WI: Reverse Yorktown

What if instead of Washington and the French crushing the British/Germans at Yorktown; the British are reinforced from New York and instead crush the American/French in Virginia? Lets say Washington escapes, but his army is scattered.
 
Not entirely my period, but never mind. It becomes a matter of which of the British or the Americans give up the struggle first. I don’t know so much about the American side, but on the British side, the war had, in a number of respects, similarities with the Vietnam War.

It was unpopular among the political classes, and there was significant minority sympathy for the American rebels. You had, for example, the likes of Thomas Paine arguing strongly that without the loyalty of the colonists, it was futile trying to rule a colony. He argued from the point of view of Rights. Others were more pragmatic in their opposition to the war, arguing that keeping the colonies would require constant deployment of troops, which would be far more expensive than anything that could be gained.

It was unpopular among a significant minority proportion of the army which viewed its role as protecting British subjects from foreigners, not imposing will on reluctant subjects. This was a minority view, but it was one reason was a higher proportion of German troops than might be expected were deployed; the Hessians had no real problem with the idea of pointing guns at British subjects.

It was deeply unpopular amongst the mercantile class, who were pissed off that trade was being disrupted, and the general view was that the USA would never be as economically important as the Caribbean islands.

The longer the war goes on, the more unpopular it becomes, and unless it is resolved, there will come a point at which the Whigs take over from the Tories, and put an end to the expense. So the question comes as to who sticks it out longest.
 

ben0628

Banned
I believe at this time the American economy was an absolute wreck and moral amongst the Americans was at its lowest.

If reinforcements arrive on time, it most likely means the destruction of the French fleet and the routing of Washington's forces.

Doing this would allow Cornwallis to advance back into North Carolina and take the colony once and for all hence finally being able to secure South Carolina and Georgia.

I don't think America would have much fight left in them at this point. Of course loyalist/Iroquois forces in upstate New York have been destroyed while Canada lacks troop numbers to do anything.

I could see a situation where middle colonies and new England get independence but South doesn't.
 
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