Why the British Lost the American Revolution
Boston , though they rarely met the requirement . It was typical for the British army to have no more than thirty days supply consistently throughout the war . 8 Sustaining the army was one challenge ; moving it was even more of a logistics nightmare . Transportation of supplies , equipment , and troops was always difficult . To cite one example , General William Howe calculated that to move his thirty-two regiments outside of Boston , he would need 3,662 horses , with 50 tons of hay and oats daily , which was significantly more than the British had on hand . 9 This was an annoyance for British officers throughout the war in North America , generating complaints from many , while providing validation for requests to delay campaigns . For example , General Sir Henry Clinton wrote about the challenges of his campaigns after the war . He often mentioned provision shortages as the cause of delaying operations . 10
The distance across the Atlantic also compounded communication problems . Instructions would arrive months too late , requests for troops for upcoming campaigns would arrive , while troops were dispatched only to miss the narrow campaign window in the north . Due to the changing nature of war in the colonies , timely communication was crucial to coordination across the Atlantic . As Michael Pearson notes , “[ T ] he appalling communications problem was the one aspect that helped whittle down the advantages of the superior British strength and resources .” 11 The British maintained the most powerful navy in the world , though they did not have the largest army . They had to use their limited supply of men sparingly and wisely , which was difficult , considering the vast coastline of North America . The net result was that orders and reports were always months after the fact and could scarcely keep up with the rapidly evolving requirements on the battlefield .
Misplaced assumptions regarding the number of Loyalists who supported King George III was a consistent problem throughout the war . After years of frustration in the northern and middle colonies , reports poured into London about a large number of Loyalists in the south . This led Lord George Germain , British Secretary of State for America , to direct what ultimately became a disastrous attempt to conquer the southern colonies . His “ Americanization ” of the war meant that loyal Americans would maintain security and policing duties , while the British regulars would clear towns of rebels . The soldiers would eliminate or remove the rebels from an area to ensure that the local authorities could maintain control . Then , they would move to another region . The British finally realized that the large number of Loyalists who were in the southern colonies failed to materialize . This prompted General Lord Charles Cornwallis to abandon the Carolinas for Virginia ( after losing a large part of his army during the Battle of Guilford Courthouse ). As O ’ Shaughnessy observes , “ Indeed , loyalties were never static and they continued to change , but to the disadvantage of the British .” 12 The British failed to grasp that that actions conducted “ in the name of the King ” continually eroded and shifted supporters away from the Crown .
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