By: Abreham Debele

The American Revolution was a war that was between the 13 American Colonies and the Great British Army. The colonists were angered with the fact that Great Britain kept making them pay taxes, even though they had no representation in the British government. Because of these unfair rules and regulations, the colonists started protesting. Over time, these arguments and disagreements grew more tense and led to serious conflict between the two armies. This led to a war that would rage on from 1775 to 1783.

In 1775, the war would have officially begun, and the colonies formed their own army calling it the Continental Army. It was led by its commander-in-chief George Washington. The first battles took place at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. At Lexington, the colonists were sadly outnumbered and had to retreat. However, at Concord, the colonists fought back and eventually forced the British troops to retreat back to Boston.

The colonists mostly wanted independence so they could govern its own land. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed and adopted mostly by Thomas Jefferson. This document was created so people understood their reasonings for retaliating against the British army and gave everyone basic rights.

The war lasted several gruesome years and was difficult for the colonists. Throughout the war, the colonists dealt with many diseases such as smallpox, malaria, and pneumonia. This ultimately happened because the conditions throughout the war were very poor and soldiers often didn’t possess clean water, food, or proper shelter.

During the war, the colonists received important aid from France, who gave them aid such as money, soldiers, and ships. These supplies were very beneficial because it benefited them during the final battle at Yorktown.

The war eventually ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. This agreement recognized the United States as its own independent country and gave them the ability to form its own government.