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Home Great Britain and her Relations with America after the Seven Years War, 1763-1783 1763-1783; Part 8 |
1763-1783; Part 8During the next three years (1778-80) our enemies gradually increased, and the sphere of our military operations was correspondingly extended. France joined in the war against us in 1778, and Spain in 1779. Moreover, neutral powers claimed that belligerents had no right to capture enemy's goods on board a neutral ship. This doctrine - briefly called "free ships free goods" - Great Britain did not recognize; and disputes over this, and over the definition of what articles should be included in contraband of war, led in 1780 to the British declaring war on Holland, and to Russia, Denmark, and Sweden threatening hostilities upon Great Britain by forming an Armed Neutrality, As a consequence of these fresh enemies, the war spread to the West Indies - with which at that time one-quarter of British trade was carried on - and to India, whilst in the Mediterranean Gibraltar was besieged. Great Britain was in an extremely critical position. The French navy had been much improved, and the British fleets were not sufficiently superior to cripple the French fleets at the outset of the war. Moreover, Great Britain had not, as in former years, a continental ally to absorb the French energies in a campaign on land. Under these circumstances modern military critics think that the British should have confined their efforts to blockading the enemy's ports. Instead of that the fleet was scattered, and the British tried to hold too many isolated positions. But, unfortunately, Chatham, who might have conducted such a mighty war on sound principles, died in 1778, and from the other politicians of the period it was hopeless to expect great or consistent designs.In America, also, the conditions were entirely altered after 1777. Great Britain no longer held command of the sea, and the French fleet was to form a decisive factor. We must briefly review the events. In 1778 Clinton, the new commander, evacuated Philadelphia and retired to New York. In 1780 the British determined to undertake operations in the south, as there were many loyalists there. Charlestown, the capital of South Carolina, along with its six thousand defenders, was brilliantly captured. Cornwallis, the most energetic of the British generals, beat Gates, the conqueror of Saratoga, at Camden. He then invaded North Carolina, and in 1781 defeated Greene, the best of the American generals, at Guildford Court-House, though with severe losses to himself. Finally, he advanced into Virginia and effected a junction with another force. |
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