go from winning battles and feeling sonfidence galore, to a total lack of motivation and wanting to give up and head for home. They started feeling the lack of motivation onve again when Washington split up the army once more.
Comment: Stephanie, I really like your thoughts on the differing perspectives. While the Americans were celebrating their victory at Trenton, the British didn't seem to want to give them the satisfaction and just brushed it off and carried on business as usual.
Preview & Predict: Reading the name of the last part to this book, "The Long Retreat", I automatically assumed it was going to be about how the British would finally retreat. Knowing already that the Americans would eventually win the war, led me to assume the British would be the ones to withdraw at last.
Turning Point: When Washington had agreed to prepare an attack across the Delaware, I think this was a turning point. Many of Washington's soldiers had began to lose hope. They were tired of losing and assumed the British were going to win the war. After going through many retreats and finally hearing that Washington was going to do something besides letting the British continue to treat them like dirt, this gave the American army hope and strength to continue on.
Through Their Eyes: I think that I would feel the same way as the American soldiers if I was in an army where we were continuously retreating. It would've discouraged me to keep on going and my hopes would be gone. The sicknesses would scare me and I wouldn't want to risk my life after trying so many times.
Cause & Effect: William Howe was becoming confident after realizing he had accomplished so much in a year against the rebels. He saw no cause to continue fighting and departed to New York, leaving only a small force of Hessians under Johann Rall's command. Because Rall didn't take the Americans very serious, assuming the British would already win, it was easy for the Americans to attack and therefore led them to success at the end.
Comment: I agree with Jonathon Butler, the Americans perseverance definitely kept them going and was one of the main reasons why they were successful at the end.
Michaela Baumann, I think preview and predict is one of the most helpful 'reading thoughts'. Before reading, "The Long Retreat" (section three), I once again looked at the pictures throughout the section. One of the pictures I saw was New York in flames. That was a major clue that yet another town would be destroyed, but who caused it is what I was then wondering. When I continued reading I found out that Washington was the one who had the idea to burn New York so that the British couldn't benefit from it and use it for shelter or use any supplies to their advantage. My new prediction of Washington being the cause of the fire was changed when I read that other people, such as Greene, disagreed with this idea. So then I thought it was the British that caused it, and I was thinking they would have been foolish for doing so since they could have gotten good use out of that town after the Americans fled the area. After getting to the point in time in the book where New York actually burned down, I found out that the cause of the fire was unknown and was considered an accident. I think that at times, authors set you up in a way so your predictions are frequently changing and so you stay interested in the reading, similarly what happened during this event. While reading the book, I came across vocabulary words that i wasn't familiar with. One word in section 3 that I looked up was 'imperturbability'. On page 244 in a sentence describing Washington; "...given his well-documented imperturbability...". After I looked it up I found out that it means calm and collected. This seems to be a fitting word used to describe Washington based on how the author had previously characterized the same General. Being calm and collected are good characteristic for a General to have. The Americans are lucky that they had a good General during the Revolutionary War, Washington.
Wachong, I like how you brought up how crossing the Deleware still has a big impact on history today. Throughout this entire novel I was just waiting to be able to read that section because so many teachers in the past would tell me about the crossing of the Deleware. So I wanted to be able to read it myself and say "I know about the crossing of the deleware"
Ramsey: When you mentioned that the British seemed to be giving a half hearted attack on the Americans I can see why. They had conquered them in New York so they brought honor back to their nation (for a better understand of this, read my post in section 2). The British could have then relaxed thinking "these rebel scum will never defeat us, blah blah blah" and thinking all high and mighty about themselves, therefore dropping their guard. The Americans ultimately, I believe, won by sheer dumb luck because Washington was an inexperienced general, his army was not at all organized in a normal military stature, and he lacked in numbers which the British definitely had.
My inquirey on this section is why did Washington attack on Christmas? If I were on the British side of the fence, I would see that as a very low move. Its Christmas for goodness sake. Most people would respect that since it's an international holiday that war would cease for one day and then start up again the day after.
But from an American stand point, it was a very smart move because the Hessians were at its lowest defenses, it was the best opportunity to attack. This attack inspired so many rebels in the colonies that Washington gained more recruits to his army and more of them stayed in the army longer then before. Without this victory for the continential army, I dont think they would have gained independence when they did. The fear instilled in the people after the battle of trenton, the hope of winning the war faded increasingly. But with this victory against the Hessians, it took away the fear they had instilled in Trenton and gave them hope again that they could still win their independence from Britain for the colonies had beaten the super-powers once again.
Predict/Preview: I predicted that this section would be about the last part of the war, and the hardships that both sides faced while trying to win.
Evaluation: This Section really agrees with what I already know about this war. Although this war took it's tole on both sides, it was harder on the Americans than the British. They truely suffered.
Through Their Eyes: I cannot imagine being General Washington or any soldier and riding into Kips Bay after hearing cannon fire from his command post. Upon arriving, you see men "flying in all directions". I would be very discouraged and would not want to race into that to win the battle.
Cause and Effect: The British were very "cocky" near the end of the war, including William Howe. Since he thought the British had already won this war, he left a small force to protect Hessians while leaving for New York. This made it easy for the Americans to attack and win.
Comment: I would agree with the second part of your post, Alexis. It would be a very smart attack on General Washington's behalf. The fort would have very low defenses and has you said in the first part..."It's Christmas for Goodness Sake's". From Washington's veiw, he would also think that the British would not expect an attack.
Connection: With nearly the entire section about the Rebels retreating and strategizing backwards I continued to make connections with the book The Red Badge of Courage. In many ways it reminded me of the main character who was forced into psychological battle to run or fight. In the beginning of the section a group of men were suppose to hold off the British in order for the rest of the army to retreat to safety. When the men saw the hessian warriors they fled on the spot.
Evaluation: I think in most cases when reading this section people would assume that the battle of Trenton and the battle in Princeton allowed the Rebels to come back in the war. I would like to take a different stance that General Howe’s decision to cease all activity for the winter was what allowed the Rebels to come back in the war. The British once again underestimated the rebel’s power and intelligence. It is believed that if the British pushed onward they could have caught Washington and his army and could have won the war right there. This decision changed the History of the War.
Cause and Effect: Once again there are many causes and effects in this chapter that all tie together. With General Howe ceasing movement, it allowed General Washington to devise a plan to attack the Hessians while they were sitting ducks. Also with New Years approaching Washington needed to act fast and make use of the men he had before they were all free from their enlistments. If they succeeded, which they did, they would get a much needed moral boost to the rebels and the likelihood of them returning would be greater. Then with the great success in Trenton and Washington promising the soldiers 10 dollars of pay per month the entire army stayed and fought a battle in Princeton, which they won.
Change and Continuity: After the battle of Trenton and the battle in Princeton the rebels had received a moral boost was absolutely essential to finishing the war. Along with added confidence the soldiers were being paid 10 dollars a month on the contrary to the 6 dollars they were receiving in the past. Even though the book did not mention much about how the recruitment went after these two battles it can be assumed that more Americans continued to join at a faster rate. Though the Rebels captured nearly 900 Hessians at the Battle of Trenton and 300 more British in Princeton the British is largely outnumber the rebels and at this time still would be the favorite to win the war. The only real benefit the Rebels receive is that of courage and confidence which leads them on to victory in the war.
Comment: Michaela, I totally agree with your prediction about the fire in New York even after David McCullough explained theory’s on how the fire started it was still confusing in trying to put together who really was the cause. In many ways when the people of the city said it started in multiple places you would have to immediately think arson, but then I was surprised that there was no evidence or a perspective from the rebel side about the fire that burned down New York
Preview/Predict The title of this section of the book "The Long Retreat" makes it sound like it would be about an advance by one side in the war, and the push back and defeat of another side. I predicted it would be the Rebels forcing the British into retreat because using my knowledge of the war, I knew the British would end up losing, so I assumed this retreat would be the Redcoats getting pushed back and losing.
Importance The Battle of Trenton was extremely vital to the Rebel effort. Without the victory at Trenton, the Rebel morale may have remained low and the British may have swiftly defeated the Continental Army, but the victory reenergized the Rebel war effort. It was a major win for Washington's men.
Turning Point The Battle of Trenton was the major turning point in this section and in the war. The Battle of Trenton showed the strong leadership of Washington as he led the Rebels across the Delaware River. It reenergized the war effort for the Continental Army, and gave them confidence that with their strong leaders, they could win the war.
Differing Perspectives The decision to cross the Delaware on Christmas was seen by Rebel forces as a smart strategic decision that eventually gave them the energy to carry on the war effort and eventually succeed in defeating the British. The British may have thought that the battle was either unimportant, or that the decision to attack on a holiday was a cheap war decision used by Washington and the Continental Army.
Comment (KaoZee Xiong) I agree with your Cause & Effect paragraph. Howe and the British Army was overconfident and overlooked the Continental Army force. They didn't think of them as a threat so they left a small group of Hessians to fight them. This overconfidence helped the Rebels make a big push back at the British forces.
Wachong Thor
ReplyDeleteSection 3 was pretty significant. What Washington did by crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night has made a huge impact on history still today. It really helped rally the troops after what happened in New York. My question is in a drawing, the soldiers were sitting down, but in the book they were standing. Which one is historically correct?
