American Revolution: The surprising truth about Britain's redcoats
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- The British Army of the American revolution. Like most British armies throughout history, they were over-stretched, under resourced and fighting thousands of miles from home against a tough and determined enemy.
But what do we really know about these men in the red coats?
Were they the proverbial scum of the earth? Was the army their only option to avoid the gutter? Where were they from and how long did had they served?
And what about the officers? Were they “foppish dandies, or oafish brutes”? Or were they well-motivated and experienced soldiers doing the best for their men?
Well today I am joined by author and historian Robbie MacNiven to discover the answers to all of these questions and more.
Robbie has written a book about the 33rd Foot on campaign during the revolution - it’s called the Pattern and I’ve posted a link below.
amzn.to/3PRSoPL
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The story I got in American public school wasn't that they were "scum of the earth or all criminals" but that the British Army was a professional army and the best trained army in the world and it's that much more impressive that we defeated them.
I'm sure it was all over getting rid of that damn accent and driving on the correct side of the road
If the British weren’t at war with the French at the time and the French helping the colonies the British would have walked all over you in a heartbeat
We were also bedevilled by Whiggish commanders who, politically, were sympathetic to the rebellious colonists and believed in conciliation rather than striking the decisive, crushing blow to eradicate the seditious rump of the oft-defeated revolutionaries. This gave time for the French to become involved and convert a local rebellion into a world war with much greater stakes than a few revolting colonies in North America.
Poor King George lacked Tory commanders in the field with zero sympathy for sedition. Even Tarleton was a Whig.
@@ilovehmetal666 in fairness, it's not like the French went full-on at the outset! Yeah they didn't win most of the early battles but it wasn't a cakewalk either
As a French general of the Napoleonic era remarked, the British infantry are the best in the business. Fortunately, he added, there are very few of them.
The most incredible thing about the "war of independence" is the willingness of all to believe it wasnt another British civil war.
During the period, it was seen as a civil war. There are letters from colonial officials to prepare for "the upcoming civil war." It only became a war for independence after the colonies declared independence and then won independence.
I believe you are incorrect. The British force deployed to quell the rebellion was not trivial by any measure. As a market for finished British goods and as a supplier of high value raw materials, the American colonies were important to British interests, otherwise why bother. As to your reference to a global conflict, the American Revolution is bounded by the Seven Years War and the Napoleonic period.
@@michaelmurdock4607 Ah... Yes. Sending 50,000 troops and 30,000 mercenaries was a minor police action at the time...🙄
If we are being honest, the American revolution required such a large mobilization of British forces that it was only a matter of time before other European powers took advantage of it.
The Colonies seceded from Great Britain. It's incorrect to call our War of Independence a " revolution ". George the 3rd was still on the throne. Parliament was intact and conducting the King's business. The British monarchy and government, intact.
It was no more a " revolution " than the war of 1861-65 was a " civil war". Calling it such does not make it so.
It can only ever be called a civil war if the country remains intact . A new country forming from a civil war removes the civil war tag and replaces it with indepence tag
Empires are not made without dedicated rank and file.
Empires are not kept without dedicated leaders.
True!
try 'competent Leaders'
Fighting a thousand miles away from home? If only there was a simple solution to avoid that.
@@randomyoutubebrowser5217fighting is only wroth it if there is a reason to fight, don’t be the solider that asks for peace and decadence that will only come back to bite you. Instead ask yourself what you get form fighting and if it is wroth spilling your blood over as well investing time over
We were lacking in both during and after the second Great War. The average British soldier had sport back then but not much else making him the worse soldier compared to the enemy sad to say. One doesn’t win wars with morals or propaganda, he wins them though grit, courage and tactics
I’m a Yank Historian. One of my favorite things is correcting the HUGE misconceptions about the “savage” Redcoats. Or the “Boston Massacre” that was a complete and total accident. I try to remind my countrymen about John Adams and how he stood for what was right by defending the British Soldiers accused of killing the colonists in cold blood. Fact must reign supreme. Great video gents! I’m very proud America comes from Britain.
John Adams is the GOAT! His actions and beliefs are the basic premise for the ACLU. He may have cussed out the British Authorities, but he believed in the sanctity of life, and knew full well about how all of our families were interconnected.
Well said..
The series John Adams on HBO did an "ok" job of depicting that. Too many people in our country are ignorant to how we started or why it happened.
Yank historian are we? Then you will also mention George Washington was a scoundrel for killing French soldiers after giving his word of safe conduct after surrender in the French and Indian War (1754-1763)? That the "tax" the patriots fought for was a tiny percentage of income (compared to today's roughly 33-40% of income)? That the "tea party" was largely fighting for their own pocketbook? Stuff they don't teach you in elementary school in the USA, though to their credit they did recently find cherry tree seeds at Mt. Vernon.
@@YaBoyStein Ok is probably the best way to describe it. That miniseries fell apart after the 3d episode. He was an amazing person. They didn't even touch on the fact he paid people by their job, and that included women and men of all colors and races. He was ahead of his time in many respects - which is why he was a true leader! Pushing society forward! Now maybe some aspects of his life are not "modern" by our standards, but damnit, if he lived today he'd be pressing even further ahead!
I'm an American, and I never heard that the British Army in America was anything but a professional army led by a capable general. I heard they were hard, sometimes brutal, but hell, history is rife with a lot worse.
Good fight! Thanks for making us earn it.
You're welcome. The French would like their loan back.
Both sides had good and bad generals.
