The Crossing by George Washing - Essay Example

The Crossing: George Washing In the annals of United s, the American Revolution is not only a story about how United States acquired its independence, but also about the patriots’ initiative in the nation’s liberation. The struggle to oust the colonial masters cost blood and water, yet the fearless patriot did not despair. Many lost their lives, some registered injuries, but nothing could stop their urge to change the political landscape of the country. The movie, The Crossing, retell the seven-year war that led to independence. Specifically, the film portrays George Washington as an instrumental figure in the quest for independence. Conquerors in any war exercise a lot of courage in going beyond the normal expectation. In the movie ‘The Crossing’, George Washing took the lead in crossing the Delaware river on the Christmas day to fight the British soldiers. The American troops under leadership of George Washington had to employ numerous war tactics in order to defeat their opponent. Critics believe that good leadership leads to success. In the same way, in the movie, George Washington who was the commander in chief earns credit as an outstanding leader. The American troops sneaked and attacked the Hessian mercenaries that belonged to the Britons. The central theme in the movie is George Washington’s role in liberating his nations. The photograph below portrays George Washington leading his foot soldiers to cross the Delaware River. Crossing of the river was not easy because it had frozen ice. Source: http://www.flagsbay.com/flag/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/washington-crossing-the-delaware.png The movie illustrates various character traits of George Washington. For example, the crossing of the Delaware River portrays Washington as a brave leader who does not only lead his troop to the war, but also make a timely target to the opponent. The crossing of the Delaware River took place on a Christmas day. The choice of the day was strategic given the fact that the enemy was on holiday. Many people would wish to credit a leader for his activities; however, some leaders deserve more than praise. It is arguable that George Washington could have considered other factors such engaging in farming as opposed to fighting for his nation. The motion pictures George Washington as a hero. The war in Trenton handed them a big win because the American soldiers were able to capture the Hessian mercenaries (Pencak 340). In war, soldiers protecting the arsenals mean a lot to their troop because they vital mercenaries needed in the war is under their custody. This means that an attack at the arsenal would make the opponent lose. Largely, the attacked troop will not have a means of replenishing their weapons once the enemy has ceased the arsenal. The photograph below illustrates the challenges that George Washington had to endure. Source: http://www.davidhanauer.com/buckscounty/washingtoncrossing/photos/washington_crossing1.jpg A spectacular event occurs when Washington and his troop arrived at the banks of the Delaware River; his troops lack food, boat or medicine, yet Washington believed they had to continue protecting their nation. The British troop has been lying at Trenton, equipped with best mercenary. Moreover, the troop that Washington is about to fight is the best among the British forces. This attribute seems to worry other generals in Washington troop. These generals proposes to Washington that they risk dying if the crossed the river, but to their surprise Washington does not give an after thought about crossing the river. He made a good suggestion on how to cross the river by acquiring boats from an angler. Ideally, the situation seems to be perilous but Washington demonstrates courage in his attempt to cross the river. It is observable through motion pictures in the movie that George Washington was an exceptional leader who could not retreat once he had made a decision to fight the opponents. The success of the American Revolution largely depends on the strategies that he made in fighting the British troops. In the movie, Washington does not let any chance to the British forces. He knew that the during Christmas celebration the soldiers would not ready to fight their opponents. Further, he surprised his to troop by announcing to them that they had to attack on a Christmas day. The attack was successful; the British soldiers that were waiting to for the Delaware River to freeze in order to cross over to Pennsylvania were caught pants down. Most episodes in the movie portray Washington as a clever leader that the American troop would rely on. Moreover, he did not lead from statehouse as we observe presently. He took the front lead in evaluating the success of any attempt that his troop made. Washington felt that he had a duty to protect the young nation from the European troops that surrounded nearly every part of the country for instance, the British administration in Canada, the French in Mississippi and the Spanish in Florida. As a leader, he was able to see beyond what the common people observed. Washington employed participatory leadership style, where he was part of the team that fought to rescue his people. While many leaders like leading from his or her office desk, the movie portrays washing as the general who leads his troop on the battlefield (Pencak 341). Some critics could argue that the work he did belonged to the generals serving under him; however, the movie portray him as on of the leaders that do what they say. It is notable in the film that Washington had human attributes. For instance, he sympathized with the human conditions, which his soldiers had to endure. He led the troop during the chilly weather to fight their opponents. It is arguable that a few leaders would risk their lives once they have assumed the throne to go out in the battle, moreover, fighting when the weather is not conducive for war activities. The film project the Washington quality of leadership. In the movie, Washington made consultation with other leaders. These consultations enabled him to make a wise move into the battlefield. In most cases, some leaders fail to consulate with their juniors, on the contrary, Washington took the risk of discussing the best plan to approach the war with his juniors. The film illustrates the civilization of United States in 1770s. The film takes the viewer back to the ancient period when transport system was majorly through horsebacks or wagons pulled by horses. The transportation system was a great challenge in the war because the opponents capitalized on the weather conditions to execute their attack. For instance, in the movie, the British troop camping at the Hessian waited for the River Delaware to freeze in order to capture Pennsylvania. The boats used by Washington troop to cross the river did not belong to the military. These features illustrate Washington’s commitment in fighting and protecting his country. It is evident that he was ready to risk his life and the life of his soldiers in protecting the independence of his country. The movie, The Crossing illustrate theme of patriotism. The motion pictures about Washington and his troop demonstrated that they were real patriots. In the movie, Washington’s troop faced numerous challenges such as trekking long distances, inadequate food supply, and fierce opponent, lack of medicine and inadequate supply of ammunition (Pencak 340). The above challenges were so many making the battle hard to win. However, patriots do not look at the challenges as hindrance to the war, but as an opportunity to portray their love for their country. It was daring to fight the British army especially the soldiers camping at Hessian. History records that the British troops that camped at Hessian had the best war equipment and skills for fighting the battle. Planning an assault to such camp was frightening because the outcome seems to be predetermined. However, this looming danger did not stop the courage of Washington. Another feature that appears in the movie about Washington is his intelligence. When his troop was advancing to the shore, they encountered a rugged terrain that forced them to abandon some military weapon. It is puzzling to abandon a weapon especially when heading to the battlefield. However, the choice to abandon a given tactic in the battlefield would depend on the strategy of the leader. Ideally, attacking the British troop during the festival enabled the troop to acquire best equipment for war as well as displeasing them from the region. Thus, American Revolution was successful because of the tireless efforts that Washington displayed in fighting the Guerrilla war. The motion pictures in the movie do not exaggerate any activity of the soldiers. The atmosphere of the movie is natural as described in the history of the revolutionary war. In conclusion, the movie The Crossing is a legendary illustration because it portrays Americans patriots fighting in fierce life conditions to save their country. Specifically, the movie focused on leadership ability George Washington; he took a center role in planning and executing attacks to the foreign forces. Notable, the Washington displayed great wit in military by influencing the tactics that the soldiers employed in the war. Washington idea to join his troops into the war shows that he employed participative leadership traits in influencing the choices the country made. In the movie, Washington wisdom is evident through his talks with his generals as well as his plans in the war. Work cited Pencak, William. Pennsylvania’s Revolution. New York: Penn State Press. 2010. Print. Read More

 

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