Weapons and Tactics of the American Revolution

The Revolutionary War was the British army against the Continental(American) army.  The British were considered one the superpowers of that time, with massive resources at their disposal and one the biggest armies of their time.  The Continental army was practically the opposite of the British. consisted of militia and civilians with hardly any military experience.  It was formed about two months after the war started.  This caused the war to be a very interesting one.  During the war, two main types of guns were used-the rifle and the musket.  They were both had different strengths and weaknesses.  The war is also a great example of two interesting tactics: linear tactics and guerilla warfare.  Both of these were used to a sizable extent in the war.  Let me tell you about how these tactics worked, and how they were used.

The Revolutionary War was from 1775 to 1783.  During this time, firearms were much more primitive than modern ones.  Most armies used muskets as their main firearm.   In this case, the musket was the primary weapon for both sides. However, the colonists would sometimes use rifles to fight.  The rifles had several advantages and disadvantages.  They were more effective and accurate at distances of several hundred yards than military muskets, which were used at about a hundred yards.  However, rifles took much longer to reload.  It took at least a minute to carefully measure out the amount of gunpowder needed, ram it down the barrel, and activate the rifle grooves that made the ball spin, giving it accuracy.  Also, unlike the military muskets, rifles weren’t fashioned to fit bayonets.  Bayonets were an essential weapon, as they were the soldier's primary melee weapon.  The only way to mount bayonets on rifles was to use a plug bayonet, which was a knife attached to a cork that fit in the rifle barrel.  This rendered rifles unusable for military use.  However, rifles were helpful as weapons for light infantry and skirmishers.  The riflemen of the Continental army became known for their speed and were  able to traverse large distances faster than other infantry.  

During the Revolution, Britain used standard European tactics.  At this point in time, firearms were prevalent as a military weapon of choice.   In European conflicts, the two opposing armies fight each other in a clear open area, like a field.  Both armies were armed with a firearm.  They would be grouped in tight formations, firing vollies of musket balls or rifle pellets, from less than a hundred yards. While shooting, they would march closer and closer to the enemy army.  Most of the times, the fight would end with one side charging in with bayonets, and forcing the enemy to retreat or fight hand-to-hand.  This type of fighting was called linear tactics.  Since this was how Britain normally fought (and won) battles, they saw no reason to do anything different.  

The most important thing when using linear tactics was to fire as many vollies at the enemy in the shortest amount of time.  Muskets were large, heavy, and cumbersome.Most well trained companies could fire at least 4 vollies a minute, if not more.  Britain’s army was one of the best of its time, and did that easily.  They had an army with years of experience, a lot of funding, and more resources. The most of the Continental army had virtually no experience, was founded 2 months after the war started, and was comprised of civilians and militia.  Despite these setbacks, the Continental army still used the linear tactics, to a large extent.  This may have been because American officers like George Washington had served under British commanders in the French-Indian war.  So when they studied warfare tactics, they were drawn to the British ideas.

Some movies show the colonists using different tactics.  They would hide behind walls and trees, trying to snipe the British soldiers.  Though this is true, it was only used in a few battles, like at the battle of King’s mountain.  In the battle, loyalists from the Carolinas, led by British Major Patrick Ferguson, attempted to defend the mountain from the American rebels.  Instead of using linear tactics, the rebels advanced up the mountain while taking cover under trees and rocks.  They advanced in small groups, instead of one large formation.  The rebels won the decisive battle, setting of a chain reaction.  It eventually led the British army to move northward to Virginia, where it would be defeated.  

Now for the a million dollar question.  How does this affect me?  This affects me, and everyone in the America, in that U.S. may have lost the war if they fought differently.  If they used different tactics, the British may have beaten them.  If they had, everyone in America-more than 300 million people, including me, would be under British rule.  There would no U.S. on the U.N. security council, no Civil War, and much more.  WW1 or WW2 may have ended with Britain winning more easily.  Britain would be a far more influential country.  The French Revolution may not have succeeded, as the French used a lot of resources to help the Americans. Instead of being a citizen of the U.S., I would be a citizen of the United Kingdom.   I would call the ruler of the country a King ________ instead of President _______.  Since I live in America, I would not want to be under British rule.  I prefer a democracy to a monarchy, as it is generally more resistant to corruption.  Also, being ruled by a nation that’s across the ocean just doesn't feel right.  The capital of the U.K. would be on a different continent, nearly half way across the world.  The rulers wouldn’t care as much about its land in America as it would about its original territory, in Europe.  Lastly, Britain may not have even owned land as far west as Oregon.  This means that I could have lived in Thailand (my parents were immigrants, and came from Thailand).  The effects of tactics that were used in the war goes on and on, and everyone is affected by it.  Every action, no matter how small, will always affect someone.  

Sources cited:
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"11th Pennsylvania Regiment Home Page." 11th Pennsylvania Regiment Home Page. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.