Answer:
Explanation:
According to Washington's aide Alexander Hamilton, the military strategy the General would pursue throughout the Revolutionary War was as follows: "our hopes are not placed in any particular city, or spot of ground, but in preserving a good army to take advantage of favorable opportunities, and waste and defeat the enemy by piecemeal."
In order to "preserve a good army, one had to be created in the first place. It was a long and difficult road from the Continental Congress's edict designating the militia around Boston as a Continental Army and creating such an army in fact. Although many colonials had had some military experience in the French and Indian War, most had served in militia units, a far cry from service in a regular European-style army. The latter, Washington believed, was what the Continental Army needed to become if the colonies were to stand up to the British army.
Are you familiar with Gavroche, the young, plucky French Revolution sympathizer from Les Misérables? We think he and Curzon would get along pretty well. They're both proud supporters of rebel causes and neither seems to let their circumstances—be them slavery or poverty—get them down. It's this sense of hope and commitment to independence that causes Curzon to become not just a good friend to Isabel, but a source of encouragement to not lose heart in the midst of her trials.
A Slave That Serves His Country
Curzon is in a highly unique position for a slave. To begin with, he's extremely aware of the political situation between the Loyalists and Patriots in New York. Hold on a sec… Wouldn't everyone know the details of a major war going down in their backyard? You would think so, but recall that later in the book, Lockton mocks Isabel's interest in politics, calling it "quaint" that the slaves have opinions (29.7). Curzon not only has opinions about the conflict, but actually spies for Bellingham by keeping his eyes open for subversive Loyalist activities.
The fact that Curzon actually enlists in the Patriot army also speaks volumes about his involvement with the revolution. While many slaves joined the army in place of their masters in exchange for freedom, gaining independence for himself isn't Curzon's sole objective. When he approaches the other slaves at the water pump with this news, he declares that he is "an American […] An American soldier" (26.26). Curzon sees his status as a slave as incidental, then, and feels ownership of the cause he fights for. He self-identifies as an American soldier.
