of regard to South Carolina and Georgia and also because the New Englanders, though not having many slaves themselves, were considerable carriers of them to others and were therefore a little sensitive on that point. Finally, on the 4th of July, 1776, the Declaration received the final sanction of Congress.

CHAPTER XI

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

173. Principles more Important than Battles. - We cannot go into the details of the battles of the Revolution. It is more important to know the principles underlying a war, to know how and why a nation gets into a war and how it gets out, than to trace the history of marches, sieges, battles, and campaigns. The glory of war is in its courage, patriotism, selfsacrifice, and devotion. These qualities were brought out in America by the seven years' struggle for independence, in which two million five hundred thousand people, "armed in the holy cause of liberty," won their independence against a nation many times more powerful in resources and in men.

THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE STATES, 1776

The first ob

174. The British seek Control of the Hudson. ject of the British in the war was to take New York, Philadelphia, and the Hudson, and thus cut the colonies in two by separating New England from the South. They would then conquer each section separately. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were not so hostile to British rule as was New England. There were more Tories in the Middle Colonies, and there was considerable Tory sentiment south of Virginia. The British thought if New England and Virginia could be cut off and suppressed, the war would soon be over. So the Middle Colonies became the scene of the war for the first two years after independence was declared.

Washington tried to defend New York. He had moved his troops to that place from Boston in April, and he now fortified

Brooklyn Heights. The Americans also built Fort Lee and Fort Washington a little way up the Hudson from New York to keep the British fleet from going up that river. The Howe British army was commanded by General William defeats Howe, and the fleet by his brother, Lord Howe. The Washington at Long British army soon numbered about thirty thousand Island and men, nearly double that of the Americans. Washing- captures ton was attacked by Howe in the battle of Long Island (August 27, 1776) and was defeated. The American army was barely saved from capture by the skill and strategy of Washington, who, leaving his camp fires burning, had his forces ferried across the East River to New York, leaving the British only his empty camp.

New York.

175. Washington's Memorable Retreat to Trenton. Howe followed Washington up the east side of the Hudson and defeated the Americans again at White Plains, and then captured Fort Washington. The American army crossed to the west side of the Hudson a little below Peekskill; and General Charles Lee was left with seven thousand men on the east side of the river. Lee was ordered to join his forces to Washington's, but in jealousy and mutiny he refused to obey, and Washington began his long and memorable retreat through New Jersey to Trenton. As the British followed, Washington crossed to the west side of the Delaware. The British hoped to catch Washington's army and end the war in this one campaign. If Howe with his overwhelming force had ordered Cornwallis vigorously to pursue Washington, instead of ordering the troops to stop at New Brunswick, if he had quickly struck at Philadelphia, he could no doubt have captured the city and he would probably have completely broken the American resistance. But Howe made the mistake of seeking his comfort in winter quarters in New York to rejoice over his victories. This illustrates one of the causes of American success in the Revolution, - the incompetency of the British commanders and the greater ability of Washington and the greater sacrifice his soldiers were ready to undergo.