Hand Out American Revolution British Strengths and Weaknesses

Hand Out • • American Revolution British Strengths and Weaknesses • British Strengths Monetary wealth Greatest Navy in the world Much larger population Professional Army Money to buy German Hessian soldiers American Loyalists Many Indians sided with British against American settlers • • Unit 2 • British Weaknesses Soldiers had to be stationed in Ireland France was looking for an opportunity to fight Britain. Inept British government Lack of will to fight colonists by citizens Top tier generals and soldiers not sent to America British had to conquer the colonists. Poor communication between London and generals. America’s large area 1

American Revolution American Strengths and Weaknesses • • • American Strengths Great leaders – George Washington Possible foreign aid and diplomacy – Benjamin Franklin – Received French support in 1778 • Excellent European Officers. – Marquis de Lafayette (helped ally French and trapped Br. at Yorktown) – Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (trained militia at Valley Forge). • • Fighting defensively Guerilla Warfare Self-sustaining agriculturally Moral advantage – just cause • • Unit 2 • American Weaknesses Badly organized and historically disunified colonies Sectional jealousy between colonies Economic difficulties. No metallic currency resulted in worthless paper Continentals and high inflation Few manufactured military supplies American profiteers sold to British and raised prices. Poorly trained and Unreliable militia Many Loyalists and apathetic colonies, only a minority were selfless Patriots. 2