Two hundred fifty years ago this week, a British general fighting to suppress the American Revolution articulated a strategy that would resonate through centuries of warfare. On a warship in New York Harbor, General Henry Clinton met with Scottish noble Lord Drummond, an unofficial peace emissary.
The goal was ambitious: end the rebellion not through force alone, but through persuasion. Clinton summed up his approach succinctly: “To gain the hearts and subdue the minds of America.”
According to historian Jonathan Horn (The Free Press), this moment marked the first recorded use of “hearts and minds” in a counterinsurgency context. Max Boot notes that the idea of winning the support of the population while undermining resistance would later be central to military campaigns in Vietnam, Iraq, and other conflicts.
General David Petraeus, a modern expert on counterinsurgency, has called Clinton’s words “the most succinct explanation for how to win a counterinsurgency.”
The meeting between Clinton and Drummond highlighted two contrasting approaches to rebellion: one through negotiation and empathy, the other through military might.
While history shows that the Revolutionary War would not be settled peacefully, the concept Clinton articulated has endured as a foundational principle in military strategy. It serves as a reminder that understanding and influencing the hearts of people can be as crucial as defeating armies in shaping the course of history.
