Charleston, Siege of
Charleston, Siege of (1780).In June 1776, early in the Revolutionary War, a British expedition under Sir Henry Clinton failed to seize Charleston, South Carolina's principal port and the largest city in the South. Less than four years later, Clinton returned with overwhelming force and a plan to make the South the centerpiece of British strategy to subdue the colonies. France's recognition of American independence and its declaration of war on Britain in May 1778 altered the character of the war, turning a colonial revolt into a worldwide war. Britain, seeking to maximize results on its now over‐stretched resources, intended to use the army to eliminate rebel activity and reestablish royal authority, then turn control over to the loyalists and move on to repeat the process against rebels further north.
This southern strategy began well. Leaving 10,000 men to...
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