Nathanael Greene

INTRODUCTION “We fight, we get beat, we rise, and we fight again.” This research project will explore the evolution of Nathanael Greene, as a paradigm, from being a prominent Quaker pacifist to becoming one of the most active members as General of George Washington’s military unit during the American Revolution in order to understand how Quakerism could potentially be faithfully compatible with pacifism and the struggles of a “just” war. As an activist for the same principles of the American Revolution during the years of the war, Greene attempted to reconcile his Quaker religion with his active military duty, and spent the remaining years of his life with an internal struggle most evident in his own personal writings. He would become the only General aside from George Washington to serve the entire eight (8) years in the Revolutionary war. It must be noted that broad generalizations of the Society of Friends should be avoided in describing how the religious groups responded to the revolutionary war. As it will be observed, a general consensus towards a position does not…

Described by Thomas Jefferson as, ¨Second to no one in enterprise, in resource, in sound judgement, promptitude of decision, and every other military talent.¨, Nathanael Greene was a Revolutionary War general, serving all the eight years of the war, who was key in the success of the Americans in the war. (Archives) Though he is remembered now as a military general, a significant portion of his success can be attributed to his political background. From 1770-1772 and then in 1775, Nathanael…

In the early spring of 1781, Lord Charles Cornwallis led the British Army to the Guilford Courthouse to face the colonial militia and their general, Nathanael Greene. Greene knew of the British Army’s advancements and had set up three lines of defense to fight the British, whose army was under half the size and was weary from traveling. The three lines of defense ended up dividing the militia into smaller sections the British Army could take on, causing the Continental Army to lose the…

In spite of the defeat, hope was not lost. Francis Marion, a man known for his vast knowledge of the geography of swamps, along with a small group of militiamen, successfully used guerilla warfare to destroy British boats while also stealing food and horses. From there, it was because of the militia, the British were not able to take over the South and with the arrival of General Nathanael Greene, the tides of the war slowly began to turn. The Continentals would win the next series of battles at…

mercantile system upon the American Colonists, which forced them to only conduct trade with the British Empire. With the goal to increase its revenue, Britain additionally placed multiple taxes on the colonies. Therefore, to unshackle themselves from the unjust taxation and parliamentary acts of the British, the anti-loyalists initiated the American Revolution in the late 18th century. For the next several years, the Americans continued their fight for freedom against the British through sheer…

trusted general, his right hand man, his most loyal companion, Nathanael Greene. He was the backbone of the continental army with George Washington right by his side. Greene was the most loyal of generals spending seven years of his life on duty doing whatever is needed of him even though some of those things weren’t exactly “fun”. Leading seemed as if it was second nature to Greene as he led many troops through countless bitter battles in the Revolutionary War. Called upon by the fearless…

On December 12, 1780, Major General Nathanael Greene took command of an out of shape army consisting of 2,500 soldiers. The army was brought back into shape at a camp sixty miles southeast of Charlotte, North Carolina with the help of many officers including Daniel Morgan. General Nathanael Greene next divided his force into three commands. Each of the three units would be prepared to attack Cornwallis’ army. Cornwallis heard word of Greene’s strategy, and decided to divide his command too.…

The Patriot, a film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson, was released in the year 2000 and showcases the belief that when the people have the unity and determination to fight for what they believe in they can defeat even the strongest of armies. The historical fiction film follows a South Carolinian by the name of Benjamin Martin, a man who fought in the French and Indian War and now wants a quiet and peaceful life with his family on their plantation. With his wife dead and his…

Catherine Moore Barry Catherine Moore Barry also known as Kate Barry was born on October 22, 1752 around Spartanburg, South Carolina to Professor Charles and Mary Moore. Kate was the oldest of ten children. At the age of 15 Kate married Andrew Berry. The newlywed couple moved to Walnut Grove, South Carolina, where the couple began their family. They had three children together. Meanwhile her husband Andrew Berry joined the colonist in the war against Great Britain where he became a Captain in…

achieve a strategic victory. Overall, the movie does a great job at depicting battle scenes and is accurate on people and locations. The battle scene that Benjamin and Gabriel watched while heading into battle was accurate. It was the Battle of Camden and the Continental army lost that battle, which the movie shows. General Cornwallis was a real person that commanded both in the Battle of Camden and the climax battle. The climax battle seems to be a mixture of two battles, although not…