I have been reading a lot on the War of
Independence and realizing how much I do not know. The disorganization of the troops, lack of leadership, the desertion of men and supplies on both sides, greed, corruption and that was just at the beginning of the war.
David McCullough in his book 1776 does a wonderful job describing these conditions for General Washington and his newly appointed staff. Money, lack of gunpowder, dissent among the troops, a very real prejudice against "
Negros" serving, and quarrelling among the troops that began with divisions among the states.
The British, having hand picked generals by King George III himself, did not lack leadership, but made up for it with an attitude that
generally reflected the idea the rebels would soon see the futility of the war and come back into the Empire's fold. It may not be a leap to speculate that if the British had as much tenacity in suppressing the colonies as they would in their wars with France history might be written differently.
However, lest we forget several in Britain likened this to a mother rearing a rebellious child and what mother (one of sound mind) could kill her child? Better to let the child flounder and see the error of their ways than put it out of her misery. Except the Brits didn't count on the fact that the same spirit that mustered the empire to rule the seas and prosperous colonies could be used against them to alter the history of the world. That and the shillings
disappearing from the pockets of the colonists to pay for wars of the empire.
One of the points McCullough makes in his book that is worth mentioning is that King George III thought of himself not just as a King but also as a patriot. As a patriot he saw it as his patriotic duty to bring the
rebellious colonies under heal. Something not mentioned in American history books.
Which brings me to my final point. Most Americans are ignorant of the many facts surrounding the war for
Independence. For example, most school children are probably under the assumption that all colonials were for
independence. Those of us who investigate further find that a good portion of the colonist were
Torey's. Many states had
grievances against one another, New York although considered key in the war was often seen as a state full of arrogant
aristocrats. Facts that often are edited out but could add so much more flavor in painting a more accurate picture of the birth of our country.
Making the revolution, the war and our founding fathers much more human than maybe some of us would care to admit.
Pick up 1776, you will not be
disappointed.
