As the nation celebrates America’s birthday some historians claim that the final battle of the War of Independence wasn’t actually fought on U.S. soil.
Revisionist history speculates that Britian losing the naval battle of Cuddalore against the American’s oldest ally France in India was the final straw that convinced George III to abandon the 13 colonies.
Kathleen DuVal, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina told CNN that for decades almost all US historians focused exclusively on Massachusetts and Virginia battles, but over the past few decades historians have been expanding their focus and calling the Revolutionary War, a ‘world’ war.
DuVal, and others note that Britain and France actually fought their final battle of the war in Cuddalore, India in June of 1783.
The 2018 book, ‘The American Revolution: A World War,’ features 17 essays from a variety of authors from eight different countries whose scholarship supports the new understanding.
The East India Company’s European Regiment at the Siege of Cuddalore, 1 July 1783
Kathleen DuVal, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina, told CNN that historians have been expanding their focus and calling the Revolutionary War, a ‘world war’
A painting illustrating the Battle of Cuddalore, dated June 20th 1783, that took place between the French navy commanded by the Bailli de Suffren and the British one under the orders of Rear-Admiral Edward Hughes
The 2018 book, ‘The American Revolution: A World War,’ features 17 essays from a variety of authors spanning eight different countries whose scholarship supports the new understanding
The Journal of American History called the book that was published by the Smithsonian a ‘multifaceted but coherent account of the American Revolution’s international geopolitics.’
DuVal offered a brief overview regarding the relationship between Britian and France.
‘France’s help for the United States has long been part of Americans’ knowledge of the American Revolution, but the French king decided to enter the war because of France’s opposition to Britain more than any love for the Americans – after all, he was a king with his own empire,’ she told the news outlet.
She explained that Britian not only had an enemy in France but Spain and the Netherlands allied with France to fight Britain, too.
As this was taking place, American struggled for independence was a way to harass Britain on another front.
General Rochambeau and George Washington giving their orders for the last assault in the Battle of Yorktown, during the American Revolutionary War, 1781
Seattle-based historian and journalist Don Glickstein covered the topic in-depth in his 2015 book, ‘After Yorktown.’
‘Looking at this from say the French perspective, taking on a role in the American Revolution enabled them to stretch British forces in just another place around the globe,’ he said.
He explains that during America’s 247-year history, it has been taught that the last battle of that war was at Yorktown, Virginia, from September 28 to October 19, 1781.
However, Glickstein noted that even describing Yorktown as an ‘American’ victory is a bit generous, when in fact it, he argues it was a French victory.
‘Kids learn that Yorktown was an American victory,’ Glickstein said.
‘In reality, it was a French victory, made possible by a French strategy, two French fleets, French siege engineers, French artillery that pounded the British, was fought largely by French soldiers, marines, and sailors who outnumbered their American rebel allies four-to-one.’
