Colonial Militia In The Revolutionary War

Throughout history, there have been many rebellions that have led to permanent changes in a group or region. The American Revolution is one of the many that has changed the course of history. For decades, historians faced the question of how the colonies manage to beat Great Britain when they were much inferior in comparison. While in most cases, historians would emphasize military strength as being one of the main reasons, most have rejected this explanation as a reason of defeating Great Britain. Instead, they have suggested that the defeat was a result of “British mistakes.” However, I agree with John Shy’s argument that the colonial militia was critical to the American victory in the Revolutionary War, as he explained in “The American Revolution: The Military Conflict Considered as a Revolutionary War.” The British government underestimated the revolutionary militia, but not without reason. They were untrained civilians and even George Washington found them annoying and criticized them not only for their lack of training, but also because they were undependable. It was hard to plan their next move because commanders never knew how many people will show up. Ultimately, however, the colonial militia played a critical role in the Revolutionary War because they never failed to back-up the Continental Army during times of
Although they were badly trained, it was their will, courage, and belief in a democratic government that helped push them through. In the earlier days of the war, they were looked down upon, but as they become stronger, it became clear that along with the regulars, they should not be taken lightly. The revolutionary militia would have not been able to defeat the Great Britain without the Continental Army, but overlooking their role would be a mistake because they were crucial in the many battles against Great