At its height, the British Empire spans continents, from Africa to Australia, from North America to Asia, and all points in between. Its mighty navy is the gold standard of sea power, a key asset to the maintenance and oppression of its colonies. This far-flung empire is ruled by a single monarch and a governing body from a tiny island in the north Atlantic. At the time of the American Revolution, the British Empire has existed intact for nearly 200 years. They are accustomed to the world bowing before their king and his every dictate. The colonies, however, have other ideas, and when radicals like Sam Adams and Patrick Henry refuse to accept the king’s policies, the empire’s very identity as a global superpower is challenged. England operates under the supposition that sufficient force is the answer to every problem, even if that force is abusive and unwarranted. When Gage—and later, Howe—cannot squash the rebellion, Admiral Graves takes it upon himself to destroy entire coastal towns, as if the might of the English Navy will reduce the colonies to a subservient, quivering mass. In fact, the opposite is true—the brutality only hardens their resolve against tyranny. England is so inured to the consequences of its oppression that it cannot fathom a resistance movement that is not cowed by its brute strength.