How many colonies revolutionary war

In the fall of , when Gen. William Howe invaded Pennsylvania, Washington committed his entire army in an attempt to prevent the loss of Philadelphia. During the Battle of Brandywine, in September, he once again froze with indecision. For nearly two hours information poured into headquarters that the British were attempting a flanking maneuver—a move that would, if successful, entrap much of the Continental Army—and Washington failed to respond. Later, Washington was painfully slow to grasp the significance of the war in the Southern states.

For the most part, he committed troops to that theater only when Congress ordered him to do so. By then, it was too late to prevent the surrender of Charleston in May and the subsequent losses among American troops in the South.

In the final analysis, he was the proper choice to serve as commander of the Continental Army. Once the revolutionary war was lost, some in Britain argued that it had been unwinnable.

For generals and admirals who were defending their reputations, and for patriots who found it painful to acknowledge defeat, the concept of foreordained failure was alluring. Nothing could have been done, or so the argument went, to have altered the outcome.

Lord North was condemned, not for having lost the war, but for having led his country into a conflict in which victory was impossible. In reality, Britain might well have won the war. The battle for New York in gave England an excellent opportunity for a decisive victory.

France had not yet allied with the Americans. Washington and most of his lieutenants were rank amateurs. Continental Army soldiers could not have been more untried. William Howe trapped much of the American Army and might have administered a fatal blow. But the excessively cautious Howe was slow to act, ultimately allowing Washington to slip away. Britain still might have prevailed in London had formulated a sound strategy that called for Howe, with his large force, which included a naval arm, to advance up the Hudson River and rendezvous at Albany with General Burgoyne, who was to invade New York from Canada.

When the rebels did engage—the thinking went—they would face a giant British pincer maneuver that would doom them to catastrophic losses. Though the operation offered the prospect of decisive victory, Howe scuttled it. Believing that Burgoyne needed no assistance and obsessed by a desire to capture Philadelphia—home of the Continental Congress—Howe opted to move against Pennsylvania instead.

He took Philadelphia, but he accomplished little by his action. Meanwhile, Burgoyne suffered total defeat at Saratoga.

Most historians have maintained that Britain had no hope of victory after , but that assumption constitutes another myth of this war. Twenty-four months into its Southern Strategy, Britain was close to reclaiming substantial territory within its once-vast American empire. Royal authority had been restored in Georgia, and much of South Carolina was occupied by the British.

Stalemated wars often conclude with belligerents retaining what they possessed at the moment an armistice is reached. Had the outcome been determined by a European peace conference, Britain would likely have retained Canada, the trans-Appalachian West, part of present-day Maine, New York City and Long Island, Georgia and much of South Carolina, Florida acquired from Spain in a previous war and several Caribbean islands.

To keep this great empire, which would have encircled the tiny United States, Britain had only to avoid decisive losses in Nathan Hale , captured and hanged by the British, is one of the most famous American spies. As a result, Armistead accomplished what few spies could: direct access to the center of the British War Department. Many women worked as spies, using their freedom of movement to gather information and pass through the lines.

While some of the larger battle sites and camp sites are preserved as either national or state parks, a surprising number are not, or are only partially preserved. There is still great potential to save key areas at many engagement sites.

Learn how to Take Action to save Revolutionary War battlefields and ways to get involved. Rev War Article. American Revolution Facts.

What are patriots? What are loyalists? What were British soldiers called? Where were the battles fought? Were there any sieges in the war? Were there any battles overseas? How many soldiers served in the war? How many were killed or wounded? Who were the Hessians? How were the armies organized? What did the armies wear? Was Valley Forge a turning point? What role did navies play? What kind of artillery was used? What role did cavalry play? What role did spies play? Where can I learn more?

Those who lived in the colonies and remained faithful to the Crown were known as loyalists, Royalists, King's Men, or Tories What were British soldiers called? August 27, — The Battle of Brooklyn , N. December 26, — The Battle of Trenton , N. January 3, — The Battle of Princeton , N. September 11, — The Battle of Brandywine , Pa. October 4, — The Battle of Germantown , Pa. October 7, — The Battle of Saratoga , N.

June 28, — The Battle of Monmouth , N. December 29, — The Capture of Savannah , Ga. March 29, — The Siege of Charleston , S. August 16, — The Battle of Camden , S. January 17, — The Battle of Cowpens , S. Images and biographies of surviving Revolutionary War veterans were compiled for an book by Rev.

Library of Congress How many soldiers served in the war? Types of old infantry uniforms of the British army, published Wikimedia Commons What other nationalities were involved?

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Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. American Revolution. View Collection. Battles Between Native Americans and the U. For example, in those days, only free men who owned a certain amount of property were allowed to vote.

But since then, the requirement of owning property has been dropped. Women are allowed to vote. Slavery was abolished. Now all adult citizens of the United States with the exception of those who have committed serious crimes are allowed to vote. Expanding suffrage—the right to vote—to a greater number of people means that citizens have greater power over their own government. Many Tar Heels living in would be horrified to see that everyone has the right to vote. Other revolutionaries of the time would be pleased that the democratic government they created has become strong and works so well.

The great legacy of the American Revolution is that a government was established that allowed for debate and differences of opinion. This government is able to develop and improve as society progresses. It seems strange and wrong to us today that the men at Halifax could talk about personal freedom and a better government while holding African Americans in slavery and denying voting and other rights to women and to men without property.

But the dramatic fight for constitutional rights in the s was staged by an all-white, all-male cast. However much we may question the ideas of some of the founders, we must acknowledge the importance of what they achieved. They adopted the United States Constitution, which created a government based on written principles with the possibility of amendments. Thus, they established a method to achieve fundamental changes in the future, such as the abolition of slavery and the expansion of the right to vote.

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