The American Revolution 100: The Battles, People, and Events of the American War for Independence, Ranked by Their Significance

by Michael Lanning

Overview

Experience the defining moments of the war that gave birth to America

The American Revolution 100 brings to life the monumental moments, bloody battles, and influential leaders who gave birth to a great nation. In comprehensive fashion, decorated veteran and military expert Michael Lee Lanning ranks and analyzes the war's most significant events, showing how each affected the outcome.

Relive the memorable battles, when a country of citizen-farmers prepared themselves to take on the mightiest army in the world. Learn about the remarkable figures and forces of the time, and decide for yourself:

• Who influenced the revolution more—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, or John Paul Jones?
• Was the Battle of Yorktown more pivotal than the Battle of Trenton?
• Was The Declaration of Independence more important to the revolution than Thomas Paine's Common Sense?

Read the stories of Henry Knox, Thomas Sumter, American militias, and December 26, 1776, and let your own debates begin…

Praise for Michael Lee Lanning's history books:

"Easily accessible…Recommended reference for the aficionado and the uninitiated alike."

ForeWord magazine

"Unusual and even witty insights also abound."

Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402247309
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	11/01/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning retired from the US Army after more than 20 years of service. He is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Lanning has written 14 books on military history, including The Battle 100 and The Civil War 100.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

We hold these truths to be self evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
-Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776

These simple, yet ambitious, words begin the declaration that became the birth certificate of the United States of America-a document that ended any chance that the rebellious colonists and the British king might settle their differences anywhere but on the battlefield. The vastly outnumbered Revolutionaries faced what seemed to be overwhelming obstacles to their independence. Many of their fellow colonists opposed the Rebellion, and others chose neutrality. Great Britain, the most powerful military power in the world at the time, had a large population and almost unlimited resources. The Americans had no united military force, no monetary system, and no governing body to support the newly declared nation. Five years after the founders signed the Declaration of Independence, the Americans accepted the surrender of the main British army in America and two years later signed a peace agreement that recognized the independence of the United States.

The opportunity for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" achieved by the Revolutionary War led to the longest reigning democracy in history. Over the succeeding years, the United States has advanced to the status of the richest country and world's single superpower. Its revolution has served as model to those seeking independence from oppression of all kinds, and the United States remains today a beacon of hope to freedom-loving people everywhere.

Wars can change the course of history. The American Revolution ranks as the most influential conflict of all time. In the thousands of books that have been written about the war since it ended, most authors have focused on combining the divergent political and social issues with battlefield actions. A myriad of others have covered the lives of the individual military and civilian leaders or covered the specific units, battles, or campaigns. Yet, none of these works to date has attempted to rank the war's leaders, battles, and events in terms of their influence on the Revolutionary War itself.

The 100 entries that follow are not necessarily the best, greatest, largest, most powerful, or even the most famous. Rather this list ranks leaders, battles, and events in order of their influence on the war. For the ease of comparison, when one leader, battle, or event refers to another included on the list, the ranking of the referenced entry follows its name, e.g., Nathanael Greene (4), Battle of Bunker Hill (23), and the Boston Massacre (93).

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. George Washington (1732-1799)

2. Yorktown, Virginia (May - October, 1781)

3. Saratoga, New York (October 7, 1777)

4. Nathanael Greene (1742 - 1786)

5. American Allies (1775 - 1783)

6. Robert Morris (1734 - 1806)

7. Continental Army (1775 - 1783)

8. Trenton, New Jersey (December 26, 1776)

9. George Sackville Germain (1716 - 1785)

10. Continental Congress (September 5, 1774 - March 1, 1781)

11. British Army (1775 - 1783)

12. Henry Knox (1750 - 1806)

13. Chesapeake Capes, Virginia (September 5, 1781)

14. Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

15. William Howe (1729 - 1814)

16. Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (1776 - 1788)

17. Henry Clinton (1738 - 1795)

18. Cowpens, South Carolina (January 17, 1781)

19. Navigation, Stamp, Townshend, Boston Port, Quebec, and Quartering Acts (1763 - 1774)

20. George III (1738 - 1820)

21. Common Sense and The Crisis (1776)

22. Charles Cornwallis (1738 - 1805)

23. Bunker Hill, Massachusetts (June 17, 1775)

24. Jean Baptiste de Rochambeau (1725 - 1807)

25. Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)

26. Guilford Court House, North Carolina (March 15, 1781)

27. Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse (1722 - 1788)

28. Valcour Island, New York (October 11 - 12, 1776)

29. Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732 - 1799)

30. West Point, New York (1775 - 1783)

31. Horatio Gates (1728 - 1806)

32. Long Island, New York (August 27, 1776)

33. John Burgoyne (1722 - 1792)

34. Loyalists (1775 - 1783)

35. Daniel Morgan (1736 - 1802)

36. Kings Mountain, South Carolina (October 7, 1780)

37. German Mercenaries (Hessians) (1775 - 1783)

38. Anthony Wayne (1745 - 1796)

39. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (December 19, 1777 - June 18, 1778)

40. Bernardo de Galvez (1746 - 1786)

41. Naval Operations (1775 - 1783)

42. John Eager Howard (1752 - 1827)

43. Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (April 19, 1775)

44. Banastre Tarleton (1754 - 1833)

45. West Indies (1775 - 1783)

46. Marquis de Lafayette (1757 - 1834)

47. Charleston, South Carolina (February 11 - May 12, 1780)

48. Germantown, Pennsylvania (October 4, 1777)

49. Guy Carleton (1724 - 1808)

50. Boston Siege (April 19, 1775 - March 17, 1776)

51. John Adams (1735 - 1826)

52. Ticonderoga, New York (May 10, 1775)

53. American Militias (1775 - 1783)

54. Population and Resources (1775 - 1783)

55. George Rogers Clark (1752 - 1818)

56. African Americans (1775 - 1783)

57. Moores Creek Bridge, North Carolina (February 27, 1776)

58. John Paul Jones (1747 - 1792)

59. Monmouth, New Jersey (June 28, 1778)

60. Francis Marion (1732 - 1795)

61. Privateers (1775 - 1783)

62. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (1730 - 1794)

63. Eutaw Springs, South Carolina (September 8, 1781)

64. Barry St. Leger (1737 - 1789)

65. Camden, South Carolina (August 16, 1780)

66. John Trumbull (1756 - 1843)

67. Pay, Rations, Uniforms, and Medicine (1775 - 1783)

68. John Stark (1728 - 1822)

69. Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783)

70. Weapons and Tactics (1775 - 1783)

71. John Sullivan (1740 - 1795)

72. Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania (September 11, 1777)

73. Francis Rawdon (1754 - 1826)

74. Waxhaw Creek, South Carolina (May 29, 1780)

75. Intelligence (1775 - 1783)

76. Benjamin Lincoln (1733 - 1810)

77. White Plains, New York (October 28, 1776)

78. Future United States Presidents (1775 - 1783)

79. Charles Lee (1731 - 1782)

80. Savannah, Georgia (First Savannah) (December 29,