Why did Britain lose the War of Independence

Why did Britain lose the War of Independence

1. Geography

   • Difficult to fight a war from over 3000 miles away
     • Despite this Britain won most major battles
   • Huge battlefield
   • Difficult terrain
     • rivers
     • Mountains
     • Variable climate
   • Americans could retreat and regroup in the hinterland
   • Widely scattered population

2. American allies

   • French
     • Joined after Saratoga
     • Made it nearly impossible to win the war
   • Holland
   • Spain

3. American Strength

   • Americans committed to the cause
     • Hearts and minds
       • 200,000 people fought for the Patriots
       • c.33,000 died
   • Guerilla warfare
     • We get beat, rise and fight again
     • As long as any patriot forces survived the war would continue
   • Washington's good leadership
     • Kept the army together
       • Short of supplies and men
     • Yorktown
   • Frederick von Steuben
     • Trained the army
     • Improved sanitation
   • Good politicians
     • Secured European alliances
   • Propaganda
     • Won over hearts and minds
     • Paul Revere's 'Boston Massacre'
     • Thomas Paines 'Common Sense

4. British Weakness

   • Not enough men to cover the area or naval resources to cover the sea
   • Not able to win over hearts and minds of Patriots
   • Couldn't decide
     • War
     • Peace
   • Couldn't provide sustained support for Loyalists
     • 1:5 of Americans
   • Alienation of neutrals
     • Bad behaviour
     • Enlisted slaves
   • Bad generals
   • Navy weakness