User blog:Elgb333/FOR FREEDOM! George Washington vs Toussaint Louverture

The late 18th century saw the beginning of what would become the "Age of Revolution", a time where nationalistic ideas became widespread and oppressed people everywhere started to fight for their independence. Never has been liberty so sought after ever since the Roman era, and the Age of Revolution gave chance to small and insignificant countries to rise and become some of the most powerful superpowers of today.

But today, we will be pitting two of the greatest and most iconic revolutionaires in the Age of Revolution!

George Washington: founding father and future president of the United States of America! Who took on the might of the British Empire with his beloved patriots!

vs

Toussaint Louverture: beloved slave leader, who waged war against the tyranny of racism and oppression in Haiti using his well-trained slave army!

In a battle between two national heroes... WHO...IS... DEADLIEST!

George Washington
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Colonial Virginia. Strong, brave, eager for combat, and a natural leader, he quickly became a senior officer during the early years of the French and Indian War. Years later, Washington's experience, military bearing, and leadership skills made him an obvious choice for Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Washington forced the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and nearly captured later that year when the British captured New York City. Early on Christmas morning in 1776, Washington's forces crossed the Delaware River and won two key battles at Trenton and Princeton, retaking New Jersey and restoring momentum to the Patriot cause. Negotiating with Congress, governors, and French allies, he held together a tenuous army and a fragile nation amid the threats of disintegration and invasion. Washington delivered the final blow in 1781, after a French naval victory allowed American and French forces to trap a British army at Yorktown, Virginia. With the surrender of British Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis, the British government was finally prompted to negotiate an end to the conflict. After American independence was secured by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Washington resigned rather than seize power, and returned to his plantation at Mount Vernon, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to the emerging American political ideology of republicanism.

Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in 1787, and was unanimously elected the first President of the United States by the Electoral College in 1789. Aware that everything he did set a precedent for future Presidents to follow, Washington reluctantly accepted a salary (so that the office of President would not be limited only to the wealthy), chose the title "Mr. President" over more majestic names, and retired after his second term. In December 1799, Washington fell ill after spending several hours inspecting his farms on horseback in snow and freezing rain. He would die several days later on December 14, 1799.

Melee= The Bailey Silver & Ivory Hilted Cuttoe While in the show, DW gave Washington a cloichemarde sword. Today I'll be giving Washington his more iconic Bailey Silver sword, the one sword that was with him in some of his most iconic battles, as well as his most iconic depictions and paintings. Made in Fishkill, New York by John Bailey, a cutler from Sheffield, England, the sword has a slightly curved, grooved steel blade, silver mounted cross guard and pommel, and a green ivory grip.


 * Curved blade
 * 2.6 feet blade

The "Brown Bess" was the nickname of the Land Pattern Musket, the standard British Military musket from 1722 until 1838. The weapon was one of the earliest examples of a standardized design for a military firearm in history, and was used by the British Military, as well as numerous forces who opposed them, including American Minutemen
 * -|Musket= Brown Bess Musket


 * .71 cal
 * 50-100 yards

The Kentucky Long Rifle was one of the earliest rifled firearms in history which first came into scene at the hands of American militiaman, who turned this everyday hunting rifle into a military sniper rifle.
 * -|Rifles=Kentucky Long Rifle


 * .48 cal
 * 100-200 yards

Toussaint Louverture
Toussaint Louverture, nicknamed Napoléon Noir and Black Spartacus, was born in French colony of Saint Domingue, present-day Haiti as a slave. His father was the son of a defeated king of Benin who was captured and sold to white slave traders, being sent to Haiti to work on a plantation. Little is known about Toussai nt's early life, except that he was a slave until age 33, when he was freed in 1776. At some point in his life, Louverture became educated, possibly by Jesuit missionaries, being familiar with medicine and some familiarity with philosophy and political literature, as well as gaining a basic ability to write. Louverture amassed considerable wealth as a free man by 1789, when a slave revolt broke out, Louverture was initially not involved, but in 1791, he acted as a mediator between the rebels and the French leadership. Negotiations, however, broke down, though Louverture did prevent the massacre of white prisoners held by the rebels. In 1791, Louverture become committed to the abolition of slavery, and in 1792, Toissaint truly became a leader among the rebels, training his troops in both guerrilla warfare and in the "European" style of war. In 1793, Louverture fought a campaign against French forces, at this time taking on the surname Louverture.

While Louverture was generally a royalist, when the French Revolutionary Government took abolished slavery in 1794, Louverture sided with the French, commanding military forces in Saint Domingue. During this time, he defeated Spanish and British incursions into Saint Domingue, as well as occasional small rebellions, and was eventually appointed territorial lieutenant governor, overseeing a period of tension between white landowners and former slaves, as well as a conflict with radical rival revolutionary Sonothonax. He later negotiated with the British in 1798, ending the conflict in exchange for guarantees that his anti-slavery revolution would not be extended to Jamaica and signed a similar treaty with the United States. In 1801, Louverture invaded and took control of Spanish Santo Domingo, in spite of being ordered not to by Napoleon Bonaparte and, in the same year, wrote a constitution offically prohibiting slavery anywhere on the island of Saint Domingue.

Melee= Sabre de Cuirassier An IX The Sabre de Cuirassier An IX was a French cavalry sabre designed in year nine after the French Revolution, or 1799. The Sabre had a curved blade about 97 centimeters in length, and a was designed for slashing at a target from horseback, thought it could be used dismounted.


 * Curved blade
 * 3 feet blade

The Charleville 1777 was an upgrade on an older line of Charleville muskets dating back to 1714. Being the standard-issue musket for the French Army in the late 18th century to early 19th century, it was also widespread in many other French territory and colony, especially in Saint-Domingue where it was used by most rebel forces.
 * -|Musket= Charleville 1777 Musket


 * .69 cal
 * Said to have a range of 100-200 yards, but its most effective range is 50-100 yards.


 * -|Rifles=Napoleonic Rifle


 * .48 cal
 * 100-200 yards

X-Factors
Strategy

Although both generals were not perfect and did suffer their share of defeats, they are still remembered as brilliant tacticians who paved the way for their countries independece. Washington was a great general though he initially had a long string of defeats in his career. He did horribly during the French and Indian War, and while he did won battles during the American Revolution, he also lost alot of them due to lack of resources. It wasn't until the last years of the war where Washington shined the most (especiallyin the Siege of Yorktown). Toussaint on the other hand, took on the French, Spanish, British and even other rival commanders successfully. He did lost some battles but won most of his major campaigns (besides St. Marc). He even took on the forces of Napoleon Bonparte head on and won some of their skirmishes.

Leadership

Washington and Louverture drilled a bunch of rag tag peasants to take up arms and fight in disadvantage against more professional armies from very large empires. Washington took his militias and minutemen, personally trained them against the bitter cold at Valley Forge, and made a steadfast continental army. Lourverture himself made a powerful slave army from oppressed slaves taht went on to defeat European armies in Saint Domingue, knowing that he himself was a slave himself.

Training

Even before the war, Washington was already a well-trained gentleman officer. Toussaint on the other hand was mostly self-taught sinc erecently coming from a slave background.