Historian John Hall discusses how mistaken assumptions surrounding the American Revolution influenced American military policy for almost 150 years after the war.

American’s believed that superior militia and minutemen provided the means to victory over a professional British army.

Make no mistake, militia were an important factor in American victory, but George Washington knew better. He witnessed first hand the shortcomings of militia and the need to field a well trained professional army.

In the end, only a professional American army backed by a world superpower (France), managed to scrape together enough military strength to put the British away after eight long years of war.  Check it out:

John Hall was my favorite commentator on The History Channels “The Revolution” (I almost didn’t recognize him in his civilian clothes).

Check out this and more from Todd Andrlik’s fantastic blog, The Journal of American Revolution.