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the war was very close but spain got murdered now they are spanglish people of america we own them they are now our slaves yes
{{otheruses4|military actions only|political and social developments, including the origins and aftermath of the war|American Revolution}}
{{pp-move-indef}}

{{quote|''In this article, inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans," with occasional references to "Patriots," "Whigs," "Rebels" or "Revolutionaries." Colonists who supported the British in opposing the Revolution are usually referred to as "Loyalists" or "Tories." The geographical area of the thirteen colonies is often referred to simply as "America."''}}
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{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=American Revolutionary War
|image=]
|caption='''Clockwise from top left''': ], Death of ] at ], ], ]
|date=1775–1783
|place=], ], ], ], Atlantic Ocean, ], ], ], ], Central America, Indian Ocean
|result= ]
|casus=]; ]; ].
|territory=Britain recognizes independence of the United States, cedes ], ], and ] to Spain and ] to France.<br />Dutch ceded ] to Britain.
|combatant1={{flag|United States|1777}} <br />{{flagicon|France|early}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|Spain|1748}} ] <br /> {{flag|Dutch Republic}}<br /> ]<br /> ]<br />]
|combatant2={{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ]<br /> ]–]<br /> ]<br /> {{flagicon|Hesse}} ]<br /> ] ]<br/> {{flagicon|Germany|Weimar}} ]<br/> ]
|commander1={{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]<br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]{{KIA}} <br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]<br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1777}} ] <br />{{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]{{KIA}}<br />{{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1777}} ] <br />{{flagicon|United States|1777}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ] {{flagicon|France|early}} ]<br />{{flagicon|France|early}} ]<br />{{flagicon|France|early}} ]<br />{{flagicon|France|early}} ]<br />{{flagicon|Spain|1748}} ]<br /> {{flagicon|Spain|1748}} ]
|commander2={{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ]<br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ]<br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ]{{POW}} <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ]{{POW}} <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] {{POW}} <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1606}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|Hesse}} ] {{KIA}}<br /> {{flagicon|Hesse}} ] <br />] ]<br /> ]
|strength1=27,000 Continentals,<br />13,500 French,<br />8,000 Spanish,<br />Patriot militia<br />(All figures peak strength)<ref name="redcoat.me.uk"></ref>
|strength2=15,200 British regulars,<br />5,200 Provincial regulars,<br />10,765 German regulars,<ref name="redcoat.me.uk" /><br />5,000 natives,<br />Loyalist militia<br />(All figures peak strength)
|casualties1=~25,000 killed (Americans)
|casualties2=~27,294 killed (Germans + British seamen)
}}
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{{Campaignbox American Revolutionary War}}
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The '''American Revolutionary War''' (1775–1783) ('''American War of Independence''')<ref>British writers generally favor "American War of Independence", "American Rebellion", or "War of American Independence". See Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, ''Bibliography'' at the for usage in titles.</ref> began as a war between the ] and ] on the ], and concluded in a ] between several European ]s. The war was the culmination of the political ], whereby the colonists rejected the right of the ] to govern them ], claiming that this violated the ].<!-- Military allies did not aid in the political revolution - that was an entirely internal affair. --> In 1775, revolutionaries gained ], set up the ], and formed a ]. ] to intervene with the parliament on their behalf resulted in ] the following year. The Americans responded by formally ] in 1776 their independence as a new nation, the ], claiming sovereignty and rejecting any allegiance to the British monarchy. Though ] had been providing ] to the Americans beginning in 1776, the Continentals' ] in 1777 led France to formally enter the war on the side of the United States in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. ] and the ] &ndash; French allies &ndash; also went to war with Britain over the next two years.

Throughout the war, the British were able to use their naval superiority to capture and occupy coastal cities, but control of the countryside (where 90% of the population lived) largely eluded them because of the relatively small size of their land army. French involvement proved decisive, with a French naval ] leading at ] in 1781 to the surrender of a second British army. In 1783, the ] ended the war and recognized the sovereignty of the United States over the territory bounded by what is now Canada to the north, ] to the south, and the ] to the west.

== Combatants before 1778 ==
===American armies and militias===
{{main|Continental Army|Minutemen}}

At the outset of the war, the thirteen colonies lacked a professional army and navy. Each colony provided for its own defenses through the use of local ]. Militiamen were lightly armed, slightly trained, and usually did not have uniforms. Their units served for only a few weeks or months at a time, were reluctant to go very far from home, and were thus generally unavailable for extended operations. Militia lacked the training and discipline of soldiers with more experience, but were more numerous and could overwhelm regular troops as at the ] of ], ] and ], and the ]. Both sides used ] but the Americans were particularly effective at suppressing Loyalist activity when ] were not in the area.<ref>Black, ''War for America: The Fight for Independence, 1775–1783'', p.&nbsp;59. On militia see Boatner, p. 707, and Russell F. Weigley, ''The American Way of War'' (1973), ch.&nbsp;2.</ref>
Seeking to coordinate military efforts, the ] established (on paper) a regular army in June 1775, and appointed ] as ]. The development of the Continental Army was always a work in progress, and Washington used both his regulars and state militia throughout the war. The ] traces its institutional roots to the ] of the war, formed at ] in ], by a resolution of the ] on November 10, 1775, a date regarded and celebrated as the birthday of the Marine Corps. At the beginning of 1776, Washington's army had 20,000 men, with two-thirds enlisted in the Continental Army and the other third in the various state militias.<ref name="Tread">{{cite book|last=Crocker III|first=H. W.|title=Don't Tread on Me|publisher=Crown Forum|date=2006|location=New York|page=51|isbn=9781400053636}}</ref> At the end of the American Revolution in 1783, both the ] and Continental Marines were disbanded. About 250,000 men served as regulars or as militiamen for the Revolutionary cause in the eight years of the war, but there were never more than 90,000 total men under arms at one time. Armies were small by European standards of the era; the greatest number of men that Washington personally commanded in the field at any one time was fewer than 17,000. This could be attributed to tactical preferences, but it also could be because of lack of powder on the American side.<ref>Boatner, p. 264 says the largest force Washington commanded was "under 17,000"; Christopher Duffy (''The Military Experience in the Age of Reason, 1715–1789''), estimates Washington's maximum was "only 13,000 troops".</ref> By comparison, Duffy notes that ] usually commanded from 23,000 to 50,000 in battle.

