the american revolutionary war also called the american revolution was initiated by 13 north american colonies of great britain against the kingdom over their opposition to its direct taxation and lack of colonial representation war broke out on april 19 1775 when the british confronted colonial rebels in lexington massachusetts it was initially a conflict between britain and its colonies until france joined as america's ally turning it into an international war what triggered the american revolution before the flare-up of the american revolutionary war there had been growing tensions and conflicts between the british crown and its colonies to
raise the revenue from colonies the mother country took many measures the sugar act of 1764 aimed at ending the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from the french and dutch west indies the stamp act in the following year was the first british parliamentary attempt to raise revenue through direct taxation of all colonial commercial and legal papers newspapers pamphlets cards almanacs and dice the townsend acts in two years after that were a series of four acts in an attempt to exert authority over the american colonies and the tea act was introduced six years later to save
the east india company a key part of the british economy these acts provoked great anger among many colonists they resented the taxes insisting that only their colonial assemblies could impose taxes on the people and consequently a rally was held behind the slogan no taxation without representation tensions and skirmishes ran high through many events namely the boston massacre the burning of the gatsby and rhode island and especially the 1773 boston tea party which provoked a crackdown by the british parliament including closing boston harbor and passing some acts to restore order in massachusetts in response to this
in september 1774 many colonial leaders including george washington of virginia john and samuel adams of massachusetts patrick henry of virginia and john jay of new york gathered in philadelphia to discuss the colony's opposition to british rule but the first continental congress's attempt to demand independence from britain did not go so far tensions flared up on the night of april 18 1775 when british troops marched to concord massachusetts to seize an arms cache it is the shot heard round the world in the battles of lexington and concord on the next day that kicked off the american
revolutionary war declaration of independence in june 1775 continental army with general george washington as its commander was formed in the second continental congress in philadelphia that same month american troops were defeated by the british at the battle of bunker hill in massachusetts this battle on one hand inflicted heavy casualties on the crown troops but on the other hand it prepared the ground and boosted the confidence of the inexperienced americans in the upcoming battles against the enemy throughout that fall and winter the war went badly for the americans as they were outnumbered and outpowered by the
british forces however in late winter the balance of the fight was shifted when british artillery was captured at fort ticonderoga in new york in march 1776 the british led by general william howe the commander-in-chief of the british army retreated to canada to prepare for a major invasion of new york one year after the beginning the revolutionary war was at full scale and by june 1776 many colonists demanded independence from britain on july 4th 1776 the continental congress adopted a declaration of independence written mainly by thomas jefferson that same month a large british fleet was sent
to new york with the aim to crush the rebellion two months later routed by howe's redcoats on long island washington's troops were forced to evacuate from new york city however the surprise attack in trenton and the battle near princeton new jersey after that marked another small victory for colonials and revived the flagging hopes of the rebels battle of saratoga the turning point aiming at separating the most rebellious groups in new england from the other colonies the british came up with a strategy involving two main prongs of attack one led by general john bergoyne marching south
from canada planned to meet the other led by howe on the hudson river in july in an attempt to retake fort ticonderoga burgoyne's troops suffered a devastating loss to the americans while how troops moved southward from new york to confront washington's army near the chesapeake bay on september 11th the americans were defeated at brandywine creek pennsylvania and 14 days after that the british entered philadelphia on october 4th washington struck back at germantown maryland but was compelled to withdraw to winter quarters at valley forge in the north the story was different after being defeated by american
forces in the first battle at freeman's farm new york and the second one at bemis heights new york general burgoyne and his men were forced to surrender on october 17th the american victory in saratoga was considered the turning point of the war as it involved france which had been secretly aiding americans since 1776 but was reluctant to declare itself openly as an ally the american revolution first sparked as a civil conflict between britain and its colonies then became an international war stalemate in the north battle in the south following the american victory in saratoga new
york france and america signed treaties of alliance on february 6 1778 in which france provided america with troops and warships during the winter at valley forge pennsylvania washington's forces received training and discipline from france on june 28 1778 when withdrawing from philadelphia henry clinton who replaced how to take over the british forces and his troops were attacked by washington's army near mon mouth new jersey this battle ended in a draw letting clinton's army get to new york safely as the joint attack against the british in late july failed france and america besieged newport rhode island
the war was locked in a stalemate phase in the north in the south georgia and charleston south carolina were occupied by the british in early 1779 and may 1780 respectively under the command of lord charles cornwallis british forces launched an offensive that defeated the americans at camden in mid-august later on october 7th american troops led by isaac shelby and john savior defeated major patrick ferguson and one-third of general cornwallis's army at king's mountain in early 1781 general daniel morgan routed the british at cowpens south carolina marking america's victory on january 17th the end of the
colonial era in the u.s the last major battle of the american revolutionary war took place at yorktown virginia in 1781. washington and french commander roshambu teamed up to prepare for an attack against clinton's forces with a total of around 14 000 soldiers and 36 french warships being surrounded and outpowered on land and sea by the americans and french cornwallis and his entire army were forced to surrender on october 19th 1981 following the battle at yorktown and cornwallis's surrender the british still had its men stationed in some areas until the removal of their troops from charleston
and savannah in late 1782 the war officially ended with the treaty of paris on september 3rd 1783 by which britain recognized american independence why the revolutionary war matters the revolutionary war was considered an exemplary event in the history of the world through which the united states of america came into existence and became the first country to drive out the hereditary monarchy and established democracy on top of that the war of american independence can be said to open a new era in the new world and pave the way for a new epoch for the old world
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