The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. The American War of Independence (1775–1783) was one part of the revolution, but the revolution by the Americans began before the first shot was fired at Lexington and Concord and continued after the British surrender at Yorktown. Years later, in 1818, John Adams wrote: "The Revolution was effected before the War commenced," and "The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people." Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... The British Empire was the worlds first global power and the largest empire in history. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military side of the American Revolution. ... The stanza is inscribed at the base of The Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French The shot heard round the world is a famous phrase in the United States that refers to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. ... The Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War and was described as the shot heard round the world in Emersons Concord Hymn. ... Combatants Britain United States France Commanders Charles Cornwallis George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Strength 7,500 8,845 Americans 7,800 French Casualties 156 killed 326 wounded 7,018 captured Americans: 20 killed, 56 wounded French: 52 killed, 134 wounded The Battle of Yorktown (1781) was a victory by a... John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the first (1789–1797) Vice President of the United States, and the second (1797–1801) President of the United States. ... It has been suggested that Revolutionary be merged into this article or section. ...

The precise nature and extent of the revolution is a matter of great interpretation. It is generally agreed that the revolution originated around the time of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), and ended with the election of George Washington as the first President of the United States in 1789. Beyond that, interpretations vary. At one end of the spectrum is the view that the American Revolution was not "revolutionary" at all, that it did not radically transform colonial society, but 'simply replaced a distant government with a local one'. The opposite view is that the American Revolution was a unique and radical event, producing significant changes that had a profound impact on world history. Most current interpretations fall somewhere in between these two positions. The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between the Kingdom of Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the successful Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and later became the first President of the United States, an office to which he was elected twice (1789-1797). ... The President of the United States (fully, President of the United States of America; unofficially abbreviated POTUS) is the American head of state and the chief executive of the federal government. ...

Before the Revolution: The 13 colonies are in red, the pink area was claimed by Great Britain after the French and Indian War, and the orange region was claimed by Spain. Note that this map does not show the bulk of British North America of that time.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (620x800, 121 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (620x800, 121 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between the Kingdom of Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... By 1763, British North America included 19 British colonies and territories on the continent of North America. ...

Origins

In the early 1760s, Great Britain possessed a vast empire on the North American continent. In addition to the thirteen British colonies, victory in the Seven Years' War had given Great Britain claim over New France (Canada), Spanish Florida, and the Native American lands east of the Mississippi River. A war against France's former Indian allies—Pontiac's Rebellion—had, if not conquered, at least 'pacified' the western frontier. At this time, most white colonists in America considered themselves loyal subjects of the British Crown, with the same rights and obligations as Englishmen in Britain By 1763, British North America included 19 British colonies and territories on the continent of North America. ... The Seven Years War, sometimes referred to as the Pomeranian War or the French and Indian War, (1754 and 1756–1763) pitted Great Britain, Prussia, and Hanover against France, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... Five flags of Florida (not including the Bonnie Blue Flag of West Florida). ... Assiniboin Boy, an Atsina Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in modern times. ... This page is about the river in the United States; there is also a Canadian Mississippi River (Ontario). ... Pontiacs Rebellion was a war launched in 1763 by Native Americans who were dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region and the Ohio Country after the British victory in the French and Indian War. ...

Philosophy and radical thought

The Enlightenment elevated natural philosophy, and began to replace arguments born of tradition and authority with those based upon observation and independent reasoning. The implications of the earlier scientific revolution began to have a greater effect on everyday life and in the conscious thought of men everywhere. Increased publication and communications between like-minded people opened up new areas to question and consideration. The early works of thinkers like John Locke became the analysis of men like Montesquieu. The deist views of several of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and their views on the proper form of government have roots in this European Enlightenment, and were a source for ideas regarding separation of church and state and other liberties. In addition, the ideas of "social contract" and "natural rights", espoused (respectively) by John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, formed the basis of political reasonings. ... Natural philosophy is a term applied to the objective study of nature and the physical universe before the development of modern science. ... In the history of science, the scientific revolution was the period that roughly began with the discoveries of Kepler, Galileo, and others at the dawn of the 17th century, and ended with the publication of the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica in 1687 by Isaac Newton. ... John Locke (August 29, 1632–October 28, 1704) was a 17th-century English philosopher. ... Portrait of Montesquieu in 1728 Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (January 18, 1689 – February 10, 1755), more commonly known as Montesquieu, was a French political thinker who lived during the Enlightenment and is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of... Historical and modern Deism is defined by the view that reason, rather than revelation or tradition, should be the basis of belief in God. ... sex sex ex they have hard buttsexFounding Fathers of the United States, also known to some Americans as the Fathers of Our Country, the Forefathers, Framers or the Founders are the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution or otherwise participated in the American Revolution as leaders... The separation of church and state is a concept and philosophy in modern thought and practice, whereby the structures of the state or national government are proposed as needing to be separate from those of religious institutions. ... Social contract (or contractarianism) is a phrase used in philosophy, political science and sociology to denote a real or hypothetical agreement within a state regarding the rights and responsibilities of the state and its citizens, or more generally a similar concord between a group and its members, or between individuals. ... Natural rights are rights derived from natural law. ... John Locke (August 29, 1632–October 28, 1704) was a 17th-century English philosopher. ... Jean-Jacques Rousseau (June 28, 1712 – July 2, 1778) was a Franco-Swiss philosopher, writer, political theorist, and self-taught composer of The Age of Enlightenment. ...

Religious trends

The Great Awakening, of the 1730s and 1740s, was the American extension to the earlier religious revivals in Europe. It called into question the authority of established religious institutions; especially, but not exclusively, the Church of England, whose authority many of the colonists had come to New England to escape. The revival placed emphasis upon individual conscience and experience as the source of value in religious experience. The First Great Awakening was a religious movement among American colonial Protestants in the 1730s and 1740s. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ...