You must be from the north, or a state that was not one of the southern colonies or MD or VA With the amount of loyalists in the south, the Revopution became a really bloody, grudge filled civil war full of atrocities on both sides. As a result most southerners in GA, SC and NC still HATE red coats (the education system in those states also way over emphasizes British war crimes). The only person that South Carolinians hate more than Banister Tarleton is William Sherman.
@@MrCadet08 Yeah born and raised in Georgia. Graduated high school in 1993. I think I'd know.
@@fortyminutes We paid that back in 1944, thank you very much.
As an American and a Rev war reenactor I have nothing but respect for the British solider . Great video
As a US Marine infantry veteran and Revolutionary War reenactor, the more I discover about the combat skills of the redcoats, the more I am amazed. The 33rd was arguably one of the best! Thank you for sharing this.
They were good at beating up on 3rd world counties however they couldn't stand against mainland European armies. They were excellent sailors and Marines however.
@@bradleycooper5436
That sounds like the American Army 😂
@@bradleycooper5436 Dear boy - of course we couldn't match the European powers in a large continental war as our army was tiny and was generally for policing the empire. Man for man we have always been excellent but no one, no matter how patriotic claims we could have swanned into europe and beat the French or Germans on our own...A great power works to its strengths and historically ours was always a huge and powerful navy.
@@eleveneleven572 yeah they are the same tbh. I'm not a delusional American thinking our military is the best that ever lived :P Americas only proper enemy was Japan and they are a tiny island
@@bradleycooper5436you're forgetting the Germans and the American south lol
There is a reason the revolutionary war is sometimes called the USA's first civil war, it was often British against British or British against someone of British descent
well yeah and even my mom's family is English and I took a Heritage DNA test and I'm 59% English, 10% Scottish so I'm at least 19% British on my dad's side of the family. I'm also 15% Eastern European polish on my bad side of the family and despite my blonde hair blue eyes and olive skin I am Southern Italian Greek on my dad's side of the family. it's just amazing how things turn around but the Colonials in the American colonies under Britain thought themselves to be good British citizens and yet General Washington was a colonel in the Virginia militia and wanted to be a commissioned officer in the British military but he was not allowed since he was born on American Colonial soil . how sad and he even helped the British army when the French and Indian War because the British soldiers were not familiar with the Continental territory so they took Colonel Washington with him when they went West and he kept warning the British not to build roads behind them because the Indians would follow and come up from behind them and Ambush them and they wouldn't listen .it happened twice and after that Colonel Washington resigned any Duty with the British Army because it was worthless and he was never going to get a commission anyway and he was only one of maybe 20 other British that made it back to the east coast alive and not slaughtered by the French and the Indians . Americans are rather and silly bunch and it really started out with something as funny as the Boston Tea Party . who would think that colonists would dress up like Indians go on board an English ship and throw a thousand pounds of tea overboard😂😂 it made the British sick but that's funny to People Like Us . that's nothing because it's not like burning down property or anything but the British love their tea . Americans love our coffee and Southern Americans love coffee and sweet sweet iced tea which is something the British thing is so gross . the British military were exceptionally trained and the colonial army was not but they did get something together and it was after the Declaration of Independence July 1776 ..King George declared war on the colonies and these people had to fight if they were not loyalist or Tories and IF they did not fight and die trying or live to succeed they would certainly be hung and disemboweled by the British military .
@@montrelouisebohon-harris7023 That's awesome about your heritage, thanks for replying. I agree us Brits did a lot to provoke the 13 colonies in terms of looking down on them etc, but this was a common theme for the upper class in Britain then as is the same today really. The working class folk would have got on I have no doubt
Not to forget, that many of the english troops were german merchaneries from Hannover, so the german Americans also fought against brothers in ethnic
@@darkstarr2321Many Britons still look down on Americans, and vice versa. We are divided by a common language.
@@montrelouisebohon-harris7023
As beautiful as Kent’s rose gardens in summer too …
I've read "The Pattern", a great microcosm of a British unit the American Revolution. It also shows the effect great leadership can have on a unit. The 33rd was a run of the mill infantry regiment before Cornwallis, but during his administration it became known as the Pattern. The paragon example of what other regiments should strive for. Thanks Redcoat History for delving into the American Revolution.
I love studying the American Revolution, and I'm glad someone is remembering these heroes. Their professionalism and fighting prowess had been seriously underestimated. Great episode as usual and best wishes to you from the USA!
Thanks Ryan - I have a few more segments from this interview being released over the next few weeks that I think you will enjoy.
Heroes? They were fighting a subjugate a people who did not want to answer to a king who was taxing them to fund overseas expansion over in other words imperialism so that he could subjugate other cultures mainly cultures who didn't have modern weaponry.
@@redcoathistory can you tell me the name of the film you got the black and white footage from ,
Thank you. Great video stay safe 👍
@@garyfullmer4353 No they were fighting rebels who were criminals, who wanted power and were willing to do any anything to get it. Time to read a book. The American elite turned on the average American soldier after the revolution, and the Indians. They subjugated and committed mass murder, so think on that before speaking about the revolution. The British did not want the Americans to go on Indian land.
@@Mulberry2000 "The British did not want the Americans to go on Indian land."
An empire favoring natives over its own colonists?
😂😂😂😂
Go on! Tell us anotther!
As an American, I really have nothing but respect for them. Only twenty years earlier, we had the French Indian War on our side of the Pond and even George Washington himself was in that...under British Colors. I'm glad that the US and UK are the closest of Allies 250 years later.
Thanks, Brother.
You'd be eating fkn escargot in garlic butter if they (French) won !!!!! OH it could be worse.....
