Why is henry knox important

The following spring, Knox and his wife, both staunch patriots, fled from Boston as revolutionary hostilities commenced. After presenting himself to MG Artemas Ward, Knox was assigned the task of constructing gun emplacements around Boston. Led by Knox, the expedition, consisting of hundreds of men and teams of horses and oxen, hauled fifty-six cannon and mortars all the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts, by mid-January The newly acquired guns were then moved into position atop Dorchester Heights near Boston, forcing the British garrison to evacuate Boston in mid-March.

After this impressive action, Knox became a trusted confidant to Washington. Knox participated in nearly every significant battle in the Revolutionary War. He crossed the Delaware River with Washington and brilliantly commanded the artillery at the ensuing Battle of Trenton.

Knox further contributed to the patriot cause by placing the artillery for Washington during the victorious siege of Yorktown, and soon after rose to the rank of major general. Assigned to West Point in , Knox found himself in command of the post by August of the following year. Wishing to construct a fraternal order of Revolutionary War officers, Knox founded the Society of the Cincinnati in May and became its first secretary. General George Washington was impressed by Knox, and received a commission as colonel of the artillery regiment.

Knox retrieved 60 tons of cannons from the capture Fort Ticonderoga and brought them to aid in the siege of Boston, helping secure American victory. With his natural knack for logistical operations, Knox played a key role in Washington's crossing of the Delaware River in before returning to Boston to improve artillery manufacturing and raise additional soldiers.

Knox was present at the Battle of Brandywine and Battle of Germantown and joined the Army at Valley Forge where he set up the artillery park to defend the encampment site. The following year, Knox established a school for artillery and officer training in Bedminster, New Jersey. The two men built a lifelong friendship marked my mutual respect and admiration. When William abandoned his family for the West Indies in , nine-year-old Knox left school to support his mother and younger brother by working at a local bookbindery.

Before long, Knox opened his own shop, the London Book Store. Perhaps most notably, their friendship belied the ostensible impossibility of Northern-Southern fellowship, providing a deeply personal example for national unity for years to come. Theodore J. Podcast Mount Vernon Everywhere!