Who is Charles Cornwallis you may ask? Is he a victor in the American Revolution? He actually is known for being second in command to Henry Clinton and his loss in Yorktown. Lord Cornwallis was moving his troops to Virginia, where he was defeated by George Washington. This American victory along with Cornwallis surrendering his troops was the last major conflicts of the American Revolution. September 11th, 1777 he was surprised by George Washington crossing the Delaware and was out maneuvered at the battle of Princeton, he finally outflanked Washington’s defensive position at the battle of Brandywine. From Lord to a General of India, Charles had many different titles throughout his life. One position that he had been was Master General of the …show more content…
In 1760, Lord Charles Cornwallis was elected to the House of Commons; two years later his father died, and he inherited his father’s earldom and entered the House of Lords as Earl Cornwallis. During the 1760s and early 1770s, Cornwallis spoke regularly out against the repressive tax policies that Britain was imposing on its American colonies. His sympathy did not extend to support for independence and later he joined British forces in America in August 1776. Cornwallis was in most of the action of the major campaigns of the War of Independence. Along the side of William Howe they served on Long Island in the late summer of 1776, and then helped in the pursuit of George Washington across New Jersey. He also was there when the Americans were victorious at Trenton and Princeton. Cornwallis was impatient with Howe’s lack of initiative and was later similarly critical of Sir Henry Clinton. in frustration, Lord Cornwallis resigned his commission, but his resignation was not accepted. The defeat at Yorktown did not destroy his career, however in 1786; he was appointed governor-general of India, this is where he brought important reforms to the civil service and the judiciary. He also instituted a major land reform and led military campaigns against native uprisings. In 1792, he was made a marquee for his service in India. In 1798, Cornwallis became commander-in-chief for Ireland. He won some measure of respect from both Roman Catholics and Protestants for his dedication. Other contributions included quelling a rebellion in 1798 and defending Britain during a French invasion. In 1801 he supported the Act of Union, which joined together the British and Irish in Parliament, but resigned when the king failed to give political rights to