Abstract:
When asked about the American Revolution, most Americans relate images of philosophically enlightened leaders at the head of regular armies. The war that most Americans picture largely took place near the major urban centers of the east coast. Yet, a vicious guerrilla war often involving neighbors, brothers, women and children raged across the American frontier from the so-called "shot heard 'round the world" in 1775 to the Peace of Paris in 1783 and beyond. Out of this conflict came several of the new nation's early military heroes. Certainly, George Rogers Clark was one of the foremost of such men. Born in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1752, he rose to fame as the most successful American commander in the Old Northwest Territory. Yet, despite his celebrity, George Rogers Clark quickly fell into disrepute after the revolution. In fact, his reputation plummeted so far that by the time he was thirty years old, his public image was all but ruined. This thesis will present a complete picture of George Rogers Clark and will spend considerable time analyzing his penchant for brutality and his expertise at psychological manipulation as well as his daring and courage. It will examine Clark's faults as well as his successes and endeavor to unravel the confusion surrounding speculations about his romantic life and his rapid descent from hero to charity case. In short, the aim of this project is to present a scholarly biography of Clark the man, not a romantic myth of Clark
the hero. In a larger sense, by examining Clark this thesis will also present an overall picture of the harsh realities of frontier warfare and attempt to analyze its effects on the moral compass of those who participate in it.