I was taught in school here in the states that the British Army was the best in the world. Well trained HIGHLY Disciplined. There’s a story about an American sharp shooter was picking them off. As soon as one man would fall, the man from the second row would step up in the man’s place and never we blink an eye. Stood at attention in ranks. Very disciplined. At Bunker Hill the British marched in the open up hill being slaughtered but they kept coming. On the 3rd try they broke through and took the hill… they were no joke
Bets in the world maybe but spread thin across multiple fronts. The redcoats in the American were just a small fraction of the British armies who were mostly fighting elsewhere.
At Breeds Hill the battle of Bunker Hill was fought. It’s why the monument for the battle of Bunker Hill is on Breeds Hill. It’s where the dug in.
The officers were usually the younger sons of the upper class. Because the first son usually inherited everything the younger sons often went into the military or the Church. Officers had to buy their commissions. Because of the widespread povery, many of the men from Scotland joined the Army.
that , and similar skirmishes and battles is where the British learned that battle formations were not too much use in a 'guerilla' conflict. They had to update, improvise as they went. Europe, India, Afghanistan, Africa, South Africa, New Zealand, where ever they were, after the American schooling, they were quite able to engage in formal battle formation or the alternatives of skirmishing and guerilla warfare.
@@colonelfustercluck486 they knew this from the 7 years war. Which is think Washington was the catalyst.
Wastrel is a word grossly underused these days.
Might be guilty of this at times .lol
I’m an American 🇺🇸 and grew up in that area close to the battlefield of the battle of New Orleans (war of 1812) we named an area of our town full of oak trees after Fallen Major General Sir Edward Pakenham …Pakenham Oaks, there is also a street named for him… he was respected even as our enemy, i was always fascinated with the war tactics of the British Redcoats, Great Uniforms Great Military minds of the British Army And Navy they ruled the world at a time 😊
Its about time the British started sticking up for themselves and their history! Bravo 👏 🇬🇧
Many thanks, Sir.
@@redcoathistory great video. Could you tell me the names of the black and white movies. You show at the start of your video,
Great work. You stay safe 👍
True, centuries of history should be protected just like the future of the uk
+frakismaximus3052. So true. Don’t leave it to Hollywood and Mel Gibson to tell you your history. 😊
Our numbers are growing day by day ….since the woke era began and through its lense of hatred has only served to reignite the passion of the blue blooded Englishman
Funny how the British are down on the army of the empire days. The rest of the world stood in awe for a couple of hundred years.
It's a very recent thing. It was seldom mentioned when I was growing up. Odd.
@@jugbywellington1134 The British loved their Navy and pretty universally despised their tiny army, during peace time in particular. Kipling wrote numerous poems on the subject "Tommy" really tells that story. Britain was never really a land power of any great note mainly due to its size.
Its the woke brigade that's beating down on anything empire.......its kinda sad when you think about it
@HankD13 That came from the days of Cromwellian dictatorship when it was considered a force of oppression. This changed in the 19th Century when people could learn how to read and stories about them as "Empire heroes", of "patriots" and "adventurers in far off distant lands for Queen and country" were in demand.
@@invisibleman4827 Not generally. They were pretty despised for most of their history - Empire took them far away and made some nice stories. Tommy was popular when the bullets flew in far away places, but in peace time or at home, not - which was what Kipling highlighted. The slaughter of WW1 and generation lost started a change - but even between the wars the Army was not popular. WW2 and onwards improved things - I was in Army in the 70's and 80's and we were generally appreciated. NI, Firemen's strike, Falklands, were highlight I remember.
The British army was extraordinary for many many centuries
Another brilliant account of the history of our past soldiers. Thanks both.
Thanks mate - really glad you enjoyed this one.
I'm an American too, never heard or thought the British of any age were anything but professional. To claim any professional military is just people trying to escape the gutter has a lot of truth to it, but is that bad? From the Marian revolution of ancient Rome to my own military service, men signed up for the military as a way to escape poverty. Were it not for that opportunity, I would never have the education I have today. I would hardly consider myself a ruffian.
From the US: this was very informative and it’s good to know what we were up against. Thank you for the video.
as an american....I honor the British forces as well
@gr-s2143
Yes it was largely seen as Brits vs Overseas Brits (or Colonial Brits).
@@lyndoncmp5751 ... it was a kind of civil war really
@@jeanlawley6483
Yes it's been called that too.
@zacharyfisher8152
What do you mean "know what we were up against"? ... You were us!
Former Redcoat reenactor of the 23rd Regiment of Foot, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Really enjoyed this video and shared it.
Many thanks, Sir
Claude- see my comments above some interesting Regimental traditions that stemmed from that period for the Royal “Welch” Fusiliers
Cymru Am Byth! 🏴
I have ancestors on both sides of the RevWar.
Two Redcoats. 53rd & 24th Foot.
A lot of the common colonists must've ended up on one side or the other by sheer circumstance.
A distant relative was "recruited" into the 42nd at a very young age. His elder brother fled the recruiters but he figured he was too young and was surprised. He fought in France and eventually in America, by then an officer. He stayed after the war and married a Scottish American woman. Col. James Stewart III.
Why put "recruited" in quotation marks? The British army was a volunteer force.
@@redcoathistory I should have elaborated on that in my first comment, my brevity makes it look a little like a challenge to some of the points made in your video, not my intention. I have a written account of Col. Stewart that says he was "pressed" which is a red flag. Many accounts of early Colonial and frontier times are sensationalized. Either way, it's clear that he made his life as a soldier. He is listed as Lieutenant for the American campaign, but called a Colonel. It's really quite a story, and is part of a Captivity Narrative genre from the time. Yet it is part of family history and actually fills in some gaps in the timeline. if you'd like I could send a copy, it is an interesting tale, if not a bit of a tall tale.
