Why Did Soldiers Fight In The Revolutionary War?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The British were

forced to divert important resources and manpower away from the colonies

, giving the Continental Army a fighting chance against them in their war for independence.

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Why did soldiers join the Continental Army?

Men joined the Continental Army for a variety of reasons. For the young men who made up the bulk of the Continental Army,

soldiering not only gave them steady employment

, but also the opportunity for excitement and adventure.

What were the colonists really fighting for?

The fought

the British because they wanted to be free from Britain

. They fought the British because of unfair taxes. They fought because they didn't have self-government. When the American colonies formed, they were part of Britain.

Why did the Patriots really fought?

People in the Americas felt they weren't being treated fairly by the British. They were being taxed without any say or representation in the British government. Soon cries for “liberty” were being heard throughout the colonies. The patriots

wanted freedom from British rule

.

What was life like as a soldier in the Revolutionary War?

During the Revolutionary War

more soldiers died from disease than from combat

. Soldiers had a poor diet, worn out clothes, damp shelters, and lived in unsanitary conditions. Diseases such as smallpox and typhus killed thousands of soldiers. Hospitals and medicine were not very good at this time in history.

Why did the Continental Army win the Revolutionary War?

The Continental Army had a number of advantages over the British army. Their biggest advantage was that

they were fighting for a grand cause

, their independence and freedom, which was a very motivating factor.

What was the primary reason why George Washington was chosen to lead the Continental Army?

Introduction. The Continental Congress commissioned George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army on June 19, 1775. Washington was selected over other candidates such as John Hancock based on his previous military experience and

the hope that a leader from Virginia could help unite the colonies

.

What are the 3 main causes of the American Revolution?

  • The Founding of the Colonies. …
  • French and Indian War. …
  • Taxes, Laws, and More Taxes. …
  • Protests in Boston. …
  • Intolerable Acts. …
  • Boston Blockade. …
  • Growing Unity Among the Colonies. …
  • First Continental Congress.

What are 3 reasons the colonies declared independence?

1) American colonists did not have the same rights as citizens who actually lived in Great Britain. 2) The colonies were not allowed to send representatives to Parliament. 3)

They could not vote on issues and taxes directly affecting them.

What events led to the Revolutionary War?

  • The Stamp Act (March 1765) …
  • The Townshend Acts (June-July 1767) …
  • The Boston Massacre (March 1770) …
  • The Boston Tea Party (December 1773) …
  • The Coercive Acts (March-June 1774) …
  • Lexington and Concord (April 1775)

How old did you have to be to fight in the Revolutionary War?

How Old Were

Continental Soldiers

? The official age for the Continental Army was 16, (15 with parental consent) but soldiers could sign on up to the age of 55. The majority of Continental soldiers were young men, usually around 17 or 18 years old.

Did Revolutionary soldiers get paid?

Soldiers were

promised a pay of $29 per month

, a small fortune for the time. Many of the colonies maintained their own currencies and exchange rates. The Continental dollar was almost worthless. Congress often lacked the funds to pay the soldiers, who remained true to the cause of liberty despite the hardships.

Who won the Revolutionary War?

After French assistance helped the Continental Army force the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781,

the Americans

had effectively won their independence, though fighting would not formally end until 1783.

How old was the average soldier in the Revolutionary War?

The average age of soldiers who served in the Continental Army was

18 to 20 years old

, some as young as 14.

Why did the British lose the Revolutionary War?

There are significant reasons why the British lost the war despite having the upper hand in terms of weaponry and soldiers. Some of these include:

the British fighting on American land

, General Howe's lack of judgment, and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and his soldiers.

Could the British have won the Revolutionary War?

Q: Could the British have won the Revolutionary War?

Yes

, the British could have won the Revolutionary War although later the British argued otherwise. Britain missed some golden opportunities to win the war before France allied with the Americans.

Why did fighting began in Lexington and Concord?

