American Revolution: Francis Marion, Research Paper Example

The American War of Independence  1775-1783, developed into actual war at Lexington, Massachusetts in 1775. The war with the British army had been brewing since the Treaty of Paris in 1763.“ After a protracted struggle, British forces surrendered in October 1781, and the Treaty Of Paris, 1783, formally recognized the United States of America“ (Sprague, 2009).

It was estimated that 15-20% remained loyal to the British Crown, whilst the loyalists were outnumbered by the patriots by 2:1. The battles that followed were particularly brutal. Before the battle at Lexington “British Ministers had persuaded themselves that their troubles in America were inspired by a conspiracy of the few, that most colonists loved parliament and the King “ (Middlekauff, 1985). The Patriots had become tired of their colonial masters “We did not need to import these people from England, which cut our dependency even more. We had a thriving society in America, and indeed added to British coffers. Undeniably, they needed us much more than we needed them“ (Brown, 199)

Throughout the war the British used naval superiority in order to occupy the coastal ports of the Eastern seaboard. This enabled freedom of movement of soldiers and munitions.  The patriot army, whilst not having the discipline and training of the British soldiers, were more numerous and this enabled them to win decisive land battles.  The Patriots equally were the first to introduce guerrilla warfare tactics of hit and run.  This frustrated the British Soldiers who were unaccustomed to such tactics … “It was during this time that Francis Marion made his mark as a great leader of irregulars. His troops would continuously hit and run and disrupt communications and frustrate the British troops. His troops became so good, that the British sent Colonel Banastre Tarleton after him. Tarleton was known for being ruthless and giving no quarter. Marions guerrilla warfare infuriated Tarleton so much that he gave Marion the name of  `The Swamp Fox` (Benjamin, 2007)

Works Cited

Benjamin, C. (2007, July 13). American Revolution: Francis Marion, the Father of Modern Day Guerrilla Warfare. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from Associated Content News: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/303048/american_revolution_francis_marion_pg2.html?cat=37

Brown, R. D. (199). Major problems in the era of the American Revolution. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company .

Middlekauff, R. (1985). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution 1763-1789. In R. Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution 1763-1789. New York: Oxford University Press.

Sprague, D. N. (2009). American Revolution. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from The Canadian Encyclopedia: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000175