===Loyalists===
{{main|Loyalist (American Revolution)}}
Historians have estimated that approximately 40–45% of the colonists actively supported the rebellion while 15–20% of the population of the thirteen colonies remained loyal to the ]. The remaining 35–45% attempted to remain neutral.<ref>Calhoon, "Loyalism and neutrality" in Greene and Pole, ''A Companion to the American Revolution'' (2000) p.235</ref>

At least 25,000 Loyalists fought on the side of the British. Thousands served in the Royal Navy. On land, Loyalist forces fought alongside the British in most battles in North America. Many Loyalists fought in partisan units, especially in the Southern theater.<ref>Savas and Dameron p. xli</ref>

The British military encountered many difficulties in maximizing the use of Loyalist factions. British historian ] wrote, “In the American war it was clear to both royal generals and revolutionaries that organized and significant Loyalist activity would require the presence of British forces.”<ref>Black p. 12</ref> In the South, the use of Loyalists presented the British with “major problems of strategic choice” since while it was necessary to widely disperse troops in order to defend Loyalist areas, it was also recognized that there was a need for “the maintenance of large concentrated forces able” to counter major attacks from the American forces.<ref>Black pg. 13–14</ref> In addition, the British were forced to ensure that their military actions would not “offend Loyalist opinion”, eliminating such options as attempting to “live off the country’, destroying property for intimidation purposes, or coercing payments from colonists (“laying them under contribution”).<ref>Black p. 14</ref>

===British armies and auxiliaries===
{{further|]}}

Early in 1775, the ] consisted of about 36,000 men worldwide, but wartime recruitment steadily increased this number. Great Britain had a difficult time appointing general officers, however. General ], in command of British forces in North America when the rebellion started, was criticized for being too lenient (perhaps influenced by his ]). General ] turned down an appointment as commander in chief due to an unwillingness to take sides in the conflict.<ref>Ketchum, 76</ref> Similarly, Admiral ] turned down a command, saying "I cannot draw the sword in such a cause." ] and ] were both ] who opposed military solutions to the American rebellion. Howe and ] both made statements that they were not willing participants in the war, but were following orders.<ref>Ketchum, 77</ref>

Over the course of the war, Great Britain signed treaties with various ] states, which supplied about 30,000 soldiers. Germans made up about one-third of the British troop strength in North America. ] contributed more soldiers than any other state, and German soldiers came to be known as "]" to the Americans. Revolutionary speakers called German soldiers "foreign mercenaries," and they are scorned as such in the ]. By 1779, the number of British and German troops stationed in North America was over 60,000, although these were spread from Canada to Florida.<ref>Black, pp.&nbsp;27–29; Boatner, pp.&nbsp;424–26.</ref> About 10,000 Loyalist Americans under arms for the British are included in these figures.<ref>Weintraub, p. 240; figure for 1780. </ref>

===African Americans===
].]]
]—slave and free—served on both sides during the war. The British actively recruited slaves belonging to ] masters. Because of manpower shortages, George Washington lifted the ban on black enlistment in the Continental Army in January 1776. Small all-black units were formed in ] and ]; many slaves were promised freedom for serving. Another all-black unit came from ] with French forces. At least 5,000 black soldiers fought for the Revolutionary cause<ref>Revolutionary all-black units: Kaplan and Kaplan, pp.&nbsp;64–69.</ref> and more than 20,000 black soldiers fought on the British side.<ref>.</ref>

===Native Americans===
Most ] east of the ] were affected by the war, and many communities were divided over the question of how to respond to the conflict. Though a few tribes were on friendly terms with the Americans, most Native Americans opposed the United States, since native lands were threatened by expanding American settlement. An estimated 13,000 warriors fought on the British side; the largest group, the ], fielded about 1,500 men.<ref>James H. Merrell, "Indians and the New Republic" in ''The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution'', p.&nbsp;393; Boatner, p.&nbsp;545.</ref>

== War in the north, 1775–1780 ==
===Massachusetts===
<!-- this section is a brief summary of the "Boston campaign" article, so add additional details there rather than here.-->
{{Main|Boston campaign}}

Before the war, ] had been the scene of much revolutionary activity, leading to the ] that ended home rule as a punishment in 1774. Popular resistance to these measures, however, compelled the newly appointed royal officials in Massachusetts to resign or to seek refuge in Boston. Lieutenant General ], the British ], commanded four regiments of British regulars (about 4,000 men) from his headquarters in Boston, but the countryside was in the hands of the Revolutionaries.
] in April 1775]]

On the night of April 18, 1775, General Gage sent 700 men to seize munitions stored by the colonial militia at ]. Riders including ] alerted the countryside, and when British troops entered ] on the morning of April 19, they found 77 ] formed up on the village green. Shots were exchanged, killing several minutemen. The British moved on to Concord, where a detachment of three companies was engaged and routed at the North Bridge by a force of 500 minutemen. As the British retreated back to Boston, thousands of militiamen attacked them along the roads, inflicting great damage before timely British reinforcements prevented a total disaster. With the ], the war had begun.

The militia converged on Boston, ] in the city. About 4,500 more British soldiers arrived by sea, and on June 17, 1775, British forces under General ] seized the Charlestown peninsula at the ]. The Americans fell back, but British losses were so heavy that the attack was not followed up. The siege was not broken, and Gage was soon replaced by Howe as the British commander-in-chief.<ref>Higginbotham, p.&nbsp;75–77.</ref>

In July 1775, newly appointed General Washington arrived outside Boston to take charge of the colonial forces and to organize the Continental Army. Realizing his army's desperate shortage of gunpowder, Washington asked for new sources. Arsenals were raided and some manufacturing was attempted; 90% of the supply (2 million pounds) was imported by the end of 1776, mostly from France.<ref> Orlando W. Stephenson, "The Supply of Gunpowder in 1776," ''American Historical Review,'' Vol.&nbsp;30, No.&nbsp;2 (Jan.&nbsp;1925), pp.&nbsp;271–281 in ].</ref>

The standoff continued throughout the fall and winter. In early March 1776, heavy cannons that the patriots had ] were brought to Boston by Colonel ], and ]. Since the artillery now overlooked the British positions, Howe's situation was untenable, and the British ] on March 17, 1776, sailing to their naval base at ].<ref>Arthur S. Lefkowitz, ", 1998. Retrieved September 10, 2007.</ref> ] then moved most of the Continental Army to fortify New York City.

