George Washington and the Sullivan Campaign

This paper examines George Washington’s primary motivation for carrying out the Sullivan Campaign during the Revolutionary War in 1779. This research is based on an examination of George Washington\u27s letters during the Revolutionary War. Washington needed to end the Western frontier wars with the Indians so he could devote the whole of his Continental forces to fighting the British and also to free frontiersmen from the fear of Indian raids to be able and willing to join militias. However, one of the most fascinating aspects of Washington’s decision is that he was very reluctant to carry out the campaign right up until the expedition was launched. He absolutely realized the importance of quelling the Indian problem but never wanted to launch a full scale offensive against them. Washington was short on men, wanted to be ever ready for a British offensive, and viewed the frontier wars as a distraction almost entirely separate from the Revolutionary War