Student Essay on How Close Did the Americans Come to Losing the American Revolution?

How Close Did the Americans Come to Losing the American Revolution?

Summary:   How close did the Americans come to losing the American Revolution? Without the French admiral Comte de Grasse's intelligent planning and performance in blockading British forces in the Chesapeake area of Virginia, the entire outcome of the American Revolution might have been different.

With colonial, French, and British armies awaiting battle, tension during 1781 rose dramatically. Continental Army General George Washington and French army General Comte de Rochambeau were deliberating the decision of what move to make next on the American side. Unknown to either man, the decision that they were about to make could forever change the outcome of the Revolution. With Washington pushing for battle in New York City and Rochambeau pushing for battle in Virginia, French Admiral Francois-Joseph-Paul de Grasse made the ultimate decision in the next battle plan of the Revolution. It was Comte de Grasse's intelligent planning and performance in the Battle of the Chesapeake Capes that led to the defeat of the British in Yorktown. If not for Comte de Grasse's military move to blockade Cornwallis in the Chesapeake, the entire outcome of the American Revolution might have been different.

With their troops scattered at two strategic points, Comte de Rochambeau and George Washington met in Wethersfield, Connecticut in May of 1781 to discuss the next military operation. History Professor James Stokesbury described the layout of both Allied and British troops, saying,

Clinton was in New York City with a garrison of something more than 10,000 men. Cornwallis was in the Carolinas, possibly moving toward Virginia...at the moment, the British generally held local command of the sea. On the allied side, Rochambeau had about 4,000 French troops at Newport and all inferior naval squadron held inside the harbor there. Washington had 3,500 Continental troops...around New York City. More regulars, troops...under Wayne, were on the verge of moving south to support Lafayette, who was in Virginia with a loose collection of regulars and militiamen, trying to contain the British there. Finally, Nathaniel Greene was in the Carolinas, skipping back and forth in front of Cornwallis.

The two generals were also expecting a French naval fleet commanded by Comte de Grasse to be under their command toward the end of the summer. The battle plan chosen needed to reflect the capabilities of the armies or militias in that area. Nonetheless, the battle also needed to be a decisive battle that would lead to an American victory.

Rochambeau and Washington knew that the next battle of the revolution would be a significant one and therefore they had to determine a strategic plan that would help lead to allied victory. The men initially came up with two options; the first "was that allied troops from the north should be taken south by [American General] Barras to the Chesapeake, and the situation in Virginia stabilized." The second choice was "that the French and American land forces march against New York City; they would not be sufficient to take it, but they might well alarm [British General] Clinton enough to make him bring home troops from the south; that would mean abandoning Newport." Due to the weakness of Barras' fleet, he was unwilling to comply with the plans because he believed that his troops would be unable to make it to their destination due to the powerful British naval forces in the Atlantic. Whether Barras planned on participating or not, Washington was determined to have the next military endeavor be an attack upon the British in New York City.

In July of 1781, Rochambeau and Washington found themselves leading their armies on the outskirts of New York City. Comte de Grasse however, had other plans. Grasse believed that his fleet had a better chance for victory if they entered the Chesapeake Bay and surrounded Cornwallis. Grasse sent Washington notice that he had departed from his base in the West Indies with 29 warships and 3,000 troops and headed towards the Chesapeake Bay. Upon notification of Grasse's plans, Rochambeau and Washington immediately turned around and led their troops southward. The unprecedented decision of Grasse led to a complete change in the battle plans of the Revolution and would prove to be the significant point that could have forever changed the outcome of the war.

With British Admiral Hood stationed in the Chesapeake, the chances for Grasse's fleet to be able to surround Cornwallis were slim; therefore, it was Grasse intellectual thinking that led to his idea of fooling the British, without which, allied victory may not have been possible. While buying time for Washington and Rochambeau's troops to reach the Chesapeake, Grasse decided to take a "round about route through the Bahamas Channel." However, the British General had been expecting to meet Grasse in the Chesapeake and when Grasse failed to arrive the British suspected he had moved on to New York City, so they sailed off to New York City. However, reaching New York City, they did not spot Grasse; subsequently Grasse was able to peacefully enter the Chesapeake without British naval forces in place. Admiral Hood now joined with another British Admiral, Admiral Graves and together both men sailed to Newport where Barras had already departed to the Chesapeake with his fleet. By the time General Clinton and his admirals noticed what was happening, the allies already had enough time to get into position in the Chesapeake. Upon Graves' arrival in the Chesapeake, he did not choose to attack the unprepared French fleet, but arranged his ships in preparation for battle. This gave the French time to prepare. With the arrival of Barras and his fleet, the allies strongly outnumbered the British. Graves pulled his men back up to New York. This action left Cornwallis surrounded by sea and land.

With Cornwallis blocked due to French troops in the Chesapeake, the landed army declared war on him. This battle, known as the Battle of Yorktown, led to British surrender and American victory.

A decision to fight in New York or in Virginia could have completely altered the outcome of the Revolutionary War. Had the decision of Washington's attack on New York City gone forward, the Revolution might have dragged on longer or ended in British victory. Had Comte de Grasse not been involved in the war or had he strictly listened to Washington's commands, the results of the war would be different. Grasse's significant decision of choosing the Chesapeake as the next battleground and fooling the British fleets out of the Chesapeake gave the French troops the foothold they needed in order to successfully fight the land battle at Yorktown. The defeat of the British at this time or in general could be because of the military tactics of Grasse.

Footnotes:

Stokesbury, James L. A Short History of the American Revolution. William Morrow and Company, Inc. New York, 1991.