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Conflicts between France and England were common throughout the early eighteenth century. While previous wars were about succession, or who would take control of what country in Europe. The French and Indian Wars stand out, because it didn't start in Europe, nor was it about succession, it was over territories and trade. -
The Boston Massacre began as a street brawl between American colonists and a lone British soldier, but quickly escalated to a chaotic, bloody slaughter. Five people died in this battle.The Boston Massacre is one of several pivotal events leading to the Revolutionary War, and ultimately, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. -
The 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence.The Declaration of Independence was the first formal statement by a nation’s people asserting their right to choose their own government. -
In 1777, a British strategy called for a three-pronged attack on New York, with three separate armies converging near Albany. General John Burgoyne was attempting to invade New England from Canada with the goal of isolating New England from the rest of the United States. Americans won the battle. The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. -
The six-month encampment of General George Washington’s Continental Army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778 was a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. George Washington transformed a battered Continental Army into a unified, world-class fighting force capable of beating the British. During that time, some two thousand American soldiers died from cold, hunger, and disease. -
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 formally ended the American Revolutionary War. American statesmen Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay negotiated the peace treaty with representatives of King George III of Great Britain. Based on a 1782 preliminary treaty, the agreement recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory.