The American Revolution began as a conflict over taxation and representation between the American colonies and Great Britain. After Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War in 1763, the British government faced significant debt and looked to its American colonies to help cover the costs.
In 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which imposed direct taxes on printed materials in the colonies. This sparked outrage among colonists who believed they should not be taxed without having representation in Parliament, giving rise to the famous rallying cry: “No taxation without representation!”
Tensions escalated with events like the Boston Massacre in 1770 and the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The British responded with the Coercive Acts (called the Intolerable Acts by colonists), which further inflamed colonial resistance.
On April 19, 1775, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington and Concord. The following year, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain.
After years of warfare and with crucial assistance from France, the Americans achieved victory. The war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, recognizing American independence and establishing the United States as a sovereign nation.
