In this episode, I cover the deeds of Charles Lee, who began a grand letter-writing campaign in an attempt to undermine the military conduct of George Washington and convince Congress to replace the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army with himself at the tail end of 1776. I also discuss Washington’s use of military intelligence, and his bold strike at Trenton, which became his finest moment up to that point. In the aftermath of the Battle of Trenton, I also comment on Washington’s follow-up attack at Princeton, where a British detachment was defeated. The episode culminates with coverage of Thomas Paine’s series of pro-patriot pamphlets in late 1776, The American Crisis.
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Other Recommended Readings
David McCullough, 1776
Murray Rothbard, Conceived in Liberty
Thomas Paine: The American Crisis
Don Higginbotham, George Washington and the American Military Tradition