Socially, there was also a strong element of 'class' revolt: God worked through grace that was given to every man or woman, regardless of station or level of education. This was a direct challenge to upper-class, aristocratic assumptions about the deference due to authority— it was a model of revolutionary thought to come; it was also the first event that swept through all the colonies, from New England to the Carolinas, as a generally common experience. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ...

Road to rebellion

After the French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion, the British government sought to overhaul its expansive North American possessions. In order to make the Empire more stable and profitable, new economic and land distribution policies were implemented. Specifically, the new British policies included the understandable desire of the crown that the colonists would shoulder a greater share of the burdens of war and the cost of their own defense, as well as the curtailment of smuggling with the colonies of the West Indies, the payment of royal tariffs and the exclusive trade with the British homeland. Colonial resentment of these new policies grew steadily throughout the decade, and had a significant impact on the emergence of "Americanism" and the outbreak of the American Revolution. The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between the Kingdom of Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ...

Economic disputes, 1760-70

The British national debt had risen to alarming levels during the war years and so in 1760 the Crown began a series of economic initiatives designed to extract more revenue from the colonies. These policies were 'justifiable', the reasoning went, because the colonists were enjoying the benefits of the peace that had been won. The Crown is a term which is used to separate the government authority and property of the state in a kingdom from any personal influence and private assets held by the current Monarch. ...

James Otis

In theory, Great Britain already regulated the economies of the colonies through the Navigation Acts, but widespread evasion of these laws had long been tolerated. Now, through the use of open-ended search warrants (Writs of Assistance), strict enforcement became the practice. In 1761, Massachusetts lawyer James Otis argued that the writs violated the constitutional rights of the colonists. He lost the case, but John Adams later wrote, "American independence was then and there born." Image File history File links James_Otis. ... Image File history File links James_Otis. ... A painting of a French seaport from 1638, at the height of mercantilism. ... The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws which, beginning in 1651, restricted foreign shipping. ... A Writ of Assistance is a legal writ that serves as a general search warrant. ... James Otis James Otis (February 5, 1725 – May 23, 1783) was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts who was an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Revolution. ... The Constitution of the United Kingdom is an area of uncodified law, consisting of both written and unwritten sources. ... John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the first (1789–1797) Vice President of the United States, and the second (1797–1801) President of the United States. ...

In 1763, Patrick Henry argued the Parson's Cause case. Clerical pay had been tied to the price of tobacco by Virginia legislation. When the price of tobacco skyrocketed after a bad crop in 1758, the Virginia legislature passed the Two-Penny Act to stop clerical salaries from inflating as well. In 1763, King George III vetoed the Two-Penny Act. Patrick Henry defended the law in court and argued "that a King, by disallowing Acts of this salutary nature, from being the father of his people, degenerated into a Tyrant and forfeits all right to his subjects' obedience." Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered primarily for his stirring oratory. ... The Parsons Cause was an important legal and political dispute often viewed as an important event lea]]ding up to the American Revolution. ... Patrick Henry before the House of Burgesses in an 1851 painting by Peter F. Rothermel The House of Burgesses was the lower house of the Colony of Virginia. ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...

In 1764, British Prime Minister George Grenville's Sugar Act and Currency Act created economic hardship in the colonies. Protests led to the boycott of British goods, and to the emergence of the popular slogan "no taxation without representation," in which colonists argued that only their colonial assemblies, and not Parliament, could levy taxes on them. Committees of correspondence were formed in the colonies to coordinate resistance to paying the taxes. In previous years, the colonies had shown little inclination towards collective action. Grenville's policies were bringing them together. In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... Arms of George Grenville The Right Honourable George Grenville (October 14, 1712 – November 13, 1770) was a British Whig statesman who served in government for the relatively short period of nine years (reaching the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain); Sir Robert Walpole served as Prime Minister alone for... Passed on April 5, 1764, the Sugar Act (short title 4 Geo. ... The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited the American colonies from issuing paper currency of any form. ... No taxation without representation was a rallying cry for advocates of American independence from Great Britain in the eighteenth century. ... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... A committee of correspondence was a body organized by the local governments of the American colonies for the purposes of coordinating written communication outside of the colony. ...

A milestone in the Revolution occurred in 1765, when Grenville passed the Stamp Act, as a way to finance the quartering of troops in North America. The Stamp Act required all legal documents, permits, commercial contracts, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards in the colonies to carry a tax stamp. A portion of the original text printed in 1765 The Stamp Act 1765 (short title Duties in American Colonies Act 1765; 5 George III, c. ... Stamp duty is a form of tax that is levied on documents. ...

Colonial protest was widespread. Secret societies known as the Sons of Liberty were formed in every colony, and used propaganda, intimidation, and mob violence to prevent the enforcement of the Stamp Act. The furor culminated with the "Stamp Act Congress", which sent a formal protest to Parliament in October of 1765. Parliament responded by repealing the Stamp Act, but pointedly declared its legal authority over the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” The Sons of Liberty was an association of Patriots in the British North American colonies before the American Revolution. ... Soviet propaganda poster from the Great Patriotic War depicting the victory of war hero General Georgi Zhukov over Nazi Germany. ... The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in October of 1765 of delegates from the American Colonies that discussed and acted upon the recently passed Stamp Act. ... The Declaratory Act, issued by Britain during Americas colonial period, was one of a series of resolutions passed attempting to regulate the behaviour of the colonies. ...

This exaggerated depiction of the "Boston Massacre" by Paul Revere was designed to inflame opposition to the military occupation of Boston.

