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On April 18, 1775, British soldiers attempted to seize weapons in Concord, leading to the first battles of the American War of Independence after Minutemen confronted them in Lexington. The conflict escalated, resulting in the formation of the Second Continental Congress, which declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776, and secured French support after a pivotal victory at Saratoga in 1777. The war concluded with the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783 recognized the United States as an independent nation.

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On April 18, 1775, British soldiers attempted to seize weapons in Concord, leading to the first battles of the American War of Independence after Minutemen confronted them in Lexington. The conflict escalated, resulting in the formation of the Second Continental Congress, which declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776, and secured French support after a pivotal victory at Saratoga in 1777. The war concluded with the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783 recognized the United States as an independent nation.

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nouha.labandji
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On the night of April 18, 1775, about 700 British soldiers left Boston to seize weapons stored

by colonists in Concord. However, the colonists were warned by signal lights from a church
in Boston and riders like Paul Revere and William Dawes, who spread the alarm. In
Lexington, British troops met about 70 colonial Minutemen, part-time soldiers ready to fight
at a minute’s notice. A shot was fired (by an unknown person), and fighting began. Eight
Minutemen were killed, marking the start of the American War of Independence.

The British continued to Concord, destroyed some supplies, but on their return they were
attacked by hundreds of Minutemen hiding along the roads. About 273 British soldiers were
killed or wounded before they reached Boston, where American forces surrounded the city.

In May 1775, the Second Continental Congress met and began acting as a national
government. It created an army of 17,000 men under George Washington and sought help
from foreign allies, especially France.

By July 1776, the Congress officially broke from Britain. On July 2, it declared
independence, and on July 4, it issued the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas
Jefferson. It stated that the colonies were now the United States of America. John Hancock
famously signed it boldly, saying King George could read it without glasses. The document
also stated key ideas: all people have natural rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness,” and governments only have power with the consent of the governed. These
ideas were influenced by John Locke.

At first, the Americans struggled in the war. Their army was poorly trained and often
disorganized. The British captured New York in 1776, and Washington feared defeat.

The situation changed in October 1777, when the Americans won a major victory at
Saratoga, capturing nearly 6,000 British troops. This victory convinced France to support
the Americans. In 1778, France formally allied with the United States, providing soldiers,
money, and ships.

From 1778, most fighting moved to the southern colonies. The war ended in October 1781,
when Washington and French forces trapped General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.
Surrounded and blocked by French ships, Cornwallis surrendered.

After this defeat, Britain began peace talks. In the Treaty of Paris (1783), Britain officially
recognized the United States as an independent country, with territory stretching from the
Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River, and from Canada to Florida.

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