Download or read book The Department of War 1781 1795 written by Harry M. Ward and published by University of Pittsburgh Pre. This book was released on 2010-11-23 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harry M. Ward examines the formative years of the Department of War as a microcosm of the development of a centralized federal government. The Department of War was unique among early government agencies, as the only office that continued under the same administrator from the time of the Confederation to government under the Constitution. After the peace was established with Britain, citizens were suspicious of keeping a standing army, but administrator Benjamin Lincoln's efficient administration did much to dispel their fears. Henry Knox was the second Secretary, and he faced the problem of maintaining peace on the frontier, as his tiny army twice lost battles with Indians. It was only after the Whiskey Rebellion and Shay's Rebellion, that the young nation fully comprehended the importance of a maintaining a national military.

Download or read book The Department of War 1781 written by Harry M. Ward and published by . This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Soldier statesmen of the Constitution written by Robert K. Wright and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Department of War 1781 95 written by Harry M. Ward and published by . This book was released on 1960 with total page 1110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Congress s Own written by Holly A. Mayer and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2021-04-01 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colonel Moses Hazen’s 2nd Canadian Regiment was one of the first “national” regiments in the American army. Created by the Continental Congress, it drew members from Canada, eleven states, and foreign forces. “Congress’s Own” was among the most culturally, ethnically, and regionally diverse of the Continental Army’s regiments—a distinction that makes it an apt reflection of the union that was struggling to create a nation. The 2nd Canadian, like the larger army, represented and pushed the transition from a colonial, continental alliance to a national association. The problems the regiment raised and encountered underscored the complications of managing a confederation of states and troops. In this enterprising study of an intriguing and at times “infernal” regiment, Holly A. Mayer marshals personal and official accounts—from the letters and journals of Continentals and congressmen to the pension applications of veterans and their widows—to reveal what the personal passions, hardships, and accommodations of the 2nd Canadian can tell us about the greater military and civil dynamics of the American Revolution. Congress’s Own follows congressmen, commanders, and soldiers through the Revolutionary War as the regiment’s story shifts from tents and trenches to the halls of power and back. Interweaving insights from borderlands and community studies with military history, Mayer tracks key battles and traces debates that raged within the Revolution’s military and political borderlands wherein subjects became rebels, soldiers, and citizens. Her book offers fresh, vivid accounts of the Revolution that disclose how “Congress’s Own” regiment embodied the dreams, diversity, and divisions within and between the Continental Army, Congress, and the emergent union of states during the War for American Independence.

