American Revolution
The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Great Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military power of its time.
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Most famous for their role in the Boston Tea Party, the Sons of Liberty used grassroots activism to push back against British rule.
While the British were often better equipped and trained, these events proved critical in ultimately securing Americans' victory in the war.
They include a spy, a poet, a guerrilla fighter—and foot soldiers who fought on both sides of the war.
The Declaration of Independence played a critical role in unifying the colonies for the bloody struggle they faced.
Washington Commands the Continental Army
Washington Commands the Continental Army
At the time of the Revolution, America had no money, no military and barely a chance at success. Even George Washington was not immediately seen as a strong military commander, often making mistakes.
3 Events That Triggered the American Revolution
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Explore 10 surprising facts about the most unusual of the Founding Fathers.
A brash, self-made millionaire helped fund the fight for independence, but after the war, he ended up in debtor's prison.
As colonists faced tough odds in the Revolutionary War, America's first diplomat worked his charm to win France's vital backing.
Samuel Adams was a political leader and activist who played a vital role in urging colonial America to break with Britain during the American Revolution.
Patrick Henry’s stirring words at the 1775 Virginia Convention became a rallying cry for American colonists fed up with British control.
Patrick Henry, a Founding Father and a leader of the American Revolution, is famous for a 1775 speech in which he declared, “Give me liberty or give me death.”
While many American patriots gushed about the political effectiveness of the ‘Destruction of the Tea,’ others thought it went too far.
Federalism, or the separation of powers between state and federal government, was entirely new when the founders baked it into the Constitution.
These military leaders, rebels, politicians and writers varied in personality, status and background, but all played a part in forming a new nation and hammering out the framework for the young democracy.
How five of the nation’s Founders made their livings, how they invested in the revolutionary cause—and what they gained and lost.
Alexander Hamilton's leadership in the war's last major land battle delivered the future Secretary of the Treasury his long-sought glory.
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 formally ended the American Revolutionary War. American statesmen Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay negotiated the peace treaty with representatives of King George III of Great Britain.
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest staged on December 16, 1773, when American colonists dumped British tea into Boston harbor.
Death tolls in the Revolutionary War were more than 25,000 people, a significant loss given the small population of the American colonies.
The Tea Act of 1773 was a British tax on tea imported into the American colonies. It led to the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War.
The Townshend Acts were a series of measures passed by the British Parliament in 1767 that taxed goods imported to the American colonies.
