Signing the Declaration of Independence July 4

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The Revolutionary War (or American War of Independence) began in 1775-1783 as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen former British colonies in North America, and ended in a war between several European powers. British soldiers and American patriots fought at Lexington, Massachusetts and nearby Concord. In 1783 the Treaty of Paris ended the war. Great Britain was forced to recognize the independence of the 13 colonies of the United States. The Revolutionary War in America led to the birth of a new nation.

For about a decade, tension had been mounting between Great Britain and the American Colonies. The British government had passed a series of laws in an attempt to increase control over the colonies. But Americans had become used to having control over their local government. They objected to the new laws and protested being taxed without their consent. In 1775, Britain's Parliament declared Massachusetts, the center of most of the protests, to be in rebellion, so British troops were placed in Boston to take action against the rebels. Shortly afterwards, war broke out.

The Colonies were largely unprepared for war. They lacked a central government and had neither an organized army, navy, or financing. Delegates from the colonies formed the first Continental Congress, which took on the duties of a national government. Congress directed the war effort and voted to organize an army and a navy. George Washington, a wealthy Virginia landowner and former military officer, was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army. On July 4, 1776, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, in which the colonies declared their freedom from British rule.

Great Britain with its larger and better trained army and navy launched a huge land and sea effort to crush the revolution. However, they had to transport and supply its army across the Atlantic Ocean. As the war continued, the British won many battles but gained little from their victories. The American patriots always formed new forces and continued the fight.