The Revolutionary War
The Opponents:
1. The British Empire: world's first (and only ) superpower, first-class navy, small professional army
- only disadvantages were: a divided Parliament, unpopular king, 3000 miles of ocean to cross, had to hire Hessian mercenaries to make army bigger
2. Thirteen rebel colonies: tiny, small population, divided between Patriots (Whigs) and Tories (Loyalists), each had its own volunteer army, and the Congress had its army
Course of the War:
- mostly bad for the Patriots
- George Washington's strategy- based on 2nd Punic War: Fabius Maximus against Hannibal- fight, run away, fight again
1777- major turning point: Battle of Saratoga
- a large British army commanded by General Burgoyne surrendered- big victory for the Patriots
- the French- decided to begin sending military supplies to the rebelling colonies
- wanted revenge for the Seven Years War
- Foreign soldiers came to serve in Washington's army- from France, Poland, Prussia
British- before 1777, were trying to capture northern colonies, afterward, switched to the South
- Lord Charles Cornwallis- failed, after battles of Kings Mountain, Guilford Court House
- retreated to Virginia- expected to be bailed out by the British Navy at Yorktown
- Washington's army showed up, and the French Navy- surrounded British
Cornwallis did the smart thing- surrendered
-ended the fighting in 1781
British government- decided to quit