@@redcoathistoryAll military forces define “volunteer” very broadly.
@@redcoathistory what about
" Taking the Kings shilling "? The reason why Pewter beer mugs had glass bases .
@@whirving Is the written account by him, or someone making one of him?
To my knowledge, the American Revolutionary Army where just farmers who took weapons and fought a very well fit army and were losing the war until a French King decided to spoil the British by sending the French Army to fight them in American soil. This Louis King spent enormous amounts of money until the US won the war. Unfortunately spending enormous amounts of money lead the French Treasury nearly empty to which high taxes were imposed to pay for King Lois' caprice and as taxes got higher the people got fed up and a Revolution came, he was deposed and guillotined. A high price to pay for messing up your enemies success against the uprising British Colonial .
weren't the Brit's cunning ??? They got a result in Europe.
Not necessarily. We founded a professional army in 1775. Sure, they weren’t on-par with the British, but they weren’t just a bunch of farmers with guns either.
Many of the Americans were experienced soldiers; veterans of the French & Indian war, like Washington, or veterans of the pretty constant low-level warfare on the American frontier(which wasn't that far from the main population centers at that time, so easy access to the battlefields).
America's war of independence also bankrupted the British Exchequer. But fret not, Britain saw opportunities to enrich the coffers by invading African countries, pursuing war with tribes toting spears and cow leather shields while bolstering its slave trade.
Many battles were won without the French, long before the French started helping.
The first battle of the revolutionary war was an absolute American colonist victory.
How refreshing and interesting to learn about Cornwallis and the 33rd without the typical bias that we've grown up with in the US. It's nice to finally see them humanized and gives me a newfound respect. Thanks and cheers from Ft. Lauderdale guys ✌️
What public school failed you lol
I come from Missouri and had history in two different school districts. I have no idea what they teach elsewhere in the nation, but the British are generally portrayed as competent and capable. If there is any misconception, it's criticism of infantry tactics/strategy at the time and too much belief that irregular warfare was the cause of Britain's defeat.
There may have been a bit of "the King's army" washing - but it was generally implied that the British army was far more competent than the people back in Britain telling them how to handle the people said army had to live with.
Several of the founders were proud British men right up until a year or so before the declaration of Independence was signed. It was specifically the failure of the British back on the island to take their concerns seriously and their tendency to stage show trials which resulted in them becoming extremely resolved to independence.
See, I never heard anything bad about Cornwallis in school... it was General Clinton that we definitely heard was a moron. Given so many historical evaluations of his command during the Revolutionary War I think that he is one of the very few members of the British Army who is deserving of being mocked for his callous disregard for the lives of British Soldiers AND Colonists. His battle tactics were atrocious, and it seems evident he only cared about High Society parties in New York without understanding the tactical situation. iirc Conrwallis hated him more than the Colonists.
@@Aim54Delta your observation is missed by many people. After all, it was a lot of the British born early settlers of the USA who arranged, drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence. They were definitely British at the time... they saw another way, and eventually got there. Congratulations in your new country, the USA.
The revolution was a civil war no matter how it's put majority that fought on both sides were English and European
Always said so 😊
As an American nope. We may have been originally British, but by the time of the war, we had hundreds of years as Americans in a different continent. By that time there were Poles, Portuguese, Palatine Germans, Dutch living in the colonies. Not british born. Thank God we rebelled!
@@UkrainianPaulieAnd thank God you get, as ever, the regime you deserve.
Hi mate - do you have statistics you can share? I'd be keen to know what percentage were British born. It would be interesting to know.
At the beginning of the war there was 21, 514 British born or ancestry in the American army
Fascinating detail. It was an absolute miracle we, the US won our independence. I’d wager if we started a revolution 10 times we’d have lost a minimum of 8 times at the time. An absolute miracle.
Not sure I agree. Logistically, it was a nightmare for Britain, on top of that, war in Europe Trumped everything else. The timing of both the Rev war and 1812 were not accidental.
I’m an American who studied British Colonial American and Eighteenth-century English history. Very well done and informative. Yes, British troops were very good and it was only in the later stages of the war that American soldiers could perform bayonet maneuvers like the British troops. One thing I would question is the reality and opinion of the public of the standing of soldiers. It is true that class consciousness was not as developed in the Eighteenth century, but people did have a pretty good sense of who was above and beneath them among the various “orders” or “sorts.” That a third of the men in the 33rd were either untrained laborers or from the declining cloth trades speaks to many being from the lower orders. Also, John Beattie’s book on the courts and law (about 1985) noted that much of the writing public believed soldiers were the dregs of society and that they often became criminals when they returned home. Many would have preferred soldiers to die in their county of service, rather than to have such likely unemployed men (post war periods often have high unemployment) who have been trained in killing loose in British society. At least , that is what I remember of many of the points Beattie made. Of course, the educated public (and officers like Wellington) could be quite prejudiced.
Great video! Being an American, we are always taught that the British were poorly trained and that the Americans being from an agrarian culture were just better able to fight with unconventional tactics that the British could not match. Probably the British failed as a result of logistical problems more than tactical issues.
Thanks mate - we will be looking at this in a future episode
My Grandpa was in the Royal Irish Rangers, he was in Burma WW2 and he was the best guy you’d ever meet, everyone loved him so the British army did have good men, much love from Northern Ireland UK 🇬🇧👍
I always heard that the British Army was the best trained and best armed army in the World. The only knock I ever heard about the British Army was that the Officers and Sergeants were always shot first by the Colonials and without leadership the Soldiers were somewhat lost.
