-
British troops land in Boston to enforce the Townshend duties (taxes on paint, paper, tea, etc., passed in June 1767) and clamp down on local radicals.
-
King George III isn't willing to let his subjects go without a figth, and loyalist sentiment remains strong in many areas.
-
As a result of the patriot victory at Saratoga and American diplomatic efforts, France allies itself with the new American government.
-
The Treaty of Paris ratifies the independence of the 13 North American states.
-
A convention of states in Philadelphia proposes the Constitution to replace the much looser central government operating under the Articles of Consideration (adopted in 1777).