Why England Lost the American Revolutionary War

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This was an existential war for the rebellious Americans. If they lost, leaders would be hung, Tories (loyalists) would retaliate, English rule would be harsh and revengeful. On the other hand, England could sail away and still remain a global power.


The Americans did not have to win battles to win the war. They just had to continue to exist until the British decided that the war could not be won and had become too expensive. Opposition to the war in England rose rapidly after 1780. King George’s cabinet was forced to resign and Parliament passed a bill trying to limit George’s unilateral power to fight wars.

England had an average of about 30,000 troops to fight in an area of about 100,000 square miles. During the war, English troops could not hold Philadelphia after defeating the Americans and occupying the city. England also could not hold isolated garrisons throughout the area, which were exposed to attacks by local militias. At most, England could hold New York City and some surrounding territory and Charleston. 


After the American victory at Saratoga, France entered the war. This eventually brought French troops, supplies and money to assist the Americans. Also, England moved troops and ships out of America to help defend the British sugar islands in the West Indies from the French. By transferring troops and ships out of America, the English government indicated that the British sugar islands in the West Indies were more important to England and the empire than the American colonies.


English generals were demoralized, realizing that the war could not be won.


Most of the supplies for the English army had to come from England. A slow, 3,000 mile supply chain. A lack of enough supplies, especially to store up for a coming offensive, was the cause of the English abandoning offensives that might have led to victories.

Offensives by Burgoyne and Cornwallis were failures partly because of the inability to maintain supply lines based on horses and wagons traveling through wilderness.


English attempts to supply by foraging and pillaging locally were often upset by the actions of local militias, a form of guerilla warfare. In the last English campaign of the war, local militias cut Cornwallis’ supply lines and forced him to abandon garrisons.

 

Arthur Bowler, Logistics and the Failure of the British Army in America, 1775-1783.


For the story of the American Revolution, see


The American Revolution and a New Country, 1755-1790

 

 

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