Another cracking episode Chris. So many myths about the AWI good to see them brought up short and the facts come out.
I have a copy of The Pattern fantastic read. Cheers
I had family that fought for both sides. My 5th grandfather fought for America with his 2 brothers. His other 2 brothers fought for the Redcoats. My 6th great-grandfather. Their father also fought for America. I always wondered what Thanksgiving or Christmas would be like in their house..
Well it was a civil war and most loyalists would have left America at the war's end- to Canada etc.
It is sometimes called “America’s first Civil War.” It was often literally brother against brother more often than in the war that followed 80 years later.
Really enjoyed listening to the many revelations ( to me) about the ‘ ordinary soldiers ‘ and the “ usual officers “ . I grew up under the old teaching of ‘ the scum of the earth ‘ , the fop foolish officers and of course the “ harsh brutal discipline “ . So this was a fascinating eye opener exposing those old myths as just that …..the reality discussed as openly as it was and supported by the facts actually makes far more logical sense than the myths . Great video and most thought provoking , thank you.
As a proud Englishman, I have read with great appreciation the comments made by my American cousins. After reading much about this conflict I am resolutely of the opinion that it was a war that did not need to be fought. I am convinced that the rebels were unpopular amongst the majority of colonialists of all European descent. Even some French American colonialists were against the war. History proves that Great Britain was prepared to peacefully give up her colonies even assisting them to independence without violence. That is why the British Empire was the most noble empire the world has ever seen (not perfect) but morally superior to all other empires that ever existed and for that reason it will never be matched.
I must add, I am immensely proud of the USA and all your achievements in particular your fight against fascism and communism. World peace and prosperity over the past 230 years has been achieved because Britain improved the lives of millions and the USA picked up where we left off. Together we should be immensely proud that China or Russia would never have given the world peace, democracy , capitalism , modern farming, common law, modern medicine and modern education. We may have lost our way but I foresee a great move back to traditional values and a new wave of Anglo sphere influence as the world wakes up to the frightening alternative.🇬🇧🤝🇺🇸
I loved the detail in this video guys. Got to love a well researched book.
It was very interesting to learn that some British recurits nearly 300 years joined the British Army for similair reasons i did in 1997. For a simple reason of wanting to serve and protect Great Britain and the Union flag. Unfortunatly i severley damaged in basic training so was never able to become the soldier i always wanted to be and that is my single biggest regret in life.
Although i may have reconsidered if i had actually been deployed in a war zone and been shot at 😂.(tounge in cheek)
Read Mark D'Urban's "Fusiliers", for an in-depth look at Redcoats in the AWI. Very good book. Deals with a lot of the myths. And, and I know it's not what this video is looking at, let's remember that more colonists fought for the British crown than against.
The numbers were about even. The South was Tory country, the North pro- independence.
Enlightening interview. Thank you Redcoat History" and Robbie MacNiven
Great vid, Christian! Love Robbie’s work. Thanks for doing the redcoat of this time period justice! (Says this guy in the recreated 52nd Regt Light co., AWI).
Good video a lot of Americans think they defeated the British army, the main reason was because of lack of training and the red coat. I remember years ago i watched a video given by a history academic on George Washington's website. He asked the audience what was the average experienced of the a British solider at the start of the revolution? There was total silence, he then said about 6 years and there was loud gasps of shock from the audience. He said the British soldier was very experienced and well trained, people could not believe it.
One of the most prominent British regiments during the red cost period was the 44th Regiment of Foot which excelled in combat and won in Bunker Hill, Havana and numerous other battles both before and during the late 1700s independence period. Today, many US reenactment groups now display the "44" Regiment redcoat insignia.
Really? The 44th Regiment of Foot , was wiped out in Afghanistan, at a place called Gundamak . Not sure about the spelling there . They had become a rabble by this time , from many accounts.
Userqq, that is a rather insulting comment made about very brave soldiers who fought bravely for their country and died in a series of massacres under atrocious circumstances including terrible winter conditions. Furthermore, your unfavourable comments are about Afghani military actions 75 years AFTER the period that our previous articles were describing during the American redcoat battles.
@@glendryhurst8234 l read history.
You cannot sugar coat history. Every military unit has its breaking point .
@@user-qq2vq4fv8bnot really..
Excellent video. Thanks
Great video, and I wouldn't exist without a Redcoat ancestor. My grandmother is a descendant of Colonel Ambrose Mills (1722-1780), who was hanged in NC by Patriot forces. His son William Mills then blended into American society after the war. It makes me proud because I've always had an affinity for Wellington, Nelson, and the heroes of the empire.🇺🇸🇬🇧
Fantastic...then this is the channel for you, Sir.
The more accurate rendering of Paul Reveres cry “ The Red Coats are coming “ was more like “ the regulars have turned out”. Somehow more respectful.
or "Oh f^*k, .... etc etc", thus emphasising some urgency
With all due respect to the Redcoats I'll just keep calling them................Redcoats.
I woudl say The lobsters are coming' is another more possible accurate cry!
@@theSFCchannel Speaking in code. Good thinking.
👋 when I was a young man still in school .. I read the complete works of CS Forester ... Horatio Hornblower .... I remember it as a must-read
I also love the books. Many thanks. Do you have a favourite?
