Timeline for the American War of Independence as a Global War
European Theatre - Gibraltar - English Channel - Africa - Asia
Battle of Porto Praya,
Cape Verde Islands.
A French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren fought Royal Navy vessels under Commodore George Johnstone.
While the French fleet sustained more damage than the British, the battle was inconclusive. Johnstone tried to pursue the French, but was forced to call it off in order to repair the damage his ships had taken.
The French gained a strategic victory, since Suffren beat Johnstone to the Cape of Good Hope and reinforced the Dutch garrison there before continuing on his journey to the Ile de France (now Mauritius).
A French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren fought Royal Navy vessels under Commodore George Johnstone.
While the French fleet sustained more damage than the British, the battle was inconclusive. Johnstone tried to pursue the French, but was forced to call it off in order to repair the damage his ships had taken.
The French gained a strategic victory, since Suffren beat Johnstone to the Cape of Good Hope and reinforced the Dutch garrison there before continuing on his journey to the Ile de France (now Mauritius).
European Theatre - Gibraltar - English Channel
January
A French force under Belgian Philippe de Rullecourt (* 1744)
lands on the British island of Jersey in the English Channel. The
assault fails and Rullecourt is killed.
Admiral Rodney defeats Spanish fleet off Cape St Vincent.
February
A combined French and Spanish force captures the island of
Minorca following a siege that had begun on 19 August 1781.
March
April
Spain enters into the Convention of Aranjuez with France.
Naval battle of Porto Praya, Cape Verde Islands.
May
A joint Franco-Dutch attempt led by Charles Christian, Prince
of Nassau-Weilburg (1735-1788) to capture the island of
Jersey in the English Channel fails.
June
Spain declares war against Great Britain as an ally of France,
not of the United States.
A combined Franco-Spanish force totaling as many as 33,000
soldiers and 30,000 sailors and Marines begins a 43-month
long siege of Gibraltar which only ends on 7 February 1783.
July
August
A combined Franco-Spanish force invades the island of
Minorca in the Mediterranean and lays siege to Fort St. Philip.
September
A joint Franco-Spanish force of some 30,000 sailors on 18
Ships-of-the Line, 40 gun-boats and ten floating batteries and
about 28,000 Spanish and 7,000 – 8,000 French land forces
launch a massive attack on Gibraltar, which is defended by
about 7,500 Crown forces. The attack failed.
For comparison: At Yorktown in October 1781, a French fleet of 24 Ships of the Line and supporting frigates with around 24,000 sailors and 5,200 men Line infantry doing duty as marines, supported around 9,150 Continental Army forces (incl. 3,300 Militia) and 9,250 French forces in their siege of around 8,100 Crown forces (incl. 840 naval personnel) under Lord Cornwallis. Cornwallis surrenders on 19 October.
For comparison: At Yorktown in October 1781, a French fleet of 24 Ships of the Line and supporting frigates with around 24,000 sailors and 5,200 men Line infantry doing duty as marines, supported around 9,150 Continental Army forces (incl. 3,300 Militia) and 9,250 French forces in their siege of around 8,100 Crown forces (incl. 840 naval personnel) under Lord Cornwallis. Cornwallis surrenders on 19 October.
October
November
December
Caribbean – West Indies – American Mainland (excluding territory of the 13 United States in 1776)
West Indian Theatre of War
January
A Spanish force under Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid (1746-
1786) captures Mobile and Biloxi from British.
French forces capture of the British islands of Saint 5 Kitts, St. Martin, Nevis & Montserrat. The fortress on Brimstone Hill on St. Kitts surrenders on 12 February.
French occupy Dutch settlements of Demerara and Essequibo
on the Guiana coast of South America, seized by British in early
1781. The operation is completed by 5 February 1782.
French occupy Dutch settlements of Demerara and Essequibo
on the Guiana coast of South America, seized by British in early
1781. The operation is completed by 5 February 1782.
British capture French islands of St Martin and St. Barthelemy.
February
British forces capture the Dutch island of St. Eustatius.
British naval forces take Dutch islands of St. Maarten and Saba.
French forces capture Turks and Caicos Islands.
French forces capture island of Nevis.
French forces capture island of Monserrat.
French forces capture island of St. Martin.
French forces capture island of St. Barthelemy.
March
Spanish forces occupy island of Santa Rosa off Pensacola.
Spanish forces capture British Caribbean islands of Roatan,
Providence Island and St. Andrew’s Island.
Spanish forces under Gálvez lay siege to Pensacola.
Tupac Katari launches rebellion against Spanish in Bolivia.
April
Royal Navy squadron under Admiral Sir George Brydges
Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney defeats French squadron under
François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse
in Battle of the Saints.
British and French forces engage in naval battles off Martinique.
Spanish forces surrender San Juan, Costa Rica to Lt. Horatio 6 Nelson; British withdrawal begins on 30 November 1780.
More than 2,500 British soldiers and sailors died between April and December
1780, making the San Juan expedition the costliest British campaign in human lives
of the war.
