Lt General Charles Earl Cornwallis | Guilford Courthouse

Lieutenant General Charles Earl Cornwallis was appointed by General Henry Clinton to lead the Southern Campaign when Clinton returned to New York.

Determined to destroy General Nathaniel Greene's army after the Battle of Cowpens, Cornwallis pursued Greene's forces, who had escaped to safety across the Dan River, in Virginia.  On March 15, 1781, Cornwallis, with only around 1,900 men, engaged Green at Guilford Courthouse.  Greene was forced to retreat, and Cornwallis was victorious. However, Cornwallis lost over a quarter of his men as a result of the battle.

Standards

• 4.2.P Analyze the sequence of events that led to the establishment of the U.S. as a democratic republic.
• 4.2.CX Contextualize South Carolina’s role in the development of the new nation.
• 8.2.CE Explain the economic, political, and social factors surrounding the American Revolution.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how the colonies began to unify to create a distinctive American identity over the course of events of the American Revolution.
• 8.2.CX Contextualize the roles of various groups of South Carolinians as the colonies moved toward becoming an independent nation.
• This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the motivations of colonists during the American Revolution and the progression of conflict and failed compromise that ultimately led to revolution.

Resources