THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON

The most significant British victory in the Revolutionary War threatened to undermine the entire American war effort

- DAVID SMITH

In 1780, the American War of Independence had been raging for five years and the British were no nearer to subduing their former colonists. Fighting in the north had seen the British win many battles but also suffer serious setbacks. Now, they were ready to try a new strategy and an army of 8,000 men boarded ships at New York before heading south to capture the city of Charleston. This was to be the launchpad for a new campaign.

Charleston was well defended by both regular troops and militia, and reinforcements were also sent to bolster the garrison, but the British were able to mount a patient and effective siege that eventually forced the Americans to surrender. Thousands of troops were captured and the American cause appeared to have been mortally wounded, especially as the British followed up with a major victory at the Battle of Camden. Crucially, enough American forces remained to keep the spark of the revolution alive, and the southern colonies rallied to once more frustrate British plans.

Charleston’s defences

In 1780, the city of Charleston occupied the lower end of the peninsula between the Cooper and Ashley Rivers, on the coast of South Carolina. It was the fourth-largest city in the colonies at the time and plans had been underway for some time to strengthen it. A small British force had threatened the city the previous year, prompting the improvement of defences that had first been constructed in the 1750s.