In 1775, American revolutionaries went to war with the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years.

How did a relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people face off against the greatest military power on the planet at that time? And when exactly did the tide turn?

In this first of two episodes with Don Wildman, host of American History Hit, and Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard, Dan represents the British in the Revolutionary struggle.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, and produced by Sophie Gee, Mariana Des Forges and Charlotte Long.

Join Dan and the team for a special LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday, 12th September 2025!

To celebrate 10 years of the podcast, Dan is putting on a special show of signature storytelling, never-before-heard anecdotes from his often stranger-than-fiction career, as well as answering the burning questions you've always wanted to ask!

Get tickets here, before they sell out: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/dan-snows-history-hit/

You can now find Dan Snow's History Hit on YouTube! Watch episodes every Friday here.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.

You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

How did the Colonies win the American War of Independence?

Dan Snow's History Hit