978-1-4222-3353-5

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The American Revolution

The WAR AT SEA In the early years of the Revolutionary War, Great Britain enjoyed naval superiority. The Royal Navy was a key instrument for supporting British land campaigns. It evacuated trapped regiments from Boston. It brought a 32,000-man invasion force to New York. It put troops in position to take Philadelphia. And the Americans were powerless to stop these movements. The Americans used their limited naval forces mostly to disrupt British commercial shipping. The Continental Congress granted spe-

cial licenses known as letters of marque to private ship captains called privateers. The letters of marque authorized privateers to attack British ships. The pri- vateers could sell any cargo or ships they captured. In October 1775, Congress also authorized the creation of the Continental navy. Most of its ships were purchased. They included many converted merchant vessels. Thirteen warships called frigates were ordered by Congress and built in American shipyards. But the largest of them mounted just

John Paul Jones was the first Ameri- can naval captain to defeat a British warship in battle.

32 guns—no match for 70-gun British ships of the line. Of about 60 vessels that saw service in the Continental navy, fewer than a dozen survived the Revolutionary War. The naval balance of power shifted when France—and, later, Spain and the Netherlands—joined the war against Great Britain. Their combined navies posed a serious threat to the British on the high seas.

New York City, urgently requesting help from General Henry Clinton. By early October, the British situation had grown desperate. The troops were surviving on half rations. Their horses began dying of starvation. Burgoyne decided he needed to break out of his defensive positions.