 And that meant that if he couldn't recruit enough men, his army would literally cease to exist. 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 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.