KQ3: Britain loses

• Factors:

  • Limitations of British military response
  • French and Spanish entry into war
  • 1777 Saratoga defeat + 1781 Yorktown defeat
  • 1783 Treaty of Paris
• British strengths:

  • 340 ships, blockade ports, use Canada as base, 8M pop (established econ allowed debt), forces of 48k soldiers and can call on German mercenaries
• British weaknesses:

  • lack of direction,
  • had to chase Continental Army,
  • difficulty supplying troops,
  • divided forces led to Yorktown defeat,
  • increase in spending + military,
  • limited investment to reequip navy,
  • fading political will
• American strengths:

  • Washington forms Continental Army and avoids guerrilla fighting
  • conversion on neutral to patriots,
  • committed to ideology
  • know layout
  • could never be blockaded completely
• American weaknesses:

  • no large manufacturing base for weaponry
  • limited economic development (paper money led to inflation)
  • inexperienced
• French entry into war:

  • Persuaded in by Franklin, Burgoyne's defeat @ Saratoga, long-term British rivalry and desire to regain territories lost in 7 Yrs War
  • Feb 1778 Treaty of Alliance
  • France declare war June 1778
• Spanish entry into war:

  • enter as French ally,
  • opened conflict globally,
  • British importance on defeating the French
• What was the significance of the Spanish and French entry into the war?

  By 1780, only 20% of British army was in America, compared to 65% only 2 years earlier

  Yorktown: French, led by De Grasse, join US at Chesapeake Bay, fewer than 10k French troops

  Spanish forces clear British troops from Mississippi Valley, 1781

  Forced the British to rethink priorities, protect West Indies and India, loss of colonies at Yorktown was seen as acceptable
• What was the plan at Saratoga?

  British soldiers, mercenaries to collect marshalled troops on journey BUT not shared to other leaders, Clinton or Howe
• What were issues with Saratoga?

  Enormous baggage trains, no troops were marshalled, there was incoordination and deviance from the plan, Burgoyne refused to defeat when not met with Clinton's troops
• What was the outcome of Saratoga at 1777?

  Burgoyne was surrounded by twice the amount of American troops at Saratoga, peace negotiated and unaccepted, soldiers to remain prisoners
• What was the inspiration behind Yorktown?

  British wanted to focus on the South

  • hoped for more loyalists
  • victory in the south would allow them to move northwards
  • Charleston taken by Cornwallis, 1780
  • British control rests on their ability to control Chesapeake Bay
• What happened at Yorktown?

  Washington led 16k American and French troops, met @ Rochambeau, Cornwallis and 4K surrender on 19th Oct 1781
• What was the significance of the events at Yorktown?

  South wasnt the loyalist stronghold that the British had hoped for

  • Victories didn’t mean a loyal territory
  • British inadequate comms = split forces to hold garrisons / seaboards
  • Reinforced fleet arrives late

  Led to Treaty of Paris 1783
• What did the 1783 Treaty of Paris achieve?

  Ended military measures and political will ended, Parliament pressured the King to end the war (bad for trade + defence priorities changed after French entry)
• What were the terms of the 1783 Treaty of Paris treaty?

  Recognised American independence + division of imperial territories between Britain, France and Spain - America were a potential British ally
• Why was the 1783 Treaty of Paris significant to the British?

  Coalition government formed, £232m in national debt by 1783, trade disruption

  French and Spanish entry = priorities redrawn and desire to make peace with colonists
• Why was the 1783 Treaty of Paris insignificant to the British?

  British had economic resilience

  • Political power was in the hands of the elite
  • By 1785, trade with European colonies returned to prewar levels
  • The value of British exports doubled