===Quebec===
{{Main|Invasion of Canada (1775)}}<!-- This is a brief summary of the main article "Invasion of Canada (1775)". Add details to that article rather than here. -->

Three weeks after the siege of Boston began, a troop of militia volunteers led by ] and ] ], a strategically important point on ] between New York and the ]. After that action they also raided ], not far from Montreal, which alarmed the population and the authorities there. In response, Quebec's governor ] began fortifying St. John's, and opened negotiations with the ] and other Native American tribes for their support. These actions, combined with lobbying by both Allen and Arnold and the fear of a British attack from the north, eventually convinced the Congress to authorize an invasion of Quebec, with the goal of driving the British military from that province. (Quebec was at that time frequently referred to as ''Canada'', as most of its territory included the former French Province of ].)

Two Quebec-bound expeditions were undertaken. On September 28, 1775, Brigadier General ] marched north from ] with about 1,700 militiamen, ] on November 2 and then Montreal on November 13. General Carleton escaped to ] and began preparing that city for an attack. The ], led by Colonel Arnold, went through the wilderness of what is now northern Maine. It was a logistical nightmare, with 300 men turning back, and another 200 perishing due to the difficult conditions. By the time Arnold reached Quebec City in early November, he had but 600 of his original 1,100 men. Montgomery's force joined Arnold's, and they ] on December 31, but were defeated by Carleton in a battle that ended with Montgomery dead, Arnold wounded, and over 400 Americans taken prisoner. The remaining Americans held on outside Quebec City until the spring of 1776, suffering from poor camp conditions and smallpox, and then withdrew when a squadron of British ships under ] arrived to relieve the siege.

Another attempt was made by the Americans to push back towards Quebec, but they failed at ] on June 8, 1776. Carleton then launched his own invasion and defeated Arnold at the ] in October. Arnold fell back to Fort Ticonderoga, where the invasion had begun. While the invasion ended as a disaster for the Americans, Arnold's efforts in 1776 delayed a full-scale British counteroffensive until the ] of 1777.

The invasion cost the Americans their base of support in British public opinion, "So that the violent measures towards America are freely adopted and countenanced by a majority of individuals of all ranks, professions, or occupations, in this country."<ref> Rockingham to Burke September 1776, Watson ''The Reign of George&nbsp;III'' p.&nbsp;203.</ref> It gained them at best limited support in the population of Quebec, which, while somewhat supportive early in the invasion, became less so later during the occupation, when American policies against suspected Loyalists became harsher, and the army's hard currency ran out. Two small regiments of ]s were recruited during the operation, and they were with the army on its retreat back to Ticonderoga.

===New York and New Jersey===
{{Main|New York and New Jersey campaign}} <!-- This is a brief summary of the "New York and New Jersey campaigns" article. Add more details there rather than here. -->

Having withdrawn his army from Boston, General Howe now focused on capturing New York City. To defend the city, General Washington divided his 20,000 soldiers between ] and ]. While British troops were assembling on ] for the campaign, Washington had the newly issued ] read to his men. No longer was there any possibility of compromise. On August 27, 1776, after landing about 22,000 men on Long Island, the British drove the Americans back to ], securing a decisive British victory in the ]. Howe then laid ] to fortifications there, and Washington and the Continental Army were driven out of New York entirely after several more defeats and forced to retreat through ] and into ]. In a feat considered by many historians to be one of his most impressive actions as Commander in Chief, Washington personally directed the ] of his entire remaining army and all their supplies across the ] in one night without discovery by the British or losing a single man.<ref>McCullough</ref>

On September 15, Howe ] on lower Manhattan, quickly taking control of New York City. The Americans withdrew to Harlem Heights, where they ] but held their ground. When Howe moved to encircle Washington's army in October, the Americans again fell back, and a ] was fought on October 28. Once more Washington retreated, and Howe returned to Manhattan and captured ] in mid November, taking about 2,000 prisoners (with an additional 1,000 having been captured during the battle for Long Island). Thus began ] the British maintained in New York for the remainder of the war, in which more American soldiers and sailors ] than died in every battle of the entire war, combined.<ref>Stiles, ]. "Letters from the prisons and prison-ships of the revolution." Thomson Gale, December 31, 1969. ISBN 978-1432812225</ref><ref>Dring, Thomas and Greene, Albert. "Recollections of the Jersey Prison Ship" (American Experience Series, No 8). Applewood Books. November 1, 1986.
ISBN 978-0918222923</ref><ref>Taylor, George. "Martyrs To The Revolution In The British Prison-Ships In The Wallabout Bay." (originally printed 1855) Kessinger Publishing, LLC. October 2, 2007. ISBN 978-0548592175.</ref><ref>Banks, James Lenox. "Prison ships in the Revolution: New facts in regard to their management." 1903.</ref><ref>Hawkins, Christopher. "The life and adventures of Christopher Hawkins, a prisoner on board the 'Old Jersey' prison ship during the War of the Revolution." Holland Club. 1858.</ref><ref>Andros, Thomas. "The old Jersey captive: Or, A narrative of the captivity of Thomas Andros...on board the old Jersey prison ship at New York, 1781. In a series of letters to a friend." W. Peirce. 1833.</ref><ref> Lang, Patrick J.. "The horrors of the English prison ships, 1776 to 1783, and the barbarous treatment of the American patriots imprisoned on them." Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, 1939.</ref><ref>Onderdonk. Henry. "Revolutionary Incidents of Suffolk and Kings Counties; With an Account of the Battle of Long Island and the British Prisons and Prison-Ships at New York." Associated Faculty Press, Inc. June, 1970. ISBN 978-0804680752.</ref><ref>West, Charles E.. "Horrors of the prison ships: Dr. West's description of the wallabout floating dungeons, how captive patriots fared." Eagle Book Printing Department, 1895.</ref>
]'s stylized depiction of '']'' (1851)]]

] continued to chase Washington's army through ], until the Americans withdrew across the ] into Pennsylvania in early December. With the campaign at an apparent conclusion for the season, the British entered winter quarters. Although Howe had missed several opportunities to crush the diminishing American army, he had killed or captured over 5,000 Americans.