The sequel to the Stamp Act was not long in coming. In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, placing taxes on a number of common goods imported into the colonies, including glass, paint, lead, paper, and tea. In response, colonial leaders organized boycotts of these British imports. On June 10, 1768, the Liberty, a ship belonging to colonial merchant John Hancock and suspected of smuggling, was seized by customs officials in Boston. Angry protests on the street led customs officials, fearing for their safety, to report to London that Boston was in a state of insurrection. Image File history File links Boston Massacre engraving by Paul Revere. ... Image File history File links Boston Massacre engraving by Paul Revere. ... Engraving by Paul Revere The Boston Massacre was an event that occurred on Monday, March 5, 1770 and helped eventually spark the American Revolution. ... Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c. ... The Townshend Acts were passed in 1767 by the British Parliament, having been proposed by Charles Townshend as Chancellor of the Exchequer just before his death. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Portrait of Hancock (full portrait) Hancocks signature on the United States Declaration of Independence John Hancock (January 12, 1737 (O.S.) – October 8, 1793 (N.S.)) was President of the Continental Congress, and the first person to sign the United States Declaration of Independence. ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ...

British troops began to arrive in Boston in October of 1768. Tensions continued to mount; culminating in the "Boston Massacre" on March 5, 1770, when British soldiers of the 29th Regiment of Foot fired into an angry mob, killing five. Revolutionary agitators, like Samuel Adams, used the event to stir up popular resistance, but, after the trial of the soldiers, who were defended by John Adams, tensions diminished. Engraving by Paul Revere The Boston Massacre was an event that occurred on Monday, March 5, 1770 and helped eventually spark the American Revolution. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... // Early History The 29th Regiment of Foot was raised in 1694 by Colonel Thomas Farrington, an officer of the Coldstream Guards during War of the Grand Alliance known in America as King Williams War. ... Samuel Adams (September 27, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American Patriot and organizer of the Boston Tea Party. ... John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the first (1789–1797) Vice President of the United States, and the second (1797–1801) President of the United States. ...

The Townshend Acts were repealed in 1770, after much colonial protest, and it was still theoretically possible that further bloodshed in the colonies might be avoided. However, the British government had left one tax from the Townshend Acts in place as a symbolic gesture of their right to tax the colonies—the tax on tea. For the revolutionaries, who stood firm on the principle that only their colonial representatives could levy taxes on them, it was still "one tax too many". This resulted in the Boston Tea Party.

Western land dispute

The Proclamation of 1763 sought to limit the conflicts between Native Americans and the English settlers by restricting settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. However, groups of settlers, led for example by Daniel Boone, continued to move into the region beyond the Proclamation Line and fought with the Shawnees and other peoples inhabiting the area. Furthermore, the Quebec Act of 1774, extended Quebec's boundaries to the Ohio River, reestablished French civil law, and instituted toleration for Roman Catholics in that territory, an action which horrified some colonials, who had come to New England to establish their own protestant sects. Proposals to post British regulars to man forts in the west further disquieted Americans eager to occupy Indian land. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763 by the British government in the name of King George III to prohibit settlement by British colonists beyond the Appalachian Mountains in the lands captured by Britain from France in the French and Indian War/Seven Years War and to... Assiniboin Boy, an Atsina Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in modern times. ... A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina The Appalachian Mountains are a vast system of North American mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly in the United States, extending as a zone, from 100 to 300 miles wide, running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, 1500 miles south... Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (November 2, 1734-September 26, 1820), was a famous American pioneer, frontiersman and Indian-fighter, who blazed the trail known as the Wilderness Road and founded Boonesborough, Kentucky (also known as Boonesboro). ... The Shawnee, or Shawano, are a people native to North America. ... The Quebec Act of 1774 was an act by the British Parliament setting out procedures of governance in the area of Quebec. ... The first European explorer to reach Quebec was Jacques Cartier, who planted a cross either in the Gaspé in 1534 or at Old Fort Bay on the Lower North Shore and sailed into the St. ... The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 1,579 km (981 mi) long in the eastern United States. ... The Civil Code of Québec (CcQ) is the legal text defining civil laws in the province of Quebec, Canada. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Crises, 1772-75

While there were many causes of the American Revolution, it was a series of speciifc events, or crises, that finally triggered the outbreak of war.

Burning of the Gaspee

The first of these was the Gaspée Affair. The HMS Gaspée, a British ship that had been vigorously enforcing unpopular trade regulations (the Navigation Acts), ran aground on June 9, 1772, off of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, while chasing the packet boat Hannah. In an act of defiance that gained considerable notoriety, the ship was attacked, boarded, stripped of valuables and torched by American patriots. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1504x2376, 1104 KB) Summary The Burning of the Gaspee. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1504x2376, 1104 KB) Summary The Burning of the Gaspee. ... Burning of the Gaspee The Gaspée Affair was an important incident in the course of the American Revolution. ... The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws which, beginning in 1651, restricted foreign shipping. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Narragansett Bay, shown in pink Narragansett Bay is a fjord on the north side of Rhode Island Sound, forming an expansive natural harbor as well as a small archipelago. ... State nickname: The Ocean State, Little Rhody Official languages None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Governor Donald Carcieri (R) Senators Jack Reed (D) Lincoln Chafee (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 50th 4,005 km² 32. ...

This 1846 lithograph has become a classic image of the Boston Tea Party.

