Final answer:
An American Patriot in 1780 would have complex feelings about the war's progress, with reactions depending on specific news and circumstances. The war was mostly going poorly, but victories like Washington's at Trenton provided important morale boosts and reinforced growing patriotism and nationalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
An American Patriot reading news of the war in 1780 would likely have complex feelings about the war's progress. Initially, the war was going poorly for the Americans, but Washington's victory at Trenton was a significant morale boost. The answer to whether a Patriot would have been happy about the way the war was going in 1780 is C. It depends on the specific news and circumstances.
Opinions among American colonists were varied, with some colonists desiring independence, some wishing to remain part of the British Empire, and many maintaining neutrality. Patriots may have been united by a common cause due to the growth of patriotism and a desire to address the political and economic problems that arose under British rule, but the sentiments towards the war's progress were not uniformly positive.
Nationalism grew during this time as the states worked to establish government structures, and victories like Trenton played a significant role in maintaining Patriot spirits in a war that was often challenging.