Washington crossing the Delaware on December 25–26, 1776, depicted in Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting
This iconic image represents the determination and turning point of the American Revolution, showing Washington's surprise attack that boosted Patriot morale.
American Revolution
A comprehensive timeline of the American Revolution from 1763 to 1791, covering the political, military, and social transformation that led to American independence and the establishment of the United States.
1763 CE - 1764 CE
End of French and Indian War
The French and Indian War concluded, leaving Britain with massive debt and new territorial responsibilities. This war's aftermath led to increased British taxation and control over the American colonies, setting the stage for colonial discontent and eventual revolution.
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The British government issued the Royal Proclamation designating territory between the Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River as an Indian Reserve closed to settlement. This angered colonists who wanted to expand westward and failed to stop their migration.
File:Map_of_territorial_growth_1775.svg
A 1775 map of Eastern North America, including the Province of Quebec, the Thirteen Colonies on the Atlantic Coast, and the Indian Reserve as defined by the Royal Proclamation of 1763.
Sugar Act Passed
Parliament passed the Sugar Act, decreasing existing customs duties on sugar and molasses but providing stricter enforcement measures. This was part of Britain's effort to raise revenue from the colonies to help pay for the costs of maintaining troops in North America.
1765 CE - 1766 CE
Stamp Act Passed
Parliament passed the Stamp Act, imposing direct taxes on the colonies for the first time. All official documents, newspapers, and pamphlets required stamps. Colonists objected not to the tax amount but to taxation without representation in Parliament, leading to the formation of the Sons of Liberty.
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Notice of the Stamp Act 1765 in a colonial newspaper
Stamp Act Congress
Representatives from nine colonies convened in New York City for the Stamp Act Congress. They issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances arguing that taxation without representation violated their rights as Englishmen, establishing the principle of colonial unity against British policies.
Stamp Act Repealed
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act after colonial resistance and Benjamin Franklin's testimony about colonial contributions to the empire. However, they simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act asserting their right to make laws for the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever.'
1767 CE - 1768 CE
Townshend Acts Passed
Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, placing duties on paper, glass, and tea, and establishing a Board of Customs in Boston. The goal was to assert British authority over the colonies rather than simply collect revenue, leading to renewed colonial resistance and boycotts.
File:Dickinson's_Letter_III_in_The_Pennsylvania_Chronicle.jpg
Letter III of John Dickinson's Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, published in the Pennsylvania Chronicle, December 1767
1769 CE - 1770 CE
Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired into a threatening crowd on a Boston street, killing five civilians including Crispus Attucks. Though the soldiers were acquitted, the event was used as propaganda against British rule and accelerated the deterioration of British-colonial relations.
"Crispus_Attucks,"_by_Herschel_Levit
Crispus Attucks, a portrait by Herschel Levit depicts Attucks, who is considered to be the first American to die for the cause of independence in the Revolution.
1771 CE - 1772 CE
Gaspee Affair
American patriots including John Brown burned HMS Gaspee, a British customs schooner that had been vigorously enforcing unpopular trade regulations in Narragansett Bay. The affair was investigated for possible treason but no action was taken, showing colonial willingness to use violence against British authority.
File:Destruction_of_the_schooner_Gaspé
On June 9, 1772, the Sons of Liberty burned HMS Gaspee, a British customs schooner in Narragansett Bay.
1773 CE - 1774 CE
Tea Act Passed
Parliament passed the Tea Act to help the struggling British East India Company by allowing it to sell tea directly to colonists at reduced prices, bypassing colonial merchants. This threatened colonial merchants and was seen as another attempt to assert British control over colonial trade.
Boston Tea Party
Led by Samuel Adams, a group of men disguised as Indigenous people boarded East India Company ships and dumped £10,000 worth of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of defiance against the Tea Act became a symbol of American resistance to British taxation and authority.
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The December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party, led by Samuel Adams and Sons of Liberty, has become a mainstay of American patriotic lore.
Intolerable Acts Passed
Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party by passing four punitive laws: the Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, Boston Port Act, and Quartering Act. These acts further darkened colonial opinion toward Britain and united the colonies in opposition.
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A 1774 illustration from The London Magazine depicts Prime Minister Lord North, author of the Boston Port Act, forcing the Intolerable Acts down the throat of America.
First Continental Congress
Representatives from twelve colonies convened in Philadelphia to coordinate resistance to British policies. They called for a boycott of British goods and began organizing Patriot resistance through local committees, marking the first unified colonial response to British authority.
1775 CE - 1776 CE
King George III Declares Massachusetts in Rebellion
King George III officially declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion, escalating the conflict between Britain and the colonies. This declaration marked the transition from political protest to open confrontation and set the stage for military action.
Battles of Lexington and Concord
British attempts to seize colonial weapons and arrest Patriot leaders resulted in the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. The 'shot heard 'round the world' marked the beginning of armed conflict between Britain and the American colonies.
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A Lexington, Massachusetts memorial to Prince Estabrook, who was wounded in the Battle of Lexington and Concord and was the first Black casualty of the Revolutionary War
Second Continental Congress Convenes
The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia to manage the colonial war effort. They authorized the formation of the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief, while also attempting reconciliation through the Olive Branch Petition.
Battle of Bunker Hill
British forces achieved a costly victory against entrenched American forces, suffering about 1,000 casualties from a garrison of 6,000 compared to 500 American casualties. The heavy British losses demonstrated that colonial forces could inflict serious damage on professional troops.
