Why the British Lost the Revolutionary War

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the reasons why the British, from Parliament to the Expeditionary Forces, were defeated by a less trained and weaker American army. The main causes brought forth are the lack of communications between the British at home and in America, the growth of British debt, the ineffectiveness of Royal Navy and the placement of the war at a secondary priority to other affairs. These basic causes, combined with primary sources and historical quotes, create the paper. In essence, this paper analyzes the British strategy and states that they lost the war by their own misgivings, rather than by American out management.

From the Paper:

"For over 200 years, from the late 16th century to the end of the 18th century, Great Britain was arguably the most powerful nation on earth. Encompassing within its control more than one half of the earth at its prime, it sought to spread its culture, language, and military across the globe. Speculation had reached as far as India, Africa, and Australia. One vital asset was the American colonies, where British policies of mercantilism and imperialism intimately revealed their true aspirations of a daughter nation. Apart from close ties to English money and government, the Americans were personally linked with their counterparts across the sea in language, culture, and their quest for freedom. Late in the 17th century, the Glorious Revolution paved the way for change in England. Then, nearly a hundred years later, the Americans took their own leap towards freedom by declaring themselves "Free and Independent States" from the tyrannical king of England, George III. After the American Declaration of Independence, the stage was set for a new type of war: a battle between an oppressed, under-represented people and a giant empire, which was stretched beyond its means. "The Revolution was effected before the war commenced," remarked John Adams. It was a transformation "in the minds and hearts of the people" (Wood 3). The America colonies would enter a war in which they were fighting not only for the United States, but also for their own rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Dec. of Ind.). Never truly realizing the extent of American rebelliousness, the English at no time completely directed their full effort or armaments towards the war. Shortly after the Seven Years' War with France, the British were deeply in debt, the largest in history to that date, and unwilling to devote themselves to another war. French and Spanish retaliatory attacks for prior defeats were a constant threat, and the British had no intention of spreading themselves thin. Despite seemingly having enormous advantages, the British were unable to quickly quell the uprising, mainly due to poor commanders and cautious strategies. Their involvement in the Revolutionary War was a halfhearted effort, due to an unwillingness to commit themselves financially when they were so much in debt. The Americans were able to successfully defeat the Britons because of a lack of adequate communications between the commanders actually in battle, and those back in Great Britain, where the war was considered a secondary priority by the government."

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