Lee's and Reed's perspective of Washington being a weak leader really weakened the army. Washington also agreed that he has done some wrong things, but he really wished that they would've talked to him instead. The cause and effect of this section was displayed during the night attack. Howe and Cornwallis were on vacation/rest and the Continental Army needed a boost of energy so this is what caused the attack. The effect of this was restoration of the rebellion cause and also the leaders of the British Army to come back to the army.
Good use of Cause and Effect Wachong!
ReplyDelete-James-Paul Vang-
ReplyDeleteI had a great visual when Washington was on his horse racing to Kips Bay. He was raging, I could see how he was raging and saw his troops surrender to the British forces.
I was also shocked to see that in chapter 6 to read all the lost of Washington. Also all the retreat he made. In Chapter 7 it was quite devastating to see that General Washington fame became re-announced. Also how everyone lost almost all there faith in Washington, and no one believe that they could win this battle against the British. To my amazed Washington had the knowledge from his experiences of the lost to be able to re-announced his glory from his first battle. But the bigger picture of this isn't that Washington won against the British, but that the Declaration of Independence was signed on the year of 1776.
-Commenting on Wachong Thor Post-
I agree Wachong, that what Washington did on Christmas night, did make a huge impact on history, but not only that became re-model to certain people. A lot of the troops did lose there moral, and even his Officers and Generals lost there hope on Washington, but when Washington won his battle, the morale went up, and the American's knew that they could win this and get there Independence.
Ramsey Beilke-
ReplyDeleteI am somewhat disappointed in the British. Had they decisively decided to full on attack the American's they probably would have one the war. However, the half effort in England's parliament seemed to shoot the British in the foot. The British could probably have come up with three times the "Troops" that the Continental army did, since they already had about twice as many there. Thankfully for us, they didn't.
One thing about this book I have to laugh at is the fact that it is very America RULES! but if you lived in Britain, your take on this would be different. What we call fantastic perseverance and courage, they would call dumb luck. Also, David McCullough has written about a lot of historical things, which means he has read thousands of historical documents. This means that some of the bias from these documents probably shows in his work, especially this one, since it is very much two sided.
Something that surprised me, and contradicted my past knowledge was how few soldiers actually died in the battles. I always believed that considerable numbers of troops would be killed or seriously wounded during the fighting, something like 1/5 through 1/3 each battle. But that is not the case. That being said, there were a lot of prisoners taken, which also came as a shock. How did the American's hold the ~900 Hessians captured at Trenton? The British had their prison ships. Going on that though, did the British give the American prisoners back? They had no cause to, the American's were really no threat to the British, so they could have just sunk the ships. They had no need for bargaining chips, they lost, they could do whatever they wanted.
I found it rather interesting that the battle of Trenton was not very big, and there was fighting. I remember learning that the Americans had snuck up on the British in the dead of night, and while they were still sleeping, captured thousands of BRITISH. Not only were the numbers off, but so was the time, as well as the nationality of the troops. Maybe curriculum should be rethought. Also, it is hard to imagine being so distraught as the Americans that winning over 1,000 or so troops causes enough happiness to win an almost lost war.
Personally, I believe that the Americans won the war because they were exposed to more diversity than the British. This diversity allowed them to keep pushing through when others would have given up. It gave them the perseverance to win.
Commenting on James' post-
I would have to agree about how devastating it must have been to see thousands of British come at you with their cannons constantly hammering your defenses and losing men all around. I think that Washington got criticized more than he should have. He was pretty much one of the only people, as far as this book tells us, that really tried. He might have made a few mistakes, be them costly, but everyone makes mistakes, nobody is perfect. To maintain an army through those devastating defeats and then go on to win the war is an amazing feat.
I don't necessarily agree that the big picture of this is all about the Declaration of Independence. I believe that it has a part to play, but the Americans were upset at the British for awhile, and through these battles they proved that they had what it takes to be their own country separate from Britain. So the big picture is not so much the "Declaration of Independence," but more A Declaration of Independence.
James-Paul Vang
ReplyDeleteYou had a very good point about the importance of Bunker (Breeds) Hill I would agree that it is a turning point. It appears after reading you have a grasp on why the world was not convinced that the Americans could beat the British. Obviously Army's do need training, supplies, leadership and experience helps. Thanks for your blogs!
Ramsey Beilke
ReplyDeleteYou have obviously given a great deal of thought to how poorly the American Army did and how they won. Great insight and questions. I would add and I know whoever you have as a teacher will talk a little bit about this in class...for all of Washington's weakness he understood something very important. As long as the United States had a uncaptured (still standing army) anywhere the British had not won. Washington made sure that the Army was always out there and that the war was not over. Thanks for all you comments I enjoyed reading them.
Chang Lee
ReplyDeleteQuestion: I wander why the Hessian were describe so badly. It says that " When a number of other Americans surrendered, with their hands uplifted, the Hessians shot or bayoneted them" (McCullough 213); I wonder what perspective this is from.
Connections: A really good connection that I made was that when it mention the British blamed the Hessians and the Hessians blamed the British and the Americans blamed both sides. It connects to present day because when crisis appear other blames others like a cycle that continues.
Different Perspectives: If we look closely, the British says that the Hessians has no manner at all in war, but their is no proof of that because there was no mention of any Hessians letter or journal to back this proof. Maybe the Hessians have their own reasons for doing what they are doing to the American army or its just a big myth to scare the American army.
Cause and Effect: A great effect would be that the British commander made a big mistake because when James Grant doubt that the rebels would try to attempt a surprise attack at Trenton; here Grant made a big mistake because of this the American army now have a much bigger moral than before because they have taken 900 prisoner which where all Hessians and six artillery pieces. With this cause it lead to the confident of the American army.
Commenting on Ramsey Beilke: I agree with Ramsey that the British could have won if they did a full assault on the American army. Also with the whole luck thing because the generals went back home for Christmas party and let other take charges which cost them a fortune.
-Karsyn Schirmer-
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Chang Lee’s Post: I think that the perspective that the Hessian soldiers were portrayed from was about the same for both sides. For example, when the Hessians were reportedly ravishing women in the city, both the American and British army were disgusted and upset with them.
Importance: A key quote in chapter six would be the one in the very beginning by Henry Knox: “We want great men who when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” This is a significant quote because it summarized what the first Roman numeral of the chapter was about, which was about the Americans’ struggle for hope while they weren’t faring well in the war. The passage from pg. 212-213 summarized how sadly unprepared and under qualified the majority of Washington’s army was.
Using the Past: How does the past help us make sense of the present? The behavior of the army during the Revolution helps us understand how different the army is now and how unprepared their army was compared to today’s army, where there is so much training. How can we learn from the past? We can learn about the functions and trials of the American army during the Revolution in order to know how to better prepare our armies today.
Big Idea/Generalizations: In chapter seven, I found a generalization that not only applies to the entire rest of the book, but also other wars: when outnumbered and without any set plan, the army retreats. Also, if Washington had made a set plan to attack, he probably would have retreated anyways, in order to try to get more troops first.
Turning Points: How did past decisions or actions affect future choices? In chapter seven, Washington’s decision to plan and execute a surprise attack on the British soldiers in Trenton affected General Howe and Cornwallis’ decisions to go back overseas to their army. How did decisions or actions narrow or eliminate choices for people? Washington’s decision narrowed the British’s choices of what to do next. Since the British army’s leaders were gone, their choices of what to do next were limited to retreating or fighting without any set plan.
Dustin Johnson
ReplyDeleteTurning points: Undoubtedly, there were a lot of mistakes made on both sides during the war. Washington being indecisive during times would hurt the chances of the army winning. Time was the enemy for Washington, with so many soldiers being free of their commitment in 1777. Information was constantly under scrutiny over whether to follow or dismiss it. The British and Hessians had dismissed some of the intelligence gathered during a time when it was most crucial, and thus Washington would prove to win the last two battles of 1776 because of the lack of urgency. (In a way the roles switched as the Americans were making a great attack and the British were astounded and made to retreat).
Change and Continuity: There were major changes in this last section of the book for both sides. Many of the people of New York would go to the British and tell of their loyalty to the King to be safe from their attack and thus forever loyal to the British. Many of the American soldiers were pushed to their limits, and with the lack of hope they would leave the army asap. They both had to go into a cold winter, with Washington pressing onward to the British that were occupying the houses in preparation for winter. Finally the Americans had won and were once again focused on winning. The change of positions played a huge role in this part, where the British would retreat from the attacking Americans. Much of the change in the first part of this section showed the British reaping the benefits, but as the time grew nearer for the end of so many soldiers contracts, the Americans pulled it together and fought to control the area.
Visualize: Throughout this section I had visualized the British scaring away the Americans into retreat over and over. It was hard to see that there was to be any change in plot. Eventually it started to change with Washington pulling his forces together and making a full fledged attack as almost his last stand to defend the country. The vision of him crossing the Delaware and defeating the Hessians in their own settling was very vivid, with the streets crowded with soldiers bayoneting the enemy in close combat. The victory was the most powerful visual in my mind, of a rejoicing army finally being able to defeat their enemy after such a long retreat.
Question: What would have happened had the food and supplies not had been so great for the British? What if New York was filled with rebel civilians instead of so many loyalists? What would have happened if there was a British traitor instead of the American one that had given away the position of the Americans? Many questions of "what if" had gone through my head as there are millions of different turns this war could have taken.
