Sir Henry Clinton
Early Life
Sir Henry Clinton was born on April 16, 1730, in Newfoundland, Canada. In1743 he moved to the colonies because his father, Admiral George Clinton, was made the Royal Governor of New York.. Instead of following his father into the Royal Navy, he started a military career.
Military Life
He quickly advanced through the ranks, partly because of a distant relative, the 1st Duke of Newcastle. In 1745 he joined the New York militia as a lieutenant. Clinton travelled to London in1749, and in 1751 was commissioned into the British army. During the seven years war (1762) Clinton distinguished himself as a soldier. Later, in 1772, he was promoted to major general. He also was offered a seat in Parliament, but due to his wife's recent death, he declined. In 1775 he accepted the position as second in command under General William Howe, and went to America.
His Role in the American Revolution
He arrived in America with General Howe. After Bunker Hill, he served in the successful capture of New York City and in the Battle of Long Island. Because of these victories, he was promoted to Lieutenant General. He also achieved membership in The Most Honourable Order of Bath as a KCB, or Knight Commander of the British Empire, which gave him the title Sir.
Because of General Howe's poor performance at Saratoga, Howe was demoted, and Clinton was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of Britain's North-American Forces in 1778. In 1779 Clinton successfully captured Charleston, South Carolina. He left Charles Cornwallis, his second in command, in charge while he went north to New York. However, because of the persistent ineptitude of Cornwallis, Yorktown was captured by the colonists. As George Washington and his troops came into Chesapeake Bay, Cornwallis used Yorktown as his base. The French and Americans worked together to cut off escape for the British, then bombarded them with cannons and artillery, both day and night, for three weeks straight. On October 17, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, effectively ending the war.
Because of General Howe's poor performance at Saratoga, Howe was demoted, and Clinton was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of Britain's North-American Forces in 1778. In 1779 Clinton successfully captured Charleston, South Carolina. He left Charles Cornwallis, his second in command, in charge while he went north to New York. However, because of the persistent ineptitude of Cornwallis, Yorktown was captured by the colonists. As George Washington and his troops came into Chesapeake Bay, Cornwallis used Yorktown as his base. The French and Americans worked together to cut off escape for the British, then bombarded them with cannons and artillery, both day and night, for three weeks straight. On October 17, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, effectively ending the war.
After the War
Because Clinton was Commander-in-Chief he was blamed for the loss of the 13 colonies. After the defeat at Yorktown he was replaced by Sir Guy Carleton. Later Clinton tried to rebuild his reputation by publishing his own account of the war. When he died in 1795 he had a seat in Parliament, the title of general, and an appointment as the governor of Gibraltar.
Conclusion
I believe Sir Henry Clinton was a good military officer, but because of his clumsy, inexperienced, unintelligent second-in-command, his reputation was ruined. He was cut out for a military career because both his mother and his father were involved in the military. He did manage to rebuild his ranks, but it took a good amount of work. If he had been an American officer, he would have made the Revolutionary War much easier, especially for George Washington.
Questions
Who made it so the British lost the Battle of Yorktown?
a. General William Howe
b. The Hessians
c. General Charles Cornwallis
d. John Hancock
Who succeeded him as Commander-in-Chief of the British forces?
a. Charles Cornwallis
b. The 1st duke of Newcastle
c. Paul Revere
d. William Howe
a. General William Howe
b. The Hessians
c. General Charles Cornwallis
d. John Hancock
Who succeeded him as Commander-in-Chief of the British forces?
a. Charles Cornwallis
b. The 1st duke of Newcastle
c. Paul Revere
d. William Howe