From: Tom Lynch
Date: 2/17/00
Time: 7:19:41 AM
Remote Name: 207.103.93.57
Thomas E. Lynch III History of the U.S., 1600-1870 Week 5 Assignment Why the British lost the War for Independence The War for Independence was not won by the American revolutionaries, rather it was more correct to say that it was lost by the British. From the beginning, the British faced three major obstacles which would prove impossible for them to overcome during the course of the conflict. The first was the Atlantic Ocean. To feed its war machine Britain had to transport massive numbers of troops and supplies across a very wide ocean. This was a logistical nightmare. It also made communications between the British leadership in London and the various armies difficult to manage. The second obstacle was the size of the American colonies. They were simply too vast for the British forces to conquer and hold with traditional military means. When the army moved into a region, it could only control the immediate area. As soon as it moved away, control would slip back to the revolutionaries. The final obstacle that the British had to overcome was the colonists ideological beliefs and their firm commitment to them. These were so deeply imbedded in the American revolutionaries that they could not simply be stamped out. Many would resist British rule until the very end. It can also be said that the British lost the war because of their inept commanders as well. Washington's defeat of the Hessians at Trenton, General Burgoyne's disastrous campaign, and most notably Conrwallis' defeat at Yorktown can more readily be attributed to British incompetence rather than to the Revolutionary Armies ability to fight. Every instance when the Americans were forced to fight an organized and assembled British Army they met with defeat. Finally, when the French went to war with Britain in 1778, the British had to worry about an opponent closer to home who had the ability to not only hurt their armies, but attack the British Isles as well. The colonial revolt would not get all of the attention and support that it needed to have any chance at success. The British had to cut their losses in America to protect themselves at home.