Commenting on Karsyn's post: I agree that the generalization that came from Washington's plans were usually of retreat. He didn't have a great enough power to stop and fight back with his troops divided so much, so he had to reconvene and retreat to an area safe enough to get a real plan going.
--Austin Stolze—
ReplyDeletePreview/Predict: Once I read how low the morale of the Rebels had been after they landed in New York and with the section’s title—The Long Retreat—in mind, I immediately began thinking that the Rebels were not going to be very successful for the remainder of the year. Soldiers were giving up and leaving, they were questioning Washington’s leadership, and desertion, plundering, cowardice, and disobeying orders were becoming increasingly common. Most of the men had given up hope, making in near impossible for them to win any battles.
Cause and Effect: General Howe’s hesitant ways effected many events in the war, and were present throughout all chapters. From his refusal to capture and take control of Dorchester Heights before Rebels had a chance, to cautious, time consuming digging of trenches instead of calling for an open attack on Long Island that would’ve probably not allowed for the Rebels to escape the island, to his orders to Cornwallis that he halt his troops after occupying (New) Brunswick, allowing for the Rebels to buy some time and “escape” the British, his hesitation likely was one of the reasons the war kept dragging on. He kept allowing the Rebels to narrowly avoid devastating British attacks and gave them a chance to “live another day”. The entirety of the war would’ve been completely different had he been less hesitant and cautious. He seemed to worried to avoid another Bunker Hill.
Question: I am not sure if I missed this in the reading or if it was never answered, but who/what was responsible for starting the “Great Fire” of New York that ended up burning 25% of the city?
Turing Points: This section ended with a huge turning point in the war—the Battle of Trenton. It was kind of like another Dorchester Heights in that it gave the Rebels hope and boosted their morale greatly. In Trenton though, there was actual fighting (which the Rebels won) proving that the Americans were capable of besting their enemy. They had outfought and outsmarted the Hessians in this battle, making it a much bigger turning point for the Rebels than Dorchester Heights was.
Comment on Dustin Johnson’s Post: I too was able to create a vivid visualization of the crossing of the Delaware and then the defeat of the Hessians at the Rebels hands. McCullough is very skilled at describing the specific aura of the many historically significant scenes.
Lauren Anklam
ReplyDeletePredict: Before reading from looking at the title of the section only, "The Long Retreat", because no pictures were presented for this part I gathered that there is going to be a retreat. A long one at that, is it because of nature or distance? What factors caused it to be so long?
Vocabulary/Concept: "The hallooing of hundreds of men in their difficulties getting horses and artillery out of the boats, made it rather the appearance of Hell than any earthy scence" (262). When I came across the word hallooing I read and reread the passage trying to figure out what the word was supposed to mean. Finally, I ended up looking it up and found that it means like shouting, or a mean to attract attention, which when put into the context then made sense.
Turning points: Washington's decisions in the end compared to the beginning left the British in retreat because instead of waiting and wasting time on making quick decisions Washington was indecisive, but the roles "switched" it caused the British to have to think on their feet without being totally on the same page.
Using the Past: The past helps us today learn from our mistakes and build off them to only become stronger. We now have more extensive weapons and training. I feel some of the problem was in the past there was a lack of experience and obviously a lack of technology compared to today. Today we are just more prepared and equipped for combat. Also, commitment today is much higher!
Jonathon Wenzel
ReplyDeleteVisualization: When I read a book, I often try to visualize the events to get a picture of how one event affects another. For example seeing Washington and his men cross the Delaware, the battle of Trenton with Knox's cannons, and even the rebels running time after time always looking back to see the British chasing after helps me to see the big picture as well as the small details.
Through Their Eyes: Imagine being a soldier back in November 1776, running from the British and leaving city after city, Brooklyn, New York, and many others on the way; feeling shame from not fighting back and seeing your feet bleed from marching for so long, with little or no hope left to win, almost hoping that the British would capture you just so you could stop marching. It is no surprise me that the rebels left in such high numbers.
Cause and Effect: One minor event that slightly changed the war was the capture of General Lee and his 4,000 men. Those men and Lee's advice would have been of great help to George Washington. One minor event that had a greater effect was how careless General Rall was in not taking the rebel threat seriously and not preparing for them at all. That was a major blunder that showed how the rebels were seen by the British.
Importance: This time was the most pivotal in the Revolutionary War. But what would have happened if the British took the rebel threat more seriously and were more aggressive toward them? I believe this goes without saying, but the war would have been lost if that happened. In all honesty I believe that what happened at the end was simply a miracle combination of luck, skill, and leadership.
Commenting on Lauren's Post: I disagree with your statement concerning technology leading to better victory, because the technology would have came anyway, but the rebels compared to the British, the technology was the same, it was how it was used the determines the outcome. Also, commitment is debatable. While yes, hope is generally higher, now we have drafts as well so getting more men is less of a problem.
Zachary Bluestein
ReplyDeleteVisualize: I pictured the troops crossing the Deleware River, all crowded together and freezing on the boat, waiting for their perilous journey to finally be over. However, other sources have depicted the soldiers in the boat to be sitting with ample room, not unbearably crowded and standing up. Because of this contradicting information, I must question which source(s) is correct.
Preview/Predict: If this book were to continue capturing the events of history, it would most likely continue to focus on Washington and his political struggles. It would also follow Congress's development and even possibly the drafting and implementation of the constitution.
Turning points: (Although this is not nessecarily a turning point, it still greatly affected the war.) The British decided not to do a full-on attack on the Americans. Even though the British knew the extreme disadvantages the Americans were faced with, they still held back the true terror that they could have inflicted on the Americans. This changed the outcome of the war by probably letting th American forces win.
Change and Continuity: Until this war, the British had been a superpower- their empire stretched around the globe and they never bowed to the pressure of defeat. They thought that they were so good that they neglected to send the necessary ships and men down to win the Revolutionary War. While their cocky attitude, fearlessness, and streak of war victories remained throughout the war, that all soon changed after they were beaten by a much smaller, weaker, and disadvantaged group.
Commenting on Ramsey Bielke's post about the number of fatalities: I completely agree. I was absolutely shocked when I read about the defeats that were defeats because a mere 28 people died. In more recent wars, many more people have died for a battle to end or for a retreat to be called.
Bryce Mathson
ReplyDeleteChange/ continuity- The main difference between the previous section of the book and this one is the commanders of the armies. Britain continued to have a much stronger army, but they were defeated at Trenton because of the well planned attack by Washington and Colonel Rall and his inability to prepare for an attack.
Turning points- The victory at Trenton was the turning point of the war. The rebel army was tired of losing and ready to give up. Many troops had already left and more were ready to. If they had not succeeded when spring came around the British would have been ready to beat them quickly.
Questions- Where was the rest of the British army? I didn’t understand why there was only a few Hessians at Trenton when they attacked.
Kelli Hughes
ReplyDeleteReading Thoughts
Questions: My question is how they (the Americans) could think that it was all Washington’s fault (pg. 201) when he was trying his best to protect his people and his beliefs, coupled with the fact that he (Washington) didn’t have many men who he could count on for military advice. He was under a lot of pressure and I just wonder how people could have thought like that (I know that they just lost majorly- but Washington was doing his best with what he had)
Preview/Predict: On pg. 205 it questions whether Joseph Reed will be able to hold up under the pressure of being Washington’s right hand man. I’m not sure he will be able to because though he is a smart and philosophical man and a great confidante to George, I don’t think he’ll be able to keep it up- it takes a strong man to stay in the military. Not only that, but his wife wanted him home for the birth of their fourth child.
Visualize: On pg. 241 I can see how Fort Washington was being defended by all of the Americans and how all of the British and Hessian troops were attacking.
Reading like A Historian
Through Their Eyes: Looking through the British’s eyes after the Americans left New York. They were looking through all of the supplies that they had and everything that they built and on some accounts, the British were impressed with what they found. On pg. 220, there is a quote from Lieutenant Frederick Mackenzie on how there were about 14 miles of fortification and how he was impressed. I think the British should look at this and be able to say “wow, they (the Americans) are serious!” because really they didn’t take the Americans serious at all.
Turning Point: On page 221, where the fire started, I thought that this was a turning point because even though it wasn’t ordered, the fire was still started and it burned down “nearly 500 houses” and “approximately a quarter of the city”(222). It said that “more than 100 suspects were rounded up” but there was no evidence against them. I thought that this might be a turning point because the Americans were willing to go against orders of congress and burn down New York to make sure that the British didn’t have their belongings and supplies to use against them.
Obvious Turning Point: When Washington crossed the Delaware to invade the town and how he beat the Hessians there.:)
Responding to Bryce's Question: If I understand your question correctly, then what I think is that because the British didn't really take the Americans seriously, they just stationed the Hessians in major cities to "ward off" attacks from the Rebels.
~Lydia Hunger~
ReplyDeletePreview/Predict - The Long Retreat. “These are the times that try men’s souls.” - Thomas Pain, The Crisis, December 1776. “We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” - Colonel Henry Knox. “I hope this is the dark part of the night, which is generally just before the day.” - General Nathanael Greene. Looking through each of these quotes and titles of the chapters, I could tell that the Americans were about to face a difficult time. The long retreat sounds to me like tired, aching soldiers marching miles, in perhaps a cruel, dark time. But the men have to be brave, and have to go through this dark time before they can see the light of day, their freedom. Freedom wasn’t gained by one man, or one battle alone. I can see even with the rebels retreating currently, that more bloodshed and/or strategic planning will need to occur before the battle is completely over.
