The Continental Army
By: Kaylee Anderson
What was the Continental Army? The continental army was really just militias and citizen-soldiers. It was formed by the continental congress in 1775 when the war broke out. General George Washington was the commander-in-chief. The army was about 230,000 soldiers strong. This was better than the state militias that were only 164,000 soldiers and only 20,000 soldiers were available at one time.
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Why was the Continental Army formed? The main reason for the Continental Army was to secure the American colonists' independence from Great Britain. There were several events leading up to the formation of the Army. The first one was the tension between the Colonists and the British. Then the first Continental congress was formed. When the American Revolutionary war started, the Continental Congress formed the Continental Army.
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About the Leaders of the Continental Army
George Washington was the commander-in-chief, or in other words he was the main leader of the Continental Army. Washington was elected that position because he had had military experience in the French and Indian War. Two of the generals were General Charles Lee and General Horatio Gates. General Charles Lee later started to cause trouble for Gen. Washington. When Washington became the commander, the army was in turmoil. George was able to organize three divisions, six brigades, and thirty-eight regiments.
General Washington's Tactics
One of the main reasons of the armies success was Washington's tactics. He had three main tactics. The first one was to stay away from being surrounded or outnumbered. That way he could keep the men more safe. His second tactic was to retreat without hesitation if it was the best option. This tactic went along with the first tactic. His last tactic was to use small mobile forces to harass and confuse the British armies. This helped him win with the half trained army.
Battles Fought
They fought nine major battles. The first major battle fought was The Battle of Bunker Hill. This battle was fought three weeks before Washington had assumed command. Another major battle was The Battle of Long Island. The continental army succeeded in forcing the British army to flee. There were many more battles fought between those two and after them. The very last battle fought was The Battle of Yorktown. It lasted from the 28th of September to the 19th of October. It was an amazing victory for the colonies and an embarrassing loss for the British.
My opinion of the Continental Army.
I think the continental army was a good idea. If they had not formed the army, America might not be here today. Also, if they had not selected George Washington to be the commander-in-chief, the army would have probably fallen apart. George Washington was the one that trained the army and helped it get through the war. George's tactics helped the army to succeed in the final battle and without them we would have lost the war.
Who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army?A. Charles Lee
B. George Washington C. Abraham Lincoln D. Darry Curtis |
What was the last battle the continental army fought called?A. The Battle of Long Island
B. The Battle of Broken Arrow C. The Battle of Yorktown D. The French and Indian War |