Between 1763 and 1775, Britain attempted to exert control over its colonies in North America after a long period of neglect. Unfortunately for the British, their intervention caused a great deal of dismay for the colonists who were accustomed to Britain’s negligent behavior. Therefore, after a series of events and a complex set of intertwined reasons, the Americans decided to declare their independence from Britain in 1776 by issuing a document called The Declaration of Independence. Undoubtedly, this monumental decision spurred a war that caused numerous myths that many historians enshrined in their writings. That being said, the purpose of A Respectable Army was to identify those myths and to separate them from the historical reality of the …show more content…
It was well-trained and fully-equipped. On the other hand, the Continental troops were inexperienced and poor. Despite these disadvantages, the colonists prevailed due to a number factors. First of all, the huge size and separateness of the colonies made it impossible for Britain to bring the rebellion into submission. Second, General George Washington was an outstanding strategist. In fact, Washington’s strategy of avoiding large-scale confrontations made it impossible for the British to deliver a knock-out blow. Moreover, the key factor that turned the tide for the Americans was the intervention of other nations into the conflict. Without the help of Spain, the Netherlands, and especially France, the American victory would have been unlikely. Similarly, there are many reasons behind Britain’s defeat. First of all, the British army was always dependent on supplies from across the Atlantic. Over time, this pattern exhausted the British cause. Moreover, the British soldiers were condescending and they underrated their opponents. This attitude allowed the rebellion to survive in very critical situations. Finally, the British desire to maintain economic and political control over the colonies could not match the intense desire of the colonists to be independent and