Size Mattered for the Founding Fathers

In the summer of 1776, just a few weeks after the Thirteen Colonies had declared their independence, George Washington was in New York, preparing for the first and biggest fight of the Revolutionary War. His army was about to face more than 30,000 British troops — the largest enemy fleet ever to reach American shores. He inspected fortifications, monitored British movements on Staten Island, and rallied his men. But, on 19 August, as New York braced itself for battle, Washington put aside his military maps and turned his attention to Mount Vernon, his plantation in Virginia.