The Revolutionary War (America Goes to War)

Anne M. Tood is a Capstone Press author.

What caused the American Revolution? What were some of the most important battles fought in that war? How did Revolutionary War soldiers live and campaign? Why did the war end the way it did? These and other questions are addressed in this concise, illustrated history of America's military struggle for independence. The American Revolution was a complicated and high impact historical event. It pitted Americans not only against British soldiers but their fellow Colonials as well. Fully one-third of the Colonists exercised the right to fight against their rebellious neighbors. Another one third of the Colonial populace felt no great commitment to either the cause of King and Country or that of revolution. Thus, the American Revolution resulted not only in aggressive acts against the English Motherland but a complex political ballet within the thirteen colonies. From the British perspective, the revolt was not understandable. The British had committed vast resources to defend the Colonies during the French and Indian War and felt justified in passing on some of these costs to the Americans. When confronted with armed revolt, the British leadership felt determined to exert powers they felt were justified. In the long run, an improbable set of events led to the defeat of the mightiest nation in the world by a relatively weak Colonial army. It is the story of this revolutionary struggle that is told in this nicely developed history book, part of the America Goes to War series. --Children's Literature, January 2001