#AmericanRevolution #RevolutionaryWar #AmericanHistory
๐บ๐ธ Today I learned that only 6,800 Americans were killed in action over the course of the entire 8 years of the Revolutionary War. That’s a surprising statistic when you consider the scale and significance of the conflict. Let’s delve into this interesting aspect of American history and explore some key facts and figures about the Revolutionary War.
## Understanding the Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was fought between 1775 and 1783. It was a pivotal moment in American history, as the 13 American colonies sought to break away from British rule and establish themselves as an independent nation. The war was marked by major battles, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Siege of Yorktown, and the crossing of the Delaware River by George Washington’s army.
## Casualty Figures
When we think of the Revolutionary War, we often picture the iconic images of brave soldiers fighting for freedom. But how many lives were actually lost during this historic conflict? Here are some key figures to consider:
– Total American casualties: While the exact numbers are difficult to ascertain, it is estimated that around 25,000 American soldiers died during the Revolutionary War. This figure includes not only those killed in action, but also those who died from disease, injuries, and other causes.
– British casualties: On the other side of the conflict, the British forces suffered approximately 24,000 casualties, including both deaths and injuries. This demonstrates the high human cost of the war for both sides.
– Other considerations: In addition to military casualties, the Revolutionary War also had a significant impact on civilians, with many households suffering the loss of loved ones and facing hardships as a result of the conflict.
## Factors Contributing to Low Casualty Figures
One might wonder why the casualty figures for the Revolutionary War were relatively low compared to other major conflicts in history. Several factors likely contributed to this phenomenon:
1. Scale of the conflict: While the Revolutionary War was a significant event in American history, it was not a global conflict on the same scale as World War I or World War II. The relatively limited geographic scope of the war may have played a role in keeping casualty figures lower.
2. Tactics and technology: The nature of warfare during the Revolutionary War was different from that of more modern conflicts. The use of traditional battlefield tactics and weaponry may have contributed to fewer casualties compared to the industrialized warfare of the 20th century.
3. Length of the war: The Revolutionary War spanned a period of 8 years, allowing for longer periods of recovery and recruitment for both sides. This may have mitigated the impact of sustained casualties on the overall war effort.
## Legacy of the Revolutionary War
The low casualty figures of the Revolutionary War are a testament to the resilience and determination of the American forces during this pivotal chapter in history. The sacrifices made by those who fought for independence laid the foundation for the nation we know today. It’s important to remember and honor the contributions of those who gave their lives in the pursuit of freedom.
As we reflect on the statistics and stories of the Revolutionary War, we gain a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices and struggles that shaped the course of American history. Let’s continue to explore and learn from these important chapters in our nation’s past, so that we may better understand the forces that have shaped our present and future.
Source: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/american-revolution-faqs#howmanywerekilledorwounded
As a proportion of overall population, Iโd wager its higher than a few other wars
Many more than that died on prison ships.
Thatโs pretty high considering the population was only 2.5 million in 1776 and weapons back then were a lot worse at killing people. Rounds to .3% of the population killed in war. That is approximately on par with World War 2
For a while there, we mastered the art of “run away”.
620K died in the Civil War. So it took over 90 times as many soldiers dying to keep this country together than to establish it in the first place.
Most deaths in war prior to the last 100 or so years came from disease rather than combat.
The revolutionary war was basically just the continental army annoying and disrupting British troops until they finally decided it wasnโt worth fighting anymore. Which at the time was basically the best and only strategy they had.
Hey, mate. The link you provided doesn’t provide any source for its 6,800 killed in action figure. I believe it is [The Toll of Independence](https://archive.org/details/tollofindependen0000peck), one of the classic pieces of historiography about the American Revolution.
The work, compiled from the reports officers sent to their commanders, list every single skirmish, and every single death in action. As you noted, 6,824 were battle casualties, an estimated 10,000 died in camp, and an estimated 8,000 died on prison ships.
It’s a remarkable book. Again, every single battle and skirmish is documented.
EDIT I forgot to mention the one point I came here to make: 25,000 dead in the war, out of a population of 2,500,000. About one in every hundred people in the US died in the war. That’s chilling.
Another 17k ( at least ) from disease. There was also a smallpox epidemic ongoing that killed 130k
And a total of something like 25,000 british soldiers died in total, but that counts people who died of illness accidents and other things, so the actual in-action losses are likely pretty close to those of the Americans. (in wars of this era more men usually died from illness and starvation than enemy action, its like 1/3 to combat and 2/3 to everything else).
When over 10,000 men died at the battle of Shiloh in the US Civil War, the commanders initially didnโt believe the initial reports because that one 2-day battle had more deaths than the entire Revolution.
Still sucks for those 6,800 though
You can see why people were expecting a “Grand ol’ adventure” when they signed up for duty in World War I.
Then they were faced with modern warfare, Tanks, Machine guns and trench warfare and the horrors of being shelled constantly, hearing your comrades scream day and night as they died in no mans land, ineffective commanders who battlefield knowledge was 20 years out of date.
Do you guys know that Spain held the southern flank against the brits helping the USA be independent? If he wasnt for spain the story would have been different
As they contributed as much if not more than France. Do you know why you dont know about it? The united states backstabbed spain, its old friend,ย and ran a media campaign to discredit spain to steal cuba, PR, and the phillipines during the Spanish American war.ย
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_and_the_American_Revolutionary_War
6800 was .272 of the US population in 1777. For comparison, we lost about 58,000 soldiers in Vietnam, which was about .029 percent of the US population in 1974. So, about 10 times more deaths per capita in the revolutionary war than the Vietnam war.
In the civil war we lost 3.2% of the population. Let’s not do that again.
Technically no Americans were killed during the Revolutionary war.
Donโt forget the country only has 2.5 million people so adjusted for population that would be close to one million dead today.
It was also a smaller total people on Earth back then maybe around 775 million and then in the US about 2.5 million so it’s 0.272% the US population at the time which still seems like plenty to me but also a lot.
Also prefacing only before 6800 human lives is pretty crazy. In the context of human history sure but that’s a huge toll on life to me.