Visualize: George Washington crossing the Delaware was a visual that I had rooted in my mind for many years. The famous painting of him and his men paddling in row boats across the ice chunk filled water was an expertly portrayed piece that I had always found to show the heroic, gallant, and valiant leader that George Washington truly was, to both his troops and our great nation. After losing New York to the British and facing the long retreat through New Jersey, this moment or pride was rightfully deserved.
Turning Point: With Washington crossing the Delaware river, the soon after win of the Battle of Trenton, Washington not only turned and brought his troops and the Colonists hope, but also brought a turning point to the war. An army with low self-esteem is like an army living without blood in their veins. Once they won this battle, a glimmer of hope was there for both their independence, and their futures ahead of them. This truly was a “long retreat”, and I wouldn’t blame any of the soldiers for simply rejoicing at this moment. “From the state of mind bordering despair, courage was invigorated, every countenance brightened.” (McCullough 292)
Questions: Did anyone else find it odd that King George III always seemed so willing to take back any rebels that wished to become loyalists again? Admiral Lord Howe on page 211 seemed to be the messenger of this, talking of putting “a stop to these ruinous extremities” and if the rebels/ the Americans would give up “independency”. To me it almost seemed that the king wanted his people back for a much more powerful reason that brought him to fight to keep them in his grasp. Whether it was to keep a claim of the American soil, or keeping people on his own soil, I found this to be interesting.
Responding to Kelli: I found your turning point made me process the scene in a whole new way. For the Americans to go against orders as such, but also to think about how the men that were “caught on the scene” were so brutally killed, and for how little George Washington told Congress in his report. This all could be considered a turning point because the British seemed so ready to pounce on whatever Elephant in the room they could, so they must be more on edge. It could also be seen that nearly 1/4 of the city was destroyed which could maybe be seen as a rebellion and turning point in the battle and struggle for control over the war. However, I must add that your more obvious turning point could be more easily explained as a turning point of the war in it's entirety.
IAN HILL
ReplyDeleteChange and Continuity: Troops were still in a downward spiral morally which also seemed to be a theme of section 2. One change that struck me as different was that Washington lost some of the respect he had in every other chapter. When the Army started losing the troops gave up on themselves and mostly Washington.
I visualized Washington crossing the Delaware just because it is the easiest for me to picture due to the famous portrait... Washington in his grand blue suit at the tip of his small ship with about ten men around him and surrounded by many more of the same craft.
Question and responding to Zachary: Zachary Bluestein brought up something very interesting in his comment of Prediction: What would Washington do after the war? Did Washington want another position of power after the stress he encountered in the War?
Turning point: I think a turning point was when the troops lost respect for Washington because after this there was really no one to guide them away from chaos and disbandment. Another turning point was when Washington decides to cross the Delaware and beat the Hessians.
Nate Kitchell
ReplyDeletepredict/preview:(Before reading part 3) When I read the title The Long Retreat I thought this part was going to focus on more failures of the American Army causing them to retreat farther.
Questions: (relating to Ian's question) Was he even planning on being involved in the new country in any sort of political way ,or did he want to focus on his military careeer.
Cause and Effect: The retreat (from Part 2) caused the troops to lose respect for Washington. This caused Washinton to feel the need to do something that would win the support of his troops, this being him crossing the delaware and attacking the Hessians.
Change and Continuity: During this part Washington's troops lose alot of respect for him. In this part he feels like he needs to redeem himself so he attacks the Hessians by crossing the Delaware.
Jake Coenen
ReplyDeleteReading Thoughts
One thought that I had while reading was that David McCollugh did a great job describing the seen where General Washington was in a great rage when all of his men were retreating during the battle of Kips Bay. Another thought that I had while reading this section was that the British always seemed to stop pushing onward at the worst times. In most cases if they would’ve kept on forcing the American forces back instead of stopping they would’ve crippled the American forces in such a way that we couldn’t recover from.
Reading Like a Historian
Turning Points, When Johann Rall was warned that the Americans were planning tro attack he didn’t take it very seriously. He considered that the few shots were fired at the Hessians were the attack that was spoken of. However later that night when he had been drinking and playing cards another warning was given to him. This time he hardly made a note of it and went back to drinking and playing cards. Rall’s in-ability to take things seriously led to the British receiving a crippling blow from George Washington and the American forces.
Change and Continuity, From the start of this section to the end of this section many things changed. In the beginning the American forces where in a very low state. Then throughout the section the Americaqns planned better and by the end they were in control of things and their spirits were very high.
Comment on Nate Kitchell’s Post
I agree with your statement on Washington’s need to redeem himself after the retreats. I think that if he wouldn’t have had the surprise attack on the Hessians he might have lost his job of leading the army.
Zachary Finnegan
ReplyDeletePreview/Predict
When I heard, The Long Retreat, I jumped to the conclusion of the Rebels retreating. I did this because of the previous battle in New York, the British definitely had the upper hand at this point in the war. I believe that the British will ride that momentum of a victory and force the Rebels into a corner.
Connections
While I was reading, a small connection I made to now-a-days is that of blaming one another. The British blamed the Hessians. The Hessians blamed the British. And the Americans blamed both of them. I believe some of the same kind of thing goes on today, a never ending cycle of blaming for one another's problems.
Turning Points
Many occurrences during this part of the book was that of retreat by the Rebels. It seemed like things were not going to turn positive for the Americans. I kept picturing their backs to the battlefield with the British following. Eventually, things starting turning around for the Americans as Washington pulled all his forces together and made an overpowering attack, almost like a last attack to defend his country. When the army crossed the Delaware and defeating the Hessians was very well described, such as the streets packed with soldiers in close combat. The victory really boosted the confidence of the Rebels as they finally won a battle after being defeated for such a long period of time.
Cause and Effect
During the war, General Howe's hesitancy appears many times throughout the whole novel. From refusing to capture Dorchester Heights to, also, not ordering a strike on Long Island which aloud for the enemies to escape. His hesitation was one of the reasons that the war kept dragging on. If he had made more decisive and quick decisions, the war could have ended extremely differently.
Comment to Jake Coenen
I agree with you that if the British would have gone one step farther in many situations, it would have crippled the Americans in such a way they couldn't have recovered. Part of this was due to General Howe's hesitancy to make a decision. This hesitancy was part of the downward spiral of the British.
Ashley Kroll
ReplyDeleteUsing the Past: Throughout this entire book, McCullough references to how unfit the rebel troops were for combat, especially in comparison with the British army. For instance they were hardly able to identify their generals, they definitely didn’t obtain military skills or experience, and in many battles they were easily outnumbered. Today it is easy to point out their weaknesses and learn from them. Our army now has drastically improved. It makes sense that today we have military drafts and extensive training is provided. People willingly offer their service so commitment is also increased.
Differing Perspectives: Many people began doubting Washington and their faith began to falter away from him. It seemed many of the rebels hung their heads and had doubts themselves while retreating. However, Washington refused to give up in the war and he would not admit defeat. Congress entrusted him with more power which gave him a boost in morale. Meanwhile Cornwallis, Howe, and both the British and Hessian troops thought they had basically won. Cornwallis and Howe left their troops which resulted in Washington’s surprise attack that lead the rebels to a victory.
Visualization: The part I was able to visualize the most from this section was when Washington crossed the Delaware. Everyone’s seen the famous drawing of it but McCullough made it seem so real as he described it. I could envision the troops trying to be very secretive and as quiet as possible trying to make their ways into the boat and through the river. I can see the storm causing the soldiers to be extremely cold and uncomfortable, even with the slight heat from the fire. The storm would have been a huge setback however it didn’t stop them and it actually helped cover their noise.
Preview and Predict: Section 3 was called “The Long Retreat” which automatically made me think negatively about the rebels outcome in the war. I assumed based off what happened in New York that the British would stay ahead and claim a victory in the end. However, I was obviously incorrect.
Zack: I definitely agree with your cause and effect. Many times I asked myself why the British decided to back off instead of pressing on to defeat Washington’s army a couple times? In one instance Cornwallis and Howe ordered the British not to make a move for 6 days. I’d have to agree with the many angry British soldiers and local Loyalists who saw no reason to let up on the chase because I don’t see why they would stop while they’re ahead.
Johanna Bixby
ReplyDeleteGeneralization: When Washington’s men were retreating when the British were attacking New York, it seemed that Washington finally realized something. That his army wasn’t up to par, that these men weren’t trained for combat and even though they all volunteered, some were still not ready to die for their country.
Evaluation: The fact that Washington decided to split up his army again was a shock to a lot of people. It me, and as stated in the book, a lot of other people, splitting up the army would be one of the last things to be thought of after the first defeat due to the splitting. With Washington making this decision many people thought of him as weak, that he had no clue what the British army was doing, even though he should have. Granted no one could know every single move someone else, or another army could make, but the people of America we’re looking up to Washington to know the unknown.