Bunker Hill: 226 killed, 828 wounded. Total: 1,054
Saratoga: 440 killed, 695 wounded. Total: 1,135 (about 6,200 are taken prisoners)
Monmouth: 304 killed, 770 wounded, Total: 1,074 (about 60 are taken prisoners)
Trenton: 22 killed, 83 wounded, Total: 105 (almost 900 are taken prisoners)
Princeton: 100 killed, 70 wounded. Total: 170
Cowpens: 110 killed, 229 wounded. Total: 339
Guilford Court House: 93 killed, 413 wounded, Total: 506
Yorktown: 309 killed, 326 wounded. Total: 635 (about 7,700 are taken prisoners)
Bunker Hill: 226 killed, 828 wounded. Total: 1,054
Saratoga: 440 killed, 695 wounded. Total: 1,135 (about 6,200 are taken prisoners)
Monmouth: 304 killed, 770 wounded, Total: 1,074 (about 60 are taken prisoners)
Trenton: 22 killed, 83 wounded, Total: 105 (almost 900 are taken prisoners)
Princeton: 100 killed, 70 wounded. Total: 170
Cowpens: 110 killed, 229 wounded. Total: 339
Guilford Court House: 93 killed, 413 wounded, Total: 506
Yorktown: 309 killed, 326 wounded. Total: 635 (about 7,700 are taken prisoners)
The Battle of Black River for control of the Black River settlement, on the Caribbean coast of present-day Honduras.
Joint Spanish-American fleet captures Nassau in the Bahamas.
This was the third time the island changed hands, having been
captured by an American force on 3/4 March 1776, and by a
7 Spanish force under Galvez on 6 May 1782.
French forces join Spanish forces outside Pensacola.
May
Spanish and French forces capture Pensacola.
French raid on St. Lucia.
Spanish and French forces capture Pensacola.
June
French capture island of Tobago.
French forces capture island of St. Vincent.
July
French under Admiral d’Estaing capture island of Grenada.
August
September
French forces under François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé capture the island of Dominica.
A committed Royalist, Bouillé is the only person mentioned by name in the
French national anthem La Marseillaise where he is vilified in the 5th stanza:
French original
Français, en guerriers magnanimes, Portez ou retenez vos coups ! Épargnez ces tristes victimes, À regret s'armant contre nous. (bis) Mais ces despotes sanguinaires, Mais ces complices de Bouillé Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié, Déchirent le sein de leur mère!
English translation
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors, Bear or hold back your blows! Spare these sorry victims, Arming against us with regrets. (repeat) But these bloodthirsty despots, But these accomplices of Bouillé, All these tigers who, mercilessly, Rip their mother's breast!
French original
Français, en guerriers magnanimes, Portez ou retenez vos coups ! Épargnez ces tristes victimes, À regret s'armant contre nous. (bis) Mais ces despotes sanguinaires, Mais ces complices de Bouillé Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié, Déchirent le sein de leur mère!
English translation
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors, Bear or hold back your blows! Spare these sorry victims, Arming against us with regrets. (repeat) But these bloodthirsty despots, But these accomplices of Bouillé, All these tigers who, mercilessly, Rip their mother's breast!
British capture islands of St. Pierre-et-Miquelon off the coast of
8 Newfoundland.
Spanish forces take Cayo Cocina (also known as Saint George's
Caye) off the coast of present-day Belize.
Spanish forces under Bernardo de Galvez capture Baton Rouge.
October
Spain and Portugal sign Treaty of San Ildefonso ending their land dispute in Brazil.
British forces take San Fernando de Omoa on the Gulf of
Honduras. They abandon the fort again in late November 1779.
November
Large Spanish force leaves to invade Ilha Santa Catarina, Brazil
in a land dispute; since British are Portuguese allies, this could
result in British war against Spain.
“Stars and Stripes” saluted by Johannes de Graaff, Dutch
governor of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba as USS Andrea
Doria enters harbor of St. Eustatius.
French forces under the marquis de Bouillé capture Dutch
island of St. Eustatius/Statia.
December
British naval forces capture the island of St. Lucia. A French
attempt on 18 December to retake the island fails.
French forces under the duc de Lauzun capture St. Louis in Senegal.
Britain declares war on the Netherlands, commencing the
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War since 1652.
Admiral Suffren arrives in Dutch-owned Capetown before
Commodore George Johnstone, preventing a British capture.
India – Sri Lanka - Pacific
East Indian Theatre of War
January
Trincomalee in Ceylon/Sri Lanka is captured by British forces
under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes.
February
Naval battle of Sedras off the coast of Madras between French forces under the Bailli de Suffren and Royal Navy vessels under Admiral Hughes.
Tipu Sultan defeats British force at Battle of Annagudi.
March
British capture of French base at Mahe.
French participate in capture of Voloze and siege of Mangalore.
April
Naval battle of Providien off the coast of Ceylon/Sri Lanka again
pits Suffren against Hughes.
Marquis de Bussy leads French forces to assist Sultan Tipu at siege of Cuddalore.
May
June
British and French naval battle off Cuddalore.
July
British forces defeat Hyder Ali in Battle of Porto Novo.
Naval Battle of Saldanha off South Africa. Commodore George
Johnstone takes six loaded Dutch East India Company vessels
on their way to the Netherlands.
Naval battle of Negapatam off the coast of India again
pits Suffren against Hughes.
Hyder Ali of Mysore declares war on Britain.
August
Successful British siege of Pondicherry.
French besiege and capture Trincomalee (Ceylon/Sri Lanka.)
September
Hyder Ali defeats British forces in Battle of Pollilur.
British forces defeat Hyder Ali in Battle of Sholinghur.
October
British capture Pondicherry from the French.
Successful British siege of the Dutch at Negapatam.
November
December
French forces under the duc de Lauzun capture St. Louis in Senegal.
Admiral Suffren arrives in Dutch-owned Capetown before
Commodore George Johnstone, preventing a British capture.