They were badly clothed and poorly fed. They were barely trained and often unpaid. But the American soldiers went up against the finest fighting force in Europe—and beat them.
Still, the Americans lost more battles than they won. How did they claim victory? They followed a strategy created by General Washington. After his defeat on Long Island in 1776, Washington fought a defensive war. He avoided large battles and wore the enemy down. Finally, Britain got tired of losing men and money in what seemed like an endless conflict. Washington’s strategy worked. The end of the war, however, was just the beginning. The battle to form a new nation—one based on the ideals that had carried the Patriots to victory—was just starting.