Turning Point: A turning point in the war was when General Lee was captured by the British army. When everything seemed to be turning around and getting better for the American side, this happened. But for the British this was a big accomplishment. They felt capturing General Lee was even more important than capturing any higher ranked American just due to the fact that he was a British soldier. Because of this, it just gave the British more hope, and more will power to keep fighting.
Cause and Effect: When the British and the Hessian’s landed on the beaches and started to attack New York the American soldiers started retreating and running away. With this happening the British army felt more accomplished and powerful. But if they would have just waited one more day to attack the American army wouldn’t have even been there to fight back. So if the British were just able to take New York instead of fight for it I feel they wouldn’t have had so much self-confident and wouldn’t have been so excited and happy. Yes they would have been happy to have New York, but there is some pride that comes with winning a fight and taking something that you don’t get with just having it handed to you. And in most cases, a happy soldier fights better than a miserable one.
Comment on Ashley Kroll’s post: I was thinking the same thing on your using the past paragraph. There seemed to be, and were a lot of mistakes with the way the soldiers were treated and prepared. I don’t even really know if prepared is the word, because most of the American soldiers weren’t prepared at all. Today we have learned from that and now there is a lot of preparation and training given to our soldiers. Plus they are provided steady pay, food, descent clothing, and SHOES.
Herolind Jusufi
ReplyDeleteReading Thoughts
Preview/Predict:
I believed that the title to this section,"The Long Retreat" alluded to how Washington's forces would finally receive the upper hand against the British and drive them out of battle. Since we already know the outcome of the war, I was certain that this was similar to what the ending of the book was going to be.
Visualize:
When it comes to history, McCullough doesn't play around. When I say this I mean by how he characterizes the events on what actually happened, unlike how some authors like to "sugar up" some key events to make them sound more intriguing. An example being Washington's crossing of the Delaware and the relentless journey his men and him faced.
Reading Like a Historian
Different Perspectives:
It is surprising how many began doubting George Washington's ways and how his soldiers almost gave up on him. In his own mind, the general saw America as his family and never gave up an inch for freedom. It's amazing how a farmer could turn out such a pure leader, fighting for his people and not power.
Using the Past:
From communication to artillery, people in the Revolutionary war must have had it rough compared to the equipment at our disposal today. In 2011, our military has billions of dollars to spend on high tech gadgets that wouldn't even require them to be in the battlefield! In 1776, they were lucky to fire 3 shots from their rifle a minute while today we could do it in less than a second. What we can learn from the brave men that fought in the war is that it's not the size of the gun your wielding, but the amount your willing to fight and give for your country.
@Ramsey Beilke
It was a shocker to me as well as to the little amount of people who lost their lives in battle compared to today. As regarding to prisoners taken, I believe that they had use for them oversees; working mainly for them as slaves. Slave trading was at the height in the 1700s and even Washington owned a few slaves himself. It is not surprising that they would try to rack some free workers while trying to fight a war since they were greedy.
Taylor Apfelbeck
ReplyDeleteVisualization: On the field of battle a mile away from Kips Bay was probably the one of the only places Washington lost his head during the war. It was easy to see him cantering around on his horse shouting at his soldiers to "take the walls!" When none listened to him, he went into a rage putting his own life at risk charging the Hessians. I was surprised that his aides had to grab his horse's bridle just to get him away from the field. It was easy to picture just how difficult it was to subdue him.
Importance: I found that the letter exchanged between General Lee and Reed that Washington accidentally read was significant. This made Washington not only lose faith in Lee and Reed, along with other officers that had already let him down, but also in himself. He had to face the fact that he had hesitated at an important moment and that had cost the Continental Army greatly. It most likely made him more determined than ever to live up his position as commander-in-chief.
Turning Points: There is no doubt that the rebels taking Trenton from the Hessians was a major turning point in the war, even though it ended over six years later. This victory seemed insignificant to the British compared to all their other victories, but to the Continental Army, it was a huge morale booster and proof that they did have a chance under the leadership of Washington. After this battle Washington chose to continue to surprise the enemy again and achieved another victory. Only by the persuasion of Greene, Knox, and a few others did he stop and allow the army their needed rest.
Differing Perspectives: Though many people in the Continental army, both soldiers and officers, lost faith in Greene, he continued to be one of Washington's most trusted comrades. This was crucial since Greene played a very significant role in the capture of Trenton, and in future battles. I agree with Washington's decision to continue to trust in Greene since he was much more experienced and dependable than his other officers.
Responding to Johanna Bixby: Since the British mostly just wanted the war in America to end so they could return home, I think they would have been glad to take New York without a fight of any kind. They had already thought before taking New York that the rebels were weak and would be easy to overpower.
Danielle Obermeier
ReplyDeletePreviewing..While skimming through the pictures on this section, picture 42 caught my eye because I knew I had seen it before. So I asked my sister and she recalled seeing it in Wasshington Dc. Since it was displayed in our nation's capitol, I knew there was going to be something big going to happen that played a big role in the American history and how we as Americans tell a lot of our stories through art in pictures and it writings.
Connection/Turning point..I connected Trenton to Dorchester heights because I saw both of those being turning points in the story. Both scenarios the end of the two, it gave the rebels hope.
Perspectives..I loved when McCullough made it so easy to see through the perspectives of the British people when General Lee was captured, and then how the officers for the Americans were upset because obviously one of their people were captured, it was interesting to see the different and feel the different perspectives.
Cause and Effect..A lot of little things if they were played out differenct would have changed the way the story came out. For example, when the British got ahold of the letters that Washingtons and other members of the American side, things would have been different if they didn't because they wouldn't have had that information to help them defeat the Americans at Fort Washington.
Lindi- I like your differing perspectives on how Washington's people percieved Washington. You would think his people would have faith in him, but its surprising in fact how many did doubt him.
Lucas Gajewski
ReplyDeleteReading Like a Historian
Turning Points:
An obvious turning point was when General Washington decides to cross the Delaware and beat the allies of Great Britain, the Hessians. Shortly after this win, the Continental Army went on to win the Battle at Princeton and the Revolutionary War took a turn for the Americans and increased their morale significantly, so much so that many men stayed on to fight instead of going home.
Change and Continuity:
One can read this book and say that change occurred after each battle. Through the highs and lows of war, the soldiers learned from their mistakes and failures and went on to pursue their goal. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the continuity of America's soldiers. Where else will you find men so patriotic? Where else will you find men dying for the benefit of someone else? No country does this like America. Through thick and thin, It's an amazing story of courage, extreme hardship, and loyalty these men had for our country.
Reading Thoughts
Preview/Predict:
After knowing the quite low morale the Rebels all ready had, reading this title's section ("The Long Retreat",) I could infer that I would not be reading about the success of the Rebels. Most of the men had given up hope, immediately not allowing them to succeed in whatever task fell upon them.
Visualise:
Throughout this book, readers have seen the Rebels scared away by the British again and again. All the change there was really was the place and time. Although war is certainly not comedic, that is all I could think about. There was an ever-constant motion picture in my head of the British and Rebels fighting, and the scenery just changing behind them.
Comment on Johanna Bixby's post:
I never thought of General Lee's capture when thinking of turning points, but after reading your post I can see why. There's always something that happens that boosts or lowers some group's morale and drive in this book, and that compels them to fight harder in the future and that causes another turning point.
Cora Gennerman
ReplyDeleteVisualize: One of the best pictures McCullough put into my head was of a solider carrying home a cannonball to his mother, so that she could crush mustard seeds with it. That was actually kind of funny. Also, all the soldiers walking up a very narrow muddy road while heavy rains came down put a great picture in my head.
Through Their Eyes: During this section I was trying to see things through the soldiers eyes, and I realized that carrying their guns and ammunition with them everywhere might have been helpful not only for protection, but for other things too!
Prediction: While previewing this section, i ran into a quote at the beginning of Darkest Hour by Nathanael Greene stating: “I hope this is the dark part of the night, which is generally just before the day.” This quote is showing that there is some hope in some of the men, which is always good, because if every man had no hope, then they would've lost the war already. Based on this quote however, I was able to predict that things would start to not go so well for the Continental Army.
Turning points: When Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware and surprised the Hessians at Trenton. After the attack, only 5 American soldiers had been injured. On the other hand, 21 Hessians were killed, and over 900 more were taken prisoner. After Washington did that, many troops reenlisted in the war because I think they believed that they might turn this thing around and actually win this war. Washington regained the trust that was slowly being lost in his men.
I thought that it was weird that people were being punished for being cowards and running away, I think being put to death is a little harsh, because they already have to live with the guilt of running away..But i guess making an example out of someone like that shows the army that its not okay to be a coward. I wonder what they do to soldiers today who decide to run from the war? I'm guessing its not good.
Questions: On page 216 it says Mrs. Murray was 50, and already had 12 children, Is that normal for back then to have so many children? On page 228 I was wondering why the American army didn't put boats in the water to fight against the British, did we even have a navy?
Responding to herolind: I completely agree with you about how other authors tend to "sugar up" scenes to make them seem more intriguing, but the fact that McCullough doesn't do that at all, actually makes the book even more interesting than ordinary fiction books, because this actually happened, and that was how it was.
Drew Litrenta
ReplyDeletePreview/Predict: If this book were to continue capturing the events of history, it would most likely continue to focus on Washington and his political struggles. It would also follow Congress's development and even possibly the drafting and implementation of the constitution. In addition like I said in my last post at this point if I didn't know what really happended, I think that the British could come back and better than ever and maybe win the war.
