Published to coincide with the 250th anniversary, this sweeping narrative is an astute exploration of the five critical military events that changed the Revolutionary War's outcome.

For eight grueling years, American and British military forces struggled in a bloody war over colonial independence. This conflict also ensnared Native American warriors and the armies and navies of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and several German principalities. From frozen Canada to tropical Florida and as far west as the Mississippi River, the Revolutionary War included hundreds of campaigns, battles, and skirmishes on land and sea in which soldiers and sailors fought and died for causes, crowns, and comrades.

In this masterful yet accessible narrative of America’s fight for liberty, John R. Maass identifies the five decisive events that secured independence for the 13 hard-pressed but determined colonies. These include not only the obvious military victories such as Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown but also the leadership and reforms that ensured Washington’s forces could endure the harsh conditions of the winter of 1778. Similarly, King Louis XVI’s decision to supply Continental troops during the Saratoga Campaign with desperately needed soldiers, arms, money, and fleets is also detailed as a key factor.

These turning points, not all triumphs on the battlefield, delivered a victory for the new United States. Challenging conventional interpretations of what ensures victory in warfare, From Trenton to Yorktown offers a fresh perspective on the Revolutionary War.

John R. Maass is a staff member of the National Museum of the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir. He received a BA in history from Washington and Lee University and a PhD in early American history at The Ohio State University. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on early U.S. military history, including North Carolina and the French and Indian War: The Spreading Flames of War (2013); Defending a New Nation, 1783-1811 (2013); The Road to Yorktown: Jefferson, Lafayette and the British Invasion of Virginia (2015); George Washington’s Virginia (2017); and The Battle of Guilford Courthouse: A Most Desperate Engagement (2020).

Please register; Zoom links will go out before the event.

Co-sponsored by the Avon & Farmington Libraries., Avon Historical Society, and the Avon 250th Coordinating Committee