When the American Revolution started in earnest in 1775, colonists were far from united. Each colony had its own motivation for joining the war, and the populations within those colonies had a wide range of views about their relationship with Britain. Important propaganda like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense helped sway the public toward the idea of independence, but the idea of a unified single nation did not become popular for many years. A single Continental Army, however, was an important step in aiding the colonists in their ultimate success.

As the war raged on, battle victories were divided between the Continental Army (and its allies) and the British. The colonists’ early attempt to capture the formerly French parts of Canada was unsuccessful. British General Howe took New York in late 1776 after being driven out of Boston. Many expected this, as the British army was large, well trained, and well-funded, while the colonial forces were cobbled together from various state militias with varying unity and struggled to source supplies while fighting the country that had been their primary trading partner for more than a century. However, the colonists had the distinct advantage of fighting in familiar territory.