The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777

The Continental Army was the official military force formed by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and commanded by George Washington. In The British Are Coming, it serves as the central instrument of American resistance, gradually evolving from a disorganized militia into a more disciplined and professional army, despite constant shortages, desertions, and defeats.

Hessians were German mercenary soldiers hired by the British Crown to fight in the American colonies, primarily from the state of Hesse-Cassel. Atkinson details their disciplined battlefield presence and their capture during key moments such as the Battle of Trenton, illustrating how their presence symbolized the international dimension of the conflict and British reliance on foreign troops.

Jonathans was a colloquial British nickname for American soldiers, often used disparagingly to describe the provincial or rough qualities of the rebels. The term reflects the cultural distance and condescension with which British officers viewed their American opponents, even as they came to respect their resilience in battle.