The American Revolution had more than one cause. There was the clash of ideologies between the British and the colonists, who were devoted to a monarchic rule and rule by the people, respectively. Then there was the economic aspect of the war, in which the British wanted to tax the colonists without representation but the colonists wanted to be represented fairly. In addition, there was a discord over religion, as the monarchy had an approved state religion that subjects were expected to adhere to, while the colonists were of various religious sects and wanted freedom of religion.
Strategies were different on both sides, as well. The British dressed in full battle regalia and marched forward into the line of fire, while the colonists used surprise attacks. The results of the conflict included heavy losses on both sides, but the colonists won because they were more familiar with the terrain and relied more heavily on strategy rather than weapons, of which they had few. The British ultimately failed because they were not as committed to the cause. Some of them were mercenaries and the Americans had much more to gain by winning than they did, particularly since the war took place on American soil
The American approach was more consistent with Sun Tzu, who favored an indirect approach like that of the colonists, where they hid from the enemy and used surprise attacks as a tactic (Zapotoczny). The British approach was more like Clausewitz's who favored the direct approach like the British' advancing a line right into the approaching enemy (Zapotoczny).
Zapotoczny, Walter S. "Sun Tzu and Clausewitz Applied to War at Sea." ...