British Involvement In The Revolutionary War

In the American Revolutionary War, Britain relied on their well-equipped, well trained, and disciplined military might to force about colonial compliance. However, despite even their superior forces, relative to the Continental Army, Britain’s perceived social attitudes of the colonies weakened their ability to properly assess the engagement with the Colonies. Instead, the British Admirals, Generals, and nobility fought a war they were familiar but most importantly comfortable with. Britain sought to end a perceived troublesome situation in a quick manner using military minds and subsequently failed to address the underlying calls for independence. Britain’s inability to quell support for independence, deprive the colonies from allied support, and failure to destroy the Continental Army negated Britain’s early victories
A British council of generals believed a show of force was the correct strategy in which to bring about the colonists’ allegiance back to Britain. The pitfall here was the British commanders knew themselves and what worked against other insurrections against the crown. The British approached this crisis as they had approached many other similar situations without giving any thought to their enemy. Given their elitist background, both nobility and admiralty alike, it is not far-fetched for them to see the Continental Army as a rag-tag band of undisciplined, poorly organized, and ill-equipped to face their prided Regulars. However, while the British were not wrong, they failed to understand that the wars in the British Isles were not the same as the colonies. Their own center of gravity – primarily pride but also the debt accrued to keep the colonies – clouded their judgement and gave way to