The American Revolution began in the Thirteen Colonies after Britain tightened control following the French and Indian War. Taxes, trade restrictions, standing troops, and the loss of western autonomy provoked resistance, from the Stamp Act Congress and colonial boycotts to the Boston Tea Party. British punishment instead unified Patriot opposition.
The conflict became war at Lexington and Concord in 1775. The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army and appointed George Washington. In 1776, Congress declared independence, transforming a demand for colonial rights into a revolution founded on natural rights and equality.
The war remained uncertain until the American victory at Yorktown in 1781. Britain recognized United States sovereignty in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The Articles of Confederation proved too weak to manage finances and national security, leading to the Constitution in 1789 and the Bill of Rights in 1791. The revolution created a federal republic—but its promises coexisted with slavery, restricted political participation, and the displacement of Indigenous peoples.
