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An Overview of the American Revolutionary War

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  1. Discontent over British taxation policy β€” "No taxation without representation"

    To cover the fiscal burden that had grown from the Seven Years' War with France, Britain imposed various taxes on the colonies, including the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act. The colonists, resenting being taxed by a British Parliament they had no part in, rallied behind the slogan "no taxation without representation."

  2. The Boston Tea Party (1773)

    In December 1773, Boston residents, protesting the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on the tea trade, disguised themselves as Native Americans and threw chests of tea from ships docked in Boston Harbor into the sea. In retaliation, Britain took harsh measures, including closing the port of Boston, further intensifying the conflict between the colonies and the mother country.

  3. The adoption of the Declaration of Independence (1776)

    After armed conflict began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, representatives of the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, on July 4, 1776, formally declaring independence from Britain.

  4. French support

    France, seeking to check its longtime rival Britain, provided weapons and funding to the colonial army, and in 1778 formed an official alliance, even dispatching its navy. France's military and financial support proved decisive in helping the colonial army sustain the war.

  5. The Battle of Yorktown effectively ends the war (1781)

    In 1781, colonial forces led by George Washington, together with French forces, surrounded and forced the surrender of British commander Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. After this battle, Britain effectively lost the will to continue fighting, and American independence was formally recognized through the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

  6. The establishment of the Constitution and the founding of the United States

    Even after independence, the 13 states β€” a loose confederation β€” recognized the need for a central government, and drafted a new constitution at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia; in 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first president, and the federal United States of America was formally established.

Thirteen colonies become one nation

The American Revolutionary War was fought from 1775 to 1783 by Britain's 13 North American colonies to win independence from the mother country, becoming the occasion for the birth of the world's first modern democratic republic, the United States of America.

Another revolution ignited by American independence

The financial burden taken on to support the American Revolutionary War, along with the spread of ideas about liberty and equality, also influenced the background of the French Revolution that followed, covered in our overview of the French Revolution. Take a look at how the two revolutions influenced each other across the Atlantic.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was American independence officially recognized?

Britain officially recognized American independence through the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution the same document?

No. The Declaration of Independence was the document that declared independence from Britain in 1776, while the Constitution, established later in 1787, is the document that set out the structure of the new federal government.