11 American Revolution Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

Do you know any facts about the monumental American Revolution?

The American Revolutionary War, which is also referred to as the U.S. War of Independence, was fought from 1775 to 1783. Americans won their independence despite the efforts of the British force, the British army, and British warships.

The continental navy fought several memorable naval battles against the British regiment as well during the war of independence. In 1776, with the declaration of independence, the United States of America came into existence as 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies threw off British rule to establish the sovereign United States of America. The treaty of independence was signed by John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams.

In this article, we will read about the importance of the revolution and the timeline of the events that led up to this historical event in U.S. history. After reading about the contribution of every American patriot including Paul Revere and Thomas Jefferson, also check out our facts on the Battle of Gallipoli and the Battle of France.

Why is the American revolution so important?

The American Revolution had extremely important consequences. These consequences cannot be overlooked, and without a doubt are associated with the revolution, so they cannot be traced back to a series of other events. All Americans need to be appreciative of them.

The revolution helped secure independence from the British Empire many years ago before other colonial countries. The thirteen colonies would have possibly become free during the 19th century like other British colonies but that nation would have been vastly different from the America we see today. The American Revolution was attributed to establishing a republic whose government pledged to work for the interest of the common public in place of kings and aristocrats. This revolution influenced and inspired the succeeding Atlantic revolutions. The revolution produced a sense of national identity and unity that drew together thirteen colonies on the basis of shared culture and mutual experience.

Until the early months of the year 1778, the conflict was regarded only as a Civil War inside the British empire but soon, France and Italy joined hands with the colonies in order to support their war against the colonialism British army. Later, the Netherlands recognized the United States and also offered much-needed financial support.

When did the American Revolution end?

The last major battle of the American Revolution was at York City, a town in New York City where the British army conceded to the continental army and the American troops won.

Benjamin Franklin and John Adams negotiated from the American side when the peace treaty to end the war was signed on 30 November 1782.

The final treaty took almost ten months to get finalized. The final treaty was called the Treaty of Paris as it was signed in Paris, France, and was signed on 3 September 1783. However, the final treaty did not unite all the three colonies under a single government. It took a lot of discussions and debates to draft a constitution all the states agreed with. The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 and was in full effect from 4 March 1789.

American Revolution Timeline

The American Revolution lasted many years from 1763 to 1774. These tumultuous seven years are riddled with many events that led to the independence that was fought for with great vigor by the American colonists.

On 10 February 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War that lasted seven years.

France yielded all of its North American possessions that were east of the Mississippi to the Crown. The costs incurred by the British Army during the war led the government to impose taxes on the colonists. This step was the downfall of the British empire in America and laid the foundations for the revolution. Then on 22 March 1765, the British passed an act known as the Stamp Act.

This act imposed taxes on newspapers, legal documents and even prevented Americans from playing cards. The colonists disagreed with the tax and led a successful protest that resulted in getting the tax repealed. In October of 1768, the British troops occupied Boston and enforced many taxes on paint, tea, and other things. While protesting against it, a fight broke out and five people were shot dead by the troops. The radicals called it the Boston Massacre and the British called it the Incident on King Street. From March to June 1774 the British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts after the Boston Tea Party incident.

The first war broke out on 19 April 1775, at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts and fired the first shots of the war. It came to be known as the shot heard round the world. In the November of 1775 Lord Dunmore, the governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation that offered freedom to all the slaves who wanted to enter the British lines. Thousands of African Americans accepted it and supported the British.

On 17 June 1775, the continental army held off the British soldiers and was successful in either wounding or killing more than 1,000 of the 2,200 men of the army. This is known as the Battle of Bunker hill. Here, Paul Revere and other riders raised an alarm against the arrival of the British armed forces and helped assemble the other riders who put on a brave fight, showing signs of what lay ahead for the British in this battle. On 27 February 1776, the Battle of the Moore's Creek Bridge took place and the loyalists were defeated.

