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The war began in April 1775, when [[Paul Revere]]'s midnight ride alerted the [[Massachusetts]] militia that [[British]] troops under the command of General [[Thomas Gage]] were moving to seize an arms depot in [[Concord]], [[Massachusetts]]. The militia held a bridge at nearby [[Battle of Lexington|Lexington]], and the "Shot heard 'round the world" was fired, although it is unknown which side fired first. After this short skirmish, and the subsequent [[Battle of Lexington]], delegates from the [[Thirteen Colonies]] met in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] and convened the [[Second Continental Congress]] to draft a [[Declaration of Independence]]. The Declaration was officially signed on July 4, 1776, officially severing American ties with England.

The war began in April 1775, when [[Paul Revere]]'s midnight ride alerted the [[Massachusetts]] militia that [[British]] troops under the command of General [[Thomas Gage]] were moving to seize an arms depot in [[Concord]], [[Massachusetts]]. The militia held a bridge at nearby [[Battle of Lexington|Lexington]], and the "Shot heard 'round the world" was fired, although it is unknown which side fired first. After this short skirmish, and the subsequent [[Battle of Lexington]], delegates from the [[Thirteen Colonies]] met in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] and convened the [[Second Continental Congress]] to draft a [[Declaration of Independence]]. The Declaration was officially signed on July 4, 1776, officially severing American ties with England.

The ideas in the [[Declaration of Independence]], drafted by 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson with help by other Founders, were very powerful. Invoking the authority of God frequently throughout the document, the Declaration contains the most striking legal statement of all time: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The phrase “that all men are created equal” was original to the Declaration of Independence and was quoted frequently by [[Abraham Lincoln]] (e.g., in the Gettysburg Address) and by other future Americans.

The Declaration of Independence was an important historical document, drawing from [[Christianity]] and the works of [[John Locke]], [[Thomas Hobbes]], and [[Adam Smith]]. It was penned primarily by [[Thomas Jefferson]] and is an indictment of the injustices the British monarchy had inflicted on the colonies, and a justification for independence from their rule. It asserted in the preamble the powerful belief that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." These ideas have been influential throughout America's history and referenced many times, including by [[Abraham Lincoln]] in his [[Gettysburg Address]].

The Declaration of Independence drew upon Christianity and the Enlightenment English philosopher [[John Locke]]. In his famous work “Two Treatises on Government” (1690), Locke declared that all men have the natural (inalienable) rights of “life, liberty and estate (property).” [[Adam Smith]], the great economist, modified this to be “life, liberty and the pursuit of property.” Notably the Declaration of Independence does not emphasize a right to pursue property, however, speaking instead in favor of pursuit of “happiness”.

The colonists felt that the "social contract" between themselves and England had been violated. This idea was originated by Hobbes, and expanded on by Locke, which was the belief that government was a contract between the people and the governing body, in which the people gave up certain rights in return for protection of their natural rights. If the contract was not held up by the government, the people then had the authority to reject the government. The Declaration states “That to secure these [inalienable] rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government ….” The Declaration of Independence abolished the right of England to rule over the colonies, and provided a strong motivation for the Colonial Army in the war.  

 

Locke also wrote that government exists to defend our natural rights, and when government fails to do so then it may rightfully be overthrown. Locke built on the concept of a “social contract” first proposed by [[Thomas Hobbes]] (1588-1679), who felt that government was a contract by which people gave up some rights to government to obtain protection and order in return. When this social contract is violated by government, as when it fails to defend our natural rights, then Locke felt that rejecting the authority of government was justified. This logic was embraced by the Declaration of Independence by declaring that the colonies were right to break away from the King of England because he failed to uphold the social contract. The Declaration said: “That to secure these [inalienable] rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government ….” And the Patriots did “abolish” English rule here.

The culmination of the Revolution was the [[Battle of Yorktown]], which pitted the American army, under the command of General [[George Washington]], along with the French, under the command of General [[Comte de Rochambeau]], against the British, under the command of  General [[Charles Cornwallis]].  Due to a French Naval blockade, Cornwallis was unable to receive the reinforcements and supplies he needed and surrendered along with 7,000 troops on October 19, 1971.

The culmination of the Revolution was the [[Battle of Yorktown]], which pitted the American army, under the command of General [[George Washington]], along with the French, under the command of General [[Comte de Rochambeau]], against the British, under the command of  General [[Charles Cornwallis]].  Due to a French Naval blockade, Cornwallis was unable to receive the reinforcements and supplies he needed and surrendered along with 7,000 troops on October 19, 1971.

The war concluded with the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris]] in 1783, granting independence to the colonies.

The war concluded with the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris]] in 1783, granting independence to the colonies.

== Chronology of the American Revolution ==

== Chronology of the American Revolution ==