[revwardoc]

I don't think it was a case of being pro-Europe as it was being afraid of the consequences of breaking away from England; sort of like leaving home for college. Americans, since the very first English-sponsored settlements, were secure in the knowledge that they were backed financially and militarily by England. Our form of government was based on English Parliamentary Law and we provided necessary raw materials for English manufacturing and man-power for the inevitable North American wars. Even as we became more self-sufficient, we still looked upon England as our sovereign. However, by the latter half of the 18th century we finally realized we were being held back in our development and that security blanket became a heavy thumb. But like the old song goes, breaking up is hard to do and while roughly a 1/3rd of America supported a clean break, another 1/3rd wanted the status quo, and the remaining 1/3rd sat on the fence. That last 1/3rd supported whomever was the military power of their given region; first it was the Continental Army, then the Brits and their German mercanaries, then the Continentals again, etc. etc. The fence-sitters really didn't make much of a difference since they supported both sides in material (whether they wanted to or not) and the Continental Army was forced to face two of the best trained and equipped military forces in the world; not the easiest task for a bunch of untrained, ill-equipped rabble with questionable leadership (see Horatio Gates and Charles Lee). In addition, most of the casualties of the war, on both sides, were from disease, not battle wounds. If it wasn't for European aid, especially from the French who had little to gain, we'd still be singing "God Save the Queen".