American Revolutionary War
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The American Revolutionary War was a war fought from 1775 to 1783 between Great Britain and the 13 British colonies in North America. The Continental Army (Army of the colonies), under George Washington, defeated the forces of the British Empire. The colonies gained independence and later formed the United States of America.
[edit] Causes
The war came after years of tension between the British Empire and the colonies. British government actions and taxes, such as the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts), led to high tension. Some small fights occured prior to the beginning of the war as well. The Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre made the situation worse.
The colonists were split into two groups. The Loyalists, or Tories, wanted to stay loyal to Britain and did not want change. The Patriots, or Whigs, wanted independence.
There were some papers that led to the war. Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense, a short book advocating independence from Britian. Other colonial leaders, such as Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson also wanted to change.
[edit] War
The first battle of the war was at Lexington and Concord. The turning point of the war was the Battle of Saratoga, when an American victory led to the French helping the United States in the war. The final battle was the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, when General Charles Cornwallis of the British surrendered to Washington. The French naval fleet helped trap the British.
[edit] Result
The Treaty of Paris was made in 1783. Great Britain officially recognized the independence, and also gave up its claim on land west of the Appalachians as far as the Mississippi River and gave it to the new country.
