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What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Powers and Problems
Guiding Questions:
- What qualities made George Washington an effective general?
- How were the responsibilities of the Commander-in-Chief affected by conditions during the Revolutionary War?
- How did Washington's responses to these challenges demonstrate his ability to handle a wide range of problems?
Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- List qualities they believe made George Washington an effective military leader.
- Discuss some difficulties Washington faced as Commander-in-Chief.
- Discuss how Washington responded to the difficulties he faced as the leader of the Continental Army.
Before students research the battles included in this lesson, take time to review, if necessary, the basic strategic advantages and disadvantages held by both sides in the conflict. Remind the class that England in 1776 was the world's greatest naval power. Show the class a map of the eastern United States, Atlantic Ocean, and England. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each side, such as those listed below, as well as any others.
- English advantages
- Superior naval power
- Large, professional fighting force
- Greater manufacturing capabilities
- Wealth of the country
- Support from loyalists within the colonies
- English disadvantages
- Distance from England to the colonies for re-supply, transporting troops,
and communication
- Lack of motivation of professional soldiers compared to the Patriots
- Lack of motivation among the citizens of England to finance a long, costly
war
- Hesitancy to abandon traditional tactics not well suited for the conditions
in America
- Overconfidence
- Patriot advantages
- Fighting on familiar ground
- Motivation of soldiers defending the homeland
- Flexibility of tactics
- Many colonists skilled with rifles, despite lack of military
training
- Leadership of George Washington
- Patriot disadvantages
- Lack of a trained fighting force
- Difficulties in recruiting and, especially, keeping soldiers beyond
short enlistment periods
- Presence of loyalists
to the British crown
- Lack of supplies
- A long coastline with major cities vulnerable to attack from the sea
- Lack of naval power
Remind students to keep these advantages and disadvantages in mind as they read about how Washington dealt with the problems he encountered.
Divide the class into small groups. Ask students to compare the first set
of Washington's
Instructions (June 20, 1775), on the EDSITEment resource American
Memory, to the section of the Journals of the Continental Congress for Friday,
December 27, 1776, also on American
Memory, in which Congress expanded Washington's powers. If desired, use
the handout "Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789," on pages
3-6 of the PDF file (see Preparing
to Teach This Curriculum Unit for download instructions), to assign parts
of the latter document to each of four groups.
Each group should make a list of the differences between the first set of Washington's Instructions (June 20, 1775) and the instructions and powers granted on Friday, December 27, 1776. If desired, students can use the chart "Congress Expands Washington's Powers," on page 7 of the PDF file (also available as an Interactive Assessment Tool), in making the comparison. What problems with the army in its first year and a half of operation were indicated by the instructions? Underlying the trust indicated by Congress in giving Washington enhanced powers was a belief that he had the leadership qualities to follow through. What qualities of leadership were required? Remind students that they are only speculating at this point as to the qualities of leadership to be required of Washington.
In the next activity, students will see the practical things Washington had to do day after day to keep the Continental Army going. It must be noted, however, that the respect the men had for Washington, based on his personal charisma, was also a very important factor.
Share this quote from the Diary of Albigence Waldo, Surgeon at Valley Forge, 1777 on From Revolution to Reconstruction, a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Internet Public Library:
See the poor Soldier, when in health—with what cheerfulness
he meets his foes and encounters every hardship—if barefoot, he labours
thro' the Mud and Cold with a Song in his mouth extolling War and Washington—if
his food be bad, he eats it notwithstanding with seeming content—blesses
God for a good Stomach and Whistles it into digestion.
Now assign small student groups one or two of the selections below from Washington's wartime correspondence, looking for indications of the problems he faced and the qualities and actions he relied on to overcome them. Documents may suggest answers to any or all of the following:
- What kinds of problems was the Continental Army facing?
- How did supply problems affect the running of the Continental Army?
- How did Washington attempt to solve the supply problems?
- What indications of long-range planning or lack thereof do you find? Indications of military strategy?
- What issues arose regarding the relationship between military and civil authority?
- What is the tone of Washington's letters to Congress? To civil authorities? To correspondents in the military?
- What can you determine or hypothesize about the recipient of each letter? What was the purpose of the letter? What circumstances led Washington to write at this time? What results did Washington hope for?
Each group is to select one or more quotes from its assigned letters indicating difficulties with which Washington had to deal and leadership qualities he demonstrated. Make note of the date and location. Assign group members to summarize their document(s), read the quote(s) the group chose, and briefly explain to the class what the document(s) indicates about problems Washington faced or the leadership he demonstrated.
A complete list of the following documents, suitable for distribution to students, is available in the handout "Annotated Excerpts from Lesson Two Documents" on pages 8-17 of the PDF file (see Preparing to Teach This Curriculum Unit for download instructions). Full-text versions are available by clicking on the links below. Unless otherwise noted, all documents are from the PBS website Liberty! The American Revolution, a link from the EDSITEment resource American Memory.
- Letter to Henry Knox, November 16, 1775 (Readiness, Supplies)
- Letter to John Taylor, December 11, 1775 (Strategy)
- Washington's Order on Profanity, August 3, 1776 (Military Discipline), from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Papers of George Washington
- Letter to the President of the Convention of New Hampshire, January 23, 1777 (relationship between civil authorities and the military)
- Letter to the General Officers of the Army, October 26, 1777 (strategy)
- Letter to Henry Laurens, December 14, 1777 (supplies, strategy, relationship between civil authorities and the military)
- George Washington to Continental Congress, December 23, 1777 (Valley Forge, supplies), from American Memory (NOTE: This letter is one of the longest of the excerpts.)