The outlook of the Continental Army was bleak. "These are the times that try men's souls," wrote ], who was with the army on the retreat. The army had dwindled to fewer than 5,000 men fit for duty, and would be reduced to 1,400 after enlistments expired at the end of the year. Congress had abandoned Philadelphia in despair, although popular resistance to British occupation was growing in the countryside. {{citation needed|date=June 2008}}

Washington decided to take the offensive, stealthily crossing the Delaware on Christmas night and capturing nearly 1,000 Hessians at the ] on December 26, 1776. Cornwallis marched to retake Trenton but was outmaneuvered by Washington, who successfully attacked the British rearguard at ] on January 3, 1777. Washington then entered winter quarters at ], having given a morale boost to the American cause. New Jersey militia continued to harass British and Hessian forces throughout the winter, forcing the British to retreat to their base in and around New York City.

At every stage the British strategy assumed a large base of Loyalist supporters would rally to the King given some military support. In February 1776 Clinton took 2,000 men and a naval squadron to invade North Carolina, which he called off when he learned the Loyalists had been crushed at the ]. In June he tried to seize ], the leading port in the South, hoping for a simultaneous rising in South Carolina. It seemed a cheap way of waging the war but it failed as the naval force was defeated by the forts and because no local Loyalists attacked the
town from behind. The loyalists were too poorly organized to be effective, but as late as 1781 senior officials in London, misled by Loyalist exiles, placed their confidence in their rising. {{citation needed|date=June 2008}}

===Saratoga and Philadelphia===
When the British began to plan operations for 1777, they had two main armies in North America: Carleton's army in Quebec, and Howe's army in New York. In London, ] approved campaigns for these armies which, because of miscommunication, poor planning, and rivalries between commanders, did not work in conjunction. Although Howe successfully captured Philadelphia, the northern army was lost in a disastrous surrender at Saratoga. Both Carleton and Howe resigned after the 1777 campaign.

====Saratoga campaign====
{{Main|Saratoga campaign}}
<!-- This is a brief summary of the "Saratoga campaign" article. Add details there rather than here. -->
The first of the 1777 campaigns was an expedition from Quebec led by General ]. The goal was to seize the ] and ] corridor, effectively isolating ] from the rest of the American colonies. Burgoyne's invasion had two components: he would lead about 10,000 men along Lake Champlain towards ], while a second column of about 2,000 men, led by ], would move down the ] valley and link up with Burgoyne in ].
] leader ] led both Native Americans and ] ] in battle.]]

Burgoyne set off in June, and ] in early July. Thereafter, his march was slowed by Americans who literally knocked down trees in his path. A detachment was sent out to seize supplies but was decisively defeated in the ] by American militia in August, depriving Burgoyne of nearly 1,000 men.

Meanwhile, St. Leger—half of his force Native Americans led by ]—had ]. American militiamen and their Native American allies marched to relieve the siege but were ambushed and scattered at the ]. When a second relief expedition approached, this time led by Benedict Arnold, St. Leger's Indian support abandoned him, forcing him to break off the siege and return to Quebec.

Burgoyne's army had been reduced to about 6,000 men by the loss at Bennington and the need to garrison Ticonderoga, and he was running short on supplies. Despite these setbacks, he determined to push on towards Albany. An American army of 8,000 men, commanded by the General ], had entrenched about 10 miles (16&nbsp;km) south of ]. Burgoyne tried to outflank the Americans but was checked at the ] in September. Burgoyne's situation was desperate, but he now hoped that help from Howe's army in New York City might be on the way. It was not: Howe had instead sailed away on his expedition to capture Philadelphia. ]" shows General ] in front of a ] ] 4-pounder.]] American militiamen flocked to Gates' army, swelling his force to 11,000 by the beginning of October. After being badly beaten at the ], Burgoyne surrendered on October 17.

Saratoga was the turning point of the war. Revolutionary confidence and determination, suffering from Howe's successful occupation of Philadelphia, was renewed. More importantly, the victory encouraged ] to make an open alliance with the Americans, after two years of semi-secret support. For the British, the war had now become much more complicated.<ref>Higginbotham, pp.&nbsp;188–98.</ref>

====Philadelphia campaign====
{{Main|Philadelphia campaign}}
<!-- This is a brief summary of the "Philadelphia campaign" article. Add details there rather than here. -->
Having secured New York City in 1776, General Howe concentrated on capturing Philadelphia, the seat of the Revolutionary government, in 1777. He moved slowly, landing 15,000 troops in late August at the northern end of ]. Washington positioned his 11,000 men between Howe and Philadelphia but was driven back at the ] on September 11, 1777. The Continental Congress once again abandoned Philadelphia, and on September 26, Howe finally outmaneuvered Washington and marched into the city unopposed. Washington unsuccessfully ] in early October and then retreated to watch and wait.
] and ] look over the troops at ].]]

After repelling a British attack at ], Washington and his army encamped at ] in December 1777, about 20 miles (32&nbsp;km) from Philadelphia, where they stayed for the next six months. Over the winter, 2,500 men (out of 10,000) died from disease and exposure. The next spring, however, the army emerged from Valley Forge in good order, thanks in part to a training program supervised by ], who introduced the most modern ]n methods of organization and tactics.