The British marched into Lexington and Concord intending

to suppress the possibility of rebellion by seizing weapons from the colonists

. Instead, their actions sparked the first battle of the Revolutionary War.

What was the main reason that the American colonies rebelled and fought for their independence *?

The main reason the colonies started rebelling against ‘mother England' was

the taxation issue

. The colonies debated England's legal power to tax them and, furthermore, did not wish to be taxed without representation. This was one of the main causes of the Revolutionary War.

How did George Washington help the Revolutionary War?

General George Washington led

the American army to victory during the Revolutionary War

. … While he lost more battles than he won, Washington employed a winning strategy that included victories at the Battle of Trenton in 1776 and Yorktown in 1781.

What was the principal reason that the Second Continental Congress selected George Washington to head the army in 1775?

What was the principal reason that the Second Continental Congress selected George Washington to head the army in 1775?

They wanted to squelch tensions between the colonies

. a last-ditch effort by the Continental Congress to urge King George to end the hostilities.

How many colonists fought in the Revolutionary War?

Over the course of the war, about

231,000 men

served in the Continental Army, though never more than 48,000 at any one time, and never more than 13,000 at any one place. The sum of the Colonial militias numbered upwards of 145,000 men.

What were the 4 Intolerable Acts?

The four acts were

the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act

. The Quebec Act of 1774 is sometimes included as one of the Coercive Acts, although it was not related to the Boston Tea Party.

What were the main reasons the colonists wanted to break free from Britain?

The colonies wanted to break away from Great Britian.

Colonists protesting the taxes passed by Parliament

. The colonists had to follow British laws and had to do whatever the King of England and Parliament told them to do. The colonists wanted to be able to control their own government.

Does England still own America?

British America and the British West Indies Capital Administered from London, England

Why did France and Britain fight in the war?

France and Britain went to war

because they both wanted to control the Ohio Valley

. … The French surrendered to the British in the battle of Quebec. The British were dominating them. Then Britain and France signed the Treaty of Paris to bring the long conflict to an end and to end French power in North America.

What was the US called during the Revolutionary War?

On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a new name for what had been called the “

United Colonies

.” The moniker United States of America has remained since then as a symbol of freedom and independence.

Who was the youngest person to fight in the Revolutionary war?

In the summer of 1776,

Joseph Plumb Martin

enlisted in the Connecticut state militia at the tender age of 15; he later joined the Continental Army of General George Washington and served nearly seven years on behalf of the Revolutionary cause.

How many black soldiers died in the Revolutionary war?

An estimated

100,000 African Americans

escaped, died or were killed during the American Revolution.

What did George Washington do?

George Washington is often called the “Father of His (or Our) Country.” He not only served as the first president of the United States, but he also commanded

the Continental Army

during the American Revolution (1775–83) and presided over the convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution.

Who were the colonies fighting against in the Revolutionary War?

The American Revolutionary War was a war fought between

Great Britain and the original Thirteen Colonies

in North America from 1775 to 1787. Most of the fighting was in North America and other places. The Continental Army, the rebel army, was led by George Washington and helped by France and Spain.

What were the 3 most important battles of the American Revolution?

  • Lexington and Concord, April 1775. …
  • Bunker Hill, June 1775. …
  • Quebec, December 1775. …
  • Charleston, June 1776. …
  • Trenton, December 1776. …
  • Saratoga, October 1777. …
  • Rhode Island, August 1778. …
  • Kings Mountain, October 1780.

Did America ever pay back France?

The Convention of 1800 affirmed the rights of Americans as neutrals and abrogated the alliance with France.

France never got its US loans back

, but then again neither did the US get its “French Spoliation Claims” against French attacks.

How old are Vietnam vets now?

▶ Vietnam Veteran ages range from

55 to 97 years old

. In order to make equitable comparisons, these Veterans are compared with the civilian populaƟon of the same age group.

Who was the oldest soldier in the Revolutionary War?


Samuel Whittemore
Rank Captain (in British army)
Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.