Loyalist Writings

Loyalist writings throughout the conflict persistently claimed that they were the majority, and influenced London officials to believe that it would be possible to raise many Loyalist regiments.^[54] As late as 1780 the Loyalists were deceiving themselves and top London officials about their supposedly strong base of support.^[55]
Patriots overwhelmed Loyalists in the Snow Campaign in South Carolina in late 1775. Virginia's governor Lord Dunmore attempted to rally a loyalist force but was decisively beaten in December 1775 at the Battle of Great Bridge. In February 1776 British General Clinton took 2,000 men and a naval squadron to assist Loyalists mustering in North Carolina, only to call it off when he learned they had been crushed at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. In June he tried to seize Charleston, South Carolina, the leading port in the South, but the attack failed as the naval force was repulsed by the Patriot forts.
Apart from the thirteen, no other British North American colony joined the rebellion.

British reaction

King George III issued a Proclamation of Rebellion in August 1775, and addressed Parliament on October 26, 1775. He denounced "the authors and promoters of this desperate conspiracy" who had "labored to inflame my people in America ... and to infuse into their minds a system of opinions repugnant to the true constitution of the Colonies, and to their subordinate relation to Great Britain ..." He detailed measures taken to suppress the revolt, including "friendly offers of foreign assistance". The King's speech was endorsed by both Houses of Parliament; a motion in the House of Commons to oppose coercive measures was defeated 278–108. The British received an Olive Branch Petition written by the Second Continental Congress dated July 8, 1775, imploring the King to reverse the policies of his ministers. However, by this time the invasion of Canada was already well under way, and Parliament debated on whether to accept the petition, but after a lengthy debate rejected it by 53 votes, viewing it as insincere. Parliament then voted to impose a blockade against the Thirteen Colonies. Operations were overseen by Lord George Germain, who was Secretary of State for the American Department from November 1775 to 1782. He set strategy, was in charge of logistics, and selected and supervised the generals. He reported to Prime Minister North. Lord Sandwich controlled the Royal Navy.^[56]
The popularity of war in Britain reached a peak in 1777.^[57] The king himself took greater control as he micromanaged the war effort, despite the opposition of top officials including the prime minister North and the civilian heads of the army and the navy. The king vehemently rejected independence and demanded the use of Indians to distress the Americans.^[58]
Separately, the Irish Parliament pledged its loyalty and agreed to the withdrawal of troops from Ireland to suppress the rebellion in America.^[59] Most Irish Protestants were against the war and favored the Americans, but the Catholic establishment supported the king.^[60] The American Revolution was the first war in which Irish Catholics were allowed to enlist in the army.^[61]
Militarily, the weak British response to the rebellion in 1775 and early 1776 around Boston was a losing cause; the British lost control of every colony.^[62] The peacetime British army had been deliberately kept small since the Glorious Revolution to prevent an abuse of power by the King. To muster a force, the British had to launch recruiting campaigns in Britain and Ireland and hire mercenaries from the small German states such as Hesse. Russia refused to rent out soldiers. The king wanted to save money, and the administration of the army was inefficient. After a year the British were able to ship Sir William Howe an army of 32,000 officers and men to open a campaign in summer 1776. It was the largest force the British had ever sent outside of Europe at that time.^[63]

Campaign of 1776–1777

New York

Main article: New York and New Jersey campaign

American soldiers in the Battle of Long Island, 1776

Having withdrawn his army from Boston to Halifax, General Howe now focused on capturing New York City, which then was limited to the southern tip of Manhattan Island. Howe's force captured Staten Island across the harbor from Manhattan after arriving on June 30, 1776. To defend the city, General Washington spread his forces along the shores of New York's harbor, concentrated on Long Island and Manhattan.^[64] While British and Hessian troops were assembling, Washington had the newly issued Declaration of American Independence read to his men and the citizens of the city.^[65]
Washington's position was extremely precarious because he had divided his smaller force between two islands (Manhattan and Long Island), with the Royal Navy in control of the waters around them . Military critics note that Howe could have trapped and destroyed Washington's entire army if he had landed on Manhattan, but instead Howe decided to mount a frontal assault against Long Island.^[66] The British landed 22,000 men on Long Island in late August and badly defeated the Continental army in the war's largest battle, taking over 1,000 prisoners and driving them back to Brooklyn Heights. Instead of continuing his pursuit, Howe decided to lay siege to the heights, claiming he wanted to spare his men's lives from an assault on the Patriot fortifications. He actively restrained his subordinates from landing what could have been the finishing blow against Washington's forces.^[67] Washington initially reinforced his exposed position, but then personally directed the withdrawal of his entire remaining army and all their supplies across the East River on the night of August 29–30 without loss of men or materiel.^[68] The unfavorable direction of the wind had prevented British warships from blocking Washington's escape.
A peace conference took place on September 11 to explore the possibility of a negotiated solution. The British advanced Lord North's "fixed contribution" formula of the preceding year and indicated that other laws could be revised or repealed so long as the authority of Britain was acknowledged. The American negotiators insisted they would not give up the Declaration of Independence.^[69]
Howe then resumed the attack. On September 15, Howe landed about 12,000 men on lower Manhattan, quickly taking control of New York City. The Americans withdrew north up the island to Harlem Heights, where they battled the next day repulsing a British advance. On September 21 a devastating fire broke out in the city which the Patriots were widely blamed for, although no proof ever existed. On October 12 the British made an attempt to encircle the Americans, which failed because of Howe's decision to land on an island that was easily cut off from the mainland.^[70] The Americans evacuated Manhattan, and on October 28 fought the Battle of White Plains against the pursuing British. During the battle Howe declined to attack Washington's highly vulnerable main force, instead attacking a hill that was of no strategic significance.^[71][72]
Washington retreated, and Howe returned to Manhattan and captured Fort Washington in mid November, taking about 3,000 prisoners. Thus began the infamous "prison ships" system the British maintained in New York for the rest of the war, in which more American soldiers and sailors died of neglect and disease than died in every battle of the entire war, combined.^[73]
Howe then detached Sir Henry Clinton with 6,000 men to seize Newport, Rhode Island for the British fleet, which was accomplished without encountering any major resistance.^[74] Clinton objected to this move, believing the force would have been better employed up the Delaware River, where they might have inflicted irreparable damage on the retreating Americans.^[75]