Why did the British southern strategy ultimately fail?

> CHRONOLOGY

1778

  • British take Savannah, Georgia.
1780

  • British lay siege to Charleston, South Carolina.

  • French army arrives in Newport, Rhode Island.

  • British win battle of Camden.

  • Benedict Arnold exposed as traitor.

  • Americans win battle of King’s Mountain.
1781

  • British forces invade Virginia.

  • French blockade Chesapeake Bay.

  • Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown.
1783

  • Treaty of Paris ends war.

When France joined the war, some British officials favored abandoning the fight. As one troop commander shrewdly observed, “We are far from an anticipated peace, because the bitterness of the rebels is too widespread, and in regions where we are masters the rebellious spirit is still in them. The land is too large, and there are too many people. The more land we win, the weaker our army gets in the field.” The commander of the British navy agreed, as did Lord North, the prime minister. But the king was determined to crush the rebellion, and he encouraged a new strategy for victory focusing on the southern colonies, thought to be more reliably loyalist. He had little idea of the depth of anger that would produce deadly guerrilla warfare between loyalists and patriots. The king’s plan was brilliant but desperate, and ultimately unsuccessful. [[LP Photo: P07.07 “The Balance of Power,” 1780 – VISUAL ACTIVITY/ROA_04224_07_P07.JPEG]]

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VISUAL ACTIVITY
“The Balance of Power,” 1780 This English cartoon mocks the alliance of Spain and the Netherlands with France in support of the American war. On the left, the female figure Britannia cannot be moved by all the lightweights on the right. France and Spain embrace while a Dutch boy hops on, saying, “I’ll do anything for Money.” The forlorn Indian maiden, representing America, wails, “My Ingratitude is Justly punished.”
READING THE IMAGE: What does this cartoon reveal about British perceptions of the American Revolution?
CONNECTIONS: How did British attitudes toward the colonies contribute to the British defeat in the war?
The New York Public Library/Art Resource, NY.

Understanding the American Promise 3ePrinted Page 188