General Nathanael Greene | Cowpens

In the fall of 1780, George Washington appointed General Nathanael Greene to command the Continental army in the South.  From North Carolina, Greene sent a portion of his men under General Daniel Morgan to harass the British in western South Carolina.  

Greene’s strategy when he went to the south was to split his command. He knew If he took his entire army up against Lt. General Charles Earl Cornwallis, they wouldn't stand a chance.  He hoped Cornwallis would do the same and divide his own force.

Cornwallis did exactly as Greene hoped and sent Lt. Colonel Barnastre Tarleton to chase after Morgan's army.

Tarleton met Morgan's men on January 17, 1781 at the Battle of Cowpens.

Standards

• 4.2.CE Examine the economic and political motivations for colonists to declare independence from Great Britain.
• 4.2.CX Contextualize South Carolina’s role in the development of the new nation.
• 8.2.CO Compare the motives and demographics of loyalists and patriots within South Carolina and the colonies.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the economic, political, and social motivations of the patriots and the loyalists in the era of the American Revolution.
• 8.2.CE Explain the economic, political, and social factors surrounding the American Revolution.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how the colonies began to unify to create a distinctive American identity over the course of events of the American Revolution.
• 8.2.CX Contextualize the roles of various groups of South Carolinians as the colonies moved toward becoming an independent nation.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the motivations of colonists during the American Revolution and the progression of conflict and failed compromise that ultimately led to revolution.

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