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The War For Independence
The British government adopted stern measures to enforce obedience to its authority, especially in Massachusetts. In 1774, representatives of all the original colonies except Georgia attended a meeting in Philadelphia to consider united action against these measures. This gathering, known as the first Continental Congress, adopted a declaration of rights and grievances and called for halting trade with England unless the grievances were redressed. The declaration did not mention independence.
In 1775 armed clashes occurred between British troops and colonial volunteers, or minutemen, starting with the battles of Lexington and Concord. These clashes in Massachusetts proved to be the start of the American Revolution. Not until 1776, however, was the goal of independence proclaimed—in the Declaration of Independence, written largely by Thomas Jefferson.
The war, in which France helped the revolutionary forces under General George Washington, went on for five more years of active fighting, ending with the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
By the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Great Britain recognized the independence of the new United States of America.
Revolutionary War battles: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. This map locates major battles in the Revolutionary War and the routes of the Colonial and British troops. In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, Washington and the redcoats fought a seesaw campaign. The patriots lost several battles but kept on fighting.
Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolutionary War in America in 1783. The United States defeated Britain in this war and won independence. This map shows the 13 original states and the territory the United States gained as a result of the treaty. The new nation extended west from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, north to Canada, and south to about Florida.
