General Discussion

sir pball

(5,442 posts) Thu Jul 16, 2026, 03:20 PM 11 hrs ago

For the 250, I'm learning a lot of history; we did not win the Revolution alone...

Last edited Thu Jul 16, 2026, 04:38 PM - Edit history (1)

…and I'm a certified Child of the American Revolution/Son of the American Revolution, with AP History, so this is all new and interesting!

The American Revolution was a true World War…it started as a small rebellion that the British could have easily put down, but the French (who were still pissed over the Seven Years War) decided to jump in, and their help was literally invaluable–without French money, gunpowder, and military aid we never would have been free.

A bit later Spain joined in, also annoyed over the Seven Years War, and they took some critical territory down in the Gulf.

And to add to it all, the Dutch even went to war with the UK for us!

Basically, the Revolution was the UK getting into a minor fight with a colony, but then the world ganged up on them and beat them so hard they had to give up

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

For the 250, I'm learning a lot of history; we did not win the Revolution alone... (Original Post) sir pball 11 hrs ago OP

Dutch tea was being smuggled into the colonies to undercut the British tea House of Roberts 11 hrs ago #1

And that is how a much weaker nation aided by outsiders isn't defeated if they choose to fight. tetedur 11 hrs ago #2

Without the French blockade and other naval assistance we would have lost IMHO. nt yaesu 11 hrs ago #3

Not IYHO, it's a fact. sir pball 10 hrs ago #5

And the French assistance drained the French treasury. Igel 10 hrs ago #4

The nascent US had a lot of European help sarisataka 9 hrs ago #6

House of Roberts

(6,784 posts)

1. Dutch tea was being smuggled into the colonies to undercut the British tea

Reply to sir pball (Original post)

Thu Jul 16, 2026, 03:34 PM

11 hrs ago

that was so heavily taxed, it led to the Boston Tea Party. They had a stake in that trade.

tetedur

(1,434 posts)

2. And that is how a much weaker nation aided by outsiders isn't defeated if they choose to fight.

Reply to sir pball (Original post)

Thu Jul 16, 2026, 03:42 PM

11 hrs ago

Currently we have the example of Ukraine doing the same thing.
Vietnam was another example. Afghanistan could not be beaten by the USSR. The Taliban in Afghanistan was not beaten by USA.

Iran is another lesson we will learn, the hard way.

yaesu

(9,469 posts)

3. Without the French blockade and other naval assistance we would have lost IMHO. nt

Reply to sir pball (Original post)

Thu Jul 16, 2026, 04:01 PM

11 hrs ago

sir pball

(5,442 posts)

5. Not IYHO, it's a fact.

Reply to yaesu (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 16, 2026, 04:41 PM

10 hrs ago

Without the La Marine Royale countering the Royal Navy, there's literally no chance we would have won.

Igel

(37,755 posts)

4. And the French assistance drained the French treasury.

Reply to sir pball (Original post)

Thu Jul 16, 2026, 04:37 PM

10 hrs ago

When the government turned to the assembly to raise taxes, it created a furor and was a prime trigger for the bloodletting that we call the French Revolution. With a 10-day week, 10-month year, lots of pointless death and which lead to a restored monarchy and the war of 1812.

sarisataka

(23,368 posts)

6. The nascent US had a lot of European help

Reply to sir pball (Original post)

Thu Jul 16, 2026, 05:23 PM

9 hrs ago

Most famously General Marquis de Lafayette from France.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth send notable leaders such as Tadeusz Kościuszko who constructed many key fortifications and Casimir Pulaski who convince Washington of the usefulness of cavalry.
The Prussian Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (strongly believed to have been homosexual) developed standards of sanitation for camps, such as having latrines for the troops, and recordkeeping of supplies. He also introduced military training to the Continental Army changing them for a collection of Minutemen to an effective fighting force.

Reply to this discussion