The Most Sacred Thing (May 1780 – Onward)

The idea of America, rooted in the American Revolution, is the belief in possibility. Everyone on both sides of the war, even those who were denied ownership of themselves, saw an opportunity worth fighting for. The Revolution will not only mark the beginning of a new nation, but it will have ramifications that will echo across the globe.

Washington discovers that Benedict Arnold has defected and planned to surrender West Point – and the men stationed there – to the British. Arnold accomplished miracles on the battlefield and felt that he did not receive due recognition. The spy who turned Arnold traitor is caught and hanged. However, Arnold escapes and takes command of a British regiment known as the American Legion.

Nathanael Greene is dispatched to the South to replace the disgraced Horatio Gates. Despite being outnumbered, Greene divides his army and gives Daniel Morgan command of a portion of his force. Morgan, a master tactician lures the British into a trap at the Battle of Cowpens, resulting in a decisive Patriot victory and forcing the British to retreat to Virginia.

Washington deceives the British into thinking he's moving north while his troops and the French navy move to surround General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown. The maneuver works, and the British are trapped. The combined American and French armies siege Yorktown, forcing Cornwallis to surrender. The Battle of Yorktown is over and the world will never be the same.

The American Revolution has ended, but the newly United States teeters on the brink of fracturing. Delegates, nearly half of whom own slaves, meet in Philadelphia to draft a new constitution. They create a system of government intended to preserve freedom and liberty, and prevent demagogues from plunging the nation into tyranny. The document is sent to the states to ratify.

Spanish Louisiana Bernardo de Gálvez sees his chance to retake West Florida for his king and push Spanish colonies farther into North America. As soon as Spain officially enters the war, Gálvez leaves New Orleans and starts taking British posts one after another before heading to Pensacola. Gálvez would restore Spanish rule to West Florida and, along with it, control of the Gulf of Mexico.

All across the Lower South, British outposts either surrender or get abandoned as General Nathanael Greene leads the Patriots through the region. He fights three full-scale battles with the British, losing them all. But each time, Greene inflicts such heavy casualties, the British have to withdraw until they're penned up in just three coastal towns. London’s Southern strategy was falling apart.

When Mumbet, an enslaved woman in Massachusetts, gets struck by her mistress with a shovel, she leaves and refuses to return. She successfully sues for her freedom, helping to bring an end to slavery in that state. Mumbet would change her name to Elizabeth Freeman and serve as a healer, nurse, and midwife to her neighbors.

James Forten was born free in Philadelphia. At 14, he was old enough to fight for his country and signed onto a privateer and set out to sea. Forten was one of 20 men and boys of color in a crew of 200. On his second voyage, his ship was overtaken by British. He ended up with hundreds of Americans on a prison ship, the Jersey, moored in the East River off Brooklyn.

In early 1783, an unsigned manifesto starts circulating among George Washington’s officers. It openly called for a mutiny if peace came. Instead of disarming, they would use the army to force Congress and the United States to provide the back pay they were owed. Washington brought the mutiny to an end before it even began.

Joseph Plumb Martin was one of the many ordinary Americans who made up the Continental Army. As they began to disband, George Washington again tried to persuade Congress to provide his men with back pay.

The British Army under General Cornwallis struggles to pacify the southern states. Meanwhile, one of the most respected American generals betrays the cause and defects to the British. Supported by the French Army and Navy, Washington’s Continental Army wins the decisive victory at Yorktown. Peace is restored, independence is won, and Americans aspire for a more perfect union.