Final answer:
The British strategy in the early years of the war aimed to isolate New England, but it ultimately failed when General Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga and France entered the war as an ally to the colonists.
Step-by-step explanation:
The British strategy in the early years of the war was to isolate New England and cut it off from the rest of the colonies. They aimed to achieve this by taking control of major seaports and using New York City as a base of operations. However, their strategy ultimately failed when General Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga in 1777, and France entered the war as an ally to the colonists, turning the tide of the war in favor of the revolutionaries.