CLASS NOTES

British Ad:

More money, larger population (7.2 million to 2.5 million), a Navy (the most powerful navy in the world), and a professional army of 50,000 soldiers as well as being able to employ another 30,000 Hessian soldiers. 

British Disad:

Fighting away from home – 3000 miles, which added to delays in reinforcements, Military orders and supplies; morally ambiguous war, not every soldier agreed with the war, weak Parliament with 2^nd rate ministers, some Whigs thought that Americans were doing the right thing.  General population was against the war.   2^nd class Generals; a stubborn Monarch who was obsessed with power.

Had to send troops to Ireland

Americans Ad:

Home tuff – fighting a defensive war; good leadership – particularly Washington and Franklin; foreign aid (French and Spain wanted to get back at Britain); fighting a moral war; self-sustaining

Americans Disad:

Militia – untrained, unreliable, and served only a short time; disorganized and not united; lacked hard money; sectional jealousy and distrust; lacked a strong government (or a government until 1781); often short of supplies – food, clothing, shoes, guns, ammo; merchants sometimes sold supplies to British;