American fortunes were at a low point in the winter of 1777-78. The
British had beaten the Continental Army at Brandywine and
Germantown, seized the colonial capital of Philadelphia, and driven
Washington's soldiers into barren Valley Forge. But, as Stephen
Taaffe reveals, the Philadelphia Campaign marked a turning point in
the American Revolution despite these setbacks.
Occurring in the middle of the war in the heart of the colonies,
this key but overlooked campaign dwarfed all others in the war in
terms of numbers of combatants involved, battles fought, and
casualties sustained. For the first time, British and American
armies engaged out in the open on relatively equal terms. Although
the British won all the major battles, they were unable to crush
the rebellion.
Taaffe presents a new narrative history of this campaign that
took place not only in the hills and woods surrounding
Philadelphia, but also in east central New Jersey and along the
Delaware River. He uses the campaign to analyze British and
American strategies, evaluate Washington's leadership, and assess
the role of subordinate officers such as Nathanael Greene and
Anthony Wayne. He also offers new insights into eighteenth-century
warfare and shows how Washington transcended traditional military
thinking to fashion a strategy that accommodated American social,
political, and economic realities.
During this campaign Washington came into his own as a commander
of colonial forces and an astute military strategist, and Taaffe
demonstrates that Washington used the fighting around Philadelphia
as a proving ground for strategies that he applied later in the
war. Taaffe also scrutinizes Washington's relationship with the
militia, whose failure to carry out its missions contributed to the
general's problems.
Still, by enduring their losses and continuing to fight, the
Americans exacted a heavy toll on Britain's resources, helped to
convince France to enter the war, and put the redcoats on the
defensive. As Taaffe shows, far from being inconclusive, the
Philadelphia Campaign contributed more to American victory than the
colonists recognized at the time.
General
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