An ‘artful Misrepresentation’ of affairs: Alleged British atrocities in American colonial newspapers during the War of Independence

During the American War for Independence, the revolutionaries effectively leveraged the newspapers to launch numerous atrocity allegations against the British military, claiming they breached European laws of war. These grievances became a focal point for political agendas and tensions to unfold in the public eye via the newspaper press. Using the allegations that emerged in the immediate aftermath of five notable battles, this thesis provides an in-depth examination of the American newspaper’s response to these incidents and their impact on perceptions thereafter. This work demonstrates that the hitherto unappreciated propaganda war that occurred in the American press also left a lasting impression in the popular memory of the war. Right from the outset of the war, atrocity allegations made in the Patriot press triggered actions by British politicians and generals to prove their innocence, demonstrating that these accusations mattered. Despite their questionable validity, the revolutionaries’ complaints impacted the British military and government by threatening public relations crises that jeopardized support for the British cause. Even when the Patriot response ebbed in cases where the battle occurred in rural or British-occupied territory, it was the sensational content that caught the public’s attention, leading to unprecedented actions on both sides to win over public support. This study focuses on the emerging British reaction to these American allegations and the subsequent battle for control over the narrative, which the British ultimately lost. While British leadership attempted to bolster their propaganda efforts, they never gained the upper hand, an overlooked factor leading to the loss of the American colonies.