Revolt becomes war
Fighting at Lexington, Boston and New York reveals the gap between British power and the difficulty of controlling a vast hostile territory.
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War
American War of Independence
1775 — 1783
Preserve an army and internationalize the war
Military history
The strategic problem
The American War of Independence pits an imperial power able to project troops against an insurgency that must survive long enough to obtain outside aid. The insurgents do not win by defeating the British everywhere; they win by preserving a field army, controlling political space and turning Saratoga into a diplomatic argument.
Saratoga and the external decision
Burgoyne advances south but moves away from his depots. American forces close the routes and secure a capitulation that convinces France to intervene openly.
The war of theatres
The conflict extends to the West Indies, Europe and the South. The British retain positions, but cannot finance and supply a total reconquest.
Explore
6 published battles, in chronological order
SaratogaBurgoyne advances south, but militias and the Continental Army close his routes and force him to surrender.Long IslandHow did the British exploit an inadequately guarded pass to envelop the Continental Army without destroying it before its evacuation?TrentonHow did a risky winter operation restore the American initiative through surprise rather than numerical superiority?CowpensHow did Morgan turn the uneven reliability of his troops into a layered defence able to absorb and then envelop Tarleton?ChesapeakeDe Grasse leaves a surprised anchorage, escapes attack in the channel, then draws Graves out to sea; Barras enters with the siege artillery before the returning French fleet closes the only relief route to Yorktown.Siege of YorktownHow did Franco-American convergence on land and command of the sea turn a British coastal position into a trap with no way out?
Military history
Sources
Contemporary sourceJohn Burgoyne, State of the Expedition from Canada
British objectives, routes, supply and the Saratoga capitulation.
General historyRobert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause
American politics, the Continental Army, society and the diplomacy of the war.
Institutional sourceSaratoga National Historical Park, battle history
Terrain, Freeman’s Farm, Bemis Heights and the chronology of the capitulation.