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so I just finished Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy's great book "The Men Who Lost America" and in talking about 1781 he brought up that the Congress was totally broke in 1781, as were the states, that their paper money was viewed as worth less than "oak leafs" (i.e. toilet paper) Virginia was so broke it couldn't raise an army to fight off Cornwallis' invasion, rumors flew that the French and Spanish were only willing to fight for one more year, the French admiral at Yorktown, the comte de Grasse had strict orders to leave North America by October 15th 1781

so I guess my question is, if Cornwallis never goes north, stays in Georgia and South Carolina could Washington and Rochambeau have as successfully besieged New York as they did Yorktown? given that the comte de Grasse was defeated by the Naval commander, Admiral Rodney, at the Battle of the Saintes 6 months after Yorktown

and if Washington and Rochambeau fail in getting a major (or even minor) victory in 1781, what happens? even after Yorktown, King George III and Lord George Germain (Secretary of State for the Americas) were fully for fighting on and the North Government staggered on for months afterward, so the British will was there, would the American will be broken by bankruptcy? would the French and Spanish bow out as was rumored they would?
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