Navies and the American Revolution 1775-1783 (Chatham Pictorial Histories)

The struggle for American independence constituted a new form of conflict, in which the issue was political as well as economic. Widespread opposition to British rule made it impossible for the occupying armies to hold more than small pockets of territory, inevitably on the coast where they could be supported and supplied by the Navy. This made seapower the key to the war. To many in Britain, America was wild and largely unknown which led to an active market for maps and images of the places and battles. The educated classes followed campaigns through prints and illustrated magazines. In time, paintings and engravings were produced which were based on sketches done on the spot, while many of the actual combatants kept illustrated journals. This volume draws on these sources to achieve an impression of the maritime aspects of the conflict in all its variety and drama. It also illustrates many significant background aspects of the war, in the form of thematic box texts, on such subjects such as ship types, the weapons and the organization involved. It also contributes to an understanding of how the American Revolution was seen as the time. The book is one of a series which draws upon the collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, illustrating the great maritime events of the pre-photographic era from contemporary paintings, prints, drawings, charts and plans. "The crucial contribution of seapower to the struggle for American independence forms the theme for this volume, drawing on published prints, maps and illustrated journals of the time to achieve a remarkable impression of the maritime aspects of the war, in all its variety and drama. But besides the campaigns, battles and sieges, the book also illustrates many significant background aspects of the war, in the form of thematic inserts on such subjects as the ship types, the weapons and the organisation involved. The result is not just a visually exciting collection of contemporary images, many previously unpublished, but a valuable contribution to the understanding of how the American Revolution was seen at the time."--BOOK JACKET