American Revolutionary War

What happened

American colonies rebelled (1775) against British taxation and imperial control. Early battles at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill showed Americans could fight professionally. Washington's Continental Army endured starvation, disease, and defeats for eight years. French intervention (1778) provided military and financial support. Key victories: Saratoga (1777) convinced France to join; Yorktown (1781) broke British resolve. British surrendered; independence was recognized (1783). Roughly 25,000 Americans and 24,000 British soldiers died; civilians suffered war's ravages.

Why it mattered

The American Revolution inaugurated the democratic age and inspired global republican movements. The Declaration of Independence's natural rights philosophy shaped modern political thought. The Constitution (1787) pioneered federalism and checks-and-balances later adopted globally. American independence fragmented the British Empire's control and shifted power toward a new republic. The Revolution's success seemed to prove that democratic self-governance was viable—a profound ideological victory. However, slavery persisted, limiting democracy's original scope.