General Clinton replaced Howe as British commander-in-chief. French entry into the war had changed British strategy, and Clinton abandoned Philadelphia in order to reinforce New York City, now vulnerable to French naval power. Washington shadowed Clinton on his withdrawal and forced a strategic victory at the ] on June 28, 1778, the last major battle in the north. Clinton's army went to New York City in July, arriving just before a French fleet under ] arrived off the American coast. Washington's army returned to ], north of the city. Although both armies were back where they had been two years earlier, the nature of the war had now changed.<ref> George Athan Billias. ''George Washington's Generals and Opponents: Their Exploits and Leadership'' (1994); Higginbotham, pp.&nbsp;175–188.</ref>

== An international war, 1778–1783 ==
{{Refimprove|section|date=November 2008}}
{{main|Franco-American alliance}}
In 1778, the war over the rebellion in North America became international, spreading not only to Europe but to European colonies in the West Indies and in India. From 1776 France had informally been involved, with ] admiral ] having provided ] from France to the United States after ] had encouraged a French alliance, and guns such as ] type were used, playing an important role in such battles as the ],<ref></ref>. ] wrote about the French supplies and guns in a ] to General ] on 2 May, 1777. After learning of the American victory at Saratoga, France signed the ] with the United States on February 6, 1778, formalizing the ] negotiated by ]. Spain entered the war as an ally of France in June 1779, a renewal of the ]. Unlike France, Spain initially refused to recognize the independence of the United States, because Spain was not keen on encouraging similar anti-colonial rebellions in the ]. Both countries had quietly provided assistance to the Americans since the beginning of the war, hoping to dilute British power. So too had the ], which was formally brought into the war at the end of 1780.

In London ] gave up hope of subduing America by more armies while Britain had a European war to fight. "It was a joke," he said, "to think of keeping Pennsylvania." There was no hope of recovering New England. But the King was determined "never to acknowledge the independence of the Americans, and to punish their contumacy by the indefinite prolongation of a war which promised to be eternal."<ref>George Otto Trevelyan, ''George the Third and Charles Fox: The Concluding Part of the American Revolution.'' (1912), vol.&nbsp;1, p.&nbsp;4.</ref> His plan was to keep the 30,000 men garrisoned in New York, Rhode Island, Quebec, and Florida; other forces would attack the French and Spanish in the West Indies. To punish the Americans the King planned to destroy their coasting-trade, bombard their ports; sack and burn towns along the coast (as Benedict Arnold ] in 1781), and turn loose the Native Americans to attack civilians in frontier settlements. These operations, the King felt, would inspire the Loyalists; would splinter the Congress; and "would keep the rebels harassed, anxious, and poor, until the day when, by a natural and inevitable process, discontent and disappointment were converted into penitence and remorse" and they would beg to return to his authority.<ref>Trevelyan, ''George the Third and Charles Fox'' vol.&nbsp;1, p.&nbsp;5.</ref> The plan meant destruction for the Loyalists and loyal Native Americans, an indefinite prolongation of a costly war, and the risk of disaster as the French and Spanish assembled an armada to invade the British Isles. The British planned to re-subjugate the rebellious colonies after dealing with their European allies.

===Widening of the naval war===
{{Further|], ], ]}}
{{Campaignbox American War of Independence: European Waters}}
{{Campaignbox American War of Independence: West Indies}}
]'', 17 Avril 1780, by ] (1736–1804).]]
When the war began, the British had overwhelming naval superiority over the American colonists. The ] had over 100 ] and many frigates and smaller craft, although this fleet was old and in poor condition, a situation which would be blamed on ], the ]. During the first three years of the war, the Royal Navy was primarily used to transport troops for land operations and to protect commercial shipping. The American colonists had no ], and relied extensively on ]ing to harass British shipping. The privateers caused worry disproportionate to their material success, although those operating out of French ] ports before and after France joined the war caused significant embarrassment to the Royal Navy and inflamed Anglo-French relations. About 55,000 American seamen served aboard the privateers during the war.<ref></ref> The American privateers had almost 1,700 ships, and they captured 2,283 enemy ships.<ref></ref> The ] authorized the creation of a small ] in October 1775, which was primarily used for ]. ] became the first great American naval hero, capturing ] on April 24, 1778, the first victory for any American military vessel in British waters.<ref> Higginbotham, pp. 331–46.</ref>
]'', September 13, 1782, by ]]]

French formal entry into the war meant that British naval superiority was now contested. The ] began poorly, however, with failed operations at ] in 1778 and ], in 1779. Part of the problem was that France and the United States had different military priorities: France hoped to capture British possessions in the ] before helping to secure American independence. While French financial assistance to the American war effort was already of critical importance, French military aid to the Americans would not show positive results until the arrival in July 1780 of a large force of soldiers led by the ].

Spain entered the war as a French ally with the goal of recapturing ] and ], which it had lost to the British in 1704. ] for more than three years, but the British garrison stubbornly resisted and was finally resupplied after Admiral ]'s victory in the 1780 ]. Further Franco-Spanish efforts to capture Gibraltar were unsuccessful. One notable success took place on February 5, 1782, when Spanish and French forces captured ], which Spain retained after the war. Ambitious plans for an invasion of England had to be abandoned.

===West Indies and Gulf Coast===
{{Seealso|Antilles War}}
There was much action in the West Indies, with several islands changing hands, especially in the ]. At the ] in April 1782, a victory by Rodney's fleet over the French ] frustrated the hopes of France and Spain to take ] and other colonies from the British. On May 8, 1782, Count ], the Spanish governor of ], captured the British naval base at ] in ]. Nevertheless, except for the French retention of the small island of ], sovereignty in the West Indies was returned to the '']'' in the 1783 peace treaty.

On the ], Gálvez quickly removed the British from their outposts on the lower ] in 1779 in actions at ] and ] in British ]. Gálvez then captured ] in 1780 and ] of the British outpost at ] in 1781. His actions led to the Spanish acquisition ] and West Florida in the peace settlement.

===India and the Netherlands===
{{Campaignbox American War of Independence: East Indies}}
When word reached ] in 1778 that France had entered the war, British military forces moved quickly to capture French colonial outposts there, ] after two months of siege.<ref name="Riddick23_5">Riddick, pp. 23–25</ref> The capture of the French-controlled port of ] on India's west coast motivated ]'s ruler ] (who was already upset at other British actions, and benefited from trade through the port) to open the ] in 1780. Ali, and later his son ], almost drove the British from southern India but was frustrated by weak French support, and the war ended ''status quo ante bellum'' with the 1784 ]. French opposition was led in 1782 and 1783 by Admiral the ], who ] from the British and fought five celebrated, but largely inconclusive, naval engagements against British Admiral ].<ref name="Fletcher155_8">Fletcher, pp. 155–158</ref> France's Indian colonies were returned after the war.