Download or read book 1781 written by Robert Tonsetic and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2011 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally ended the American Revolutionary War, but it was the pivotal campaigns and battles of 1781 that decided the final outcome. 1781 was one of those rare years in American history when the future of the nation hung by a thread, and only the fortitude, determination, and sacrifice of its leaders and citizenry ensured its survival. By 1781, America had been at war with the world''s strongest empire for six years with no end in sight. British troops occupied key coastal cities, from New York to Savannah, and the Royal Navy prowled the waters off the American coast. The remaining Patriot forces hunkered down in the hinterland, making battle only at opportunities when British columns ventured near. But after several harsh winters, and the failure of the nascent government to adequately supply the troops, the American army was fast approaching the breaking point. The number of Continental soldiers had shrunk to less than 10,000, and the three-year enlistments of many of those remaining were about to expire. Mutinies began to emerge in George Washington''s ranks, and it was only the arrival of French troops that provided a ray of hope for the American cause.In a shift of strategy given the stalemate between New York and Philadelphia, the British began to prioritize the south. After shattering the American army under Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, the British army under Lord Cornwallis appeared unstoppable, and was poised to regain the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia for the Crown. However, when General Nathaniel Greene arrived to take command of Patriot forces in the south, he was able to gradually turn the tables. By dividing his own forces, he forced the British to divide theirs, dissipating their juggernaut and forcing Cornwallis to confront a veritable hydra of resistance.1781 was a year of battles, as the Patriot Morgan defeated the notorious Tarleton and his Loyal legion at Cowpens. Then Greene suffered defeat at Guilford Courthouse, only to rally his forces and continue to fight on, assisted by such luminaries as Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," and "Light Horse Harry" Lee. While luring Cornwallis north, Greene was able to gather new strength and launch a counterattack, until it was Cornwallis who felt compelled to seek succor in Virginia. He marched his main army to Yorktown on the Peninsula, upon which the French fleet, the British fleet, Greene, Washington, and the French army under Rochambeau all converged. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered his weary and bloodied army.In this book, Robert Tonsetic provides a detailed analysis of the key battles and campaigns of 1781, supported by numerous eyewitness accounts from privates to generals in the American, French, and British armies. He also describes the diplomatic efforts underway in Europe during 1781, as well as the Continental Congress''s actions to resolve the immense financial, supply, and personnel problems involved in maintaining an effective fighting army in the field. With its focus on the climactic year of the war, 1781 is a valuable addition to the literature on the American Revolution, providing readers with a clearer understanding of how America, just barely, with fortitude and courage, retrieved its independence in the face of great odds.REVIEWS "...careful historical writing, very careful, and readers will be informed far more often than they''ll be delighted ...there''s a reassuring solidity to battlefield analyses made by a historian who''s seen actual battlefields. 1781 saw the effective end of large-scale British warring in America, but the principal strength of Tonsetic''s book is that he never takes the victory at Yorktown for granted as so many Revolution writers do; he never writes ''backward'' from the surrender of Cornwallis, nor should he: Americans need periodic reminders that they could just as easily have lost"Open Letters Monthly "...really clear, vivid writing style...brings just the right amount of human interest into the maneuvering of armies and the machinations of generals by picking out individuals and their actions (sometimes just simple soldiers, not just the great and the good) and timely quotes from accounts of the time. Also, in the manner of a classic Tom Clancy novel (well almost) he knows just when to leave the action in one location to bring the reader up to speed with what is happening elsewhere. ...a very easy to read but did not think that any of the detail or feel of the action was lost. "Wargamer.com"...overall, Tonsetic has done a commendable job of presenting it in an interesting manner. He also deftly explains the interrelationships between events in Europe and the different theaters of war. Overall, readers will enjoy this strong account of how the young United States went from the brink of disaster to victory in the course of a year." On Point: The Journal of Army History.ON POINT- The Journal of Army History Few books cover the last year of the war, and those that do usually focus on just Yorktown. Tonsetic uses a broad approach, showing how events fit together in the Carolinas, New York, and Virginia. He not only covers military events, but diplomacy as well. Key negotiations were underway in Europe that affected strategy and actions in America. The epilogue reviews what happened later to the major players, and shows connections to later events.... It was a year filled with highs and lows for both sides, and none could have predicted the dramatic ending in Virginia, a state without a single British soldier on its soil when the year began. Readers who want to learn how events in the various theaters tied together during this crucial year will enjoy the book. Journal of America''s Military Past"Robert L. Tonsetic brings his extensive military experience and his academic training to the task. He is at his best when he delves into the battles themselves. Tonsetic thoroughly details the maneuvers of individual units and carefully goes over other factors such as terrain. . . This material will definitely be of interest to military historians and buffs . . ."--The Journal of Southern History"...a good story and Tonsetic tells it well...There is always tension in a survey like this about the ratio between the generalities and details. Similarly, in a book about one year of a long war, there is also tension between providing or assuming background knowledge about the historical and strategic setting. Authors grapple with what needs explanation and what the audience should already know. Tonsetic handles these tensions ably. He moves the reader nimbly from broad brush to detailed descriptions...covers matters that full histories of the war ignore or mention only in passing."Parameters

Download or read book March to Victory written by Robert Selig and published by U.S. Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2005 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides an indepth account of the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

