Origins & Early Life

Major General Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as one of George Washington's most talented and dependable officers and is known for his successful command in the Southern theater of the conflict. Born into a prosperous Quaker family in Warwick, Rhode Island, Greene became active in the colonial opposition to British revenue policies in the early 1770s and helped establish the Kentish Guards, a state militia unit. After the April 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord, the legislature of Rhode Island established an army and appointed Greene to command it.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Later in the year, Greene became a general in the newly established Continental Army. Greene served under George Washington in the Boston campaign, the New York and New Jersey campaign, and the Philadelphia campaign before being appointed quartermaster general of the Continental Army in 1778. In October 1780, Washington appointed Greene as the commander of the Continental Army in the southern theater, where he was involved in several engagements, primarily in Virginia...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Edmond Halley — Contemporary (Died in 1742) (1742): Pioneering astronomer, mathematician, and physicist known for comet prediction.
• Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher — Contemporary (Born in 1742) (1742): Prussian Field Marshal renowned for his leadership against Napoleon at Leipzig and Waterloo.
• Georg Christoph Lichtenberg — Contemporary (Born in 1742) (1742): Pioneering German physicist, satirist, and discoverer of Lichtenberg figures.
• Frederick the Great — Contemporary (Died in 1786) (1786): King of Prussia, military genius, and Enlightenment patron who transformed his nation.
• Winfield Scott — Contemporary (Born in 1786) (1786): Esteemed General, veteran of the War of 1812 and commanding the U.S. Army.
• Abanindranath Tagore — Shared historical date (08-07 · Born) (1871): Pioneering figure of the Bengal School, modernizing Indian art against Western influence.
• Emil Nolde — Shared historical date (08-07 · Born) (1867): Pioneering German Expressionist painter, celebrated for intense color and raw emotional brushwork.
• Aage Bohr — Shared historical date (06-19 · Born) (1922): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Alfred Baphethuxolo Nzo — Shared historical date (06-19 · Born) (1925): Prominent South African politician and long-serving ANC leader.
• Yemelyan Pugachev — Historical peer (Born in 1742) (1742): Cossack rebel leader whose uprising challenged Catherine the Great's rule in the Russian Empire.
• 1742 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1742
• August 7 (08-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 7
• 1786 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1786
• June 19 (06-19) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 19