] meeting with ally ] in 1783. J.B. Morret engraving, 1789]]

The ], nominally neutral, had been trading with the Americans, exchanging Dutch arms and munitions for American colonial wares (in contravention of the ]), primarily through activity based in ], before the French formally entered the war.<ref>Edler, pp. 37&ndash;38, 42&ndash;62; The American trade via St. Eustatius was very substantial. In 1779 more than 12,000 ]s of tobacco and 1.5 million ounces of indigo were shipped from the Colonies to the island in exchange for naval supplies and other goods; Edler, p. 62</ref> The British considered this trade to include contraband military supplies and had attempted to stop it, at first diplomatically by appealing to previous treaty obligations, interpretation of whose terms the two nations disagreed on, and then by searching and seizing Dutch merchant ships. The situation escalated when the British ] in December 1779, prompting the Dutch to join the ]. Britain responded to this decision by declaring war on the Dutch in December 1780, sparking the ].<ref>Edler, pp. 95&ndash;173</ref> The war was a military and economic disaster for the Dutch Republic. Paralyzed by internal political divisions, it was unable to effectively respond to British blockades of its coast and the capture of many of its colonies. In the 1784 peace treaty between the two nations, the Dutch lost the Indian port of ] and were forced to make trade concessions.<ref>Edler, pp. 233&ndash;246</ref> The Dutch Republic signed a friendship and trade agreement with the United States in 1782, and was the second country (after France) to formally recognize the United States.<ref>Edler, pp. 205&ndash;232</ref>

===Southern theater===
{{Main|Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War}}

During the first three years of the American Revolutionary War, the primary military encounters were in the north, although some attempts to organize Loyalists were defeated, a British ] failed, and a variety of efforts to attack British forces in ] failed. After French entry into the war, the British turned their attention to the southern colonies, where they hoped to regain control by recruiting Loyalists. This southern strategy also had the advantage of keeping the Royal Navy closer to the Caribbean, where the British needed to defend economically important possessions against the French and Spanish.

]. Painting by Sir ], 1782.]]

On December 29, 1778, an expeditionary corps from Clinton's army in New York captured ]. An attempt by French and American forces to ] failed on October 9, 1779. Clinton then ], capturing it on May 12, 1780. With relatively few casualties, Clinton had seized the South's biggest city and seaport, paving the way for what seemed like certain conquest of the South.

The remnants of the southern Continental Army began to withdraw to ] but were pursued by Lt. Colonel ], who defeated them at the ] on May 29, 1780. With these events, organized American military activity in the region collapsed, though the war was carried on by partisans such as ]. Cornwallis took over British operations, while ] arrived to command the American effort. On August 16, 1780, Gates was defeated at the ], setting the stage for Cornwallis to invade North Carolina.

Cornwallis' victories quickly turned, however. One wing of his army was utterly defeated at the ] on October 7, 1780, and Tarleton was decisively defeated by ] at the ] on January 17, 1781. General ], who replaced General Gates, proceeded to wear down the British in a series of battles, each of them tactically a victory for the British but giving no strategic advantage to the victors. Greene summed up his approach in a motto that would become famous: "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." By March, Greene's army had grown to the point were he felt that he could face Cornwallis directly. In the key ], Cornwallis defeated Greene, but at tremendous cost, and without breaking Greene's army. He retreated to ] for resupply and reinforcement, after which he moved north into ], leaving the Carolinas and Georgia open to Greene.

In March 1781, General Washington dispatched ] to defend Virginia, and in April, a British force under the recently-turned ] landed there. Arnold moved through the Virginia countryside, destroying supply depots, mills, and other economic targets, before joining his army with that of Cornwallis. Lafayette skirmished with Cornwallis, avoiding a decisive battle while gathering reinforcements. Cornwallis was unable to trap Lafayette, and so he moved his forces to ], in July so the Royal Navy could return his army to New York.

===Northern and western Frontier===
{{Further|]}}
]'s 180 mile (290 km) winter march led to the capture of General ], Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec.]]

West of the ] and along the border with Quebec, the American Revolutionary War was an "]". Most ] supported the British. Like the ] Confederacy, tribes such as the ]s and the ]s split into factions.

The British supplied their native allies with muskets and gunpowder and advised raids against civilian settlements, especially in New York, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Joint Iroquois-Loyalist attacks in the ] and at ] in 1778 provoked Washington to send the ] into western New York during the summer of 1779. There was little fighting as Sullivan systematically destroyed the Native American winter food supplies, forcing them to flee permanently to British bases in Quebec and the Niagara Falls area.

In the ] and the ], the Virginia frontiersman ] attempted to neutralize British influence among the Ohio tribes by capturing the outposts of ] and Cahokia and ] in the summer of 1778. When General ], the British commander at ], retook Vincennes, Clark returned in a surprise march in February 1779 and captured Hamilton himself.

In March 1782, Pennsylvania militiamen killed about a hundred neutral Native Americans in the ]. In one of the last major encounters of the war, a force of 200 Kentucky militia was defeated at the ] in August 1782.

== Yorktown and the Surrender of Cornwallis ==
], 1797).]]

The northern, southern, and naval theaters of the war converged in 1781 at ]. In early September, French naval forces defeated a British fleet at the ], cutting off Cornwallis' escape. Washington hurriedly moved American and French troops from New York, and a combined Franco-American force of 17,000 men commenced the ] in early October. For several days, the French and Americans bombarded the British defenses. Cornwallis' position quickly became untenable, and he surrendered his entire army of 7,000 men on October 19, 1781.