- Letter to the State of New Hampshire, December 29, 1777 (relationship between civil authorities and the military)
- George Washington to Marquis de Lafayette, June 25, 1778 (strategy), from American Memory
- To Brigadier General Charles Scott, September 1778 (loyalists, intelligence), from Electronic Text Center, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library
- George Washington to Continental Congress, November 5, 1779 (relationship between civil authorities and the military), from American Memory
- George Washington to Continental Congress, November 14, 1779 (strategy, cooperation with a foreign ally), from American Memory
- George Washington to Continental Congress, September 8, 1780 (relationship between civil authorities and the military, cooperation with a foreign ally), from American Memory
- Letter to Governor William Greene, June 2, 1781 (relationship between civil authorities and the military)
- George Washington to William Heath, June 13, 1781 (supplies, readiness), from American Memory
- George Washington to David Waterbury, June 13, 1781 (strategy), from American Memory
NOTE: In lieu of using the documents listed above, if desired, student groups can browse through letters and select documents on their own from these EDSITEment resources:
When all the groups have prepared summaries, selected quotes, had
a group member (or members) practice reading them, and prepared their conclusions
about the leadership qualities demonstrated, have students share their information
in chronological order. When all documents have been shared, discuss conclusions
students can derive from the accumulated information. What problems Washington
faced were particularly persistent? How well was Washington able to deal with
the variety and quantity of problems he faced? What can you learn from the
various locations from which Washington wrote?
Assessment
Have students complete the second chart—"George Washington: Commander-in-Chief"—in
the handout "The Qualities of a Good Military Leader According to Socrates" on
page 2 of the PDF file (see
Preparing to Teach
This Curriculum Unit for download instructions), or have them use the Interactive Version. Discuss the results. In what
ways had Washington become a better leader since his first military command?
Selected EDSITEment Websites
- American Memory
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amhome.html]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, December 14, 1777
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw100167))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, December 23, 1777
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw100200))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, November 14, 1779
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw170141))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, November 5, 1779
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw170107))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, October 16, 1781
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw230248))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, October 19, 1781
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw230265))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, September 11, 1777: Report on the Battle
of Brandywine
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090211))]
- George
Washington to Continental Congress, September 8, 1780
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw200022))]
- George
Washington to David Waterbury, June 13, 1781
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw220235))]
- George
Washington to Israel Putnam, December 25, 1776
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw060334))]
- George
Washington to Marquis de Lafayette, June 25, 1778
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw120150))]
- George
Washington to William Heath, June 13, 1781
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw220230))]
- George
Washington, October 3, 1777, General Orders
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090316))]
- George
Washington, October 5, 1777, General Orders
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090319))]
- George
Washington, September 3, 1777, General Orders
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090175))]
- George
Washington, September 4, 1777, General Orders
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090184))]
- George
Washington, September 6, 1777, General Orders
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090194))]
- George
Washington, September 7, 1777, General Orders
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw090197))]
- Journals
of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789: Friday, December 27, 1776 (Congress
Expands Washington's Powers)
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(jc00661))]
- Letter
to Governor William Greene, June 2, 1781
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1781jun2.html]
- Report
to Congress on the Battle of Trenton: George Washington to Continental Congress,
January 5, 1777
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw060360))]
- Series 3 Letterbooks.
Varick Transcripts: Continental Army Papers. 1775-1783
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwseries3.html]
- Series 4 General
Correspondence 1697-1799
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwser4.html]
- Something
Must Be Attempted to Revive Our Expiring Credit: George Washington to Joseph
Spencer, December 22, 1776
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field
(DOCID+@lit(gw060324))]
- Washington's
Instructions
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=002/lljc002.
db&recNum=99]
- American Memory:
Sources
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sources.html]
- PBS: Liberty! The
American Revolution
[http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/index.html]
- Before
the Battle of Trenton
[http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/tguide_3.html]
- PBS: Rediscovering George
Washington
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/]
- Gilder
Lehman Document Collection: George Washington, Revolutionary War Years
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/revolutionary_war.html]
- Letter
to Governor William Greene, June 2, 1781
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1781jun2.html]
- Letter
to Henry Knox, November 16, 1775
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1775nov16.html]
- Letter
to Henry Laurens, December 14, 1777
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1777dec14.html]
- Letter
to John Taylor, December 11, 1775
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1775dec11.html]
- Letter
to Lewis Nicola (text/audio read by Charlton Heston)
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/multimedia/heston/lewis_nicola.html]
- Letter
to the General Officers of the Army, October 26, 1777
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1777oct26.html]
- Letter
to the President of the Convention of New Hampshire, January 23, 1777
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1777jan23.html]
- Letter
to the State of New Hampshire, December 29, 1777
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/collection/war_1777dec29.html]
- Speech
to Officers at Newburgh (multimedia background in audio/text of speech)
[http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/multimedia/arnn/newburgh.html]
- The American President
[http://www.americanpresident.org/]
- George
Washington
[http://www.americanpresident.org/history/GeorgeWashington/]
- America's
First Hero
[http://www.americanpresident.org/history/GeorgeWashington/biography/
resources/articles/kunhardtwashingtonbio.article.shtml]
- Life
Before the Presidency
[http://www.americanpresident.org/history/GeorgeWashington/biography/
LifeBeforePresidency.common.shtml]
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