: Influenced by Enlightenment ideals, colonists championed liberty, equality, and self-governance. Timeline of Key Events
The conflict spanned eight years, moving from local skirmishes to an international war. Significance Lexington & Concord The "shot heard 'round the world"; first military clashes. 1776 Declaration of Independence american revolutionary war
The revolution was the first successful colonial war for independence in modern history. It established a democratic republic based on a written and Bill of Rights , inspiring similar movements worldwide, such as the French Revolution. Expand map Revolutionary War - Timeline, Facts & Battles | HISTORY 1776 Declaration of Independence The revolution was the
: The British Parliament imposed taxes like the Stamp Act (1765) and Tea Act (1773) to repay debts from the French and Indian War. Major American victory; convinced to openly join the war
Major American victory; convinced to openly join the war. 1777-78 Valley Forge
The war grew from more than a decade of tension over British attempts to assert greater control after years of "salutary neglect". Key drivers included:
: The British monarch whose policies the colonists resisted.