Do you think that there were a lot of deaths and do you think that the deaths of the Americans made a big difference in the overall scheme of things and the larger amount of deaths made people angrier.
Well, yes. There were a lot of deaths, and of course American deaths made a difference, considering it was a war and everything.
I think deaths among the Americans were hugely important, especially since the Continental Army was so small to begin with. Washington deserves a lot of credit, not for a brilliant record in pitched battles (his record in battles could be charitably described as mediocre), but for being able to escape from lost battles with sufficient forces intact that he could continue to operate in the field.
American losses always impact people during a war, but the thing you should be thinking about is the British losses. These are people you have to ship across an ocean, taking a month or more, who could just as easily be lost on the way, or lost stepping off the boat to a bullet. The cost and logistics of fighting a long distance war like that in that day, would be nothing short of a nightmare for any accountant and recruitment officer. The British had more to fear from losses than the Americans, and that's why I believe it was such a big deal for them to recruit Native American tribes to fight for them.
This is true, CarpeNemo. The British had very long lines of supply. Another factor to consider is that the British people at home were by no means totally against the Americans. There was a sizable group of members of Parliament who were sympathetic to the American cause.
While the death of soldiers is always an effect, the amount that it affects a people as a group depends. I'm sure the American colonists who lost sons and fathers and cousins were greatly affected, but they knew that it was war and what they were fighting for. Also, there was no CNN blasting to the public about soldiers dying 5 minutes after a minor skirmish. While the British supply lines are a good point, the colonial army was a lot smaller than the British one, and so one American death, percentage wise, was a bigger hit than one British death, even taking the ocean into account.
