The Fighting Forces
- Continental Army
The Continental Army was a ragtag army composed mostly of untrained, undisciplined, inexperienced, ordinary people.
They were frequently low on supplies, were attacked with sicknesses far more than the opponents, and was plagued with desertion, though most of this changed after the French decided to help .
They were low on troops but high on morale due to their truly believing in their cause of independence rather than blindly following orders like the British soldiers.
In essence, they were the exact opposite of the British army, a point well-accentuated by the fact that their main generals (Washington, Greene, Knox, etc.) all had little to no military experience as opposed to the British generals with years of experience.
The Continental Army was a ragtag army composed mostly of untrained, undisciplined, inexperienced, ordinary people.
They were frequently low on supplies, were attacked with sicknesses far more than the opponents, and was plagued with desertion, though most of this changed after the French decided to help .
They were low on troops but high on morale due to their truly believing in their cause of independence rather than blindly following orders like the British soldiers.
In essence, they were the exact opposite of the British army, a point well-accentuated by the fact that their main generals (Washington, Greene, Knox, etc.) all had little to no military experience as opposed to the British generals with years of experience.
- British Army
The British army was feared throughout the world as the best military in the world.
Well-trained, well-supplied, disciplined... they were the epitome that everyone else aspired to surpass.
The British were also referred to as "lobsterbacks", "redcoats", and "regulars", all fairly derogatory terms since they were secretly (and not so secretly) uttered by the Patriots.
General Howe commanded the army at first, but he was kicked out of his position by General Henry Clinton. George Germain acted as their secretary of defense. Some other key generals were Generals John Burgoyne, Charles Cornwallis, and Thomas Gage.
The British army was feared throughout the world as the best military in the world.
Well-trained, well-supplied, disciplined... they were the epitome that everyone else aspired to surpass.
The British were also referred to as "lobsterbacks", "redcoats", and "regulars", all fairly derogatory terms since they were secretly (and not so secretly) uttered by the Patriots.
General Howe commanded the army at first, but he was kicked out of his position by General Henry Clinton. George Germain acted as their secretary of defense. Some other key generals were Generals John Burgoyne, Charles Cornwallis, and Thomas Gage.
- The French Army
The French were mad at Britain after their colossal defeat during the Seven Years' War.
As their main contender, the French did not want Britain to gain more power than it already had, so they joined the Americans after their victory at Saratoga.
The French sent much needed troops, money, and supplies, an act which Washington greatly appreciated.
The famous and rich Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette also came to help America and acted as a trainer for the inexperienced Americans much like the Prussian Baron Von Steuben.
The French were mad at Britain after their colossal defeat during the Seven Years' War.
As their main contender, the French did not want Britain to gain more power than it already had, so they joined the Americans after their victory at Saratoga.
The French sent much needed troops, money, and supplies, an act which Washington greatly appreciated.
The famous and rich Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette also came to help America and acted as a trainer for the inexperienced Americans much like the Prussian Baron Von Steuben.
- Hessians
Hessians were a name feared throughout the world, a name spoken in whispered words to anxious comrades.
They were well-trained mercenaries from the German region Hesse-Cassel, and roughly 30,000 Hessian mercenaries were enlisted by the British to fight in the Revolutionary War.
Hessians were a name feared throughout the world, a name spoken in whispered words to anxious comrades.
They were well-trained mercenaries from the German region Hesse-Cassel, and roughly 30,000 Hessian mercenaries were enlisted by the British to fight in the Revolutionary War.