Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Battle Of Saratoga

Before the war, the colonists were in a time of Salutary Neglect. Colonist could go about their business, passing laws, running the government how they wanted. The militia was under the control of American colonist and people such as George Washington could rise to the rank of Corporal. The British government had little involvement in the colonies as long as the colonies provided them with raw goods. However, with the start of the war, Salutary Neglect was over. As the British got involved in the fighting, colonist near the fighting soon joined them. However, the government passed laws that made them second-class soldiers compared to the British soldiers. American colonist could not rise above the rank of Captain, which was very demeaning to people like Washington who had been a Corporal in the Virginia Militia. The colonists were also treated like crap when it came to service. According to a soldier during the French and Indian War, the conditions in which soldiers worked, made it seem like the

The British military was considered the strongest in the world at the outreach of fighting between England and the American colonies in 1775. Britain had just defeated France and the Indians in the Seven Years War and had attained its prominence as a world’s superpower. Yet despite Britain’s overpowering military dominance, the British found themselves unable to subdue General Washington and the American colonies. The American’s success in achieving independence during the American Revolution was not due to General Washington’s strategic skill but by numerous British blunders. The British mistakes during

The Revolutionary War was fought by two sides, those being the British and the American colonists, fighting for whether the colonies would remain under British rule, or become their own independent country, and they both had advantages and disadvantages over the other. The Americans were eventually victorious, forming what is known today as the United States of America. It will be discussed in this essay just what advantages and disadvantages each side had, and how these played into the eventual outcome of victory for the colonists.

During the time of the American Revolution, there were many battles that took place and affected the Revolution. One battle though, made a huge impact on the American Revolution. The Battle of Saratoga proved that the disadvantaged and weaker American forces were strong enough to overpower the British forces. It all started when General John Burgoyne needed to get his forces to Albany. He and his army headed across the Hudson River, where they would then take a road south-ward to Albany. Burgoyne knew the enemy (American forces) were in the area, but he did not know of their exact location. Leading to the Battles of Bemis Heights and Freeman's Farm, the Battle of Saratoga became known as a highly significant battle

It seemed as if it would be impossible to defeat Great Britain. George Washington was leading an army that consisted of 20,000 men. Some men were young, poor and did not have land or any skills, Women were also a part of this rebellion by helping those who were hurt from fighting, sick, and simply by cooking and cleaning up after one another. Slaves were also participants in the war. While Great Britain had about 50,000 volunteers

Against all odds, The United States’s meager volunteer army defeated the British, who were said to have been the greatest army at that time. The war began in 1775 when the Americans demanded independence from Britain. America united with the French and Spanish and the British were on their own for the most part. At the time, America wasn’t an official country which makes it even more astonishing that they beat such an enormous empire. Although the American army was at a massive disadvantage, they did have a few elements on their side. The Americans were more motivated than the british because they were fighting for their freedom. They also had better leaders that were encouraging and innovative.

The Battle of Saratoga and Yorktown are said to be two of the most influencive battles of the Revolutionary War because of what they attributed to. The Battle of Saratoga proved to be a turning point since France made a military alliance with the Americans once they defeated British. This gave a great advantage to the Americans since they were now aided with ammunition, guns, money, and troops. A few years later came the Battle of Yorktown, with the Amercians once again claiming victory after the British general Cornwallis surrendered. While this battle was not the last in the war, it did prompt the British government to eventually negotiate an end to the war. In conclusion, the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown proved to be very influencial

According to American History volume I, at the outbreak of the war the British had its issues but rather than try some other means to subdue the revolt the British government decided on the use of military force. Although the British had better administrative and financial systems as well as a well-organized army and navy, things the Americans lacked. It still faced problems and it was not prepared for the war with the colonials in 1775. Great Britain had a huge burden of debt from the preceding wars and as always, this had forced cuts to the Army and Navy budgets. In order to suppress the revolt the British had to raise the forces (50,000) to wage the campaign and hold the territory gained. The British government had no means to compel military service and overseas military duty was very unpopular in the

The British enrolled about fifty thousand American Loyalists and enlisted the services of many Indians, who though unreliable, who fair-weather fighters, inflamed long stretches of the frontier”(135). This extra help from colonists, Loyalist, hessians, and the Indians only add to the army creating a bigger advantage towards the colonists. Even though they did not win it can said that the British seemed to have a bigger lead on the colonists. Colonists presented themselves as weak and disorganized, where one would presume that they wouldn’t win at all, “Yet the American rebels were badly organized for war. From the earliest days, they had been almost fatally lacking in unity, and a new nation lurched forward uncertainly like an uncoordinated centipede”(136). Organization is important for the colonists because they are competing against a well-developed and trained army.

During the American Revolution, The British and the American colonists had many difficulties and challenges to overcome. Both sides had great disadvantages and advantages, but the in the end the colonists had the most advantages and won their independence from the British. Some of the most important reasons the colonists won was that they were fighting on their own continent and knew the land better than the British, they received help from other European countries such as France and they had a well-experienced General; George Washington.

The American's victory in the Revolutionary war led to the newly granted Independence from Great Britain that the Americans had wanted for quite some time. Many of the settlers were tired of Great Britain controlling them, and being involved in their everyday lives (200-202). They decided to go to war with them. While they went to war, the Americans faced many challenges, one of the biggest challenges was the military. There wasn't a fully prepared army that was ready to go to war. Also many people were recruited into the army (196,215). Militiamen were used in the event of any battles against the British during the war, but militiamen were fully prepared for the effects of war due to lack of proper training. Also military performance varied

In contrast to the non-violent Indian revolution the American Revolution was a violent struggle for independence from Britain. The British victory in the French and Indian War left Britain’s resources stretched thin due to the fact that its land holding had increased in size. The war was also expensive and drained the British coffers. In order to remedy this problem American colonist were forced to

Even though Congress voted for independence, the British landed more troops in America, where the local militia was weakening in numbers, resulting in the moral of the soldiers to weaken, however, with minor victories, America realized they had to tire out the British, in order to win the war.

Topic: Was American success in achieving independence due more to General Washington’s strategic skill or to British blunders?

The British had very few, but significant disadvantages/weaknesses. Since America was large and unfamiliar territory for them, it was troublesome to conquer and to hold territory. The British were 3,000 miles from home so it often took months for military orders, troops, and supplies to arrive from Britain after it was is sent out. And also due to distance, they couldn’t communicate with their leaders, reinforcements, and supply lines. They didn’t send their top military leaders, which caused problems. Their Red Coats and militant style made them easy targets to identify in the wilderness or on open fields. Their soldiers were fighting for a King, not for their own cause. They lacked motivation to crush the opposition from the onset of the war. They were also over-confident and cocky. Their goal was persuade the Americans to give up their claims of independence, which was an extremely rigorous objective. Also, the country had been at war for years and citizens were tired of war and war taxes.