What advantages did the British have over the colonists during the American war for independence?
1 Answer
Training, experience, weapons, leadership.
Explanation:
You must remember that the colonies were a part of England until 1776. Their expectation until the outbreak of hostilities in 1775 was that the British Army and Navy would protect its interests against foreign powers which in North America were the French and Spanish.
Since the earliest days of settlement the colonists had had state militias to protect them against hostile Native Americans. That was useful during the 17th Century but by the 18th Century the well-established colonists faced few problems with their Native neighbors.
Still, each state felt it provident to maintain an armed militia for defenses against unknown enemies. The militia were all a loosely bound ground of men who elected their leaders, a captain, a lieutenant and a sergeant, who would provide their leadership. There was no formal training for such positions but the officers were generally men of means in the community.
Most state laws provided that all able-bodied men be members of the militia and that they provide their own guns and powder. Once a month these men would meet, have a little drill and ceremony, some marksmanship, and a business meeting.
Each states governor provided for higher ranking officers, majors, colonels, and generals. But the overwhelming majority of these men were just as ill-trained as their subordinates. The positions were gained through patronage generally. Washington from Virginia, Benedict Arnold from Connecticut, and a very few others were the exception having received military training either in England or through the English army.
The early states of the revolution give a stark account of how poorly trained and prepared the Americans were. Their winning the battle of Lexington and Concord was their first victory and their last for almost two years. The new Continental army had neither the leadership nor the supplies to mount a successful campaign, not to mention their troops continued to be mostly undisciplined and ill-equipped.
