Why the British Lost the Revolutionary War

 

Great Britain lost the American War for Independence for a number of reasons. These included the failure to capitalize on loyalist support, fighting a war on unknown terrain, poor communication between commands, and under-estimating colonial resistance. Many of these blunders were exacerbated during the actual conflict, such as in the Southern campaign. Finally, the decision makers in London, both military and political, failed to understand the growth of colonial self-identity, notably reflecting the ideal of individualism, self-reliance, and the yearning for self representation.

 

Failure to Galvanize Loyalist Support

 

John Adams estimated that one-third of the colonists, numbering slightly over 2.2 million people at the start of the Revolution, remained loyal to the Crown. Many of these Tories would leave the new United States after 1783, their property confiscated. During the war, however, neither Parliament nor the military commanders appealed directly for proactive support.

 

During the Southern campaign, for example, Lord Cornwallis fully expected wide scale support from loyalists in the Carolinas. If any had been contemplated by the inhabitants, such support was quickly diminished as British troops raided farms in search of food, and Colonel Tarleton’s dragoons massacred men who actually supported the British position.

 

 In some cases support translated into profit. The Continental Army, wintering in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, lacked all basic necessities including food. Henry Knox bitterly noted that the British, encamped also in Pennsylvania, were supplied by Pennsylvania farmers with meat, butter, and all of the foodstuffs necessary for normal daily comfort. Pennsylvania farmers trusted the gold and silver coins of the British rather than the paper money called continentals.

 

Command Communication and Hierarchy

 

Two of the most significant battles during the American Revolution were lost by the British due to blunders in communication and jealousy within the overall command structure. Saratoga, fought in 1777, is often called the major turning point of the war. General John Burgoyne, coming from Canada, fully expected to link with a British army coming from Philadelphia. General Howe, however, failed to send the expected troops and did not bother to inform Burgoyne. Even as Burgoyne was facing a superior Patriot force under General Horatio Gates, he still expected relief from Sir Henry Clinton in New York. The relief column arrived too late.

 

The battle of Yorktown best represents weaknesses in communication and inter-service rivalries. Lord Cornwallis repeatedly requested reinforcements and supplies from Sir Henry Clinton, commander of British forces after the retirement of General Howe. Clinton replied with evasive and contradictory orders. Further, the utter failure of the British navy to coordinate with Cornwallis allowed the French fleet under Admiral De Grasse to cutoff Yorktown from any naval support.

 

Colonial Resistance

 

British commanders viewed Americans as provincials, incapable of standing up to British regulars, considered the finest fighting force in the world. British impressions of American military abilities were formed, in part, during the Anglo-French colonial wars that culminated in the French and Indian War. British commanders like General James Wolfe and Sir Jeffrey Amherst disparaged colonial militias, viewing them as unreliable and ineffectual.

 

In many cases, the British military under-estimated the boldness and resolve of the Patriot colonists. Ticonderoga was taken by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold because of British laxity. The battle of Trenton was successful because the Hessians never expected a surprise attack. Guilford Courthouse so weakened the army of Cornwallis that it is credited with leading to the final surrender at Yorktown.

 

British Defeat the Result of Massive Blunders

 

The British were better equipped and better supplied. In some cases, their numbers were superior. Yet they lacked knowledge of the land – the vastness of colonial America, and their commanders frequently failed to coordinate operational goals and aims. 

 

They were fighting a determined group that added to its numbers as British indifferences to local populations became apparent. Parliamentary leaders as well as King George III refused any compromises. For these reasons, the British lost the American War for Independence.

 

References:

 

Page Smith, A New Age Now Begins: A People’s History of the American Revolution Volume I and II (NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1976)

Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute: A View of the American Revolution (NY: Ballantine Books, 1988)

Published 2/7/10 Suite101 by M.Streich and still under copyright