@@redcoathistory I remember beat to quarters, ship of the line and flying colors ... they all were good👍
I really enjoyed that series of novels. As a young American man, my desire to learn more about English history was started by those books. That desire continues even to this day(I'm 82). My first love is my own country, of course, but England is a close second. U-TUBE channels, such as this one, continues to aid in my study of English history.
Hornblower never fought Americans, did he? Forester knew where the money was.
@@patrickmiano7901 best to my recollection Horatio Hornblower never fought with the Americans ....
Top content. Thank you very much
Love the Brits.. distant brothers. I hail from Wales ages ago, but fourth generation American
The loss in the Colonies changed the British army and armies across the world forever. From Rogers Rangers to the early Rifleman , green camouflage uniforms and the use of Rifles instead of musket formations in the hands of free thinking soldiers taught to adapt fire and move is standard tactics across the world now.
they learnt a lot from that, but they were still in Red in the colonies up to and including 1st or 2nd Boer War in South Africa (I think is was the second Boer War, about 1899, they got 'khaki").. well over a century later. Although they kept their Red uniforms for 100+ years.... they did learn from the tactics of the 'opposition', and employed them against other belligerents when they could.
You , your channel and content are awesome !! . The two things that got me interested in the British Redcoat were the painting by Howard Pyle of the British Grenadiers at Bunker Hill and the movie " ZULU " . Thank you for all the hard work you do providing us with this information and the guest speakers you have joining you . Much love , respect and admiration from Baltimore Maryland USA . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hi Dennis, that sort of comment makes all of the hard work worthwhile. Thanks so much. Any other stories and people you would like to see me make films about?
@@redcoathistory I'd really like to know how and why the Hessian troops came to fight alongside the British in The American Revolution . Thank you for your reply
@@dennismitchell5414 That's great as Robbie is writing a book on that subject and will be back to discuss once it is ready.
hi Dennis.... some commonly overlooked British military action, is the 'Maori Wars' in New Zealand in the mid 19th century. There was this little problem with some NZ Maori not liking the way it was going when the the Brit's took over..... so there was war... this is way over simplified.
Anyway, the British Navy and Army could not decisively win.... and the Maori people couldn't win either. It went on for years. It was a mix of 'set piece' or formal attacks on fixed positions, mixed with guerrilla warfare. And it went for years. There are various films and documentaries on line. Plenty of official info out there too (Online). Just search 'NZ Maori Wars".... that should get you a few items to look at.
Some say that this conflict is where trench warfare and underground bunkers etc were used by the Maori who were fighting the British, who in turn had never seen things like that before. Anyway, it is very interesting...
Enjoyed the video and subscribed.
This was very informational and interesting--thanks for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it. Any other subjects you'd like to see me cover?
@@redcoathistory I'd be curious if you could do a general history of Welsh regiments or Welsh participation in the British Army from the 18th century forward.
@@mikehillas Thanks - it is a good idea.
A good book on this : Noble Volunteers by Don N. Hagist. Like rank and file soldiers North and South in the Civil War, Redcoats and Rebels in the Revolution had a lot in common.
British Soldier American War is also a good read.by the same Don Nagist.
@@barriemilgate Thank you. I shall try to acquire it.
@@barriemilgate Richard Holmes' books red coat is good as well as his documentary about the revolution. Also read the book with the same name by Hugh Bicheno, warning if you are American it will upset you as he he really goes to town on them as well as the British. Sady Richard Holmes died a few years ago.
It's great that the channel will talk about the Redcoats in the American Revolution. Very interesting.
Thanks. Loved the demographic detail - puts the army of the time within a social context which fwiw is important in understanding its history .
Really enjoyed the insights given by this video. Thanks to both of you.
Thanks mate - any other subjects you'd like to see me tackle in the future?
Sadly, I also have a tragic fascination with the successive Scottish uprisings, particularly the '45. Family has some heritage with Clan Leslie NW of Aberdeen.
I’m sure it was both… it is always the case… Armies rarely turn men away. I say this because I served as a U.S. Marine at the beginning of the GWOT and while the supermajority of men were there because they wanted to be there after Sept 11, there’s always the exception and were some scummy dudes too. That’s the nature of the military. I’m sure that the British Army of the Revolutionary War was the same… most were patriots for England, saw it as an honorable calling/service for King and Country and the dregs were most likely the exception.
It’s interesting that Yorkshire makes up such a high percentage of enlisted men. We have a phenomenon much like this in the U.S. military today… the Scotch-Irish descendants that reside mostly in the South and Appalachian Mountains region make up a LARGE portion of the U.S. military. That’s been historically true for some time.
*Major Sharpe of the 95th Rifles is all I'll ever need to know about the British Army. Besides, I preferred their green uniforms over the red ones.*
CHOSEN MEN!
How many Redcoats switched sides (turncoats) during the war do you think? I'm descended from one, Thomas Hustler, he had a $25,000 price on his head but lived to fight in the war of 1812 too.
Excellent video learned a lot and a few myths shook out of my head.
That's great thanks a lot.
I too am an American but not a United Statesman. I am Empire Loyalist Stock descended from a Northern European gentleman who, in the war of independence remained loyal to the crown, migrated his family north,returned to the fighting,was captured and imprisoned(with health consequences) and joined his family on cessation of hostilities and his release.I do not understand United Statesmen referring to themselves as being only of the continent and not one of the continents countries. Every other country of the Americas refers to their nationality as being of their country yet United statesmen refer to themselves only as being of the continent, not even distinguishing North or South America. Why is that?
Brainwashing 😅
It's what other nations in 5 languages call us Americans. You, only, are correct. I apologize for responding to the speech of persons other than yourself.