With the surrender at Yorktown, King George lost control of Parliament to the peace party, and there were no further major military activities on land. The British had 30,000 garrison troops occupying New York City, Charleston, and Savannah. The war continued at sea between the British and the French fleets in the West Indies.<ref>Number of British troops still in America: Piers Mackesy, ''The War for America: 1775–1783'', p.&nbsp;435.</ref>

== Treaty of Paris ==
{{main|Treaty of Paris (1783)}}
In London, as political support for the war plummeted after Yorktown, ] ] resigned in March 1782. In April 1782, the Commons voted to end the war in America. Preliminary peace articles were signed in Paris at the end of November, 1782; the formal end of the war did not occur until the ] was signed on September 3, 1783, and the United States ] ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784. The last British troops ] on November 25, 1783.

Britain negotiated the Paris peace treaty without consulting her Native American allies and ceded all Native American territory between the ] and the Mississippi River to the United States. Full of resentment, Native Americans reluctantly confirmed these land cessions with the United States in a series of treaties, but the fighting would be renewed in conflicts along the frontier in the coming years, the largest being the ].<ref>Benn, Carl Dundurn Press Ltd. (1993) ISBN 0920474799 (page 17)</ref>

==Historical assessment==
===Advantages/disadvantages of the opposing sides===
During the war the Americans benefited greatly from international assistance. In addition, Britain had significant military disadvantages. Distance was a major problem: most troops and supplies had to be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. The British usually had ] problems whenever they operated away from port cities, while the Americans had local sources of manpower and food and were more familiar with (and accustomed to) the territory. Additionally, ocean travel meant that British communications were always about two months out of date: by the time British generals in America received their orders from London, the military situation had usually changed.<ref>Black, p. 39; Don Higginbotham, "The War for Independence, to Saratoga", in ''The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution'', p.&nbsp;298, 306.</ref>

Suppressing a rebellion in America also posed other problems. Since the colonies covered a large area and had not been united before the war, there was no central area of strategic importance. In Europe, the capture of a capital often meant the end of a war; in America, when the British seized cities such as New York and Philadelphia, the war continued unabated. Furthermore, the large size of the colonies meant that the British lacked the manpower to control them by force. Once any area had been occupied, troops had to be kept there or the Revolutionaries would regain control, and these troops were thus unavailable for further offensive operations. The British had sufficient troops to defeat the Americans on the battlefield but not enough to simultaneously occupy the colonies. This manpower shortage became critical after French and Spanish entry into the war, because British troops had to be dispersed in several ], where previously they had been concentrated in America.<ref>Higginbotham, p. 298, 306; Black, p.&nbsp;29, 42.</ref>

]
The British also had the difficult task of fighting the war while simultaneously retaining the allegiance of Loyalists. Loyalist support was important, since the goal of the war was to keep the colonies in the British Empire, but this imposed numerous military limitations. Early in the war, the Howe brothers served as peace commissioners while simultaneously conducting the war effort, a dual role which may have limited their effectiveness. Additionally, the British could have recruited more slaves and Native Americans to fight the war, but this would have alienated many Loyalists, even more so than the controversial hiring of German mercenaries. The need to retain Loyalist allegiance also meant that the British were unable to use the harsh methods of suppressing rebellion they employed in Ireland and Scotland. Even with these limitations, many potentially neutral colonists were nonetheless driven into the ranks of the Revolutionaries because of the war. This combination of factors led ultimately to the downfall of British rule in America and the rise of the revolutionaries' own independent nation, the United States of America.<ref>Harsh methods: Black, pp. 14–16; slaves and Indians: Black, p.&nbsp;35, 38. Neutrals into Revolutionaries: Black, p.&nbsp;16.</ref>
===Costs of the war===
====Casualties====
The total loss of life resulting from the American Revolutionary War is unknown. As was typical in the wars of the era, disease claimed more lives than battle. Historian ] suggests that Washington's decision to have his troops ] against the ] epidemic was one of his most important decisions.<ref>Smallpox epidemic: Elizabeth Anne Fenn, ''Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775–82'', p.&nbsp;275. A great number of these smallpox deaths occurred outside the theater of war—in Mexico or among Native Americans west of the Mississippi River. Washington and inoculation: Ellis, ''His Excellency: George Washington'', p.&nbsp;87.</ref>

An estimated 25,000 American Revolutionaries died during active military service. About 8,000 of these deaths were in battle; the other 17,000 deaths were from disease, including about 8,000 – 12,000 who died while ], most in rotting ] in New York. The number of Revolutionaries seriously wounded or disabled by the war has been estimated from 8,500 to 25,000. The total American military ] figure was therefore as high as 50,000.<ref>American dead and wounded: John Shy, ''A People Numerous and Armed'', pp.&nbsp;249–50. The lower figure for number of wounded comes from Chambers, p.&nbsp;849.</ref>

About 171,000 seamen served for the British during the war; about 25 to 50 percent of them had been ] into service. About 1,240 were killed in battle, while 18,500 died from disease. The greatest killer was ], a disease known at the time to be easily preventable by issuing lemon juice to sailors. About 42,000 British sailors ] during the war.<ref>British seamen: Mackesy, p.&nbsp;6, 176.</ref>

Approximately 1,200 Germans were killed in action and 6,354 died from illness or accident. About 16,000 of the remaining German troops returned home, but roughly 5,500 remained in the United States after the war for various reasons, many eventually becoming American citizens. No reliable statistics exist for the number of casualties among other groups, including Loyalists, British regulars, Native Americans, French and Spanish troops, and civilians.

