William Howe belonged in the military, joining at a young age in 1746 with the Cumberland's Light Dragoons. He first fought I"m the French and Indian making his way steadily up the ranks. He fought hard and brutal for England and made one of his biggest impressions at Quebec. He was one of the first to march up the embankment towards the city for the invasion. He served with great leaders like Gen. James Wolfe at Quebec and James Murray in the Montreal expedition. He was sent back to Britain until 1775 when the Revolutionary War started. This was his moment of glory in Britain's eyes.
He was a Whig in Britain that was opposed to the coercion in North America. He obeyed King George III's orders and went to America to command his own British troops. On June 17, 1775 he led his troops to battle of Bunker Hill and did an impeccable job. He did such a good job he was promoted to Lieutenant General and knighted and became Sir William Howe. He succeeded Gen. Thomas Gage as the commander of the British troops in the Colonies. Under this name he fought great battles with some strong and important generals of the colonies, like George Washington. He faced him in four battles winning two and barely escaping two of the battles. The two battles he one was the Battle of Long Island and the Battle Brandywine both in 1776. The two he barely escaped where the battles of White Plains (1776) and Germantown (1777). After the battle of Germantown he headed for Philadelphia. This was a move that was not very well planned out because he could have saved months by going up the Delaware River instead he took them up the Chesapeake Bay. Since it took him so much longer he didn't realize that Gen. John Burgoyne needed assistance in his push towards Albany. When Howe was in Philadelphia he only received a small portion of reinforcements he requested. He felt that he lost the Kings confidence and resigned in November of 1777.