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           American War of Independence(1775-1783)      

The American War of Independence, 1775-1783

Resentment among the American colonists about taxation and trade turned into open rebellion on 19 April 1775 when British regulars and local militia clashed at Lexington, 20 miles from Boston. While marching from Boston to seize military stores at Concord the British encountered a group of ¡§minute men¡¨, militia troops who had undertaken to turn out at short notice, on the Green at Lexington.

After a brief skirmish with few casualties on either side, the British pressed on. At Concord Bridge some hours later there was a second more serious skirmish and the British began to withdraw towards Boston. However, they were soon caught by the arrival of American reinforcements and the retreat became a rout. This ended when British reinforcements arrived at Boston harbour supported by the Royal Navy. The episode was not a serious military defeat but was politically disastrous for the British as it led many Americans to support the cause of independence. The Americans laid siege to Boston and British troops were ferried across to Breed¡¦s Hill on the Charlestown Peninsular where they won a costly victory on 17 June 1775. Bad weather and American privateers prevented supplies from reaching Boston, and in April 1776 Major General William Howe evacuated the city. This episode demonstrates one of the main problems that the British had to cope with for throughout the War they were obliged to transport men and supplies across the Atlantic. In such circumstances the loss of control of the sea, however temporary, could have dire consequences.

Saratoga

In June 1776 Howe entered New York Bay, established a camp on Staten Island, and consolidated his forces. Landing on Long Island on 22 August, he twice outmanoeuvred George Washington and entered the city, where he spent the winter. Later in the year, Washington crossed the River Delaware and defeated a force of Hessians (German troops in British pay) at Trenton on 26 December 1776, and a British detachment at Princetown on 3 January 1777. In 1777 the British mounted two offensives. Howe advanced on Philadelphia and defeating Washington at Brandywine Creek on 11 September, and Germantown on 4 October. However General Sir John Burgoyne¡¦s attempt to isolate and destroy American forces in New England ended in disaster. He confidently marched south from Montreal but the need to garrison Ticonderoga and defeats at Bennington and Freeman¡¦s Farm drastically reduced his forces. He was soon bottled up and after an attempt to escape from the trap was defeated at Bemis Heights he surrendered his remaining men at Saratoga on 17 October. This defeat had far-reaching consequences for it helped to persuade the French to enter the war on the side of the Americans.

Yorktown

Despite the disaster at Saratoga, Britain fought on, convinced that many areas of America were potentially loyalist and only needed British protection to rise up. In 1778 the British changed their strategy. Howe¡¦s successor, General Sir Henry Clinton, evacuated Philadelphia and concentrated his forces around New York while General Lord Cornwallis invaded the southern colonies.