The American War of Independence, also known as the Revolutionary War, was a conflict fought between Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies from 1775 to 1783. The spelling of the word "independence" is [ɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dəns] in IPA phonetic transcription. The stress is on the third syllable, and the vowel in the second syllable is pronounced as "ɪ," as in "sit." This war was a seminal moment in American history, and led to the establishment of the United States as an independent nation.
The American War of Independence, also known as the American Revolutionary War, was a major armed conflict fought between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies. It took place from 1775 to 1783 and resulted in the establishment of the United States of America as an independent nation. The war was primarily motivated by political and ideological grievances, as the colonists sought to assert their rights and liberties against perceived British oppression.
The conflict emerged from a series of tensions that had been building for years, including unjust taxation without representation, executive overreach, and limitations on trade and economic freedoms. The outbreak of hostilities was marked by the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, with a growing number of colonists openly rebelling against British rule. Over the course of the war, both sides experienced significant victories and defeats, with American patriots ultimately gaining the support of France, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The war witnessed numerous iconic events, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the winter hardships faced by the Continental Army at Valley Forge, and the decisive American victory at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. The war formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, whereby Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation, effectively concluding the American War of Independence. The conflict played a crucial role in shaping the idea of American identity and the establishment of democratic values and principles that endure in the United States to this day.