Visualization: I was able to picture when I was reading this third section was when Washington and his men cross the Delaware, the battle of Trenton with Knox's cannons, and even the rebels running time after time always looking back to see the British chasing after.
Cause and Effect: General Howe's hesitancy appears many times throughout the whole novel. From refusing to capture Dorchester Heights to, also, not ordering a strike on Long Island which aloud for the enemies to escape. His hesitation was one of the reasons that the war kept dragging on. If he had made more decisive and quick decisions, the war could have ended extremely differently.
Change and Continuity: Troops were still in a downward spiral morally which also seemed to be a theme of section 2. One change that struck me as different was that Washington lost some of the respect he had in every other chapter. When the Army started losing the troops gave up on themselves and mostly Washington.
Obermeier: I have to aggree with you with your thinking on Fort Washington that the information helped the British win that battle, but I also think that the British could have won Fort Washington, but just not as easily.
Alyssa Scott
ReplyDeletePredict: "The Long Retreat" makes it obvious that there is a retreat but what caused it to be long? The factors I thought of could be lack of supplies, distance, weather, attacks, and casualties.
Connections: In chapter seven, I related the retreat to wars today and how when the army is at a disadvantage and without a plan, they retreat.
Importance: I agree with Jonathan. This time was the most influential in the Revolutionary War. I agree the British didn’t use all their strength and strategy against the rebels. I see how you believe that what happened at the end was a miracle.
Using the Past: We still today use the lesson of learning from our own mistakes. Even with today’s technological advances and strategic defenses, if we don’t learn from history it’s bound to repeat.
Brandon Dively
ReplyDeleteMain Idea/Generalizations: Washington's retreat was inevitable due to a small number of troops in addition to his lack of strategy when it came to his attacks. Chapter seven showed a great point that sums up war as a whole. To put it simply,"Lack of organization in any armed force will lead to a retreat."
Turning points: Due to a lack of experience, Washington did not understand the importace of quick decision making and anticipation. This flaw affected his forces. As in any war, mistakes were made. The tables had turned and Washinton's attacks would end in British retreats. The Hessians and the British had greatly overlooked Washinton's troops and information that they had obtained, which led to two final Washington victories in the year 1776.
Cora, your visualization is prime! I couldn't agree more about the cannonball and mustard seeds. That picture in my head made me laugh. Also the soldiers marching in the rain was almost like a movie scene in my mind. Great descriptions by McCollough.
Stephanie Schuessler
ReplyDeletePreview and Predict: The previous section of the book, Fateful Summer, ended with the Rebel Army in very low confidence. Because of this, I thought the next section would focus on the troops struggles. Washington's men were giving up, loosing the battle before it even started, because of their attitudes.
Cause and Effect: Washington had decided that on Christmas night, an attack on 1,500 Hessian troops stationed at Trenton was to occur. General Johann Gottlieb Rall had recieved numerous and urgent warnings from several different loyalists, yet he ignored them all. Because the British General didn't heed the warnings, the Americans emerged with a stunning victory, loosing no lives, and having only four men wounded. On the other hand, 21 Hessians were killed, 90 wounded, about 900 taken prisoner, and 500 escaped. Had the British General listened to the warnings, this outcome could have been very different.
Turning Point: "The army that had shown remarkable discipline and unity through the night of the escape from Brooklyn had rapidly become engulfed with despair, turned surly and out of hand." (p. 201) Men were giving up and going home, questioning Washington's leadership, especially after he, yet again, decided to split up the army. When the mens attitudes changed (although it was also in section two) it was a major turning point for the book because it showed them loosing hope and giving up.
Differing Perspectives: After Washington's victory at Trenton, many of the British believed that what happended was only a minor defeat... "An aggrivating affair, but of no great consequence and hardly comparable to such large scale British victories of 1776, as the Battle of Brooklyn, or the taking of Fort Washington." (p.290) Yet, the Rebels saw this victory of theirs as "a glorious day for our country." (p. 282, Washington) It rekindled the fight inside of them, giving them more confidence and will to win this war.
Comment: Danielle, I also made the connection where I thought that Trenton was much like Dorchester Hieghts, in the sense that it renewed the rebel army's courage, fight, and hope.
Corinna Martell
ReplyDeleteDiffering perspectives: While reading this final section I came across an interesting quote. Approaching the attack at Kips Bay William Howe issued a final order to the troops recommending "an entire dependence upon their bayonets, with which they will ever command that success which their bravery so well deserves."(209) McCullough goes on to pont out, "There was no ringing call for valor in the cause of country or the blessings of liberty, as Washington had exhorted his troops at Brooklyn, only a final reminder of the effectiveness of bayonets." This quote goes to show the lack of "community" within the British army. War to them was a job. Howe, instead of building the morale of his army, reminded them of the importance of the weapon,carnage bound, held in their hands. Their pride was in their bayonets and cannons.
Visualization: One section I found easy to picture was the last words and hanging of Captain Nathan Hale. Hale was caught spying for the rebel army and was ordered to be hanged without trial by Howe. He died September 21, his last words being,"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."(224) A British officer described the hanging and told of a board with Washington painted on it, hung next to the Hale's corpse.
Through their eyes: Although it was necessary for Washington to maintain a strong army I could easily sympathize with the 2000 men that walked away without an apology as soon as their enlistment terminated. They were in a horrible situation. while families pleaded for their husbands and sons return, they had Washington continually fostering determination that this war will gain independence. The chances seemed slim and they lost hope.
Question: In reguards to the fire, did anyone actually confess to it, or was it really accidential?
Brandon- I was thinking the same thing pertaining to Washington and his numerous retreats. To assume he would not have to retreat in the first place would be unreasonable. He was outnumered, unorganized, and inexperienced as a unit. Taking this into consideration they put up more of a fight than what could have been expected.
Clara Kennedy
ReplyDeletePreview and Predict
I thought this section, given the last one being about the American army being very discouraged would be about them either struggling with that or overcoming it.
Visualize
During this part i was able to imagine Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware and the battle of Trenton. This created a very vivid image for me as they battled it our with Knox's cannons.
Cause and Effect
I think that with the Americans deciding to use the element of surprise it really helped them and caught the British off guard. This resulted in victory.
Turning Point
When I was reading I noticed that a lot of men were losing hope and deciding to walk away. This especially happened after Washington decided to split forces yet again in section 3. I think this was a turning point because it showed that this battle was really starting to wear on the soldiers and it showed them giving into that discouragement and really starting to lose hope.
Comment to Corinna Martell
I loved how you touched on the soldiers losing hope in Through Their Eyes. I feel the exact same way that these soldiers obviously had to be tired and that the more Washington pushed on the more they wanted to quit.
Caitlin Bradfish
ReplyDeletePredict and Preview- After reading the title of section 3- the long retreat I immidately predicted that this section would focus on the failures of the American army, along with Washingtion's leadership.
Questions- Going off of Corinna Martell's blog, the book never seemed to explain the fire enough. I had the same queston as her, wondering if this fire was accidental or if in the future anyone had confessed.
Turning points- One major turning point was with the victories of the American army. Although in this past secion Washington had many losses, by the end of section three he had a good outcome with the two final victories.
-Bridget Daniels-
ReplyDeleteQuestion: If America had lost the Revolution, would they all (the army) have been executed? This sounds ridiculous, because it would have been a loss of a large number of people. But they had committed treason by writing and signing the Declaration of Independence, and I believe the punishment for that was death.
Generalizations: The element of surprise the rebel army always seems to reserve is a reoccurring theme during the war. Not just with surprise attacks, but surprise retreats as well. This seemed to be a main strategy for the Continental Army, as it gave them a way to try and make the battles more fair. Their talent for surprise also helped them retain some dignity when they fled from the Long Island defeat.
Cause and Effect: The carelessness of General Rall (British side) greatly effected the outcome of the battle at Trenton. Rall was informed of the surprise attack as soon as the 25th, I believe, but he failed to ready his troops, or so much as lift a finger. He was again alerted the night before the attack, but replied with ignorance and went on to drink a bit that night. If the British troops at Trenton had been alerted before the attack it could have been a more intense battle, or just a British victory.
Turning Points: Trenton was another major gain and turning point for the Americans in this section. They fully deserve their reward, as they rowed and worked across the Delaware river all night, and as always, on little sleep. It was said that they performed gallantly and bravely, despite being desolate from the Long Island retreat. It also inspired the rest of the country, like Dorchester Heights had, to be strong and determined.
Stephanie, I liked your "Differing Perspectives" section. I wholly agree. Although Trenton was an excellent victory for the rebels, the British claimed it was a mere defeat. Despite this, I think it was just talk, and that the British didn't want to give the rebels a feeling of satisfaction.
Zackry Wiese
ReplyDeletePredict: I predict that the Rebels will win the war and become an actual country free from British rule. I also think that the British will suffer many casualties in the final days of war.
Visualization: In section 3 it was easy to visualize the crossing of the Delaware river. I can see the wooden boats with the men struggling past the large chunks of ice and Washington watching carefully for any sign of activity. I picture what Emanuel Leutze, the artist who painted the most famous depiction of Washington on the Delaware did. I also picture a transformation of Washington’s ragtag group of farmers into a fully fledged organized army.
