American Revolution Strengths & Weaknesses

Imperial Strengths

• Population: 7.5 million in Britain, 2.5 million in the colonies

• Money wealth & naval power

• Professional army 50,000 men

• $$$ to hire foreign soldiers – 30,000 Germans (Hessians)

• 50,000 Loyalists and some Indians tribes

Imperial Weaknesses • Ireland smoking volcano that would require British

troops

• France wants revenge

• London Govt. confused and inept (George III and Lord North)

• Many Britons had no desire whatsoever to kill American cousins

• Whig party opposed Lord North’s Tory Party and openly cheered early American victorious. (This encourages the Americans that if they can just hold out the Whigs might come into power and deal generously with them)

Imperial Weaknesses ctd.• Second rate Generals who brutally treated their soldiers

(800 lashes on bare back for striking an officer)

• Provisions were poor

• They had to conquer- colonists only need a draw

• Britain operating 3,000 miles from home. Military orders take months to arrive from London

• American geographical expanse was enormous w/ no cities that the British could capture and end the war (London, Paris)

• Americans were willing to trade space for time

American Pluses• Outstanding Leadership: Washington & Franklin

• Possibility of foreign aide (France)

• Fighting a defensive war

• Self sustaining agriculture

• Tough self reliant people

• Marksmen who their weapons instead of pointing them like the British

• Moral advantage of fighting a just cause

American Minuses • Badly organized for war

• Lacking in unity

• Continental Congress directing the war is a debating society with feeble power

• Not till 1781 was there a written constitution (Articles of Confederation)

• Sectionalism: jealousy amongst states

• Little metallic $$$ - Congress fears taxing- prints “Continental” paper money…”Not worth a continental” depreciated currency

• Families rocked by inflation caused men to desert the army

• Lack of fire arms and gun powder: Franklin proposed going back to bow & arrow

American Minuses ctd• Clothing & Shoes were scarce (2,8000 barefoot and barely

clothed soldiers at Valley Forge)

• Militiamen numerous but unreliable

• 5,000 blacks enlisted in American armed forces

• 1775 Lord Dunmore the royal governor of VA. Issues a proclamation promising freedom for any enslaved black in VA who joined the British army

• 300 slaves join “Lord Dunmore’s Ethiopian Regiment” in first month, thousands would follow. (Madison slave story pg.138)

• At end of war British evacuate 14,000 “Black Loyalists” to Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and England

American Minuses ctd.

• Moral is hurt by war profiteering: people who sold to invaders because they could pay in gold

• Bostonians make profits of 50 to 200% on Army garb while soldiers at Valley Forge froze.

• Only a select minority of American colonials were attached to cause of Independence with a spirit of selfless devotion