How Did Nathanael Greene Influence The American Revolution

The American Revolution was a long, brutal battle fought after the thirteen colonies were formed. The colonies exhibited rebellion and desire for independence after they experienced taxation without representation from England. Many influential battles were fought to declare victory for the patriots in the colonies, especially in the south. Nathanael Greene was a well respected general during the American Revolution and was considered the “greatest military genius of the war” (Rappaport). Greene was well known for fighting in and winning the Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina. George Washington saw that Greene had potential and was the one to put him in charge. A quote from Greene that sums up his life and story is, “We fight, get beat, rise,
In 1770, Greene moved to work for the family foundry but would later move to be in charge of a new forge established by his father (Rappaport). In October of 1774, Greene was unable to assist in the militia due to a stiff knee that he suffered with in his childhood and adolescence (Drake). He was elected to general assembly in three different years and was denied the opportunity to be an officer for the militia. When learning about the redcoats arriving in Lexington, Greene was elected to be put in charge of three different regiments. He was eventually put in charge of the Boston siege, where he was credited with his bravery and skill for commanding a portion of the continental army. He was additionally skilled in gathering materials and ammunition for his men at the time. In 1776 Greene led his men through many battles of the southern campaign, including the battles of Princeton and Trenton. In 1776, he led his men through the battle of Brandywine and the battle of Germantown. In 1777, Greene was appointed to be the Quartermaster General by the Continental Congress which made him a major
Although Greene did not physically fight in this battle, he strategically planned the attack and route for commander Daniel Morgan (Barnhill). Greene's plan for the Battle of Cowpens was to divide the army and send Daniel Morgan to cut the supply lines and to hopefully encourage a rise in morality among the civilians. On January 17th, 1781, Morgan's army successfully defeated Tarleton's troops in Cowpens, South Carolina. This battle was so influential to the American Revolution due to its success in winning over the Southern colonies from the continental army (Barnhill). The Battle of Cowpens was a turning point in the war due to the battle's effect weakening Cornwallis's army and defense. Unfortunately, following the great success of Cowpens, there will be another struggle at the battle of Guilford Courthouse. The battle consisted of Cornwallis taking his army up north to try and defeat Greene. For the battle of Guilford courthouse, Greene used a similar method to what he did in Cowpens and divided his forces into 3 lines