Different perspectives: I find that different perspectives can be seen even within the British people. The government and strict loyalists will see the loss of America as a crushing blow and a large loss of goods and income. On the other hand the regular people will see it as a loss but not as goods but as just a loss of people, citizens, and land to the empire. It’s not like losing America means Great Brittan is completely lost it’s just one loss to many victories.
In response to: Bridget I agree with your question. And I think depending on how the captured army reacted towards the British would determine what punishment they had. Of course they could all sentenced to death because of High Treason.
Rebecca Rieckhoff
ReplyDeleteReading Thoughts-
Importance- I thought that it was important to note that, while the Continental Army had been strong and successful in their retreat from New York, it was quickly crumbling to the ground in the beginning of The Long Retreat. Men deserted daily, and the ones that stayed had considerably low enthusiasm levels. General Washington's leadership and judgement was being called into question, and it just seemed to me, as I read it, that nothing was really going very well for the Continental Army. I thought that it was important to note how low they sunk at the beginning, because acknowledging the hole they were in then helps me to appreciate what a great feat it is that the Americans eventually won the war.
Visualization- One thing that appeared really vividly in my head as I read the last section of the book was the sight of New York burning. It is hard to imagine that much land being burned to the ground, and I can't begin to imagine how helpless it made people feel, as they had no resources to put it out. It must have been bittersweet for the Continental soldiers to watch the fire, on one hand, the area where their enemy was stationed was burning, but on the other hand, New York was part of their country, and the shops and houses that burned down were once owned by their fellow countrymen.
Reading Like a Historian-
Change and Continuity-I think it is important to note that, throughout the entire war, George Washington, Nathanael Greene, and Henry Knox were constantly there for the entire duration of the Revolutionary War. Despite failures, and doubts, despite lost confidences and sicknesses, these three remained key figures to the success of the war. No matter where the war was being fought, or how hard the opposition, they never gave up. I believe that, because of this, the Continental Army had a great benefit. Without these three brave men, particularly Washington, the outcome of the war could have been completely different. I am in no way saying that they were perfect, or that they never made mistakes in judgement, but despite those mistakes, these men were great American patriots.
Differing Perspectives- George Washington viewed the behavior of the soldiers who retreated from Kip's Bay "shameful, scandalous, disgraceful, and dastardly." (p.214) But the soldiers who fled viewed it as saving their own lives from what was sure to be a defeat. Whether the men would have been defeated, we cannot know, but put in the same situation, I cannot guarantee that I would have stayed and fought. Honorable or not, what the soldiers did at Kip's Bay certainly isn't so hard to understand.
In response to Bridget's question about whether or not the whole army would have been killed after the war, had the colonists lost, I think you bring up a really interesting point. I think, had the colonists lost, the death tolls in the war for the Americans would have been much higher than they were, and I believe the book said 25,000 American lives were lost with the war ending with an American win. That being said, there still would be a lot of people left to kill, because it would be all surviving soldiers and officers, everyone who signed the constitution, and everyone who was supportive to the cause. I don't think that the british would be willing to kill that many people, as it would amount to a healthy chunk of the population. I think that, most likely, all of the signers of the constitution would have been put to death, and probably all major officers in the army. In addition to that, they probably would sentence anyone who was still violently protesting British rule in America.
Brandon Dively
ReplyDeleteBridget, I love that question. I feel as though there would have been some sort of decision-making meeting where certain people would be selected for execution. The people of higher roles more than likely would have been killed as a way to make an example of them. This would deter others from ever rebelling again. I don't think the King would want to wipe out such a high number of colonists. It wouldn't be a very wise decision from any stand point. Do you know what I mean?
Jonathan Butler
ReplyDeleteImportance: I think a big theme of this book is how perseverance can cause the tides to quickly change. Washington and his army were in a sorry state for the beginning of "The Long Retreat." There were 2,000 soldiers who did not reenlist and many more who weren't able to fight. Washington was being criticized for his decisions and the army was continually on the run because they knew they couldn't win with such a small number. However they finally turned around at the end of the year and gained momentum.
Questions: How did the fire in New York really start? Why did Washington decide not to retreat for the winter like Howe?
Turning Points: I think the major turning point is when Washington finally got reinforcements. If he didn't get them, he would have permanently been on the run and eventually forced to surrender. There is no way he could have won with an army of 2000 men, no matter how good they were.
Through Their Eyes: I can imagine during this time people were always wondering what was going on with the war. Since there was no modern form of communication, it could take weeks to get the news. They might be thinking that they were winning the war, but they had actually just lost it.
Drew: I agree that if I didn't know what actually happened, I would guess that the British would come back to win the war. After all, their main army wasn't even defeated yet. The battle that Washington won was only a small victory, the British still had way more power.
Thomas Siegharter
ReplyDeleteThe big idea of part three is that circumstances were changing for the rebels. The attack on Trenton was a huge success. It was clear that the Hessian mercenaries had expected an attack. They patrolled the perimeter and Colonel Rall told his soldiers to keep their weapons near them at all times in case of an attack. Even though they were ready for an attack they didn't expect the Americans to attack in such a number in the horrible weather. The aftermath of the Battle of Trenton was the most astonishing. Only five Americans died and forty Hessian mercenaries. While those captured were around 900 men. Only five hundred mercenaries escaped. This was the real focal point of this section because King George III received news of this disappointment in October next year, over 10 months. This battle halted any further deployment of British troops.
Change and Continuity: Clearly much changed for the Americans for the months that followed the Battle of Long Island the Americans still used the retreat method of outlasting the British. That was until General Howe decided to suspend military operations until the spring. This move allowed Washington to gather his forces and have a surprise attack on the British once more. These two changes really affected the course of the war and both benefited the Americans.
Through their eyes: I could imagine the attack on Trenton must have been a large plan for the Americans. Especially for Washington. First of all this attack had him leading 2400 men to McKonkey's Ferry nine miles upstream. A majority of this attack rested on his shoulders, any mistake could leave them retreating. The soldiers understand their assignments and how the attack will work yet anxious and cold as they stealth-fully row their way to the shores of Trenton.
I really like the first question John posted because I kind of had the same question going through my mind. The book never really explained it. I would imagine that some rebels did it to further set back the British. I recall from the book that General Howe didn't try to stop the fires at night, because he felt some rebels would attack them. But honestly I have no clue either as to who started the fires.
Mark Jedras
ReplyDeleteImportance:
I think it's quite evident that the victory at Trenton was more than it seemed. After almost a year of defeats a victory, as small as it was, was made by the American's giving a huge boost to American morale.
Visualize:
The fire in New York evoked quite a picture. I could see a red twilight on the horizon, and could just picture an aerial view of the city looking like smoldering red embers.
Differing Perspectives:
Reiterating, the victory at Trenton was strategically insignificant, especially to the British, but was a morale booster for the Americans.
Change and Continuity:
The British have gained significant leeway in New Jersey driving Washington across the Delaware. However, things are not always static, Washington's victories in Trenton and Princeton are proof of that.
Comment:
I agree with Jon's comment on communication in their time. The distance between America and London was so large that it was crippling, as was seen in the Siege of Boston.
Andy Mahler-
ReplyDeleteTurning point- A major turning point of the novel is when the battle of Trenton was won by the rebels. This was very important because, had they not won when they did, the british would have had been able to stay longer and win the battle.
Zach W.- i am amazed at how accurate your predection was for this section. It's like you had previous knowledge that the outcome would be as it was. i am thuroughly impressed.
Nathan Motley
ReplyDeleteBig Idea/Generalization:
The majority of section three showed two main points. One was that of the condition of Washingtons troops. Most of them werent trained enough for battle or lacked the courage to fight which cause them to retreat. The other showed how important the battle of Trenton was for the Americans in the war.
Importance:
The battle of Trenton was one of the most important victories for the rebels in the war. WIf the battle had been lost then we probably would have lost the war.
Turning Point:
The capturing of the Hessians sent a message to the British that showed them that they still could fight. It also brought the rebels morale from an all time low to an all time high which helped win the war.
Differing Perspectives:
The battle of Trenton to the British wasnt much of a defeat strategically, but to the Americans it was one of the biggest victories in the war. To the Americans they were in awe at the courage of the soldiers as the crossed the Delaware and got the enemies in there sleep. To the British it was just luck.
Comment:Tom Siegharter
I also was amazed as how well the plan worked out with each soldier doing what needed to be done as it seemed allot of hope for them had been lost from past defeats.
Benjamin Gorichs
ReplyDeletePreview and Predict: The title of this section, The Long Retreat, kind of has a negative tone to it and sounds like it was not very fun. Paging through the section, I noticed on of the pictures was of a document of Thomas Paine's American Crisis; this made me think that this section was depicting the hardships of the Rebels near the end of the war.
Cause and Effect: The successful American attack on the Hessian troops at Trenton on Christmas day really boosted the the Rebels' confidence. I think this success and confidence boost led to their victory and Princeton.
Visualization: I, like Taylor, could easily visualize Washington storming around on his horse, barking orders at his troops, who ignored him. Then when he was restrained to keep him from taking matters into his own hands, I could sense his anger and frustration.
Turning Point: I feel that there is a reoccuring turning point throughout the novel; it's the drop in American confidence. The Americans are on an emotional roller coaster during the course of the war. They go from winning battles and feeling sonfidence galore, to a total lack of motivation and wanting to give up and head for home. They started feeling the lack of motivation onve again when Washington split up the army once more.