On 28 June 1776, the people of South Carolina successfully stopped the British to capture Charleston. In July 1776 America declared its independence. From December 1776 to January 1777 General Washington successfully led the continental army and defeated the German troops hired by the British and crossed the Delaware River. In December of 1777, the continental army became more united and disciplined. In February 1778 the French entered the war against the British. Charleston fell to the British on 12 May 1780.

The end seemed near when, at the Battle of Cowpens, the British forces were defeated by American soldiers on 17 January 1781. Then on 15 March 1781, the British won a costly victory over the continentals. In October 1781, the British soldiers surrendered in York city, New York, and the war was essentially won. From 1782 to 1787 was the period of the aftermath as the Loyalists left America in January, and the war was officially ended by the Treaty of Paris on 3 September 1783. In 1787 in the U.S, the Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation.

How did the American Revolution start?

In the latter half of the 18th century, British colonial policy proved to be consistently tyrannical. This showed their lack of empathy and their willingness to understand what the Americans really wanted.

The British crown sealed their destiny through negligence, ignorance, and pride. There are many incidents that led to this historical American revolutionary war.

The American people were afraid of losing autonomy as they saw the British government become more and more involved in colonial issues. American colonies were established in the hope of escaping oppression and not losing independence to the British crown. During the French and Indian War, a war broke out between New France and American colonies. The war lasted many years, from 1754 to 1763, and the Indian tribes found allies on both sides.

In addition to waging war,  British troops were also tasked with post-war protection. To pay the British troops for their service, the British Parliament decided to tax the American colonies. Prior to 1764, the British government allowed the colonists to govern themselves, but in 1764 they began collecting taxes and making laws. This was very frustrating for the colonists. They argued that there was no need to collect taxes because they had no representation in the parliament. A group called Sons of Liberty was formed in Boston in 1765 in response to improper taxes. They got the support of all the colonies. At some point, many colonists were shot dead during the protest after the outbreak of a brawl. This infamous incident came to be known as the Boston Massacre.

Another tax imposed by the Great British in 1773 caused turmoil. That was the tea tax. Many American patriots like John Hancock protested this tax by entering the Boston harbor and pouring tea into the sea. This protest was called the Boston Tea Party. The British decided to punish the protesters in response to their contempt. Boston Harbor was closed for trade and by doing this they punished loyalists and patriots alike. In response, the colonies gathered and petitioned King George III in hopes of nullifying the acts but they were not acknowledged.

What were the first 3 battles of the revolutionary war?

There were many American revolution battles but the first three major battles of the revolutionary war were the battles of Lexington and Concord, the siege of Fort Ticonderoga, and the battle of Bunker Hill, which is also known around the world as the Battle of Breed’s Hill.

The Battle of Lexington and Concord began in 1775 when British forces in Massachusetts were ordered to demilitarize the rebels and arrest the colonial leaders. The American Revolutionary war was ultimately driven by internal struggles and conflicts.

The revolutionary war began on 19 April 1775, when a battle broke out between the British forces and the American Minutemen. When the British arrived, a signal system installed by the colonists surprised the local militia who bravely opposed the British attack. The British were defeated by the colonists, outnumbered, and forced to retreat to Boston. The next battle was the siege of Ticonderoga on 10 May 1755.

The American forces successfully captured Fort Ticonderoga. In the War of Independence, this was the first offensive victory to secure passage into northern Canada, and the first offensive victory of the Continental Army in the War of Independence. It provided a strategic route north to Canada. They acquired the weapon after overtaking a small British garrison. The third battle was the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts on 17 June 1775.

In this battle, the Patriots were tactically defeated by the British but the British victory could not stomp on their will. Brave and fiercely fighting, they made it clear to the British that reconciliation between them was impossible. British troops suffered twice as many losses as American troops.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for American Revolution facts then why not take a look at Battle of Jutland, or Battle of Chancellorsville.