The next crisis was a result of the so-called "Tea Act", passed by the British Parliament in 1773. This act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea to the British colonies without the usual colonial tax, thereby allowing it to undercut the prices of the colonial merchants. To help pay for its colony in India, the British government intended to give the East India Company a monopoly on tea imports to the colonies; this, however, backfired. Because many Americans merchants earned their living from smuggling, this act would take away their livelihood. The result was widespread boycotts of tea throughout the colonies, and, eventually, to the Boston Tea Party where American colonists, believed to be the Sons of Liberty, dressed up like Indians and threw crates of tea from the East India Company ships into the Boston Harbor. Image source : http://teachpol. ... Image source : http://teachpol. ... The so-called Tea Act, passed in 1773, allowed the British East India Company to sell tea to the British colonies in North America without the usual colonial tax, thereby allowing them to undercut the prices of the colonial merchants and smugglers. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favour trade privileges in India. ... Tea leaves in a teacup. ... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... A tax is a compulsory charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (e. ... East India Company was the name of several historic European companies chartered with the monopoly of trading with Asia for their respective countries. ... In economics, a monopoly (from the Greek monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a kind of product or service. ... A skirmish with smugglers from Finland at the Russian border, 1853, by Vasily Hudiakov. ... A boycott is a refusal to buy, sell, or otherwise trade with an individual or business who is generally believed by the participants in the boycott to be doing something morally wrong. ... This 1846 lithograph has become a classic image of the Boston Tea Party. ... The Sons of Liberty was an association of Patriots in the British North American colonies before the American Revolution. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favour trade privileges in India. ... Categories: Stub | Massachusetts geography | Boston ...

The Intolerable Acts, called by the British the "Coercive Acts" or "Punitive Acts", were a series of laws, passed by the British Parliament in 1774, in response to the growing unrest in the thirteen American colonies, particularly in Boston, Massachusetts with its Boston Tea Party. Enforcement of the Acts played a major role in the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War and the establishment of the First Continental Congress. The Intolerable Acts, called by the British the Coercive Acts or Punitive Acts, were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the growing unrest in thirteen American colonies, particularly in Boston, Massachusetts after incidents such as the Boston Tea Party. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ... This 1846 lithograph has become a classic image of the Boston Tea Party. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military side of the American Revolution. ... The Continental Congress is the label given to three successive bodies of representatives: The First Continental Congress met from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. ...

The Intolerable Acts included:

• Massachusetts Government Act
• Administration of Justice Act
• Boston Port Act
• Quartering Act

The First Continental Congress was convened in 1774 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and endorsed the Suffolk Resolves, which declared the Intolerable Acts to be unconstitutional, called for the people to form militias, and for Massachusetts to form a Patriot government. The Massachusetts Government Act was passed by the British Parliament and became a law on May 20, 1774. ... The Administration of Justice Act, passed by Britains Parliament and becoming law on 20 May 1774 is one of the measures (variously called the Intolerable Acts, the Punitive Acts or the Coercive Acts) that were designed to secure Britains jurisdiction over her American dominions. ... The Boston Port Act, passed by Britains Parliament and becoming law on 31 March 1774, is one of the measures (variously called the Intolerable Acts, the Punitive Acts or the Coercive Acts) that were designed to secure American dominions. ... Quartering Act is the name of at least two laws passed by the British Parliament. ... The Continental Congress was the federal legislature of the Thirteen Colonies and later of the United States from 1774 to 1789, a period that included the American Revolutionary War and the Articles of Confederation. ... Independence Hall, as it appears today. ... The Suffolk Resolves was a declaration made in September, 1774 by the leaders of Suffolk County, Massachusetts in Milton, Massachusetts(now in Norfolk County, Massachusetts), of which Boston is the major city. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... State nickname: Bay State Official languages English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Senators Edward Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 44th 27,360 km² 25. ...

In response, primarily to the Massachusetts Government Act, the inhabitants of Worchester, Massachusetts set up an armed picket line in front of the local courthouse and refused to allow the British magistrates to enter. The magistrates, faced with over 1500 armed men, did not attempt to force entry. Thereafter, the town of Worchester largely governed itself. Similar events occurred, soon after, all across the colony. British troops were sent from England, but, by the time they arrived, the entire colony of Massachusetts, with the exception of the heavily garrisoned city of Boston, had thrown off British control of local affairs.

The Battle of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775 in Massachusetts within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge. The battles marked the outbreak of open war between Great Britain and the colonies and are known as the "shot heard 'round the world." Combatants British Army Royal Marines Militia of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (Minutemen) Commanders Francis Smith (British officer Gregory Seiden, Oliver Samwick, Walter Laurie, Lord Hugh Percy John Parker James Barrett William Heath Strength 900 in the initial expedition (Smith): 250 at Lexington Green (Pitcairn), 115 at Concord Bridge (Laurie). ... The Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military side of the American Revolution. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony organized October 7, 1691 in North America by the monarch of England. ... Minute Man statue on Lexington Green, by H. H. Kitson. ... Seal of Concord, MA Concord is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. ... Lincoln is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. ... Arlington is a town in eastern Massachusetts, six miles northwest of Boston, latitude 42 degrees 25 minutes north, longitude 71 degrees 09 minutes west. ... Cambridge City Hall Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. ... War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organisations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of lethal violence between combatants or upon civilians. ... The stanza is inscribed at the base of The Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French The shot heard round the world is a famous phrase in the United States that refers to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. ...

The Second Continental Congress convened in 1775, after the war had started. While creating the Continental Army, it also extended the Olive Branch Petition to the crown as an attempt at reconciliation. King George III refused to receive it, leaving the American Patriots no other choice but to wage war against Britain to achieve their Independence. The Continental Congress was the federal legislature of the Thirteen Colonies and later of the United States from 1774 to 1789, a period that included the American Revolutionary War and the Articles of Confederation. ... The Continental Army was the unified command structure of the thirteen colonies fighting Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. ... The petition The Olive Branch Petition, written the early days of the American Revolutionary War, was a letter to King George III from members of the Second Continental Congress who—for the final time—appealed to their king to redress colonial grievances in order to avoid more bloodshed. ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...

