Their soldiers were well equipped, well disciplined, well paid, and well fed. Similarties and differences between british and american. The british government considered the american colonies should contribute to the reduction of that debt and many of the measures that brought about the revolutionary war were to that end. Skirmishes between british troops and colonial militiamen in lexington and. Infantry, continental army public domain image the continental army had volunteer soldiers from all of the colonies. British army uniforms during the american revolutionary war. The british army on the other hand has received but passing notice. British leaders in the revolutionary war 17751783 many military leaders in the american revolutionary war played a important role. The royal army in america during the revolutionary war. The seven years war, fought in europe, india and the west indies, left britain with considerable debt. During the revolutionary war, one of the greatest threats to the army came not from enemy bullets, but from disease. They rented another 30,000 mercenary german soldiers.
Germ warfare and smallpox during the american revolution. British soldiers theatre during the revolutionary war by barbara cohen. List of british soldiers in the revolutionary war the. These factors forced the british army to fight a guerilla.
When the revolutionary war began in 1775, the various local militias and later the new colonial army faced an army that had just won the 18th century version of a world war. Top 10 facts about british soldiers journal of the american. British army during the american revolutionary war wikipedia. Seeking to strike the british army as it made its way. As manpower issues grew more dire as the war progressed, however, the british army became more amenable to. Throughout the revolution, the british army in america derived its provisions from two sources from the british isles and from america. This cause is much more just than waging a war to deny independence. The revolutionary war 177583, also known as the american. The american revolutionary war was a war fought between great britain and the original british colonies in north america.
As britain fought its rebel american colonists during the american revolutionary war, it struggled to provide troops for all the theaters it was engaged in. The revolutionary war was an insurrection by american patriots in the colonies to british rule, resulting in american independence. Variety ruledthe british in the iconic red coat, militia in homespun, the continental army with its personal choice of style and color. Though great britain had one of the greatest navies in the world at the beginning of the american revolution, it did not have a large standing army. The war took place from 1775 to 1783 with fighting in north america and other places. The american revolutionary war, also known as the american war of independence, was a war between the kingdom of great britain and thirteen british colonies in north american. Some 100,000 men served in the continental army during the revolutionary war. American revolution facts american battlefield trust. American revolutionary war simple english wikipedia, the. Defeat at the siege of yorktown to a combined francous force ultimately led to the loss of the thirteen colonies in eastern north america, and the concluding treaty of paris deprived britain of many of the gains achieved in the seven years war. These revolutionary war british buttons were found in the early twentieth century during the reconstruction of fort ticonderoga, a large 18thcentury fort built by the french near the south end of lake champlain in northern new york. Very unorganized started off in shambles barely had men who could walk in a formation similarities and differences between british and american militaries were commonly known as the red coats american military differences known more famously as the continental army their. Search the muster and pay rolls of the war of the revolution, 17751783 browse these rolls by state and name of organization regiment, battalion, guard, company, etc.
Shades of liberty is the exciting new actionpacked series that chronicles african americans who fought in the american revolutionary war also on revolutionary war journal. They were supported by light cavalry and heavy artillery. British redcoats defeated france in the seven years war and were now firmly in possession of india and north america. Ever since the american revolution became a subject of investigation, no little attention has been paid to the continental army.
Find names of soldiers with the help of annotations supplied by other footnote. This is what a continental army soldier carried during the revolutionary war the american revolutionary war soldier suffered from a chronic lack. Lost in the romanticized history of the revolution is the discipline it took to be a soldier in the british army. General george washington led the american army to victory during the revolutionary war. Childhood he was born on january 21, 1738 in litchfield, connecticut. Lod revolutionary war british army grenadier soldiers 16. Despite having little practical experience in managing large, conventional armies, washington proved to be a capable and resilient leader of the american military forces during the revolutionary war. Myths of the american revolution history smithsonian magazine. Could the british army operate deep in americas interior, far from coastal supply bases. What was the british military response to the american rebellion.
The following list is a collection of some of the most important leaders among all of the many participants in the war. The first thing the british had going for them when it came to fighting the americans was a whole bunch of fighters. At the time of the american revolution, british army regulations called for battlefield burial of their dead. Myths of the american revolution history smithsonian. Ethan allen is a revolutionary war hero who was a general in the continental army, a british prisoner of war, and the founder of the legendary green mountain boys. With 165 principal engagements from 17751783, the revolutionary war was the catalyst for american independence. Perhaps the most dreaded disease was smallpox, caused by a virus that kills one out of every three infected people. The british army fought for great britain in the revolutionary war and was considered the most welltrained and disciplined army in the world the army served for the entire eight years of the revolutionary war, from 17751783, in various campaigns fought around the world. During the revolutionary war the american war of independence the british soldiers and officers wore the wool red coat which was redscarlet and was often a regimental purchase. The revolutionary war 177583, also known as the american revolution, arose. Horatio lloyd gates july 26, 1727 april 10, 1806 was a britishborn soldier who served as a leading american general during the early years of the revolutionary war.
