The Saber and Scroll
assisting his soldiers would be flogged and sent to the West Indies . 21 Rawdon ’ s harsh proclamation , naturally , worked against him , turning more people who had been neutral against the British , and also further accelerated the desertion of his men . This was true in all the colonies , reflecting misguided assumptions from Loyalist leaders as well as the British . Policy undermined their cause , driving more of the population into the arms of the rebels .
The greatest challenge with British policies in the colonies was rooted in the fact that for almost a century , the British maintained a “ hands-off ” approach to affairs in North America . The colonies became more independent and less interested in centralized authority . This was clear long before the American Revolution , as all colonies voted against the Albany Plan of 1754 . This almost foreshadowed their rebellion against the authority of Parliament . The type of people who came to America is important . People left Great Britain for the colonies to strike out on their own . They were more independently minded than many other groups , which stemmed from their past and how the British colonized new territory . Britain ’ s method of colonization was very “ laissez-faire ,” almost setting the stage by allowing colonies to act independently . The British colonies in America were formed by unique groups of people who were exposed to the violence of the wilderness , while also trapped in an “ ideologically polarized period in Western history .” 22 This translated to an independent spirit and Lockean notions that rulers were beholden to the ruled . This sense of self-governance lasted until 1775 , when the British attempts to yoke the colonies backfired , with disastrous consequences .
While criticism of Britain ’ s failure during the American Revolution is anachronistic , it is worthy to at least review the thoughts of the British who fought in North America to better understand their perspective . Charles Stedman , a former British officer during the war , serving most notably under General Charles Cornwallis , wrote a history of the war , The History of the Origin , Progress , and Termination of the American War in Two Volumes , published in 1794 . In it , Stedman claims the British lost the war for a few reasons . He wrote that “ the narrow views of ministers at home [,] and the misconduct of certain commanders abroad , through a serious of pusillanimity , procrastination , discord , and folly ” generated the downfall of England in North America . 23 Finger-pointing was common , and he goes further to refer to the British minister , without naming him . He appears to point the finger at Lord George Germain , writing that he did not possess the genius required to solve the problem , though he does admit that Great Britain had several disadvantages . 24 As John Pancake succinctly pointed out , one cannot blame Germain for the failure of any specific campaign or even the war , without recognizing that it had to be conducted within the stringent confines of British politics . 25 Based on limited communication and incomplete records , it is not hard to see why Stedman did not have a more complete
48