When I think of the Revolutionary War, the first names that come to mind are Bunker Hill and Valley Forge.
But Bunker Hill was an exercise in survival, like the evacuation of the British army at Dunkirk in 1940. And Valley Forge was an exercise in endurance.
I read a couple of articles the other day that make the case that the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, in which George Washington’s Continentals met the best of the British army head-on, and won, was the real turning point, and the battle we should remember.
Whether or not you agree with that particular contention, you will see, if you read the articles linked below, that the battle showed the greatness of Washington as a commander and the valor of Americans fighting for their independence.
LINKS
June 28, 1778. Battle of Monmouth by “streiff” for RedState.
Battle of Monmouth by the HistoryNet staff.
Tags: American Revolution, Battle of Monmouth, Continental Army, Fourth of July, George Washington, Independence Day, Revolutionary War, Valley Forge
Phil Ebersole's Blog 
July 4, 2015 at 1:27 pm |
I agree that it was the turning point. As well as being the first instance that Continental regulars could match up evenly with British regulars, it was also the last major battle in the northern part of the country. After this, British high command decided to refocus their efforts in the south, where they believed that they could retake major Southern cities, which they did initially. Once Nathanael Greene took command of the Continental Southern Army, it was pretty much downhill from there for Cornwallis and his army.
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