| abstract |
The purpose of this study is to investigate the true nature of the critical role of the Irish in
the success of the American Revolution, and how that overwhelming success paved the way for Irish
immigrants' acceptance for over sixty years leading up to the Great Irish potato famine and its
subsequent exodus from Ireland. This work highlights several specific star officers, the impact of
their service, and their specific heroics that helped General George Washington win the Revolution
and free the country from British dominance. It also points out several ancillary characters that
equally had a role in
victory.
There is a general question as to why the role of the Irish has been underplayed by historians. It
could be a question of a lack of decent sources to make the argument. It could also have been a
conscious effort to white wash the Irish contribution to the war to highlight the prevailing
stereotype of the American soldier during the Revolution as white, Protestant, and of English
descent.
The overwhelming evidence shows that several key commanders, at critical times during the
Revolution, played key roles in success in particular campaigns, battles,
or crucial events that allowed the American forces to prevail. Commander in Chief
Washington and other American leaders understood the role the Irish played in victory and, through
their words and actions, let the American public know why it should
embrace the Irish.
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