245 And Counting

As we celebrate this 4th of July and our country’s 245th birthday from 1776 through 2021, those who fought for our independence from Great Britain, paid an enormous price in terms of lives lost, in order for us to have our freedom.

Did you know:

• The Revolutionary War lasted 8.37 years from April 9, 1775 until September 3rd, 1783.
• It is estimated that 25,324 colonists died fighting for our independence.
• 80,000 militia and Continental Army soldiers served at the height of the war.
• 56,000 British soldiers fought at the height of the war, along with 30,000 German mercenaries known as Hessians.
• Throughout the course of the war, an estimated 6,800 Americans were killed in action, 6,100 were wounded, and as many as 20,000 were taken prisoner. It’s believed that 17,000 deaths were the result of disease, including about 8,000 to 12,000 who died while prisoners of war.
• The youngest member of the Continental Army was 10, while the oldest was 57.
• The estimated population of America in 1776 was 3 million.
• Less than half (45%) of the colonists fully supported the war, while 20% were loyal to Great Britain.
• 100,000 Loyalists (to Great Britain) fled to England, Canada, and the Bahamas during the war.
• 40,000 +/- 10K slaves served with the British during the war under the guise of being set free after the war. It was simply a recruiting tool by the British with the real motive being to deprive Patriot planters of labor. Another 10,000 slaves sided with the Continental Army.
• George Washington was paid $0 for his military service and leadership.