When the American War of Independence commenced in 1775 what was the comparative strength of each side’s armed forces?
Answer: The odds were heavily against the Americans. General Washington rarely had more than 16,000 men at any one time, and at Valley Forge he had around 2,000 men under arms. The British had perhaps 60,000 well-equipped, well-fed soldiers, most, however, on garrison duty in various parts of the British Empire. They also could call on Hessians, Americans ‘Loyalists’ and Indians, and had the not insignificant services of the Royal Navy.
Source: A History of American Democracy by Hicks, Mowbray, Burke
