America - war of independance

British strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

• 48,000 soldiers BUT only 8,000 in US + inexperienced

• Navy had 340 ships - used Newfoundland ect as bases and could reinforce troops

Weaknesses:

• supplying/maintaining troops in US a challanges (loyalist support in pockets)

• Lack of strategic direction from London

American strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

• Strong ideological grounding helped gain support from neutrals

• Territorial expertise

• Washington as an effective leader

Weaknesses:

• Congressional inability to levy taxes → issued paper money → inflation

• Lacked manufacturing ability/equipment BUT mitigated by french

Burgoyne Defeat at Saratoga 1777

• Penetrated 200 miles into US BUT forces not joined by Clinton (surrendered); lack of communication with Clinton/Howe

• Burgoyne overconfident; bet on own victory, met by double the number of British troops - 6k troops taken as PoW

French and Spanish entry

• French motivated by rivalry with Britain, Franklins diplomacy and Burgoynes defeat - joined 1778, Spain joined year later

• British army in NA 65% → 20% (troops brought to defend Britain)

• French naval role momentous (Rouchambeu at Yorktown )

Yorktown 1781

• Washington besieged Yorktown with 16k troops, french navy controlled bay → Cornwallis surrender

• Clinton return to NY left Cornwallis vulnerable (just 4k troops)

• Failure of navy against french means reinforcements/escape couldn’t arrive

Peace of Paris 1783

• Britain lacked political will to continue war

• Recognised US independence (generosity motivated by attempt to ally with US against france)

• Imperial possessions divided between Britain, France and Spain