Why were the Americans able to defeat the British in the American Revolution?

Question

You will be helping me with an essay, not doing it for me.

Answer 1

This question has been asked many times....


-Poor soldiers on British side-many German mercenaries
-Home field advantage
-Brits didnt care about keeping it-huge expense, low tax revenues
-guerilla warfare (added to the homefield advantage this is a major thing)
-distance to the homeland for Brits
-French involvement
-multiple wars going on for Brittain-fighting in Europe also
-lots of luck

Answer 2

First of all, the Americans had the advantage of the defense.

"Historians have often sought to explain why Britain lost a war which few at the time expected it to lose. Britain had several military advantages at the outset: vastly superior naval power, a professional military by the standards of the day, and far greater financial resources. Furthermore, the Americans often faced shortages of military supplies and had a traditional distrust of central government and standing armies which made the maintenance of a national military force extremely difficult."

"On the other hand, the British had significant military disadvantages. Distance was a major problem: most troops and supplies had to be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. The British usually had logistical problems whenever they operated away from port cities, while the Americans had local sources of manpower and food and were more familiar with (and acclimated to) the territory. Additionally, ocean travel meant that British communications were always about two months out of date: by the time British generals in America received their orders from London, the military situation had usually changed."

"Suppressing a rebellion in America also posed other problems, Since the colonies covered a large area and had not been united before the war, there was no central area of strategic importance. In Europe, the capture of a capital often meant the end of a war; in America, when the British seized cities such as New York and Philadelphia, the war continued unabated. Furthermore, the large size of the colonies meant that the British lacked the manpower to control them by force. Once any area had been occupied, troops had to be kept there or the Revolutionaries would regain control, and these troops were thus unavailable for further offensive operations. The British had sufficient troops to defeat the Americans on the battlefield but not enough to simultaneously occupy the colonies. This manpower shortage became critical after French and Spanish entry into the war, because British troops had to be dispersed in several theaters, where previously they had been concentrated in America."

"The British also had the difficult task of fighting the war while simultaneously retaining the allegiance of Loyalists. Loyalist support was important, since the goal of the war was to keep the colonies in the British Empire, but this imposed numerous military limitations. Early in the war, the Howe brothers served as peace commissioners while simultaneously conducting the war effort, a dual role which may have limited their effectiveness. Additionally, the British could have recruited more slaves and American Indians to fight the war, but this would have alienated many Loyalists, even more so than the controversial hiring of German mercenaries. The need to retain Loyalist allegiance also meant that the British were unable to use the harsh methods of suppressing rebellion they employed in Ireland and Scotland. Even with these limitations, many potentially neutral colonists were nonetheless driven into the ranks of the Revolutionaries because of the war."

"Historical assessment" in "American Revolutionary War", Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War#Historical_assessment

Answer 3

This question was asked and answered not too long ago.
Geographically, the Americans did have the advantage, they could regroup, and make new plans of attack.
The British did have to wait for orders from England, and were limited in their supplies and soldiers.
The Americans gained the allegiance of the French, also new inhabitants of North America, and they sympathized with the colonists, often spying on the British, and giving the Americans a strategic advantage throughout the war. The Americans owe the French an awful lot for their victory.

Answer 4

One of the problems the British had was logistics.
It took a week or two to receive supplies, after
the quartermaster in England loaded them on ship,
and after receiving, and getting approval of the
request. The British had to live off the land for the
most part.
Perhaps homesickness also played a part in the
morale of the soldiers. Especially when they were
here for several years.

Answer 5

The Americans had the goal of freedom in plain sight. That was their motivator. Certainly you've heard these phrases: "Keep your eye on the prize" and "Begin with the end in mind". They all mean the same basic thing--visualize the result you seek and it will come. The British had no such overpowering goal.

Answer 6

It think it was they had Heart and everyone worked together both men and women. There nothing more dangerous than a mad woman, and the British left theirs at camp to cook.
http://www2.lhric.org/spbattle/wohist.html

Answer 7

We wouldn't give up. Even through the worst of conditions, we were determined to win our freedom over oppression. Hope this helps!!