Native Language; Canada and Mexico hold significance only because of their proximity to the United States of America. To put it colloquially,
" they aren't Americans"
It’s called a Revolution but in reality it was the first US Civil War. Yes the British power structure was kicked out, but the culture, language, religion, legal and financial system continued as before. The same rich people in America got a little richer, and the Native Americans suffered more.
Agreed. Read something years ago that the Colonists were divided, 20% Revolution, 20%Loyalists and 50% neutral, trying to survive. Other 10% who knows. But you look at the numbers who immigrated to Canada, it's over 50000, almost 5% of the white population just to Canada. How many stacked arms and declared loyalty to the new USA rather then leave their homes?
This is a great channel . Thank you for making it
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic well done really great to watch 🇬🇧⭐️👏👏👏👏
Many thanks, Im glad you enjoyed it. Any other people/stories you'd like to see a video on?
I saw the guy in the thumbnail at the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. I didn’t speak to him, but recognized him.
I suggest you look into the author Don Hagist’s books! Great research on the regular British soldiers during the war.
Would love to get him on the show! Is he still around?
@@redcoathistory Yes! He’s living in Rhode Island. I’m sure he would be open to being on! If you’d like me to email you I may be able to help you connect with him!
Really interesting thank you 🇬🇧
Fantastic video, very interesting
Much like the english and american civil wars
Fighting their own kind!
During the Battle of Bunker Hill, one British officer remarked to another, "Look at those rebels. They are fighting like Englishmen!" His friend replied, "Of course! They are Englishmen!"
We still won 😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 much love from across the pond. Be proud of your history. I'm from the south I'm proud of mine.
Good man. Keep in touch and I hope you enjoy the other videos.
It was not Americans who won it was colonies of whom many were British born.
Proud of which side ? 😊
@@charlieyerrell9146 I don't care if they were born British subjects they were still American. They were a Merry Christmas they were far removed from the crown that was the reason it was so easy for us to for Independence it had been what 100 years by the time the revolutionary war came around
@@danielomar9712 all sides
Excellent video, thanks!
Glad you liked it. Thanks
Read accounts of British Recruiting. The recruiters would get men drunk, press "The King's Shilling" into their hands and inform them, now that you have accepted the King's wages, you are a soldier. It was a form of paid conscription.
who were the red coats? the legitimate army of the country, that ruled the colonies and gave their live to defend them against the French and the traitors that fought to destroy them
That is absolutely not what happened. In fact, much of Canada was conquered by the colonies for the empire. It wasn't till the seven years War the last of four wars of conquest for Canada that the British actually sent regular troops. And in that war the colonies provided 38,000 men. The British cries of defending the colonies and their insistence on trying to police them afterwards when the threat was gone was a ruse to control the colonists on the seaboard so that they could not settle further inland outside of the control of the British empire. And had you just given us the Ohio country that we started the war over after we helped you win the entire empire of French North America, there wouldn't have been a rebellion. But the British crown after gaining all of Canada forbid us the Ohio country. And that was never going to be tolerated. And still we didn't rebel for 13 years after that until the legislation and abuses of our English liberties from across the ocean was such that continuing in the British empire would have meant giving up our English liberties and being treated The same as the other imperial possessions outside of the 13 colonies were. And there's no way we were going to tolerate being treated like India or Ireland for that matter.
Here's the thing, in my opinion, most people on all sides of the research, fail to understand is that the American revolution was a conservative revolution fought to maintain our English liberties and traditions that we had always had. It was not to found a country with so-called American Liberty. It was only to keep the way of life that we had always had here. So many Americans think that the constitution was to establish Liberty and it wasn't, It was merely to maintain our English liberties which we had always had. This is also the reason that when you look at our system today it still retains all of the features of English common law, that have been long abandoned in England and Britain itself. We still have sheriffs, we still have grand juries, we still have feet, yards and miles. If there's no zealot like a convert, there's no traditionalist like a colonist.
@@MattCellaneousTypical uneducated answer, the truth is the first casualty of war.
@@antonking9652 One of the few universal truths.
@@MattCellaneous The American colonists were so traditionalist that they abandoned the thousand-year old British concept of monarchy for French rationalism.
Lions lead by donkeys. The British could control the seaboard areas. As soon as they went inland, they struggled.
The loss of the American colonies is complete because of the horrible leadership, often refusaling to or poor working together.
Examples, Johnny B is coming down the Hutson river. He takes the forts and has done his part in the plan to cut America into parts. The general in New York is supposed to March north to meet John Bs army. Instead he marches south to take Philly. Lots of Militia had stayed home in New England and not gone to help against Johnny Bs army for fear of the army in New York. With them removed, they went to fight and beat Johnny Bs army.
Later, the head general, I think Clinton at this point, had plenty of time and resources to save Cornwallis at Yorktown. Nobody has ever come up with a reason he didn't.
Thats a bit simplistic. Howe moving towards Philly drew much of the main Continental army that way under Washington. If How moves north, so does Washington.
The lions led by donkeys is a myth as most of the british infantry looked up to their officers with pride, so don't let the old ww1 myth about Haig fog your brain. Do some research on how many officers died with their men and maybe watch a few more documentaries on brits at war.
Fantastic video.
Wonderful, thank you.
So interesting. Thank you.
Hello from Texas.
We love British History 🇬🇧🇺🇸
A Reminder of 2A 🇺🇸
Very nice. From 20 yrs, 1985-2005, experience in the USAF, which may very from person to person and branch to branch, we had airmen enlisted that came from a troubled atmosphere that were fantastic and excelled as aircraft mechanics of all specialties. Maybe the structured life suited them but those above me were very mechanically skilled and displayed great leadership and interpersonal skills. They generally even held the respect of their Officers. I imagine it being similar in the 33rd at the time when you mention maybe criminals and hardened people being recruited.
