.The American colonies declared independence from Great Britain.
King George III wasn't about to let all that tax revenue swim away without a fight. So there was war: American militia and her regular army and fledgling navy against the biggest, baddest, best-equipped military of the day. There were harrowing neck-and-neck battles, victories won by a whisker, bone-cracking cold winters, under-equipped troops managing as best they could, and heart-breaking losses. In the end, though, Americans fighting for their own freedom and inalienable* rights won out against the British Empire.
Don't let's forget the amazing generalship of George Washington. When it looked like the American cause were hopelessly lost, Washington led his troops on an all-or-nothing Christmas attack: the Americans crossed the Delaware River by night and surprised the British in Trenton New Jersey while they were opening their presents! News of the victory spread throughout the colonies and gave the Americans renewed heart. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/crossing-of-the-delaware
Here's a timeline of events leading up to and through the War of Independence. By the way, 'War of Independence,' 'Revolutionary War' and 'American Revolution' all refer to the same thing. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanrevolution/timeline.htm
* inalienable—you're born with 'em; they belong to you; nobody can take 'em away.
I added some snow to my take on Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Back to the beginning of The Western Civ User's Guide to Reading & Writing.
Don't forget: I wrote another Western Civ User's Guide! Back to the beginning of The Western Civ User's Guide to Time & Space.
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