The American Revolution, 1763 - 1783  | U.S. History Primary Source Timeline  | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress  | Library of Congress (2024)

Overview Until the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, few colonists in British North America objected to their place in the British Empire.

British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766 When the French and Indian War finally ended in 1763, no British subject on either side of the Atlantic could have foreseen the coming conflicts between the parent country and its North American colonies.

British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1767-1772 Even after the repeal of the Stamp Act, many colonists still had grievances with British colonial policies.

The Colonies Move Toward Open Rebellion, 1773-1774 After the Boston Massacre and the repeal of most of the Townshend Duties (the duty on tea remained in force), a period of relative quiet descended on the British North American colonies. Even so, the crises of the past decade had created incompatible mindsets on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

First Shots of War, 1775 For some months, people in the colonies had been gathering arms and powder and had been training to fight the British, if necessary, at a moment's notice.

Creating a Continental Army According to Washington's aide Alexander Hamilton, the military strategy the General would pursue throughout the Revolutionary War would be to preserve a good army, to take advantage of favorable opportunities, and waste and defeat the enemy by piecemeal.

Revolutionary War: Northern Front, 1775-1777 In the first eighteen months of armed conflict with the British (the conflict would not become a "war for independence" until July 4, 1776), Washington had begun to create an army and forced the British army in Boston to evacuate that city in March 1776.

Revolutionary War: The Turning Point, 1776-1777 In 1777, the British were still in excellent position to quell the rebellion. Had it not been for a variety of mistakes, they probably could have won the war.

Revolutionary War: Southern Phase, 1778-1781 The Continental victory at Saratoga in 1777 and the Treaty with the French in 1778 transformed the war, especially for the British.

Revolutionary War: The Home Front Defining a "home front" in the Revolutionary War is difficult because so much of the thirteen states became, at one time or another, an actual theater of war.

Revolutionary War: Groping Toward Peace, 1781-1783 The year 1781 was momentous for the American Revolution.