ID: Naval Blunders
The term “Naval Blunders” talks about how Britain’s mistakes at sea cost them the Revolution. The British had a fully militarized navy, compared to the colonists. However, one of the mistakes that the British made during the war was that they unknowingly caused the spread of disease amongst their crew and thus were responsible for the deaths of their soldiers. The British ships, while large, often housed hundreds of troops, in unsanitary conditions. Most of the soldiers practically slept on top of each other. Also, the wounded and the healthy were kept in the same spaces, so most of the healthy soldiers came into contact with the unhealthy soldiers, and thus developed infections and disease. Starting with the Dunmore Proclamation of 1775, slaves joined the British to ensure their freedom. There were 500 slaves who formed Lord Dunmore’s Ethiopian Regiment; however, most of the soldiers were on ships. The mixing of slaves and European soldiers meant that there was a huge …show more content…
Also, there have always been disputes between Britain and France. The fact that Spain and France were on the side of the Americans, and that they were acquiring more territory closer to the English Channel, meant that the British had to split their navy in half. Half was devoted to the cause in North America, while the other half was devoted to the conflict at home. Going along with the geographical aspect, most British ships and soldiers were supplied by trade ships from the mother country to North America. The problem was that the British were farther away and therefore it took longer for reinforcements to arrive. As a result, most of the cavalry and infantryman either starved or were forced to surrender. In the end, the fact that Britain’s navy couldn’t be everywhere at once hindered them and was one of the reasons why the British lost the Revolutionary
The term “Naval Blunders” talks about how Britain’s mistakes at sea cost them the Revolution. The British had a fully militarized navy, compared to the colonists. However, one of the mistakes that the British made during the war was that they unknowingly caused the spread of disease amongst their crew and thus were responsible for the deaths of their soldiers. The British ships, while large, often housed hundreds of troops, in unsanitary conditions. Most of the soldiers practically slept on top of each other. Also, the wounded and the healthy were kept in the same spaces, so most of the healthy soldiers came into contact with the unhealthy soldiers, and thus developed infections and disease. Starting with the Dunmore Proclamation of 1775, slaves joined the British to ensure their freedom. There were 500 slaves who formed Lord Dunmore’s Ethiopian Regiment; however, most of the soldiers were on ships. The mixing of slaves and European soldiers meant that there was a huge …show more content…
Also, there have always been disputes between Britain and France. The fact that Spain and France were on the side of the Americans, and that they were acquiring more territory closer to the English Channel, meant that the British had to split their navy in half. Half was devoted to the cause in North America, while the other half was devoted to the conflict at home. Going along with the geographical aspect, most British ships and soldiers were supplied by trade ships from the mother country to North America. The problem was that the British were farther away and therefore it took longer for reinforcements to arrive. As a result, most of the cavalry and infantryman either starved or were forced to surrender. In the end, the fact that Britain’s navy couldn’t be everywhere at once hindered them and was one of the reasons why the British lost the Revolutionary