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Committees of Corespondence are etablished throughout the colonies to coordinate American response to Brithish colonial policy. This represents an important move toward cooperation, mutual action, and the development of a national identity among Americans.
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The first shots of the Revolutionary War are fired at Lexington and Concord Massachusetts among other colonies.
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The Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Following a decade of agitation over taxes and a year of war, representatives make the break with Britain. King George II isn't willing to let his subjects go without a fight, and loyalist sentiment remains strong in many areas. American's primary allegiance is to their states; nationalism will grow slowly.
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As a result of the patriot victory at Saratoga and American diplomatic efforts, France allies itself with the new American government. French financial and military aid will prove critical winning the war. The Continental Army will learn of the French Alliance in May.
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A convention of states in Philadelphia proposes the Constitution to replace the much looser central government operating under the Articles of Confederation (adopted in 1777). With amendments, the Constitution remains the framework of government in the U.S.