The Battle of Saratoga: The Turning Point

The Battle of Saratoga, a major victory for the Continental Army in 1777, could have been a massive victory for the British.  Their famous "Three-Pronged Attack" on New York never fully developed, giving the Patriots a fighting chance.  Read through this website carefully and in the comments section explain just exactly why Saratoga stands out as the most important victory for the Patriots.  Was it a Patriot success or a British failure?

Valley Forge: The Worst Of Times OR When Things Got Better

Washington and his men spent a difficult winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania from the end of 1777 to the early months of 1778.  One of the strange customs of war from the 18th Century is that armies would basically call a cease-fire when the weather turned cold.  As winter would approach, each army would find a place to hibernate until the fighting would resume in spring.  Washington's choice was Valley Forge.

It is well documented how miserable his men were during this time.  There was little food, adequate clothing or proper shelter to protect the men from the winter winds.  Washington, in display of one of his best qualities, refused to live in comfort while his men suffered.  He remained in the camp until winter thawed out.

As difficult as this time was, the men in Washington's camp received the best training of their "careers" up to that point.  Prussian military leader Friedrich Von Steuben came to the aid of Washington and drilled his men until they were an actual fighting force.  For this week's blog, I want you to read this story, watch part one and part two of this video series and in the comments write about your impression of Washington, Von Steuben and the soldiers in light of their struggle at Valley Forge.

The Declaration of Independence: Just How Important Is It?

Jefferson's opus. An American treasure. A masterpiece.  All phrases used to describe the DoI...but how important is it really.  As we discussed in class last week, the DoI did not win the war.  It was more a statement of solidarity amongst the colonists.  Sort of a "Let's Do This!" type moment.  It certainly did not win the war nor did it scare the British into submission.

Could you imagine if the Washington was forced to surrender at some important battle and he waved the DoI around yelling "You can't beat me! You can't beat us! We've declared our independence so haha! Look...we even signed our names in cursive at the bottom!" That would have been ridiculous.

Maybe it goes without saying, but what really won the war was victory in battles that caused the conflict to drag on and on for years.  The British grew increasingly weary, frustrated and embarrassed the longer the war took.  After the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, the war was basically over.  The Treaty of Paris 1783 sealed the fate of the British and served as a bookend to this colonial conflict.

So which is more important: the Declaration of Independence or the Treaty of Paris 1783.  Pick a side and give your best argument in the comments section.