Revolutionary War, 1775

Cambridge, Massachusett

Washington arrived in Cambridge on July 2nd to take command of the newly-formed Continental Army. "The Village I am in," Washington observed, "is situated in the midst of a very delightful Country, and is a very beautiful place itself."

The Continental Army

The army was ragtag, barely trained, half-starving and woefully unequipped. The group was also hardly united for too much of the war and led by generals often squabbling, undermining, or fighting with each other.

The Quebec Campaign

August 1775 to July 1776

The ill-fated American invasion of Quebec was lost, in part, due to Congressional leaders' indecision and lack of organization which prevented Continental troops from receiving the financial and military support necessary to execute any sort of effective military strategy. 

Vaccinating the Troops

Smallpox was the first major threat to General Washington, endangering the lives of thousands, including military and civilian alike, the continued viability of the Continental Army, and the success of the war for independence from Britain.