2.10: Banastre Tarleton and England's "Southern Strategy"

History: Beyond the Textbook

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Much of the history of the American Revolution focuses on actions in what was called the “Northern” theater, and to a degree, this makes sense: given the outsized role Massachusetts played in the pre-war years and the early years of combat. Yet while the Southern colonies were not exactly “inactive” during the early years of the war, many narratives don’t necessarily focus on this region in great detail until the pivotal Battle of Yorktown in fall 1781. As Britain concentrated more resources on this region in the second half of the war, stories began to spread about one individual in particular who became known for his brutality and effectiveness as a horseman: and remarkably, he was only 27 years old by war’s end. His wartime actions, and the actions of those who fought him, help shape the story of England’s “Southern Strategy '' in the American Revolution. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, we’ll explore the later years of the Revolution through the campaigns of “Bloody” Banastre Tarleton and the Patriots who opposed him throughout the South.
Key People
Banastre Tarleton
Lord Charles Cornwallis
Francis Marion
Daniel Morgan
Thomas Jefferson
Key Events
Battle of Waxhaw Creek
Battle of Camden
Battle of Cowpens

The second season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped the Revolutionary era in American history, and runs from February 27-May 7.
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