Part 3, The General: Chapters 16-26 Summary and Analysis

On June 14, the Congress took control of the troops in Boston and voted the next day to make Washington their leader.

Congress created the Continental Army on July 4. Washington struggled initially with a lack of munitions and with the attitudes of the northern officers. However, Washington did befriend immediately two northern generals who would play an important role in his future, Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox.

As leader of the Continental Army, Washington formed a council of war as mandated by the Congress. When Washington presented a plan for invading Boston in September of 1775, his plan was turned down by the cautious generals.

In mid-January, Henry Knox brought to camp much needed munitions taken from Fort Ticonderoga. With these, Washington was able in March to begin to send down a distracting volley of...