If they had managed to do great damage to the French forces, the British could have cut off those French troops from helping the Americans, and the war would have gone to the British. He writes, "The failure of the British to attack, and possibly fatally wound, the French at Newport was calamitous in the long run" (Ketchum 36). Thus, the author gives the reader insight into both sides of the battle, including his own analysis of what went wrong and what went right for both sides, making it easier for the reader to understand the background and inner workings of the battle.
In addition, Ketchum clearly understands the inner workings of many of the "cast of characters" of this book. He clearly admires Washington, but he is also very familiar with many other participants, such as Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, and many others. He introduces them clearly and effectively, and almost makes them seem to be characters in a very well plotted play. Many historic texts can be dry and scholarly, but Ketchum brings a lively writing style to this work, which makes it much more engaging for the reader. This makes it easier to read the book, and makes it more applicable to many readers and their interests, as well.
Ketchum's thesis seems to be two-fold. He wants to chronicle the events leading up to the Battle of Yorktown and the battle itself, but he also wants to show the personality and leadership qualities of George Washington. He accomplishes both of these theses by creating a detailed look at both the battle and the general. He completes much research to accomplish this, but he manages to use that research to portray the inner workings of the participants so that they become more real and compelling to the reader....
Alexander Hamilton carried on an affair with the wife of "a notorious political schemer," Maria Reynolds. Andrew Jackson married Rachel Jackson before her divorce from Lewis Robards was finalized and therefore was accused of marrying a married woman. Jackson's opponent in 1828, John Quincy Adams, was in turn accused of "corrupt bargaining" during his term. Jackson also championed Margaret O'Neill Timberlake, who married his secretary of war, John Eaton.
American Revolution was a political turmoil that occurred in the United States between 1765 and 1783 through which rebels in Thirteen American Colonies defeated Britain's authority and led to the formation of the United States of America. The rebels achieved this goal through their rejection of monarchy and aristocracy that was characterized by initiatives that were geared towards a revolution. This important event in the history of the United States
American Revolution: Competing for the Loyalty of the Colonists The American Revolution had many causes, both economic and social in nature. It had also been brewing for many years, ever since the conclusion of the Seven Years' War with the French, in which the British government closed settlement of the West to the colonists. In doing so, the Crown posted soldiers on the Western frontier to keep Americans out of it,
The National Park Service Web site also does not mention the role of Native Americans during the colonial period of history or the role of African slaves. The omission of the latter is striking, given Yorktown was an important Virginia tobacco port (Twin Cities Public Television 2004). Not mentioning the impact of colonialism on Native American culture is a significant omission for a park called Colonial National Historical Park. Just
Introduction In these modern times, the complexity of human relations and the divisiveness of the political sphere, can make the show of patriotism a difficult proposition. Many have argued that the United States is in a time of upheaval and that the future is uncertain for the direction of the country. Numerous Americans have expressed rampant dissatisfaction with the state of the union, given the fact that movements such as Black
American Revolutionary War The objective of this study is to write on the causes and major outcomes of the American Revolutionary War. Until the finalization of the Seven Years' War, there were only very few British North America colonists that had objections to their situation in the British Empire and British American Colonists had realized a great many benefits reported from the system of the British imperialists and furthermore paid little in
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