Choosing sides

This political cartoon (attributed to Benjamin Franklin) originally appeared during the French and Indian War, but was recycled to encourage the American colonies to unite against British rule.

The American revolutionaries, known as Patriots (or Whigs or rebels), included many shades of opinion. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and George Washington represented a socially conservative faction that would later take shape as the Federalist party and are traditionally characterized as preoccupied with preserving the wealth and power of the "better sorts" of colonial society. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine are usually portrayed as representing the less economically affluent side of society, accepting greater political equality. After the revolution, some of these men would become known as the "anti-federalists" who, led by George Mason, considered the Constitution of the United States to be a dangerously flawed document, one which would cause greater tyranny than either the British Parliament or the British Crown had. The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... This early political cartoon by Ben Franklin was originally written for the French and Indian War, but was later recycled during the Revolutionary War An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message. ... Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Baptiste Greuze 1777 Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most prominent of Founders and early political figures and statesmen of the United States. ... The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between the Kingdom of Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... Patriots (also known as Partisans, Whigs or Rebels) were British North American colonists who rebelled against the Crown during the American Revolution and established the independent states that became the United States of America. ... A portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull, 1792. ... John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat and jurist. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the successful Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and later became the first President of the United States, an office to which he was elected twice (1789-1797). ... The label Federalist refers to two major groups in the history of the United States of America: (1. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was the fourth (1809–1817) President of the United States. ... Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Baptiste Greuze 1777 Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most prominent of Founders and early political figures and statesmen of the United States. ... Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 – June 8, 1809), intellectual, scholar, revolutionary, and idealist, is widely recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... The Anti-Federalist Party, though not a true political party, but a faction, left a major legacy on the country by initiating the Bill of Rights. ... George Mason (December 11, 1725 – October 7, 1792) was a United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... The British monarch or Sovereign is the monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and is the source of all executive, judicial and (as the Queen_in_Parliament) legislative power. ...

A great many American colonists remained loyal to the British Crown; these became known as Loyalists (or 'Tories', or 'King's men'). Loyalists were often of the same well-to-do social circles that produced the right wing of the Patriots (for example Thomas Hutchinson); however, the Scottish highlanders of the Mohawk Valley and the frontiersmen of Georgia included a large number of poorer men. Some Loyalists were Native Americans, including Joseph Brant, who led a mixed band of Indians and white farmers and laborers in the Loyalist cause; others were African Americans. Loyalists (often capitalized L) were British North American colonists who remained loyal subjects of the British crown during the American Revolutionary War. ... Thomas Hutchinson (September 9, 1711-June 3, 1780) was the American colonial governor of Massachusetts from 1771 to 1774 and a prominent Loyalist in the years before the American Revolutionary War. ... The six-county Mohawk Valley Region of the USA includes the industrialized cities of Utica and Rome, along with other smaller commercial centers. ... Chief Quanah Parker of the Quahadi Comanche Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory which is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in... Joseph Brant, painted in London by George Romney in 1776 Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (sometimes spelled Brandt or Brand) (c. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...

After the war, United Empire Loyalists became a central component of the populations of the Abaco islands (in the Bahamas), and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario, where many of them fled to escape persecution in the new United States. Some of the African Americans, who had been freed from slavery by fighting for the British, were settled in Freetown, Sierra Leone. United Empire Loyalists is the name given to the portion of British Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. ... The Abaco islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Gorda Cay, Elbow Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Strangers Cay, Umbrella Cay, Walkers Cay and Mores Island. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 2. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English, French (in some areas) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 4th 1,076,395... Freetown, population 1,070,200 (2004), is the largest city and capital of Sierra Leone, lying on the Freetown Peninsula on the Atlantic coast. ...

Class differences among the Patriots

Just as there were rich and poor Loyalists, the Patriots were a 'mixed lot', and often had different aims for the revolution. Wealthy Patriots viewed independence as a means of freeing themselves from British taxation and limitations on taking western land, but had every intention of remaining in control of the resulting nation. Many craftsmen, small merchants and small farmers, however, were looking at independence as a means of reducing the power and privilege of the elite. Wealthy Patriots knew that they needed the support of the lower classes, but were fearful of their more radical democratic aims. John Adams (an elite more by education than by wealth) attacked Thomas Paine's Common Sense for the "absurd democratical notions" it proposed. Look up Common sense in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the American independence advocacy pamphlet by Thomas Paine, see Common Sense (pamphlet) For the American hip-hop artist, see Common One meaning of the term common sense (or as an adjective, commonsense) on a strict construction of the term, is...

Women

Abigail Adams

The boycott of British goods would have been entirely unworkable without the willing participation of American women: women made the bulk of household purchases, and the boycotted items were largely household items such as tea and cloth. And as cloth was still a basic necessity, for the boycott to work, women would have to return to spinning and weaving, skills that had fallen into disuse. In 1769, the women of Boston produced 40,000 skeins of yarn, and 180 women in Middletown, Massachusetts wove 20,522 yards of cloth. PD image from http://www. ... PD image from http://www. ... Abigail Smith Adams (November 11, 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and is seen as the second First Lady of the United States, though that term was not coined until after her death. ...

