American Revolution

The 'American Revolution' also known as the 'War of Independence' was fought between the 13 American colonies and Britain. The Colonies, who were mainly British settlers were sick and tired of the British Establishment meddling in their affairs and imposing unfair taxes!

The Colonies decided to fight the British and declare their independence from the rulers of Britain

American Revolutionary War

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Declaration of Independence

Learn about the Declaration of Independence, and the 'Committee of Five' Read more about the Declaration of Independence >>

John Hancock

John Hancock was a prominent American colonist during the American Revolution Read more about the John Hancock >>

Top 10 Events of the American Revolution

Discover the Top 10 Events of the American Revolution in American History Read more about the Top 10 Events of the American Revolution >>


What was the American Revolution?

The ‘American Revolution’ also known as the ‘War of Independence’ was fought between the 13 American colonies and Britain. It began in 1775 and ended in 1783. The outcome of the war was that American colonies became free from Britain and united to become the United States of America.

American-Revolution-Dates

The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was an 18th century war between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies (allied with France) which declared independence as the United States of America.

American-Revolution

Why did the war happen?

The 13 British colonies were rich and prosperous. They were ruled by Governors appointed by Britain. But the people living in these colonies wanted to have more rights. They believed that only people they elected themselves should impose laws and taxes on them.

Britain, on the other hand, believed that it had the right to tax the colonies and govern them however it liked. This put the British government against the people of America.

At first, Americans made many protests and forced Britain to take back new taxes it imposed, such as the Stamp Act and Tea Act. But by 1775, both sides had lost their patience and the war began.

Who fought in the war?

The war was primarily fought between the British army and the Americans. Americans did not have a proper army in 1775 and they mostly fought in the form of small militias.

But as the war moved one, Americans organized themselves into well-trained armies and were able to give British armies a very tough time. Fortunately for America, France and Spain soon joined on the side of America.

This helped Americans gained many more soldiers, weapons and economic help. Specifically, the help of France proved critical to the Americans in ultimately winning the war.

Who were the famous generals in this war?

The most famous American general in this war was George Washington. He was the commander-in-chief of the American army and himself commanded a large part of it directly. And it was under his command that the joint American-French army laid siege to Yorktown in 1781 and defeated British army, almost ending the war.

The most famous French generals who fought on the American side were Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau and Francois de Grasse. On the British side, important military commanders included Sir William Howe, Thomas Gage, Sir Henry Clinton, Lord Cornwallis and John Burgoyne.

John Burgoyne was the British General at Yorktown when he was forced to surrender to the Americans. His surrender marked the end of the war.

Who won the war?

Americans won the war, with the help of France and Spain. Britain lost and it was forced to give up all claims to American colonies. The two sides signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783 according to which British officially recognized America as an independent nation.

Treaty-of-Paris-Document

Treaty of Paris

Did France and Spain gain anything?

France had spent a lot of money and resources on the War of Independence while helping America. But when the war was over, France hadn’t gained much and so much spending caused France to face financial problems.

Spain fared better and was able to gain the entire state of Florida. It also helped Spain improve its control over the Caribbean islands.

We hope you enjoyed this article on the American Revolution also known as the war of independence – The American revolution really was one of the main events that created the American country as we know it today, if you would like to learn more about the ‘American Revolution’ and the ‘war of independence’ please click the links below for more articles on the subject.