List of military leaders in the American Revolutionary War
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| Great Britain |
| France |
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The list of military leaders in the War of American Independence includes those in the forces of the United States; those in the forces of Great Britain, which fought without European allies, but with Hessian auxiliaries; and, as the war widened to an international conflict after 1778 to a war between European powers, the list includes leaders in the forces of the U.S. ally France, and France's ally Spain. This is a compilation of some of the most important leaders among the many participants in the war, including Native Americans. The British counted on the colonists Loyalists fighting in the American Revolution to aid the king's cause, but the numbers were below what they had expected.
In order to be listed here an individual must satisfy one of the following criteria:
- Was a nation's top civilian responsible for directing military affairs
- Held a commission of at least brigadier general or rear admiral in an organized military during the conflict
- Was the highest-ranking member of a given nation's force that participated in the conflict (if that rank was not at least major general)
- Was the highest-ranking member of a given state/colonial militia
- Was a provincial or territorial governor who is documented to have directed a military action
- Was a Native American tribal leader who had a documented leadership position in military action
Some individuals held concurrent positions in more than one organization, and a number of Continental Army generals also held high-ranking positions in their state militia organizations. Many U.S. combatants were militiamen, not regular troops. Militia are defined as being a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency or a body of citizens organized for military service.