Empire Total War - defeat

After a month on the campaign, my US colonials faction was beaten by the British last night.  So therefore American independence and the real historical timeline have to wait.  Unfortunately since I did not make any recent implicit game saves, I have to go all the way back to my last save which was during the Anglo-French wars in America (which was the setting of the book/film 'Last of the mohicans'). I have to say that the British army definitely fight better than the French.