It's what the secularized culture now uses instead of BC which means Before Christ and AD Anno Domini which translates to In the year of Our Lord. It's ridiculous that they changed it :/
American soldiers under Horatio Gates forced a British surrender under John Burgoyne. This led to France and Spain joining the war on the side of Americans. These powerful countries fought the British around the world. From 1778 to 1780, there was fighting in the West.
The mother country benefited under a mercantile system. A mercantile system is based on the benefit of the mother country's trade interests and manufacturers.