Final answer:
During the final phase of the American Revolution, the British shifted their military efforts to the southern colonies with initial successes but ultimately faced defeat with the surrender at Yorktown in 1781, thanks to effective American leadership and French support.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the latter stages of the American Revolution (1778-81), the British military strategy involved focusing on the southern colonies, such as the Carolinas and Virginia. This shift in strategy towards the south was due to multiple reasons, one of which was the British expectation of greater support from Loyalists in the region. The British began their southern campaign by capturing Savannah, Georgia, in December 1778, and continued to gain temporary control in various parts of the south, including taking Charleston in 1780. However, victories in the south's major ports did not translate into control of the interior regions, where brutal guerilla warfare and civil conflict persisted.
Despite initial British success, the Continental Army, under the leadership of General George Washington and General Nathanael Greene, and with critical aid from French allies, began to turn the tide. The southern campaigns involved ferocious battles, guerilla tactics, and significant hardship on both sides. Ultimately, the British southern strategy collapsed with the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781, signifying the end of major hostilities in the American Revolutionary War and paving the way for American independence.
The southern campaigns were marked by the complexity of war efforts due to the deep-seated local divisions and the involvement of various groups including Loyalists, enslaved people seeking freedom, and Native American allies. Although the British hoped to capitalize on these divisions with their southern strategy, this approach ultimately failed and contributed to their eventual defeat in the Revolutionary War.