Compare and contrast the continental army with the british army

British Advantages

•British forces superior to American forces in experience,

training, equipment, and organization.

•At the beginning of the war, British forces outnumbered

Continental forces; for example, British general William

Howe's expeditionary force in 1776 numbered 32,000,

compared to American general George Washington's force

of less than 20,000.

•Britain’s navy was the biggest and strongest in the world.

•Abundance of funding allowed for long-term war planning

and the hiring of foreign mercenaries for reinforcements.

•Britain had key alliance with Iroquois and other Native

American peoples.

•British bases in Canada provided a stable base of

attack.

•Almost a third of colonists were still loyal to King George

III.

•Splintered families, with brother fighting against brother,

undermined American unity.

•A weak central governing authority placed the

Continentals at a disadvantage.

•Britain’s total population was three times that of

colonies, providing a larger pool of potential recruits

American Advantages

•Patriot zeal for independence, in contrast to lower motivation among opposing troops, especially Hessian mercenaries.

•Superior knowledge of home ground coupled with effective guerrilla warfare tactics, such as attacking from the

rear and adopting enemy uniforms as a disguise.

•Financial and military aid from France and Spain.

•Whereas Britain changed its commander in chief in the

middle of the war, American commander in chief George

Washington saw the war through from beginning to end.

•Though improperly trained in warfare compared with the

British, Continentals were familiar with guns and had

gained experience and skills fighting Native Americans.

•Poor decision-making on the part of the British, including

over-cautiousness and delays in moving troops, helped the

Patriots win.

•Though some colonists were Loyalists, they were not as

well-organized as the Patriots; many Loyalists feared

harassment and therefore kept their sympathies private.

•The British public was divided and tentative in its support

of the war.

•The Continentals supported themselves from a sympathetic surrounding population, whereas the British had to

supply themselves from thousands of miles away

a.   it resulted in widespread unemployment.