American Revolution

Get the story of how a fledgling, largely disconnected nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

Shots fired by British soldiers in the streets of Boston in 1770 would spark the American Revolution.

The British were forced to surrender 2 days after patriot soldiers captured the fort at Yorktown in 1781.

To many in the Continental Congress, war was unthinkable. So why did they finally create this revolutionary document?

Americans owe much of the U.S. financial system—including a unified national mint—to Alexander Hamilton.

General Washington led 20,000 American and French troops to victory at Valley Forge.

The Revolution has been won, but for Washington, the problems, even within his own army, are just beginning.

While an apprentice in his older brother's print shop, Ben Franklin authored a column under the pen name Silence Dogood.

While in England, Ben Franklin may have been a member of a secret underground society known as the Hellfire Club.

Little-known details of Franklin's past, shedding new light on his eccentric behaviors and how they enabled him to help save the American Revolution.

After retiring from politics age 42, Ben Franklin became an innovator in the field of science through his study of electricity and his invention of the lightning rod.

Ben Franklin had a passion for smart, beautiful women, but does the truth support the myth about his prolific romantic appetite?

Benjamin Franklin was an accomplished revolutionary, but his private life reveals a complex personality.

Shortly after gaining its independence, the United States goes to war with England over its seizure of U.S. ships and sailors.

Did you know that Paul Revere didn't ride alone, and there were women on the Revolutionary War battlefields? Find out more about the war's lesser-known patriots.

How would you sum up the American Revolution in just one word?

Paul Revere was a Patriot leader and symbol of the American Revolution. Find out more about the man who infamously warned the minutemen of a British invasion in 1775 in this video.

After escaping slavery, Crispus Attucks finds himself confronting British soldiers at the forefront of the Boston Massacre.

Peter Salem makes history by killing a British officer during the siege of Boston.

In 1777, the colonists force the surrender of 6,000 British troops in New York State. This first major victory convinces France to enter the conflict on the Americans side.

The Pennsylvania scientist and diplomat signs both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The Tea Act of 1773, an act of Great Britain's Parliament, was the catalyst for some of the most important moments of the lead-up to the Revolutionary War.

Why does the American flag have 13 stripes? Get all the facts and figures on "Old Glory."

A two pronged attack by French & American forces defeats General Cornwallis in Virginia. Two years later, the Treaty of Paris will officially end the war

From 1732 until 1758, Benjamin Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanac, which featured a collection of Franklin’s thoughts and proverbs. In 1758, he collected the best advice into an essay titled The Way to Wealth.

A fatal lack of ammunition dooms the colonists chances in an early American Revolutionary battle near Boston.

The shooting of several men by British soldiers in 1770 inflames passions in the colonies.

From the 1760's onward, colonial anger grows as the British pass a series of taxes and laws. With each one, the two groups move closer to war.

In April 1775, when British troops are sent to confiscate colonial weapons, they run into an untrained and angry militia. This ragtag army defeats 700 British soldiers and the surprise victory bolsters their confidence for the war ahead.

Alexander Hamilton's support of Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr in the 1800 U.S. presidential election eventually led to his own demise. Find out more about the first Secretary of the Treasury in this video.

Learn about the Revolutionary War conflicts that turned the tide for the colonies and sealed an American hero’s legacy.

Learn the basics about the Townshend Acts, a series of laws that intensified colonial rage toward the British crown in the 1760s.

American history author David McCullough discusses the challenges George Washington faced in commanding the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Our Founding Fathers were responsible for a lot more than the Declaration of Independence. Learn about their legacy of innovation.

In 1773, a group of colonists protested 13 years of increasing British oppression by attacking merchant ships in Boston Harbor.

As British General William Howe anticipates surrender, General Washington fleas across the East River under cover of darkness.