The shot heard around the world shocked not only the world but America as well. Here was militia besting regulars, and at Breed’s hill, though through their overconfidence lost their ground, stood three heavy attacks and artillery bombardment before being forced to retreat. When Boston fell it must have seemed that with a little discipline the war might be won quickly. I think Washington knew better, his entire strategy seemed to hang on keeping the army together long enough that he could train it sufficiently to take on the British head to head without fortifications..
At Long Island they were defeated, almost too easily in fact, and had it not been for Trenton and Princeton it might have ended there. Next year they lost Philadelphia, but the saving grace was Saratoga. Each time the cause looked like falling apart someone pulled it out of the hat. British bungling and clever American generals hungry for victory and looking out for it played no small part in this. I think that the danger years were ’75 to 77 because when the French decided to help, things changed drastically.
Josh.