Collage of four famous American Revolutionary War paintings
The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was a war between Great Britain and their thirteen American colonies. The leadership of the colonies decided to unite and attempt to gain their independence from Britain, largely due to high taxes levied by Parliament without adequate representation. The decision to reject British rule was not universal in the colonies. Those that favored independence were called Patriots and those that remained loyal to the throne were called Loyalists. There was also a significant contingent that tried, for the most part, to remain neutral.
Map depicting the 13 colonies
Following a successful campaign by the British in the French and Indian War, in which they conquered French lands east of the Mississippi River, the British governement decided to enact new taxes on its North American colonies to repay expenses for their defense. The colonies were upset about this because they were not granted seats in Parlaiment, and the famous phrase "No Taxation Without Representation" became the battle cry of the colonists. The British also began actively enforcing the Navigation Acts, which they had been previously lax on, which subjected American imports to higher tarrifs. The Stamp Act of 1765, which required certain trade goods to be affixed with a tax stamp, added further fuel to the fire and led to the creation of the Sons of Liberty, a patriot group which actively resisted British authority. The British continued with their taxation policies with the Townshend Acts, which lead to the infamous Boston Tea Party and the British response of closing Boston Harbor.
Relations were strained further, when in March of 1770, there was an altercation between British soldiers and a colonial mob that resulted in the death of five colonists. This became known as the Boston Massacre.
The War
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 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 culmination of the war 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, 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.
Chronology of the American Revolution
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
| July 11 |
British leave Savannah, Georgia
|
| November 30 |
Draft of peace treaty signed in Paris, France
|
| December 14 |
British leave Charleston, South Carolina
|
1783