====Financial costs====
The British spent about £80 million and ended with a ] of £250 million, which it easily financed at about £9.5 million a year in interest. The French spent 1.3 billion livres (about £56 million). Their total national debt was £187 million, which they could not easily finance; over half the French national revenue went to debt service in the 1780s. The debt crisis became a major enabling factor of the ] as the government was unable to raise taxes without public approval.<ref> Robert and Isabelle Tombs, ''That Sweet Enemy: The French and the British from the Sun King to the Present'' (2007), p.&nbsp;179. </ref> The United States spent $37 million at the national level plus $114 million by the states. This was mostly covered by loans from France and the Netherlands, loans from Americans, and issuance of more and more paper money (which became "not worth a continental.") The U.S. finally solved its debt and currency problems in the 1790s when ] spearheaded the establishment of the ].<ref> Merrill Jensen, ''The New Nation'' (1950), p.&nbsp;379. </ref><!--And Spain?-->

== See also ==
*]
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*'']'' (book)
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== Notes ==
To avoid duplication, notes for sections with a link to a "Main article" will be found in the linked article.
<!-- To add a reference simply enclose the text you want to appear here inside a<ref></ref> pair in the correct place in the body of the article.-->
{{reflist|2}}

== References == <!-- works cited in the notes -->
{{refbegin|2}}
*]. ''War for America: The Fight for Independence, 1775–1783''. 2001. Analysis from a noted British military historian.
*Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.'' 1966; revised 1974. ISBN 0-8117-0578-1. Military topics, references many ]s.
*Chambers, John Whiteclay II, ed. in chief. ''The Oxford Companion to American Military History''. ], 1999. ISBN 0-19-507198-0.
*Duffy, Christopher. ''The Military Experience in the Age of Reason, 1715–1789''. 1987. ISBN 0-689-11993-3.
*Edler, Friedrich. . University Press of the Pacific, 1911, reprinted 2001. ISBN 0-89875-269-8.
*Ellis, Joseph J. ''His Excellency: George Washington''. (2004). ISBN 1-4000-4031-0.
*Fenn, Elizabeth Anne. ''Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775–82''. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001. ISBN 0-8090-7820-1.
*Fletcher, Charles Robert Leslie. . E.P. Dutton, 1909. OCLC 12063427.
*Greene, Jack P. and J.R. Pole, eds. ''The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution''. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1991; reprint 1999. ISBN 1-55786-547-7. Collection of essays focused on political and social history.
*]. ''The War of American Independence: Military Attitudes, Policies, and Practice, 1763–1789''. Northeastern University Press, 1983. ISBN 0-930350-44-8. Overview of military topics; online in ACLS History E-book Project.
*Kaplan, Sidney and Emma Nogrady Kaplan. ''The Black Presence in the Era of the American Revolution''. Amherst, Massachusetts: The ], 1989. ISBN 0-87023-663-6.
*Ketchum, Richard M. ''Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War''. Henry Holt, 1997. ISBN 0-8050-4681-X.
*]. . London, 1964. Reprinted ], 1993. ISBN 0-8032-8192-7. Highly regarded examination of British strategy and leadership.
*]. ''1776''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
*Savas, Theodore P. and Dameron, J. David. ''A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution.'' New York: Savas Beatie LLC, 2006. ISBN 1-932714-12-X.
*Riddick, John F. ''The history of British India: a chronology''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. ISBN 9780313322808.
*Shy, John. ''A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence''. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976 (ISBN 0-19-502013-8); revised University of Michigan Press, 1990 (ISBN 0-472-06431-2). Collection of essays.
*Watson, J. Steven. . 1960. Standard history of British politics.
*Weintraub, Stanley: ''Iron Tears; America's Battle for Freedom, Britain's Quagmire: 1775-1783''. New York: Free Press, 2005 (a division of Simon and Schuster). ISBN 0-7432-2687-9. An account of the British politics on the conduct of the war.
{{refend}}

== Further reading == <!-- books about the war in general which are not cited above -->
{{refbegin|2}}
These are some of the standard works about the war in general which are not listed above; books about specific campaigns, battles, units, and individuals can be found in those articles.<br />
*Bancroft, George. ''History of the United States of America, from the discovery of the American continent.'' (1854–78), vol. 7–10.
*Bobrick, Benson. ''Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution''. Penguin, 1998 (paperback reprint).
*Fremont-Barnes, Gregory, and Richard A. Ryerson, eds. ''The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War: A Political, Social, and Military History'' (ABC-CLIO, 2006) 5 volume paper and online editions; 1000 entries by 150 experts, covering all topics
*George Athan Billias. ''George Washington's Generals and Opponents: Their Exploits and Leadership'' (1994) scholarly studies of key generals on each side
*Hibbert, Christopher. ''Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution through British Eyes.'' New York: Norton, 1990. ISBN 0-393-02895-X.
*Jensen, Merrill. ''The Founding of a Nation: A History of the American Revolution 1763–1776.'' (2004)
*Kwasny, Mark V. ''Washington's Partisan War, 1775–1783''. Kent, Ohio: 1996. ISBN 0-87338-546-2. Militia warfare.
*Middlekauff, Robert. ''The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789''. Oxford University Press, 1984; revised 2005. ISBN 0-19-516247-1.
*Savas, Theodore P., and Dameron, J. David. ''A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution''. New York, 2006.
*Symonds, Craig L. ''A Battlefield Atlas of the American Revolution'' (1989), newly drawn maps
*Ward, Christopher. ''The War of the Revolution''. 2 volumes. New York: Macmillan, 1952. History of land battles in North America.
*Weintraub, Stanley. ''Iron Tears: America's Battle for Freedom, Britain's Quagmire: 1775–1783''. Free Press, 2004. Examination of the British political viewpoint.
*Wood, W. J. ''Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775–1781''. ISBN 0-306-81329-7 (2003 paperback reprint). Analysis of tactics of a dozen battles, with emphasis on American military leadership.
*Men-at-Arms series: short (48pp), very well illustrated descriptions:
**Marko Zlatich, Peter Copeland. ''General Washington's Army (1): 1775–78'' (1994); Zlatich. ''General Washington's Army (2): 1779–83'' (1994); Rene Chartrand. ''The French Army in the American War of Independence'' (1994); Robin May, ''The British Army in North America 1775–1783'' (1993)
*'']'', a treatise on light infantry tactics written by Colonel Andreas Emmerich in 1789.
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons cat|American Revolutionary War}}
*
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* West Point Atlas
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* Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture
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* from PBS
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* Haldimand Collection, 232 series fully indexed; extensive military correspondence of British generals
* from PBS
* Unique arch inscription commemorates "Liberty in N America Triumphant MDCCLXXXIII"
*
* by William F. Marina, '']'', July 1, 1976

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Revision as of 16:15, 16 September 2009

the war was very close but spain got murdered now they are spanglish people of america we own them they are now our slaves yes