The American alliance with France had an immediate impact. Sir Henry Clinton had just ensconced himself in Philadelphia as Howe’s replacement commanding all British forces in North America, when he received orders from London to ship 5,000 of his troops to the West Indies to fight the French. He had to transport another 3,000 troops to St. Augustine, Florida, to guard against Spain’s probable entry into the war. What remained of the Philadelphia occupation force was bound for New York. In the context of British–French global conflict, North America once again became part of a larger whole.
Loyal British Tories had flocked to Philadelphia once the British had taken it. Now the city was to be evacuated and they would be abandoned to the rebels’ wrath. Clinton also feared the…
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All About History Book of the Founding of the United States (Digital) - 1 Issue, Vol 4