The American Revolution took place between 1775 and 1783. After a period of growing unrest, the Thirteen Colonies in North America finally declared their independence (1776) from the British Empire. A war was fought between the rebel colonists and the British. The British army was defeated in 1781. The Treaty of Paris marked the official end of the war in 1783.

Protests

The Thirteen Colonies were under British rule, but the colonists had no say in how they were governed. After the French and Indian War (1754–63), the British government imposed taxes on them. Rebellious colonists, known as Patriots, protested that this was “taxation without representation”.

On 16th December 1773, some Patriots boarded ships in the harbour of Boston, Massachusetts, and threw chests of tea into the sea in a protest against tea taxes. This event became known as the "Boston Tea Party".

American Revolutionary War

The first shots between British and American Patriot troops were fired in Lexington, Massachusetts on 19th April 1775. This marked the opening of the American Revolutionary War.

To begin with, American troops, known as the Continental Army, suffered defeats against the British. But under the command of George Washington (1732–99) and others, they started to gain victories, first at Trenton then at Saratoga. In October 1781, helped by their French allies, the Continental Army led by Washington forced the British to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, after a siege. The American Revolutionary War was over and the Patriots had won.

As Commander-in-Chief of the victorious Continental army, General George Washington was hailed a hero. He was elected president of the Constitutional Convention, a meeting of leaders of the new nation. This took place in Philadelphia in 1787. Here, the Constitution of the United States was agreed. Washington agreed to serve as first president of the United States. He was inaugurated (begun his presidency) on 30th April 1789 in New York, then the national capital. He worked to unite the new nation and establish the new government’s authority. He was unanimously re-elected in 1792 and served until his retirement in 1797. Washington died in 1799.