British Army Uniforms

Former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin once said “History shows that there are no invincible armies.” In the 18th century, however, the British rule that spanned nearly a quarter of the Earth’s land, and that was comprised of the largest navy and strongest army at the time would have begged to differ. At the time, it seemed that the British army was destined to control the entire planet. About 5,600 kilometers away, a little colony of The British Empire had enough. Outrageous taxes without any say in Parliment, hostile interactions, and forced quartering of British soldiers were just some factors raising tension between mother and daughter. March 5th, 1770 brought about the Boston Massacre - the final straw that broke the camel’s back. With that, the Americans had finally had enough and …show more content…
They were unwashed, unshaven, and clothed in an amalgam of whatever was around. “Uniforms” included heavy homespun shirts and coats, cowhide shoes, britches of varying colours, and moccasins. Many soldiers had volunteered because they were promised control over who would be elected officer. Due to this, sake of popularity, or laziness, the officers would let those in the ranks do whatever they please. Backgrounds of the soldiers were as varied as their uniforms. The majority of the army were skilled artisans and farmers. Trades included saddlers, sailors, blacksmiths, cobblers, fishermen, ship chandlers, coopers, wheelwrights, and tailors. A considerable amount, however, had no trade whatsoever; they were drifters, tavern lowlife, even the dregs of society. Ages ranged from General Israel “Old Put” Putnam at 57 to Israel Trask at age 10. Different nationalities, different colors, different sizes and shapes, ways of talking, and physical conditions all joined forces in a time where differences led to wars in the street to work together for what they believed was right - truly, the American