The subtitle of this book is “America’s Battle for Freedom, Britain’s Quagmire; 1775-1783”. Each chapter takes a small slice of the time period, and describes mainly what is happening in England, and how the events in the colonies are impacting decisions there. One challenge was the length of time it took information to go back and forth across the pond. Sometimes, a decision that was made in England, that might have made sense when it was made, didn’t work by the time the directive arrived in the Generals’ hands. Also, the information used for the decision had the same issue; by the time news of an event reached England, things on the ground would have already changed.
What I didn’t realize was how the personalities of individuals in the English government impacted first the decision to go to war, and then how the war was carried out. The American Secretary, Germaine, had reason to demonstrate his toughness by dealing harshly with the American rebels. On the other hand, wars are not cheap, especially when you need to hire mercenaries. He wanted the war won as soon as possible, and tried to manage it from afar. His military leaders, however, especially General Howe, were not as aggressive as he might have wanted. And apparently, King George III took it as a personal affront that anyone would not want him as their ruler! So any thoughts of any concessions to the rebels were non-starters.
The British were assured by Loyalists, falsely, that many Loyalists would be lining up to join the cause, but few did. Plus there was not unanimous support for the war in England. Any bad news regarding the progress of the war was amplified by the press. And finding out that the French had decided to support the rebels was a blow. Also, after a bill was passed to remove some restrictions from Catholics, there was widespread rioting in opposition. So, at one point, the British government had to worry about foreign enemies, rebelling colonies, and unrest at home, all at the same time. By the time the armies met at Yorktown, both countries were exhausted, and financially drained.
If this was your family, how would you research them? If your ancestors were still in England during the American Revolution, or if they were Loyalists who relocated there after the Revolution, two of your best bets are Find My Past, and FamilySearch. If they relocated to Canada, check records there. There were a few Hessians who stayed in the United States after the war. Check records where they ended up. FamilySearch has a webinar, and links to several sources, in their wiki for Hessian soldiers.