Revolutionary War
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The reasons the British should have been victorious were simple, they were a superior force. The British had a navy, a large, well trained army that should have trampled the American army, and the financing to boot. The American army was untrained with militiamen; they had no navy and were poorly financed. However, the Americans had something the British did not, a cause. The Americans were ready to live life in their new country on their own. The Americans had been taxed to pay for debts they had nothing to do with and were forced to follow laws by a government who gave them no representation. Although not all Americans were on board, enough were to start up a Revolution.
Another advantage for the Americans was their knowledge of the land. They kept the battles on land, almost eliminating the British navy. They strategically planned battles in areas where they would have a geographical advantage. The Americans used the land to their advantage as much as they could.
A very important part of the American Revolution was strategy, or lack there of. Against the popular opinion of the people, Washington was very reluctant in entering into a major battle. He knew that a large loss of men would be the end of the war. This kept the Americans in the war until the end, waiting for a fatal mistake. The Americans used the time off to train their army. The mistake came at the Battle of Saratoga, where failed communication by British generals Burgoyne and Howe left the two armies isolated without helped. The Americans were able to defeat the smaller British army at Saratoga, which ensured a signed treaty with the French. This treaty gave Americans money, weapons, men, and ships to start a navy. The playing field was now leveled. The final blow came at Yorktown, where the British army of Cornwallis was now trapped between the new navy and the armies of Washington and Greene to the North and South. The British were forced to surrender and were loaded onto boats and shipped back to Britain. A treaty was signed at Paris and the 13 colonies received their independence.