The american revolutionary war 17751783, also known as the american war of independence, was a war between the kingdom of great britain and thirteen british colonies on the north american continent as well as some naval conflict. This is what a continental army soldier carried during the. Following the french and indian war, a substantial. A day with british revolutionary war reenactors youtube. At the outbreak of the revolutionary war in 1775, the total size of the british army, excluding militia, consisted of 48,647 soldiers fey 9. No retelling the story of revolutionary war soldiers is complete without the insertion in the foreground the french and germans clad in their distinctive uniforms. So far the most villainous villain in turn is capt. Military historian gregory urwin talked about the challenges that the british army faced in adapting to north american terrain and battle tactics during the revolutionary war. Despite having little practical experience in managing large, conventional armies, washington proved to be capable. Buy lod revolutionary war british army grenadier soldiers 16 red 1. Following frances entry into the war in 1778, the british secretary of state for the american department, lord george germain, believed that great britain could expand the war into the south with minimal cost. At the start of the war, there was not actually an official army, however many people banded together in their states and form makeshift militia, formed by parttime citizen soldiers who defended their own colonies. Of the british army regiments raised during the war, primarily for military service in north america or the caribbean, only three, the 23rd light dragoons and the. The british army during the american revolutionary war served for eight years in campaigns fought around the globe.
American military and political leaders were inexperienced, but proved surprisingly. The british forces in the revolutionary war dummies. The british brigade portrays the british, provincial, french canadian, first nations, american indians, and german units that served with the crown forces during the american revolutionary war, bringing together hundreds of soldiers and camp followers at historical reenacting events. The colonial militia during the revolutionary war the. While logistics arrangements for both sides during the revolutionary war were somewhat spartan, the british logistics system, compared to the logistics organization of the rebelling colonies, was, on the surface, the epitome of efficiency. The revolutionary war the american war of independence british red coat is made in melton broadcloth wool and is dyed to the correct color. The continental army was formed by the second continental congress after the outbreak of the american revolutionary war by the former british colonies that.
These soldiers were considered some of the most skilled, experienced and professional soldiers around and were a very intimidating enemy. The war was the culmination of the political american revolution, whereby the colonists overthrew british rule. This is a list of british soldiers in the american revolutionary war. So the remains of redcoats who died of wounds or disease in the. The food that fueled the american revolution a steady supply of preserved meats and flavorless flour cakes played a vital role in american patriots defeating the. Chris kolakowski explains british strategy during the revolutionary war, putting the american conflict in context along with the other major conflicts that were shaking the world in. Revolutionary war online records original documents from the national archives through.
The failure of british strategy during the southern. This year, our digital storyteller spent the weekend in the british encampment. Every year, mount vernon hosts the continental army and the army of his majesty king george iii for a weekend. Soldiers in the army when the war began had enlisted as a lifelong. Our resident revolutionary war expert takes a look at the historical capt. The continental army army of the colonies, led by george washington and helped by france and other powers, defeated the armies of the british empire. Army officers during the revolutionary war voiced openly their disdain for militia discipline and standards.
The museum of the american revolution, pritzker military museum and library, and richard c. British soldiers theatre during the revolutionary war. The lack of scholarship about the militia contribution to the revolutionary war mentioned in the introduction to this essay, is a testament to these tensions that still exist even to the present day. In june 1775, congress ordered general george washington to take command of the continental army besieging the british in boston. List of british units in the american revolutionary war wikipedia. The american army attempted a few performances, but it was the british army that seemed to have a firm grasp on the wartime theatrical process. The regiment of foot served as a backbone of the british army. British soldiers in the revolutionary war served in the british army, which fought for great britain. What happened to the dead of their side in the american revolutionary war. Weaknesses in the british army during the revolutionary war. The british army was defeated in the american revolutionary war, losing the thirteen colonies but retaining the canadas and the maritimes as british north america, as well as bermuda originally part of virginia, and which had been strongly sympathetic to the rebels early in the war. It was common in the eighteenth century for auxiliary. The following are some facts about british soldiers in the revolutionary war. Our inalienable rights, as laid out in the declaration of independence, were secured by george washington and his army at the siege of boston, the american victory at princeton, and the stunning british surrender at yorktown.
This paper investigates the failure of british strategy during the southern campaign of the american revolutionary war from 1780 to 1781. If they are here, where are they and who cares for them today. Because smallpox was common in england, most british soldiers had already been exposed and were immune, but the. He took credit for the american victory in the battles of saratoga 1777 a matter of contemporary and historical controversy and was blamed for the defeat at the battle of camden in 1780. Pressures from france and spain stretched the small and understrength british army, and as recruits took time to try, this forced the government to explore different sources of men. Germans in the american revolutionary war thoughtco. The royal army in america during the revolutionary war the american prisoner records by kenneth baumgardt, historian the following work is the property of the author, and is a workinprogress.