The British Left Philadelphia In June 1778 After Word Reached Philadelphia That France Had Sided With America

The British left Philadelphia in june 1778 after word reached Philadelphia that France had sided with America would be the next fact about the Philadelphia Campaign. In 1778, General Henry Clinton, the current British leader, departed Philadelphia. It was less crucial for them to control the American capital after they realized other British interests were in danger all around the world. The tide of war was shifting while Howe and his troops spent the winter in Philadelphia. Burgoyne submitted at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, without assistance from Howe. The French were inspired to join forces with the Americans by this American success. The French navy was a threat to British objectives in America, thus they could no longer afford to occupy Philadelphia, especially since they had achieved little there. The directive was given for General Henry Clinton to leave Philadelphia and head back to New York. In June 1778, the British army departed Philadelphia with about 3,000 allies.

Black Philadelphians, both free and enslaved, were forced to make difficult decisions as a result of the British occupation and departure of the city. It was unclear in 1777 and 1778 whether a British or American victory would be more likely to result in independence and expanded rights. On the one hand, Philadelphia's Quaker and abolitionist attitude had been escalating in the ten years prior to the conflict. The number of free Black people in the city increased as more masters released their slaves. A victory for the Americans in Philadelphia would have given slaves there hope for more manumissions or even the abolishing of slavery.