As the Revolution progressed and economic disruption deepened, women participated directly in the food riots and tar and feathering that was the people's response to price gouging by merchants, Loyalist and Patriot alike. On July 24, 1777, Thomas Boyleston, a Patriot merchant who was withholding coffee and sugar from the market waiting for prices to rise, was confronted by a crowd of 100 or more women, who seized the keys to his warehouse and distributed the coffee themselves while a large crowd of men stood by and watched, dumbfounded. The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, 1774 British propaganda print referring to the tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm four weeks after the Boston Tea Party. ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Writing the state constitutions

By 1776, the colonies had overthrown their existing government, closing courts and driving British agents and governors from their homes, and they had elected conventions and "legislatures" that existed outside of any legal framework whatsoever— new constitutions were desperately needed in each colony to replace the superseded royal charters.

On January 5, 1776, New Hampshire ratified the first state constitution, six months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Then, in May 1776, Congress voted to suppress all forms of crown authority, to be replaced by locally created authority. Virginia, South Carolina, and New Jersey created their constitutions before July 4. Rhode Island and Connecticut simply took their existing royal charters and deleted all references to the crown. January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1776. ... State nickname: Granite State, Mother of Rivers, White Mountain State, Switzerland of America [1] Official languages English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Governor John Lynch (D) Senators Judd Gregg (R) John Sununu (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 46th 24,239 km² 3. ... A declaration of independence is a proclamation of the independence of a newly formed or reformed independent state, usually from a part or the whole of the territory of another nation, or a document containing such a declaration. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Official languages English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Tim Kaine (D-Governor Elect) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 7. ... State nickname: Palmetto State Official languages English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Governor Mark Sanford (R) Senators Lindsey Graham (R) Jim DeMint (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 6 Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012,012 51. ... State nickname: The Garden State Official languages None defined, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D) Acting, Outgoing Jon Corzine (D) (Governor-Elect) Senators Jon Corzine (D) (Outgoing) Bob Menendez (D) (named as Corzines replacement) Frank Lautenberg (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 47th 22... State nickname: The Ocean State, Little Rhody Official languages None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Governor Donald Carcieri (R) Senators Jack Reed (D) Lincoln Chafee (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 50th 4,005 km² 32. ... State nickname: The Constitution State Official languages English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) Senators Chris Dodd (D) Joe Lieberman (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 48th 14,371 km² 12. ... A Royal Charter is a charter given by a monarch to legitimize an incorporated body, such as a city, company, university or such. ...

The new states had to decide not only what form of government to create, they first had to decide how to select those who would craft the constitutions and how the resulting document would be ratified. This would be just the start of a process that would pit conservatives against radicals in each state. In states where the wealthy exerted firm control over the process, such as Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New York and Massachusetts, the result was constitutions that featured: State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Official languages None Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 42nd 32,160 km² 21 Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 19th 5,296,486 165/km² (5th) Admission into... State nickname: Old Dominion Official languages English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Tim Kaine (D-Governor Elect) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 7. ... State nickname: The First State Official languages None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D) Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. ... State nickname: The Empire State Official languages English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Clinton (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 13. ...

• substantial property qualifications for voting and even more substantial requirements for elected positions (though New York and Maryland lowered property qualifications);
• bicameral legislatures, with the upper house as a check on the lower;
• strong governors, with veto power over the legislature and substantial appointment authority;
• few or no restraints on individuals holding multiple positions in government;
• the continuation of state-established religion.

In states where the less affluent had organized sufficiently to have significant power, especially Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Vermont, the resulting constitutions embodied: In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The word veto comes from Latin and literally means I forbid. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Official languages None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 33rd 119,283 km² 2. ... State nickname: The Green Mountain State Official languages None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Governor Jim Douglas (R) Senators Patrick Leahy (D) Jim Jeffords (I) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43th 24,923 km² 3. ...

• universal white manhood suffrage, or minimal property requirements for voting or holding office (New Jersey went so far as to enfranchise women, a radical step that they retracted 25 years later);

Dr. Benjamin Rush, 1783

• strong, unicameral legislatures;
• relatively weak governors, without veto powers, and little appointing authority;
• prohibition against individuals holding multiple government posts;
• disestablishment of religion.

Naturally, the fact that conservatives or radicals held sway in a state did not mean that the side with less power accepted the result quietly. In Pennsylvania, the propertied class was horrified by their new constitution (Benjamin Rush called it "our state dung cart"), while in Massachusetts, voters twice rejected the constitution that was presented for ratification; it was ultimately ratified only as a result of the legislature tinkering with the third vote. The radical provisions of Pennsylvania's constitution were to last only fourteen years— in 1790, conservatives gained power in the state legislature, called a new constitutional convention, and wrote a new constitution that substantially reduced universal white-male suffrage, gave the governor veto power and patronage appointment authority, and added an upper house with substantial wealth qualifications to the unicameral legislature. Thomas Paine called it a constitution unworthy of America. Download high resolution version (749x889, 292 KB)Dr. Benjamin Rush painted by Charles Wilson Peale in 1783 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus... Download high resolution version (749x889, 292 KB)Dr. Benjamin Rush painted by Charles Wilson Peale in 1783 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus... Dr. Benjamin Rush (December 24, 1745–April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States. ... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... Dr. Benjamin Rush (December 24, 1745–April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States. ...

War for independence, 1775-83

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. It ended with the surrender of British forces.

Main article: American Revolutionary War Download high resolution version (510x800, 130 KB)Common Sense This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Download high resolution version (510x800, 130 KB)Common Sense This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown by John Trumbull, painted 1797. ... Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown by John Trumbull, painted 1797. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military side of the American Revolution. ...

On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet entitled Common Sense arguing that the only solution to the problems with Britain was Republicanism and independence from Great Britain. Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 – June 8, 1809), intellectual, scholar, revolutionary, and idealist, is widely recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... Look up Common sense in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the American independence advocacy pamphlet by Thomas Paine, see Common Sense (pamphlet) For the American hip-hop artist, see Common One meaning of the term common sense (or as an adjective, commonsense) on a strict construction of the term, is... Republicanism is the idea of a nation being governed as a republic. ...

