Among the advantages Americans brought to the war were its great and experienced leaders, knowledge of the surroundings, and soldiers who believed deeply in their cause to fight.

The colonists also had foreign help; there were European volunteers who fought for pay. But even with these advantages, there were greater odds than the advantages. The disadvantages included a poor navy and an inept and disorderly army.

In contrast, the British had trained professional combatants, some fifty thousand soldiers and hired help. King George III hired many German Hessians, American Loyalists and Native Americans. Even when King George III hired these German mercenaries to fight, many of them deserted the army and settled in the colonies.

Along with a weak army, Americans had to deal with a lack of materials and ammunition, food, clothing - the bare necessities required in an epic war against the most powerful army in the world. The cause of the shortage of supplies could be blamed on the non-existence of weaponry factories and the huge price of a single musket. Another huge factor that made victory difficult was the fact that the colonists and Congress were divided.

The autonomous states were jealous of the Congress’s power and while some liked one leader, some resented the leader. Young America also had a huge issue with money. Congress printed huge amounts of paper money and inflation soared and prices soared up with it. Due to financial problems many soldiers found themselves deserting the army. Moreover, morale in the army was subverted by profiteers. Some merchants and businesspeople sold to the wealthy British because they could pay more than the Americans.