To begin, it was a war of ideology unlike most previous wars that involved either territorial conquest or royal succession. Americans were fighting for their own liberty, their own rights and their own form of government. Accordingly, Americans were driven by inner forces or beliefs, as opposed to British and Hessian troops who were driven by professional training and pay. You could fight bare footed and in rags in winter for prolonged periods for a cause. You could not do that for mere pay alone. High Hessian desertion rates support this point of view.
There were other innovations like the first use of a submarine. It was called the Turtle and it was deployed in New York harbor. It very nearly was successful. Though it was not, it did manage to set the course for the future use of the submarine. The war was also one of alliances. The United States, France, Spain and the Netherlands against England. This created a higher plain of strategic thinking on the part of participants in the war. It also resulted in a prolonged war and a decisive Franco-American land-sea victory at Yorktown.
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