File:00SalemPoor.jpg
A postage stamp, created at the time of the bicentennial, honors Salem Poor, who was an enslaved African American man who purchased his freedom, became a soldier, and rose to fame as a war hero during the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Dunmore's Proclamation
Virginia's royal governor Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation offering freedom to slaves who would join British forces. This recruitment of Black soldiers angered Southern Patriots and played a major role in Southern support for independence, as colonists feared slave rebellions.
New Hampshire Ratifies First State Constitution
New Hampshire became the first colony to ratify a state constitution, beginning the process of creating new republican governments to replace royal authority. This marked the transition from colonial governments to independent state governments.
British Evacuate Boston
George Washington's Continental Army, aided by cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, forced British forces to evacuate Boston by sea. This victory gave Patriots control of all thirteen colonies and demonstrated the effectiveness of the Continental Army under Washington's leadership.
Congress Votes to Suppress Crown Authority
The Continental Congress voted to suppress all forms of Crown authority in the colonies, to be replaced by locally created authority. This decisive step toward independence encouraged colonies to create their own state constitutions and governments.
Lee Resolution Passed
The Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution affirming their support for joint independence from Britain. This resolution set the stage for the formal Declaration of Independence and represented the colonies' commitment to complete separation from British rule.
Declaration of Independence Adopted
The Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson. The document proclaimed that 'all men are created equal' and established the philosophical foundation for American independence based on natural rights and consent of the governed.
File:William_Walcutt_statue_George_III.png
Pulling Down the Statue of King George III, N.Y.C., depicting American patriots tearing down a statue of King George III in New York City on July 9, 1776, five days after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Battle of Brooklyn
British forces defeated Washington's Continental Army in the largest battle of the Revolutionary War. The British victory nearly captured Washington's army and demonstrated British military superiority, but Washington's successful retreat prevented total disaster.
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The British fleet amassed off Staten Island in New York Harbor in the summer of 1776, as depicted in Harper's Magazine in 1876
Staten Island Peace Conference
A delegation including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin met with British Admiral Richard Howe to negotiate an end to hostilities. The British demanded retraction of the Declaration of Independence, which the Americans refused, ending hopes for peaceful resolution.
Washington Crosses the Delaware
Washington led a surprise attack across the Delaware River, defeating Hessian and British troops at Trenton and Princeton. These victories regained control of most of New Jersey and provided a crucial morale boost to the Patriot cause during a dark period of the war.
File:Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851.jpg
Washington crossing the Delaware on December 25–26, 1776, depicted in Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting
1777 CE - 1778 CE
Battles of Saratoga
American forces defeated British General Burgoyne's invasion army, forcing its surrender. This decisive victory convinced France to formally enter the war as an American ally, transforming the conflict into a global war and providing crucial support for American independence.
Articles of Confederation Approved
Congress approved the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, creating the first constitution for the United States. The Articles established a confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government, providing structure during the Revolutionary War.
Treaty of Alliance with France
The United States and France signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance, making France the first foreign nation to officially recognize American independence. This alliance provided crucial military and financial support for the American war effort.
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Louis XVI, King of France and Navarre
1779 CE - 1780 CE
Philipsburg Proclamation
British forces expanded their promise of freedom to all enslaved people in rebellious colonies who enlisted in British military service. This proclamation significantly increased the number of Black Loyalists and further angered Southern Patriots who feared losing their enslaved workforce.
Spain Declares War on Britain
Spain formally declared war on Britain as a French ally, opening new fronts in the global conflict. Spanish forces under Bernardo de Gálvez captured Florida from the British and kept vital supply lines open to the Americans.
British Capture Charleston
British forces captured Charleston, South Carolina, in their largest victory of the southern campaign. This success gave Britain control of most of Georgia and South Carolina and marked the height of British military success in the South.
1781 CE - 1782 CE
Articles of Confederation Ratified
The Articles of Confederation were fully ratified by all thirteen states, officially establishing the United States government. The Continental Congress was dissolved and replaced by the United States in Congress Assembled under the new constitution.
Siege of Yorktown
Combined French and American forces under Washington besieged British General Cornwallis at Yorktown. The French naval victory in the Battle of the Chesapeake trapped Cornwallis, leading to his surrender and effectively ending major combat operations in the Revolutionary War.
File:John_Trumbull_-_The_Surrender_of_Lord_Cornwallis_at_Yorktown
The 1781 siege of Yorktown ended with the surrender of a second British army, marking effective British defeat.
1783 CE - 1784 CE
Treaty of Paris Signed
Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War and recognizing American independence. The treaty granted the United States all territory east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, establishing the new nation's borders.
File:Treaty of Paris by Benjamin West 1783.jpg
Treaty of Paris by Benjamin West portrays the American delegation about to sign the 1783 Treaty of Paris (John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, W.T. Franklin). The British delegation refused to pose and the painting was never completed.
1787 CE - 1788 CE
Constitutional Convention
Delegates from twelve states convened in Philadelphia to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Instead of revising the Articles, they drafted an entirely new Constitution creating a stronger federal government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
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The September 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia depicted in Howard Chandler Christy's 1940 painting, Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States
Constitution Ratified
The new Constitution was ratified by the required nine states, replacing the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established a federal republic with a strong national government while preserving state rights, creating the framework for modern American government.
1789 CE - 1790 CE
George Washington Inaugurated
George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States under the new Constitution. His presidency established important precedents for the executive branch and demonstrated the peaceful transfer of power in the new republic.
1791 CE - 1791 CE
Bill of Rights Ratified
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified. These amendments guaranteed fundamental individual rights and freedoms, addressing concerns about federal power and fulfilling promises made during the ratification debates.
