Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull (Architect of the Capitol)
The fight for American independence did not end with early victories or dramatic battles; it evolved into a protracted struggle that tested the limits of courage, strategy, and endurance. Drawing on primary sources, historian Christopher Hamner continues exploring the pivotal turning points and strategic choices that shaped the course and the conclusion of the war.
August 20 Valley Forge: Soldier’s Life in the Continental Army
When war erupted in 1775, the patriots possessed no professional army—only local militias suddenly facing the highly trained soldiers of the British Empire. If the rebellion were to survive, the colonies would have to build a disciplined military force capable of meeting British regulars on the battlefield. That force became the Continental Army.
Hamner examines the realities of military life in this new army: who these soldiers were, why they fought, and how they were trained for the brutal conditions of 18th-century warfare. He begins with the famous winter encampment at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, where thousands of soldiers endured bitter cold, disease, and severe shortages of food and clothing. By the spring of 1778, the army that emerged was far more disciplined and prepared for the long war ahead.
September 24 Turning Point: The Battle of Saratoga
From the earliest days of the Revolution, patriot leaders understood that defeating Britain would likely require foreign support. Aid from European rivals—especially France—could provide money, weapons, and diplomatic recognition the struggling colonies desperately needed. But France hesitated to commit fully until the Americans proved they could defeat British forces in open battle.
That proof came in the autumn of 1777 near Saratoga in upstate New York. Hamner explores the strategic context of the war’s third year and the dramatic campaign that ended with the surrender of a British army. He also highlights the crucial role of General Benedict Arnold—still years away from his notorious betrayal—whose bold leadership and battlefield courage helped secure one of the most consequential American victories of the war, convincing France that the patriots’ cause could succeed.
October 22 Cowpens and Yorktown: The Final Campaigns of the Revolution
The American victory at Saratoga persuaded France to formally support the patriots’ cause, transforming the war into a global conflict. In response, British leaders shifted strategy in 1778, concentrating their efforts in the southern colonies where they hoped loyalist support would help restore royal authority.
Hamner examines two decisive moments of this southern campaign: the stunning American victory at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina in January 1781 and the climactic siege at Yorktown later that year. Marking the 245th anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown, Hamner places the battle within the broader diplomatic and strategic context of the war, showing how American and French cooperation, British miscalculation, and the realities of fighting a transatlantic conflict combined trapped British forces under General Charles Cornwallis, bringing the major fighting of the Revolution to an end.
November 19 The Newburgh Conspiracy: Civil–Military Tensions in the Early Republic
The British surrender at Yorktown ended major fighting in North America, but the war itself lingered for nearly two more years until the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During this uncertain period, the Continental Army encamped at Newburgh, New York, keeping a wary eye on British-occupied New York City.
Frustration mounted when officers learned Congress was debating whether to honor promised back pay and pensions. Anonymous letters, attributed to the mysterious “Brutus,” hinted that the army might refuse to disband unless its demands were met. Hamner explores this tense standoff and George Washington’s dramatic intervention in March 1783, a moment that averted potential mutiny and left a lasting imprint on American fears of standing armies, shaping the debate over the new nation’s military and political future.
4 sessions
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