Comment: Stephanie, I really like your thoughts on the differing perspectives. While the Americans were celebrating their victory at Trenton, the British didn't seem to want to give them the satisfaction and just brushed it off and carried on business as usual.
KaoZee Xiong
ReplyDeletePreview & Predict: Reading the name of the last part to this book, "The Long Retreat", I automatically assumed it was going to be about how the British would finally retreat. Knowing already that the Americans would eventually win the war, led me to assume the British would be the ones to withdraw at last.
Turning Point: When Washington had agreed to prepare an attack across the Delaware, I think this was a turning point. Many of Washington's soldiers had began to lose hope. They were tired of losing and assumed the British were going to win the war. After going through many retreats and finally hearing that Washington was going to do something besides letting the British continue to treat them like dirt, this gave the American army hope and strength to continue on.
Through Their Eyes: I think that I would feel the same way as the American soldiers if I was in an army where we were continuously retreating. It would've discouraged me to keep on going and my hopes would be gone. The sicknesses would scare me and I wouldn't want to risk my life after trying so many times.
Cause & Effect: William Howe was becoming confident after realizing he had accomplished so much in a year against the rebels. He saw no cause to continue fighting and departed to New York, leaving only a small force of Hessians under Johann Rall's command. Because Rall didn't take the Americans very serious, assuming the British would already win, it was easy for the Americans to attack and therefore led them to success at the end.
Comment: I agree with Jonathon Butler, the Americans perseverance definitely kept them going and was one of the main reasons why they were successful at the end.
Michaela Baumann,
ReplyDeleteI think preview and predict is one of the most helpful 'reading thoughts'. Before reading, "The Long Retreat" (section three), I once again looked at the pictures throughout the section. One of the pictures I saw was New York in flames. That was a major clue that yet another town would be destroyed, but who caused it is what I was then wondering. When I continued reading I found out that Washington was the one who had the idea to burn New York so that the British couldn't benefit from it and use it for shelter or use any supplies to their advantage. My new prediction of Washington being the cause of the fire was changed when I read that other people, such as Greene, disagreed with this idea. So then I thought it was the British that caused it, and I was thinking they would have been foolish for doing so since they could have gotten good use out of that town after the Americans fled the area. After getting to the point in time in the book where New York actually burned down, I found out that the cause of the fire was unknown and was considered an accident. I think that at times, authors set you up in a way so your predictions are frequently changing and so you stay interested in the reading, similarly what happened during this event.
While reading the book, I came across vocabulary words that i wasn't familiar with. One word in section 3 that I looked up was 'imperturbability'. On page 244 in a sentence describing Washington; "...given his well-documented imperturbability...". After I looked it up I found out that it means calm and collected. This seems to be a fitting word used to describe Washington based on how the author had previously characterized the same General. Being calm and collected are good characteristic for a General to have. The Americans are lucky that they had a good General during the Revolutionary War, Washington.
Alexis Bryan
ReplyDeleteCommentary for Ramsey and Wachong:
Wachong, I like how you brought up how crossing the Deleware still has a big impact on history today. Throughout this entire novel I was just waiting to be able to read that section because so many teachers in the past would tell me about the crossing of the Deleware. So I wanted to be able to read it myself and say "I know about the crossing of the deleware"
Ramsey: When you mentioned that the British seemed to be giving a half hearted attack on the Americans I can see why. They had conquered them in New York so they brought honor back to their nation (for a better understand of this, read my post in section 2). The British could have then relaxed thinking "these rebel scum will never defeat us, blah blah blah" and thinking all high and mighty about themselves, therefore dropping their guard. The Americans ultimately, I believe, won by sheer dumb luck because Washington was an inexperienced general, his army was not at all organized in a normal military stature, and he lacked in numbers which the British definitely had.
Alexis Bryan
ReplyDeleteMy inquirey on this section is why did Washington attack on Christmas? If I were on the British side of the fence, I would see that as a very low move. Its Christmas for goodness sake. Most people would respect that since it's an international holiday that war would cease for one day and then start up again the day after.
But from an American stand point, it was a very smart move because the Hessians were at its lowest defenses, it was the best opportunity to attack. This attack inspired so many rebels in the colonies that Washington gained more recruits to his army and more of them stayed in the army longer then before. Without this victory for the continential army, I dont think they would have gained independence when they did. The fear instilled in the people after the battle of trenton, the hope of winning the war faded increasingly. But with this victory against the Hessians, it took away the fear they had instilled in Trenton and gave them hope again that they could still win their independence from Britain for the colonies had beaten the super-powers once again.
Chris Werner
ReplyDeletePredict/Preview:
I predicted that this section would be about the last part of the war, and the hardships that both sides faced while trying to win.
Evaluation:
This Section really agrees with what I already know about this war. Although this war took it's tole on both sides, it was harder on the Americans than the British. They truely suffered.
Through Their Eyes:
I cannot imagine being General Washington or any soldier and riding into Kips Bay after hearing cannon fire from his command post. Upon arriving, you see men "flying in all directions". I would be very discouraged and would not want to race into that to win the battle.
Cause and Effect:
The British were very "cocky" near the end of the war, including William Howe. Since he thought the British had already won this war, he left a small force to protect Hessians while leaving for New York. This made it easy for the Americans to attack and win.
Comment:
I would agree with the second part of your post, Alexis. It would be a very smart attack on General Washington's behalf. The fort would have very low defenses and has you said in the first part..."It's Christmas for Goodness Sake's". From Washington's veiw, he would also think that the British would not expect an attack.
Jared Gjertson
ReplyDeleteConnection:
With nearly the entire section about the Rebels retreating and strategizing backwards I continued to make connections with the book The Red Badge of Courage. In many ways it reminded me of the main character who was forced into psychological battle to run or fight. In the beginning of the section a group of men were suppose to hold off the British in order for the rest of the army to retreat to safety. When the men saw the hessian warriors they fled on the spot.
Evaluation:
I think in most cases when reading this section people would assume that the battle of Trenton and the battle in Princeton allowed the Rebels to come back in the war. I would like to take a different stance that General Howe’s decision to cease all activity for the winter was what allowed the Rebels to come back in the war. The British once again underestimated the rebel’s power and intelligence. It is believed that if the British pushed onward they could have caught Washington and his army and could have won the war right there. This decision changed the History of the War.
Cause and Effect:
Once again there are many causes and effects in this chapter that all tie together. With General Howe ceasing movement, it allowed General Washington to devise a plan to attack the Hessians while they were sitting ducks. Also with New Years approaching Washington needed to act fast and make use of the men he had before they were all free from their enlistments. If they succeeded, which they did, they would get a much needed moral boost to the rebels and the likelihood of them returning would be greater. Then with the great success in Trenton and Washington promising the soldiers 10 dollars of pay per month the entire army stayed and fought a battle in Princeton, which they won.
Change and Continuity:
After the battle of Trenton and the battle in Princeton the rebels had received a moral boost was absolutely essential to finishing the war. Along with added confidence the soldiers were being paid 10 dollars a month on the contrary to the 6 dollars they were receiving in the past. Even though the book did not mention much about how the recruitment went after these two battles it can be assumed that more Americans continued to join at a faster rate. Though the Rebels captured nearly 900 Hessians at the Battle of Trenton and 300 more British in Princeton the British is largely outnumber the rebels and at this time still would be the favorite to win the war. The only real benefit the Rebels receive is that of courage and confidence which leads them on to victory in the war.
Comment:
Michaela, I totally agree with your prediction about the fire in New York even after David McCullough explained theory’s on how the fire started it was still confusing in trying to put together who really was the cause. In many ways when the people of the city said it started in multiple places you would have to immediately think arson, but then I was surprised that there was no evidence or a perspective from the rebel side about the fire that burned down New York
Zach Holdridge
ReplyDeletePreview/Predict
The title of this section of the book "The Long Retreat" makes it sound like it would be about an advance by one side in the war, and the push back and defeat of another side. I predicted it would be the Rebels forcing the British into retreat because using my knowledge of the war, I knew the British would end up losing, so I assumed this retreat would be the Redcoats getting pushed back and losing.
Importance
The Battle of Trenton was extremely vital to the Rebel effort. Without the victory at Trenton, the Rebel morale may have remained low and the British may have swiftly defeated the Continental Army, but the victory reenergized the Rebel war effort. It was a major win for Washington's men.
Turning Point
The Battle of Trenton was the major turning point in this section and in the war. The Battle of Trenton showed the strong leadership of Washington as he led the Rebels across the Delaware River. It reenergized the war effort for the Continental Army, and gave them confidence that with their strong leaders, they could win the war.
Differing Perspectives
The decision to cross the Delaware on Christmas was seen by Rebel forces as a smart strategic decision that eventually gave them the energy to carry on the war effort and eventually succeed in defeating the British. The British may have thought that the battle was either unimportant, or that the decision to attack on a holiday was a cheap war decision used by Washington and the Continental Army.
Comment (KaoZee Xiong)
I agree with your Cause & Effect paragraph. Howe and the British Army was overconfident and overlooked the Continental Army force. They didn't think of them as a threat so they left a small group of Hessians to fight them. This overconfidence helped the Rebels make a big push back at the British forces.
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