Washington defeated at Germantown

Historical Context Note

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On the 4th of October, 1777 the American Continental Army was defeated by the British army at Germantown, Pennsylvania. Washington had planned a surprise attack on the British garrison, approaching under cover of darkness, but the offensive did not go to plan and soon the Americans were disorientated by fog and thick smoke. Though the defeat allowed the British to continue their occupation of Philadelphia until June 1778, the American's felt their army had fought well and with courage, and it was the weather, rather than any lack of military ability, that had prevented a victory.

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13028 Washington defeated at Germantown 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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