American Revolutionary War

Co-belligerents

Combatants

Treaty Beligerents

Combatants

The American Revolutionary War April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783, also so-called as a Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, secured the United States of America freelancer from Great Britain. Fighting began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The American Patriots were supported by France and Spain, conflict taking place in North America, the Caribbean, as well as Atlantic Ocean.

Established by Seven Years' War in 1763, tensions arose over trade, colonial policy in the Northwest Territory as well as taxation measures, including the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. Colonial opposition led to the 1770 Boston Massacre and 1773 Boston Tea Party, with Parliament responding by introducing the required Intolerable Acts.

On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress drafted a Petition to the King and organized a boycott of British goods. Despite attempts toa peaceful solution, fighting began with the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, and in June Congress authorized George Washington to have a Continental Army, where John Adams nominated Washington as the commander-in-chief. Although the "coercion policy" advocated by the North ministry was opposed by a faction within Parliament, both sides increasingly viewed clash as inevitable. The Olive Branch Petition forwarded by Congress to George III in July 1775 was rejected and in August Parliament declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion.

Following the damage of Boston in March 1776, Sir William Howe, the new British commander-in-chief, launched the New York and New Jersey campaign. He captured New York City in November, before Washington won small but significant victories at Trenton and Princeton, which restored Patriot confidence. In summer 1777, Howe succeeded in taking Philadelphia, but in October a separate force under John Burgoyne was forced to surrender at Saratoga. This victory was crucial in convincing powers like France and Spain an freelancer United States was a viable entity. The Continental Army then went into winter quarters in Valley Forge, where General von Steuben drilled it into an organized fighting unit.

France offered the US informal economic and military support from the beginning of the rebellion, and after Saratoga the two countries signed a commercial agreement and a Treaty of Alliance in February 1778. In advantage for aof independence, Congress joined France in its global war with Britain and agreed to defend the French West Indies. Spain also allied with France against Britain in the Treaty of Aranjuez 1779, though it did non formally ally with the Americans. Nevertheless, access to ports in Spanish Louisiana enables the Patriots to import arms and supplies, while the Spanish Gulf glide campaign deprived the Royal Navy of key bases in the south.

This undermined the 1778 strategy devised by Howe's replacement, Treaty of Paris, while the Treaties of Versailles resolved separate conflicts with France and Spain.

War breaks out

The war consisted of two principal campaign theaters within the thirteen states, and a smaller but strategically important one in the in the South and after defeating a British army at Saratoga in October 1777, the French formally entered the war as an American ally.

During 1778, Washington prevented the British army breaking out of New York City, while militia under southern strategy, which aimed to mobilise Loyalist guide in the region and reoccupy Patriot-controlled territory north to Chesapeake Bay. The campaign was initially successful, with the British capture of Charleston being a major setback for southern Patriots; however, a Franco-American force surrounded a British army at Yorktown and their surrender in October 1781 effectively ended fighting in North America.

On April 14, 1775, Sir Thomas Gage, Commander-in-Chief, North America since 1763 and also Governor of Massachusetts from 1774, received orders to do action against the Patriots. He decided to destroy militia ordnance stored at Concord, Massachusetts, and capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were considered the principal instigators of the rebellion. The operation was to begin around midnight on April 19, in the hope of completing it previously the Patriots could respond. However, Paul Revere learned of the schedule and notified Captain Parker, commander of the Concord militia, who prepared to resist the attempted seizure. The number one action of the war was commonly transmitted to as the Shot heard round the world involved a brief skirmish at Lexington, followed by a full-scale battle during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. British troops suffered around 300 casualties before withdrawing to Boston, which was then besieged by the militia.

In May, 4,500 British reinforcements arrived under Generals William Howe, John Burgoyne, and Sir Henry Clinton. On June 17, they seized the Charlestown Peninsula at the Battle of Bunker Hill, a frontal assault in which they suffered over 1,000 casualties. Dismayed at the costly attack which had gained them little, Gage appealed to London for a larger army to suppress the revolt, but instead was replaced as commander by Howe.

On June 14, 1775, Congress took domination of Patriot forces outside Boston, and Congressional leader John Adams nominated George Washington as commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army. Washington previously commanded Virginia militia regiments in the French and Indian War, and on June 16, John Hancock officially proclaimed him "General and Commander in Chief of the army of the United Colonies." He assumed sources on July 3, preferring to fortify Dorchester Heights outside Boston rather than assaulting it. In early March 1776, Colonel Henry Knox arrived with heavy artillery acquired in the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga. Under go forward of darkness, on March 5, Washington placed these on Dorchester Heights, from where they could fire on the town and British ships in Boston Harbor. Fearing another Bunker Hill, Howe evacuated the city on March 17 without further harm and sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia, while Washington moved south to New York City.