It's a maxim that guerrilla wars succeed with a lot of external help and supply, if they succeed at all, throughout history. That's fact. The French were financial supporters from before the shooting began; and supplied high tech gunpowder that meant that from the start the colonists' muskets had significantly more range, no small thing. Without France, nothing. The French ended up bankrupting the state due to extreme overspending on the Americans' war, and sliding into revolution themselves. (Although weather wrecking crops after the eruption of an Icelandic volcano was a large factor as well.) The Americans deserve great credit, but they owe tremendous debts of gratitude, too.
Washington had to keep British costs high while not losing, he couldn't just sit.
Mass conscription is difficult if you can't pay or properly feed or clothe the army you have and a big portion of your own population opposed to you.
Washington had to keep British costs high while not losing, he couldn't just sit.
Mass conscription is difficult if you can't pay or properly feed or clothe the army you have and a big portion of your own population opposed to you.