Download or read book Index the Papers of the Continental Congress 1774 1789 Leacraft W Pyttis written by and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 1494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Devil of a Whipping written by Lawrence E. Babits and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The battle of Cowpens was a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War in the South and stands as perhaps the finest American tactical demonstration of the entire war. On 17 January 1781, Daniel Morgan's force of Continental troops and militia routed British regulars and Loyalists under the command of Banastre Tarleton. The victory at Cowpens helped put the British army on the road to the Yorktown surrender and, ultimately, cleared the way for American independence. Here, Lawrence Babits provides a brand-new interpretation of this pivotal South Carolina battle. Whereas previous accounts relied on often inaccurate histories and a small sampling of participant narratives, Babits uses veterans' sworn pension statements, long-forgotten published accounts, and a thorough knowledge of weaponry, tactics, and the art of moving men across the landscape. He identifies where individuals were on the battlefield, when they were there, and what they saw--creating an absorbing common soldier's version of the conflict. His minute-by-minute account of the fighting explains what happened and why and, in the process, refutes much of the mythology that has clouded our picture of the battle. Babits put the events at Cowpens into a sequence that makes sense given the landscape, the drill manual, the time frame, and participants' accounts. He presents an accurate accounting of the numbers involved and the battle's length. Using veterans' statements and an analysis of wounds, he shows how actions by North Carolina militia and American cavalry affected the battle at critical times. And, by fitting together clues from a number of incomplete and disparate narratives, he answers questions the participants themselves could not, such as why South Carolina militiamen ran toward dragoons they feared and what caused the "mistaken order" on the Continental right flank.

Download or read book George Washington s Enforcers written by Harry M. Ward and published by SIU Press. This book was released on 2006-03-24 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ward relates how the enlisted men, who had a propensity for troublemaking and desertion, not only were victims of the double standard that existed between officers and regular troops but also lacked legal protection in the army. The enforcement of military justice afforded the accused with little due process support. Ward discusses the duties of the various personnel responsible for training and enforcing the standards of behavior, including duty officers, adjutants, brigade majors, inspectors, and sergeant majors. He includes the roles of life guards, camp guards, quarter guards, picket men, and safe guards, whose responsibilities ranged from escorting the commander in chief, intercepting spies and stragglers, and protecting farmers from marauding soldiers to searching for deserters, rounding up unauthorized personnel, and looking for delinquents in local towns and taverns.

Download or read book A Guide to Pre federal Records in the National Archives written by Benjamin L. DeWhitt and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This important guide will assist the researcher in locating within the National Archives those records created during, or directly related to, the pre-Federal era of US history the period before the Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789. The documents described include those of the Continental and Confederation Congresses, the Constitutional Convention, and the Continental Army and Navy; Revolutionary War era diplomatic, fiscal, and judicial records; records pertaining to commerce, Indian affairs, and postal and customs operations; and records relating to pension, bounty-land, and other claims arising out of military and civilian activities. The volume also contains a comprehensive name and subject index. "--Archives.gov.

Download or read book The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States written by United States. Department of State and published by . This book was released on 1889 with total page 780 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Federalist Papers written by Alexander Hamilton and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2018-08-20 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classic Books Library presents this brand new edition of “The Federalist Papers”, a collection of separate essays and articles compiled in 1788 by Alexander Hamilton. Following the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, the governing doctrines and policies of the States lacked cohesion. “The Federalist”, as it was previously known, was constructed by American statesman Alexander Hamilton, and was intended to catalyse the ratification of the United States Constitution. Hamilton recruited fellow statesmen James Madison Jr., and John Jay to write papers for the compendium, and the three are known as some of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Alexander Hamilton (c. 1755–1804) was an American lawyer, journalist and highly influential government official. He also served as a Senior Officer in the Army between 1799-1800 and founded the Federalist Party, the system that governed the nation’s finances. His contributions to the Constitution and leadership made a significant and lasting impact on the early development of the nation of the United States.

