What would the colonist have had to do to win the American Revolution?

Answer 1

Considering that the Continentals did defeat the Regulars in order to form the United States, it makes sense to analyze what they needed to do. The simplest explanation is that they had to make the British no longer pursue reigning in their colonies by making it cost prohibitive. Sure, the British army could likely have totally overrun the colonies, but it would have been at the cost of pulling forces from other areas.

This was based on the second big thing that the Colonials needed to do, get a foreign power to intervene in their favour. The Continental Congress sent diplomats to France as they were Britain major rival at the time, and likely interested in exacting revenge for their defeat in the Seven Years War. France was willing to enter the conflict as long as they stood a good chance of victory. In other words, they needed evidence that the Continentals could win in battle against a non-trivial British army.

Thus, the third thing that they needed was a victory in the field. Washington almost blew it when he failed to defend New York from Howe's army and was chased across New Jersey into Pennsylvania. However, success did come as a colonial army defeated a sizable British contingent at Saratoga in 1777. With the results of that battle, the French (along with Spain and the Dutch) entered the fight, dividing the British along different theatres and making it an unpopular war in Britain itself.

The interesting parallel of the American Revolution is that it appears in other conflicts. This is more or less how the Viet Cong managed to force the US out of Indochina. This is what the Iraqi insurgency is trying to do today. This was also a strategy that Robert E. Lee attempted twice when he sent forces north. Wars of attrition work both as a means of waiting the enemy out, either as seeking supplies or as making the fight not worth it for the other side. Usually the side that blinks first loses.

Answer 2

They had to get a good enough army to beat the unstoppable Redcoats, a powerful frigate (small warship) fleet to destroy the British transports on the Atlantic along with their escorts, which also were the best in the world at the time, and do it all with funds from a Congress that was afraid of a large military.
In short, the impossible.
And for some reason, in all revolutions, the worse the odds are for the rebels, the more likely they'll win.

Answer 3

News Flash!!!! The colonist defeated the British and the war ended with the surrender at Yorktown, 1781.

Answer 4

Hmm, the way this question is worded, I can only assume you're living in some sort of parallel universe, one in which the American Revolution was really the American Rebellion, which failed.
Interesting idea for a book, though.

Answer 5

Ummm...beat the British...which I think they did, quite a while ago..or am I in a sudden time warp???????

Answer 6

they would have to do exactly what they did since they won it