In July 4, 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Second Continental Congress. U.S. Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is a document in which the Thirteen Colonies declared themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain and explained their justifications for doing so. ... The Continental Congress was the federal legislature of the Thirteen Colonies and later of the United States from 1774 to 1789, a period that included the American Revolutionary War and the Articles of Confederation. ...

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, formed the first governing document of the United States of America. They combined the colonies of the American Revolutionary War into a loose confederation of sovereign states. The second Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777. The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, formed the first governing document of the United States of America. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was the military side of the American Revolution. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... The term state may refer to: a sovereign political entity, see state unitary state nation state a non-sovereign political entity, see state (non-sovereign). ... The Continental Congress is the label given to three successive bodies of representatives: The First Continental Congress met from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. ...

America after the war

The American Revolution saw several noteworthy political innovations: the separation of church and state, which ended the special privileges of the Church of England in the South and the Congregationalist Church in New England; an assertion of liberty, individual rights and equality which would prove highly appealing in Europe; the idea that government should be by consent of the governed (including the right of rebellion against tyranny); the delegation of power to the government through written constitutions; and the notion that colonial peoples of the Americas could become self-governing nations in their own rights. The separation of church and state is a concept and philosophy in modern thought and practice, whereby the structures of the state or national government are proposed as needing to be separate from those of religious institutions. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... The Flag of Plymouth Colony, also know as the First Flag of New England First Flag of New England, 1686-c. ...

All was not well, however, in the new nation.

The Shays Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts that lasted from 1786 to 1787. Many of the rebels, known as Shaysites or Regulators, were small farmers angered by high debt and tax burdens. A state militia that had been raised as a private army defeated the Shaysites. The lack of a government force to respond to the uprising led some to re-evaluate of the effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation. The Shays Rebellion (also Shayss or Shays) was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts, United States, that lasted from 1786 to 1787. ... Western Massachusetts is a geographical region of the state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley. ... The Shaysites, who called themselves Regulators, were the group of rebels that followed Daniel Shays and Luke Day during Shays Rebellion in 1786. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, formed the first governing document of the United States of America. ...

The Treaty of Paris (1783) had given the U.S. government control, on paper, of all land east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, but the Native American nations actually living in this region were not a party to this treaty and had not been militarily defeated by the Patriots. Further, the British remained in possession of the Great Lakes forts through which they continued to supply their Native American allies with trade items (including weapons) and to otherwise stir up trouble for Americans. Painting by Benjamin West depicting John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. ... This page is about the river in the United States; there is also a Canadian Mississippi River (Ontario). ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ...

Then, Congress sought to stabilize the dollar and pay down its war debt through the sale of western lands still under Native American control. The Land Ordinance of 1785 gave encouragement to land speculators, surveyors, and so on, who sought to gain this land-- sometimes through bribery or deceit--for resale to white settlers. Congress negotiated a treaty with Native Americans in 1785 to acquire most of the eastern portion of Ohio Country for settlement. However, settlers were already moving into land that the treaty set aside for the tribes. Conflict soon broke out, as the Northwest Indian War. Due to the lack of an army under the Conferation government, Congress was unable to successfully fight the tribes. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted on May 20, 1785 by the Congress formed by the Articles of Confederation. ... The Ohio Country, showing the present-day U.S. state boundaries The Ohio Country (sometimes called the Ohio Territory) was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake... The Northwest Indian War (1785-1795), often known as Little Turtles War in older reference works, was a war fought between the United States and a large confederation of Native Americans (Indians) for control of the Old Northwest, which ended with a decisive U.S. victory at the Battle...

These events and others led the Confereration Congress to convoke the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, leading to the creation of a new central goverment that lasts to this day in the United States. Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ...

The impact on British North America

For tens of thousands of inhabitants of the Thirteen Colonies, the victory of the revolutionaries was followed by exile. Approximately fifty thousand United Empire Loyalists fled to the remaining British colonies in North America, such as the Province of Quebec, (concentrating in the Eastern Townships), Upper Canada (now known as Ontario), and Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia (where their presence would result in the creation of New Brunswick). This exodus sowed the seeds for the French-English duality in British North America, arguably the most prominent political and cultural feature of what would one day become Canada. United Empire Loyalists is the name given to the portion of British Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. ... Province of Quebec (COLONIAL PERIOD, 1763-1791) Great Britain acquired Canada by the Treaty of Paris (1763) when King Louis XV of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France, which was viewed as a vast, frozen wasteland... The Eastern Townships (in French les Cantons de lest) is a region in south central Quebec, lying between the Saint Lawrence River and the US border. ... Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario Upper Canada is an early name for the land at the upstream end of the Saint Lawrence River in early North America – the territory south of Lake Nipissing and north of the St. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English, French (in some areas) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 4th 1,076,395... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (The small under the protection of the great) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Lieutenant-Governor J. Léonce Bernard Premier Pat Binns (PC) Area 5,660 km² (13th) • Land 5,660 km² • Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2004) â... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages English Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman Premier John Hamm (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 11 10 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 12th 55,283 km² 3. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 2. ...

