3.5 Fighting the Revolutionary War

Colonial Struggles

The early years of the Revolutionary War went badly for the Continental Army, with several major losses at key places such as New York. Additionally, to lower the colonists’ morale, Britain offered pardons to all Americans who swore an oath of allegiance, which many did. This worked because only around 40% of the colonists were patriots, as 20% were loyalists and 40% opted to stay neutral during the war. These loyalists were mainly from cities and were merchants who needed trade from Britain. Owing to the low morale, many deserted from the militias, and militias retaliated against those who deserted.