Since 1776, the French had been providing (secretly…) some aid to the American cause, until such a time that France felt more confident of the American rebels chance for victory, since France did not want risk another losing war with England, but with the American victory at Saratoga in 1777 and the rumors of a possible settlement with the colonies propelled France openly into the arms of the Americans with the signing of a treaty in 1778.
With the entry of France in 1778 and later Spain in 1779 the strategic military situation for England and its military struggle to subdue the rebellion in North American became more complex. With the entry of the French, England now faced a major power that had sizable naval assets and an army to threaten …show more content…
In the aftermath of that defeat the British made the decision to take the war to an area that (in their opinion) would be more supportive of them and their efforts to defeat the rebellion.
From 1779-1781 the war flowed across the Southern colonies as the British and Colonial armies hammered at each other, but by the end of 1780 General Cornwallis found his army being chased from the Carolina’s and towards Virginia where he hoped to linkup with other British forces from New York, but in the end he received no support and the British naval forces which might have rescued him was driven off by French forces under the command of Admiral de Grasse.
Ferling, John. Almost A Miracle. New York. Oxford University Press. 2007
Ferling, John. A Leap in the Dark. New York. Oxford University Press. 2003
Holton, Woody. Unruly Americans. New York. Hill and Wang. 2007
Leckie, Robert . George Washington’s War New York. Harper Collins 1992
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me, New York, The New Press, 1995.
Palmer, R.R. A History of the Modern World. New York, Alfred A. Knopf,
With the entry of France in 1778 and later Spain in 1779 the strategic military situation for England and its military struggle to subdue the rebellion in North American became more complex. With the entry of the French, England now faced a major power that had sizable naval assets and an army to threaten …show more content…
In the aftermath of that defeat the British made the decision to take the war to an area that (in their opinion) would be more supportive of them and their efforts to defeat the rebellion.
From 1779-1781 the war flowed across the Southern colonies as the British and Colonial armies hammered at each other, but by the end of 1780 General Cornwallis found his army being chased from the Carolina’s and towards Virginia where he hoped to linkup with other British forces from New York, but in the end he received no support and the British naval forces which might have rescued him was driven off by French forces under the command of Admiral de Grasse.
Ferling, John. Almost A Miracle. New York. Oxford University Press. 2007
Ferling, John. A Leap in the Dark. New York. Oxford University Press. 2003
Holton, Woody. Unruly Americans. New York. Hill and Wang. 2007
Leckie, Robert . George Washington’s War New York. Harper Collins 1992
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me, New York, The New Press, 1995.
Palmer, R.R. A History of the Modern World. New York, Alfred A. Knopf,