 There was a real sense that the Patriots' cause was on the ropes. Just months after the Americans had declared independence, the immediate results were a complete disaster. And you have to think, history has a funny way of seeming inevitable. Of course, in 2017, we have the luxury of knowing who won. The American Patriots won. And after that, eventually they created a constitution. Then they elected a president. And the United States became the most powerful country in the world. And so on and so forth.