Download or read book Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown October 1781 written by Phillip Thomas Tucker and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-09-27 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the little-known role Alexander Hamilton played in the decisive battle of the American Revolution: Yorktown. Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 is the first book in nearly two and a half centuries that has ever been devoted to the story of Alexander Hamilton’s key contributions in winning the most decisive victory the of the American Revolutionary war at Yorktown. Past biographies of Hamilton, including the most respected ones, have minimized the overall importance of the young lieutenant colonel’s role and battlefield performance at Yorktown, which was key to forcing the surrender of Lord Cornwallis’s army. Hamilton led the assault on strategic Redoubt Number Ten, located on the left flank of the British defensive line, and captured the defensive bastion—an accomplishment that ensured the defeat and surrender of Cornwallis’s army that won the American Revolution and changed the course of world history. You thought you knew the full story of the founding father of the American financial system from Lin Manual Miranda's Broadway smash hit Hamilton, but Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 brings into sharp relief the vital role he played in the most important battle of the American Revolution, as told by renowned historian Phillip Thomas Ticker, PhD.

Download or read book The Articles of Confederation written by Various and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-04-08 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Articles of Confederation were passed by the Continental Congress in 1777, but were not ratified by the states until 1781. This first governing document of America put the new country in good stead, but it had some shortcomings, including the creation of a weak central government. It was replaced by the U.S. Constitution in 1789.

Download or read book Winning Independence written by John Ferling and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Co-Winner of the 2022 Harry M. Ward Book Prize From celebrated historian John Ferling, the underexplored history of the second half of the Revolutionary War, when, after years of fighting, American independence often seemed beyond reach. It was 1778, and the recent American victory at Saratoga had netted the U.S a powerful ally in France. Many, including General George Washington, presumed France's entrance into the war meant independence was just around the corner. Meanwhile, having lost an entire army at Saratoga, Great Britain pivoted to a “southern strategy.” The army would henceforth seek to regain its southern colonies, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, a highly profitable segment of its pre-war American empire. Deep into 1780 Britain's new approach seemed headed for success as the U.S. economy collapsed and morale on the home front waned. By early 1781, Washington, and others, feared that France would drop out of the war if the Allies failed to score a decisive victory that year. Sir Henry Clinton, commander of Britain's army, thought “the rebellion is near its end.” Washington, who had been so optimistic in 1778, despaired: “I have almost ceased to hope.” Winning Independence is the dramatic story of how and why Great Britain-so close to regaining several southern colonies and rendering the postwar United States a fatally weak nation ultimately failed to win the war. The book explores the choices and decisions made by Clinton and Washington, and others, that ultimately led the French and American allies to clinch the pivotal victory at Yorktown that at long last secured American independence.

Download or read book Remembering John Hanson written by Peter H. Michael and published by . This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2013 eLit Silver Award in Biography for books published in 2012 Remembering John Hanson" re-illuminates the key Revolutionary War figure and Founding Father to whom George Washington reported when Hanson served as the first president of the original United States government. The first John Hanson biography in over seventy years and the best documentation ever on him, Remembering John Hanson" spells out Hanson s two nation-saving triumphs which kept the nation whole on the eve of independence and again as it struggled to form a government. Remembering John Hanson" tells the astounding and tragic story of the destruction of Hanson's tomb and the author's rediscovery of its site in researching the book. Also covered are current efforts to rekindle the nation's memory of Hanson and Internet myths that have arisen about him in recent years. The first comprehensive biography of "the most forgotten major figure in American history," reading this volume is enriching. Michael's narrative presents . . . a torrent of information in fine detail . . . a rich trove about a major historical figure. Kirkus Reviews " Some of the best information on Hanson I have ever seen. Edward Edelen, Founder, The John Hanson Institute " A must read book, extremely well written, easy to follow and well documented. The "go to" book for anyone reseaching John Hanson and his life. Mary Jo Pundt, John Hanson genealogist" This work represents the most comprehensive and - equally important - extensively documented exploration of the life and contributions of John Hanson. It provides the context and critical analysis to properly elevate Hanson to the pantheon of the fathers of our nation. Aldan Weinberg, Professor of Journalism and Director of the Communications Arts Program, Hood College " You contribute greatly to our understanding of Hanson, his times, and why he became largely forgotten. Remembering John Hanson is also clearly and engagingly written, with excellent illustrations. Ralph Levering, Hanson scholar and Professor of History, Davidson College " I have found your information to confirm my arguments why Hanson was the most significant first president of the United States. The story of John Hanson is much greater than previous authors have given credit to. John Cummings, John Hanson author"