So very glad to learn more truth about a past for which most of us have little glimmer
Very informative 👏 👌
Good video thank you 👍🇬🇧
Thanks 👍 Any other stories or people you'd like to me to cover in the future?
Very interesting episode this. Dispels many myths, some which I still believed. Looking forward to hearing more from Robbie. Im surprised at the height of the men in the 33rd at the time. I always thought the average back then was about 5ft 5/5ft 6 so to hear most were over that height is an eye opener.
Cheers to both of you. Have a great weekend 👍
Thanks mate. Yep, Robbie is a lovely bloke and a brilliant historian. Can't wait to share more from him. Have a lovely weekend mate.
@@redcoathistory
Me too. I'd like to learn more about this period.
Cheers mate.
Regarding heights of service personnel.... my old boss who was in the NZ Navy, actually got accommodation while his ship was in port at Portsmouth, Great Britain, in the 1970's. He was 5'8" or 5'9".... he had to stoop to get in the door. His bed was bloody short.
He did mention that they got access to the old naval barracks, like a couple of hundred years old. The ones that the British Navy used way back when you had to be short enough to work in the gun decks.... (under the main deck) You had to be 5/8 of very little tall to be able to work and live on HM ships in those days....
@@colonelfustercluck486
Yes famously HMS Victory in Portsmouth shows all what you are referring too and is a great example.
You can also see very old buildings here in England that still have the old door frames, and they are small too. One of my favourite old local country pubs (400 years old) in Surrey still has the old front door from the country lane., which used to be the main entrance. Most people park in the back car park now and don't use it. It's very small and yes you can bash your head. You have to be careful when you've had a few and are leaving.
Cheers.
As an American, I'm extremely grateful that I had a great history teacher that taught me all the sides/perspectives of the war.
Misconceptions like the "Boston Massacre" helped me put things into perspective and just see how volatile everything was.
Nothin but respect for our brothers across the pond
Little known fact: King George originally signed off on the color green as the dye to be used for his soldier's garments for camouflage purposes. However it was Lord Dalton Sexton, master of coin that was charged with actually choosing and purchasing the dye. Incidentally enough, Lord Sexton had red-green colorblindness and having ordered 4 galleys worth of crimson dye (worth about 24 million pounds in today's money inflation adjusted), the English crown ended up going with red.
This is astounding. What a twist in the turns of history.
That was really interesting
Great ;i love this doc about soldier 's background and sociology .I didn t know that the commun soldier of 33 RD mainly came from from yorkshire .i was thinking they came from Ireland ,maybe due to it was former rgt of Welllington .Speaking of Yorkshire ;go visit the muséum of York army museum, it is focuses on Inniskilling rgt and 5th dragoon .
Never heard a word about the British being unprofessional. Heard George Washington started the 7 years war but was not offered a Commission afterwards.
Yeah George started the seven years war. The taxes he rebelled against were to pay for the war he started.
There is a book called "Red Coat, the British Soldier in the age of horse and musket " it was a good read and goes into similar detail. Bravo on the great research
As an American when we are taught the revolutionary war there are no ill words spoken about soldiers in the queens army. We learned they were a top tier fighting force who were not to be trifled with. Much love to Great Britain 🇬🇧 from America 🇺🇸
*King's Army.
@@nodiggity9472 *who really gives a shit
I find it interesting to expose the historical myth from the reality of the situation. The tendency of the American myth machine to distort history is renowned. As an amateur historian, it is part of my research to separate the two to get a clearer picture of a historical event or period. Thank you for helping to make this topic clearer regarding the state of the British armed forces during this period.
Most surprising was learning they weren't all into buggery as is commonly believed.
15:36 I laughed so much there. I love your humor
Ha ha thanks a lot.
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
I think with the inevitable incompetents in any large organisation those Army Officers typically only messed up badly once and then they were out. I'm not aware of officers who got away with it ad infinitum. Good vid - enjoyed it.
Im an American veteran. The British were well trained, brave as hell, loyal to a fault and vicious killers. They wouldn't be able to have an empire where the sun never sat if they weren't. But make no mistake...they were very brutal and sadistic in their colonialism. China and India are examples.
And Ireland, and Germany.
@@gh87716 When did they colonize Germany?
Yeah very brutal and sadistic. Though a black man back in the sixties could actually sit wherever he wanted on a bus. Oh we did give India it's independence and let them move on, rather than you know, putting them on reservations or anything like that. I mean China yeh, terrible colonialism. They had to lease us an island for 150 years, that had no significance whatsoever. I mean when they got it back they were horrified on what we had done what with all the banks and international commerce. Still they had to make do and use it to build the worlds second largest economy, my how they put up with it I don't know!
Really interesting video
Glad you enjoyed it. Any other subjects you'd like to see me cover?
@@redcoathistory Would love to see more about individual regiments in various campaigns
@@RubberToeYT Will defintely do more on that. . .
Wow. The training time really blew me away. The Napoleonic period really warped my sense of this era.
Back in 1976 (?) a London newspaper published a poster titled "The British Redcoat In America and then the U.S. government printed it as well. If you want a real good look at what life was like for the Redcoats this has everything. I got my copy around 1981 and rolled it out on the floor....wow, it was filled with pictures and information of the real war. I drank several beers while going over this :)
And General Picton leading his men forward calling out insults at them, while the fife, bugle and drum played " the girl I left behind me"