Revolution beyond America

The American Revolution was the first wave of the Atlantic Revolutions that would also take hold in the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, and the Latin American wars of liberation. Aftershocks would also be felt in Ireland in the 1798 rising, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and in the Netherlands. Atlantic Revolutions is a cover term for a wave of late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century revolutions associated with the Enlightenment. ... During the French Revolution (1789-1799) democracy and republicanism replaced the absolute monarchy in France, and the French sector of the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... The Haitian Revolution was the first successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere and established Haiti as a free, black republic, the first of its kind. ... Bolívars War refers to a series of independence wars in South America from 1811 to 1825 led by the famous South American nationalist and general Simón Bolívar. ... Aftershocks are earthquakes in the same region of the mainshock (generally within a few rupture length) but of smaller magnitude and which occur with in a pattern that follows Omoris law. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British establishment in Ireland. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The Revolution had a strong immediate impact in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and France. Many British and Irish Whigs had been openly indulgent to the Patriots in America, and the Revolution was the first lesson in politics for many European radicals who would later take on active roles during the era of the French Revolution. Jefferson's Declaration had an immediate impact on the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen of 1789. While the Whigs (along with the Tories) are often described as one of the two political parties in late 17th to mid 19th century Great Britain, it is more accurate to describe them as loose political groupings or tendencies. ... During the French Revolution (1789-1799) democracy and republicanism replaced the absolute monarchy in France, and the French sector of the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, (French: La Déclaration des droits de lhomme et du citoyen), is one of the fundamental documents of the French Revolution, defining a set of individual rights (and...

The American Revolution affected the rest of the world. The thinkers of the Enlightenment only wrote that common people had the right to overthrow unjust governments. The American Revolution was a case of practical success, which provided the rest of the world with a 'working model'. Enlightenment may refer to: Enlightenment (concept), a concept in mysticism, philosophy and psychology For the Hindu religious concept of enlightenment, see moksha For the Buddhist religious concept, see Bodhi, Satori For the Yoga concept of enlightenment, see Yogic Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment, a period in European history For the...

The American Revolution set an example to the people in Europe and other parts of the world. It encouraged the people to realize they had rights independent of the sovereign; it promoted republicanism to overthrow monarchs. It incited people to fight for their rights, and it showed them that it was possible to win even against the world's foremost power, Great Britain.

Nowhere was the influence of the American Revolution more profound than in Latin America, where American writings and the model of colonies, which actually broke free and thrived decisively, shaped their struggle for independence. Historians of Latin America have identified many links to the U.S. model . See John Lynch, "The Origins of Spanish American Independence," in Cambridge History of Latin America Vol. 3 (1985), pp 45-46

Legacy and interpretations

The American Revolution is often cited as a milestone in the history of American Exceptionalism. The intellectuals of the Revolution (Thomas Paine's Common Sense is most likely the best example) for the first time expressed the belief that America was not just an extension of Europe but a new land, a country of nearly unlimited potential and opportunity that was being abused by the British mother country they had outgrown. These sentiments laid the intellectual foundations for the Revolutionary concept of American exceptionalism and was closely tied to Republicanism, the belief that sovereignty belonged to the people, not to a hereditary ruling class. The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to study, reflect, or speculate on a variety of different ideas. ... Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 – June 8, 1809), intellectual, scholar, revolutionary, and idealist, is widely recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... Look up Common sense in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the American independence advocacy pamphlet by Thomas Paine, see Common Sense (pamphlet) For the American hip-hop artist, see Common One meaning of the term common sense (or as an adjective, commonsense) on a strict construction of the term, is... Republicanism is the idea of a nation being governed as a republic. ...

See also

• British colonization of the Americas
• Founding Fathers of the United States
• Industrial Revolution
• List of important people in the era of the American Revolution
• Second American Revolution
• Timeline of United States revolutionary history (1760-1789)

[[[[[ == [[Media: --71. ... sex sex ex they have hard buttsexFounding Fathers of the United States, also known to some Americans as the Fathers of Our Country, the Forefathers, Framers or the Founders are the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution or otherwise participated in the American Revolution as leaders... The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labour to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ... This is a list of people who were involved in some important or notable way with the American Revolution and/or the American Revolutionary War. ... The first American Revolution raged from 1775 to 1783, after which the United States won its independence from Great Britain. ... The Boston Massacre, an engraving by patriot Paul Revere. ...

Scholarly Secondary Sources

• Bailyn, Bernard. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press, 1967. ISBN 0674443012.
• Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. New York: McKay, 1966; revised 1974. ISBN 0811705781.
• Crow, Jeffrey J. and Larry E. Tise. The Southern Experience in the American Revolution (1978)
• Higginbotham, Don. The War of American Independence: Military Attitudes, Policies, and Practice, 1763-1789 (1983) Online in ACLS History E-book Project; best overview of military topics
• Lecky, William Edward Hartpole. The American Revolution, 1763-1783 (1898), British viewpoint
• McCullough, David. 1776 (2005).
• Mackesy, Piers. The War for America: 1775-1783 (1992) British viewpoint.
• Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 (1985)
• Miller, John C. Triumph of Freedom, 1775-1783 (1948), excellent overview
• Miller, John C. Origins of the American Revolution (1943)
• Morison, S. E. ed. Sources and Documents Illustrating the American Revolution, 1764-1788, and the Formation of the Federal Constitution (1923)
• Nash, Gary B. The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America. (2005). ISBN 0670034207.
• Purcell, L. Edward. "Who Was Who in the American Revolution" (1993)
• Van Tyne, Claude Halstead. American Loyalists: The Loyalists in the American Revolution (1902)
• Volo, James M. and Dorothy Denneen Volo. Daily Life during the American Revolution (2003)
• Wahlke, John C. ed. The Causes of the American Revolution (1967)
• Wrong, George M. Washington and His Comrades in Arms: A Chronicle of the War of Independence (1921) short overview
• Wood, Gordon S. The Radicalism of the American Revolution: How a Revolution Transformed a Monarchical Society into a Democratic One Unlike Any That Had Ever Existed. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. ISBN 0679404937.

External links

• The American Revolution at americanrevolution.com - historical information, documents, pictures, and more
• PBS Television Series