What the British could have done differently to win the American Revolution

Another post on the question of how the British should have altered their tactics for the American Revolution.  You might notice that both students listed propaganda/media relations as important to a successful counterinsurgency campaign; in fact, ALL students who wrote on this topic mentioned this issue!

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Image credit: "Happy Treason Day" by Before It's News

http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2015/07/happy-treason-day-ungrateful-colonials-3028140.html

It's an odd experience for an American to write about how the English could have won the American revolution from England on the 4th of July, but I still managed to find a few things England could have done differently to win the war, one early on and one late. The first is control of Colonial propaganda and the second is supply chains (or lack there of) to the British forces.


Propaganda in Colonial America did two major things to kick off the revolution. First, it let people know that everyone was feeling disgruntled, creating a sense of agitated community, sometimes even making people who were ambivalent suddenly feel a sense of anger. Secondly the writers used manipulation tactics to not only incite a greater "us and them" feeling amongst the loyalists vs patriots, but to keep the American spirit strong and growing, thereby creating an army of will, which is much harder to defeat.

A big problem with the propaganda issue in America for the British was that the images and sayings were concentrated against them, where as at home the British had powerful support and it was the Americans who were unpopular. The problem with that is that it wasn't the average Londoner that the British armies had to sway and/or fight, it was the colonists. Powerful American images of massacres, slogans like "no taxation without representation" and "join or die" all rallied spirits before an army was ever called, which as it turns out for the British was a serious problem.

As I said before, the British did have propaganda, just not in the correct places. In 1774 an image of a tarred and feathered official was released in England, picturing the "gleeful" and barbaric Americans around him. But that wasn't all; the Loyalists released battle reports and stories of the war to all English colonies however, the events were so skewed that people actually believed the British were doing great. So naturally, after learning this George Washington gained permission and created a newspaper run by the revolutionaries, effectively counteracting whatever the English had gained in their propaganda.

Image Credit: Cameron K. and Cole D.  Retrieved from
https://sites.google.com/a/waunakee.k12.wi.us/american-revolution-by-
mr-johnson-s-class/was-the-american-revolution-justified 

If the British had a better handle on Colonial propaganda by perhaps censoring speech, limiting where the papers and pamphlets could go or even doing some sort of damage control, it is possible that the revolution may not have even been sparked, let alone been lost.

Another difference that could have won the war for the British is better supply control. The diet of a soldier during this time was already very meager, not to mention the lack of balance in calorie output / input, the food often lacked nutrients.

By the time of the battle of Trent, Cornwallis had strained the food and supply lines too thin to ever expect to win anything let alone a war. In an effort to feed and house his army, General William Howe split his army into fragments to spread them over multiple houses, dispersing the food and lodging more evenly. A great plan, however it left them vulnerable to Washington's attack at Princeton and unable to follow him across the Delaware river.

Had the British had better food and a better plan/supply chain, they may have been able to outlast the colonists. It also appears that more food would mean less risky decisions as demonstrated by General Howe.

Of course there are other things the British could have done to win the war, but perhaps not the battle strategy analysis that everyone tends to jump to. Either way, I can honestly say I'm glad they never took either of these measures.

Resources

• "The Most Complete Guide to Revolutionary War Logistics." The History Junkie. N.p., 18 Dec. 2012.
• "What Is an Example of Propaganda in the American Revolution? | The Classroom | Synonym." What Is an Example of Propaganda in the American Revolution? | The Classroom | Synonym.
• "American Revolution Blog." : Why Did the British Lose the American Revolution? N.p