Author: Charles River Editors
Narrator: Gregory T. Luzitano
Unabridged: 1 hr 55 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Published: 03/29/2020
Genre: History - United States - Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
“Issue the orders Sir, and I will storm Hell.” – Mad Anthony Wayne
The American Revolution is replete with seminal moments that every American learns in school, from the “shot heard ‘round the world” to the Declaration of Independence, but the events that led up to the fighting at Lexington & Concord were borne out of 10 years of division between the British and their American colonies over everything from colonial representation in governments to taxation, the nature of searches, and the quartering of British regulars in private houses. From 1764-1775, a chain of events that included lightning rods like the Townshend Acts led to bloodshed in the form of the Boston Massacre, while the Boston Tea Party became a symbol of nonviolent protest.
Aside from George Washington, many Americans are likely able to name just as many foreign generals on the rebel side as American generals. While names like Lafayette, Pulaski, Ko?ciuszko, and Baron von Steuben are quickly associated with the Revolution, American officers like Nathanael Greene, Anthony Wayne, Horatio Gates, Henry Knox, and Light-Horse Harry Lee are often overlooked.
In fact, Wayne was one of early America’s most important commanders, from his distinguished service in the Revolutionary War to leading soldiers against various Native American bands along the frontier after America secured its independence. Wayne played critical roles in several of the Revolution’s most noteworthy campaigns, from the fateful Quebec invasion of 1775-1776 to the Yorktown campaign that ended the major fighting in 1781, with crucial actions at places like Valley Forge and Stony Point. He had been promoted to Major General by the time the war ended, and when he died near the end of the 18th century while still on active duty, few American military officers had left behind as influential legacy as the daring, but almost always successful general.
Before George Washington was president, he was a great general. He understood not only how to lead men into battle, but also how to keep them fighting when things became bleak. After the brutal Battle of Long Island, Washington wrote to the presiden...
George Washington gained a reputation for military excellence for his service in the French and Indian War. This experience, combined with his unique situation as a relative outsider, made him an obvious choice to lead the Continental Army. Washingt...
As the Revolutionary War came to an end, Congress had failed to pay many of its soldiers. In response, a group of officers from the Continental Army planned a mutiny. When they met to discuss their plans, George Washington arrived on the scene to ha...
After the Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolutionary War, Washington resigned from his position as leader of the Continental Army. By the end of the war, Washington held enough power and influence to establish himself as king or even dictato...
Explore the captivating contradictions of one of U.S. history’s most divisive figures with the celebrated West Point professor and author of Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson’s Image in His Own Time.Thomas Jefferson was the first secr...
Explore the captivating history of the Culper Ring!Spying and warfare have always gone hand-in-hand. From Julius Caesar to modern generals, we have accounts of commanders covertly gathering information about their opponents, ensuring they have the i...
The act of dedicating a time to be thankful preceded the Thanksgiving holiday. It even preceded what most think of as the “First Thanksgiving” in Plymouth. This act became an official holiday only after a committee introduced a resolutio...
In 1790, Moses Seixas of the Touro Synagogue wrote a letter to President Washington. Representing a people who had been escaping persecution for generations, he wanted confirmation that Jews would be given full freedom in the United States. Washingt...
These infamous words closed the impassioned speech Patrick Henry delivered at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775. With this speech, he persuaded the convention to mobilize troops to defend Virginia against the British. No official transcription ...