The British planned a surprise attack on Lexington; a storage place for colonial arms. Paul Revere overheared these British plans. On April 18th, Revere road out in the middle of the night to warn colonial militia of the approaching British.
Forewarned by Paul Revere, American militiamen fought 800 British troops on April 19th, 1775. The battle broke out at Concord. Seventy-three British soldiers were killed and over 200 were wounded. The Americans lost 49 soldiers and suffered 39 wounded.
This marked the beginning to Revolutionary War.
The Americans occupied Bunker Hill overlooking Boston on the evening of June 16th. The British, commanded by General Gage, had no choice but to attack the Americans. On the afternoon of the 17th, Gage's forces attacked. In a hard fought battle, the American were forced to withdraw. While the British were victorious, they suffered heavy losses.
In September 1775 Arnold set off with an American force to capture Quebec. It was not until December 31 that Arnold's troops were ready to attack. The attack failed and the Americans were repulsed after suffering heavy losses.
On November 28, the Continental Congress authorized the establishment of the American Navy. Although the Navy was to play only a minor role in the war, the success of American privateers in interrupting British trade was an important factor aiding the patriot cause.
"Common Sense," published in January, argued that the time had come to sever colonial ties with England; and that it was in the American interest to do so. This pamphlet sold 120,000 copies in the first three months and was instrumental in convincing many colonists that the time had come for Independence.
After the Battle of Bunker Hill the British remained in Boston, surrounded by an ever growing number of Continental soldiers. Finally, after the Americans who were now commanded by General Washington occupied Dorchester Heights, the British were forced to withdraw from Boston.
Twelve colonies voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence. New York abstained. This Declaration stated that the colonies were free and independent states, absolved of all allegiance to England. It made official what had already been happening; as the War of Independence was in full swing.
Burgoyne felt he had no option but to press on to Albany. The American army, however, was blocking his way at Bemis Heights. The British made two attempts to break through American defenses, but failed. After the second attempt, they withdrew to Saratoga, where they were surrounded by American troops. The British had no choice but to surrender which they did on October 13, 1777. One quarter of the British forces in North America thus surrendered, and, while many battles were yet to be fought, American Independence was assured.
After the American victory at Saratoga, the French were ready to enter into an agreement with the Americans. On January 7, 1778, the French royal council declared unanimously in favor of a treaty of amity and commerce with the United States. It was followed on February 6th with a treaty of alliance.
With the approval of Maryland, the Articles of Confederation took effect. The Articles stated that there was a perpetual union between the states, while individual states remained sovereign. The states retained every right not given to the central government. It took four years before the Articles of Confederation were approved. They were then approved. They were superseded by the Constitution; ratified in 1788.
General Cornwalis arrived in Petersburg in May of 1781. After receiving conflicting instructions, Cornwalis went to Yorktown and began preparing a naval base there. General Washington moved south and, together with French ground and naval forces, surrounded the British army, forcing its surrender and effectively ending the war.
On September 3, 1783, a peace treaty was formally signed between Great Britain and the United States. This treaty officially ended the Revolutionary War.