Washington

George Washington influenced every phase of the Revolutionary war, from beginning to end. He deftly handled the "political realm" by convincing Congress to keep his army supplied, a tough task when the country was really just a loose confederation of states with no power to tax. Washington left his mark with strategies and a vision of the Revolution as a war of attrition. His offenses were as brilliant as they were unpredictable, such as his legendary Christmas Day strike at Trenton, and a bold foray through the fog to nearly drive the British from the field at Germantown. It was an aggressive attack that helped convince the French that the American Army was worth supporting. Carbone argues that it is this sort of fearless but not reckless, spontaneous but calculated, offensive that Washington should be remembered for - as a leader not of infallibility but of greatness.