The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 8, Number 2, Winter 2019 | Page 113

and Spanish Navies on the American Revolution
3
was dealing with a weakened economy
and rising debt from the Seven Years’
War; thus, they could ill-afford to provoke
any of the European maritime
powers. 15 With an ineffective navy, the
British turned to diplomacy to stop the
flow of supplies to the rebels.
British diplomatic measures
failed for two primary reasons: the
smuggling business was too profitable
for those engaging in it, and the other
European powers enjoyed seeing Britain
humbled after her victory in the
Seven Years’ War. The aforementioned
privateers played on both of these issues.
Made up of many nationalities,
the privateers preyed on British shipping
and found welcome Dutch and
Spanish ports in the West Indies to
sell their captured prizes. 16 British resources
could not match the growing
demand and the idea of escalating the
war into a European conflict was not a
welcome one with many in the British
Parliament. The British had counted
on a blockade that would ruin the colonial
trade and bring the colonies to
their senses, but the eastern coastline
of America was simply too great an expanse
to effectively monitor. 17 Then, in
late 1777, the entire conflict changed.
Following the British defeat at the
Battle of Saratoga and the subsequent
surrender of General John Burgoyne on
October 14, 1777, the Americans had
what they needed: a stunning victory to
bring France openly into the war. The
French entered the war against Great
Britain on June 14, 1778, following the
ratification of a treaty with the American
colonies on May 4. 18 This change in
the war greatly affected British strategy.