The American Revolution succeeded through guerrilla tactics, not open-field battle

Evidence

The American Revolution would not have been named as such if the larger army had won. American rebel forces avoided direct, open-field battles with the better-trained and better-organized British army, opting instead for fleeting skirmishes, picking off troops as they marched or attacking when the larger army passed through choke points—narrow passages or river crossings that spread the army out, diminishing their numerical advantage. Similar tactics were used against U.S. forces in Vietnam and the Soviet Army in Afghanistan. Today, U.S. forces grapple daily with sneak attacks by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 415