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General Charles Lee
Nathanael Greene is a young soldier on the American side of the Revolutionary War. He hails from Rhode Island, and grows up teaching himself about reading, writing, and military strategy despite his family’s modest means. In the early days of the Revolutionary War, he quickly impresses George Washington with his intelligence and initiative. As McCullough points out, Greene is emblematic of the American values that the Founding Fathers celebrated: he’s young, ambitious, idealistic, and hard-working. While Greene disappoints Washington on occasion—for instance, failing to defend Fort Washington from British attack—he’s a key figure in the early stages of the American war effort, and one of the few American soldiers who fights with Washington from 1775 until the end of the war in 1783.
Nathanael Greene Quotes in 1776
The 1776 quotes below are all either spoken by Nathanael Greene or refer to Nathanael Greene. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
Nathanael Greene was no ordinary man. He had a quick, inquiring mind and uncommon resolve. He was extremely hardworking, forthright, good-natured, and a born leader. His commitment to the Glorious Cause of America, as it was called, was total. And if his youth was obvious, the Glorious Cause was to a large degree a young man's cause.
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Chapter 3
Quotes
If the desperate American need for leaders had thrust young men like Nathanael Greene into positions beyond their experience, the British military system, wherein commissions were bought and aristocrats given preference, denied many men of ability roles they should have played.
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Nathanael Greene Quotes in 1776
The 1776 quotes below are all either spoken by Nathanael Greene or refer to Nathanael Greene. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
Nathanael Greene was no ordinary man. He had a quick, inquiring mind and uncommon resolve. He was extremely hardworking, forthright, good-natured, and a born leader. His commitment to the Glorious Cause of America, as it was called, was total. And if his youth was obvious, the Glorious Cause was to a large degree a young man's cause.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3
Quotes
If the desperate American need for leaders had thrust young men like Nathanael Greene into positions beyond their experience, the British military system, wherein commissions were bought and aristocrats given preference, denied many men of ability roles they should have played.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
