Knowledge of American Geography
In a 1777 edition of "The Freeman's Journal," the writer talks about how Washington led a group of about three thousand troops across the Delaware River on Christmas night to perform a sneak attack at Trenton. The writer includes an excerpt of a letter from an army officer that states, "A colder or severer season I never felt. Rain and hail, with high winds - but no difficulties were too much for our worthy commander to surmount at this important crisis... the extremity of the weather made them think we were not coming."1 Here, the writer shows an instance of the Continental Army utilizing both knowledge of the colonial terrain and weather to their advantage. According to author and vetern William V Wenger, geography impacted basic logistics which resulted in a huge advantage for the Americans. Communications, supplies, and reinforcements could take anywhere from four weeks to months to arrive in the colonies from London. While the British were stellar at navigating on water, the colonists had a network of roads to allow for easy transportation. Wenger believes being accustomed to living off the native land made the colonists tougher and more resilient than the high-class British soldiers. He concludes by sharing a famous quote from Napoleon Bonaparte: "The amateurs discuss tactics; the professionals discuss logistics."2 The colonists knew they were playing on their home turf; they just had to play smart. Another example of the colonists using their geography knowledge to their advantage was when they took control of Breed's Hill at the Battle of Bunker Hill. According to Rebecca Beatrice Brooks, the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog, the continental army took control of the high ground on Breed's Hill to prevent the British from escaping Boston. They used the hilly terrain to gain an upperhand and inflict heavy casualties.3 While the British forced the rebels to retreat, the Americans gained more confidence and a greater will to fight for independence.
1. for, Endowment. 2024. “The Freeman’s Journal, Or, New-Hampshire Gazette. [Volume] (Portsmouth, N.H.) 1776-1778, January 14, 1777, Image 4.” Loc.gov, no. 1777/01/14. info:lccn/sn83025583.
2. History, Military. “How the Americans Defeated the British in the Revolutionary War.” The Past, November 10, 2021. the-past.com/feature/how-the-americans-defeated-the-british-in-the-revolutionary-war/.
3. https://www.facebook.com/Rebecca-Beatrice-Brooks-369596406799128. 2018. “How Did Geography Influence the Early Battles around Boston?” History of Massachusetts. August 11, 2018. https://historyofmassachusetts.org/how-did-geography-influence-boston-battles/.