America typically celebrates the 4th of July as a unifying victory for the country, but the road to independence was more divisive and challenging than many may realize. The American Revolutionary War, fought between 1775 and 1783, was a pivotal moment in history that shaped the nation we know today.
To believe that “people will not fight for abstractions” is to forget what makes America special. The colonists were driven by a deep desire for liberty, democracy, and self-governance, ideals that were worth fighting and sacrificing for.
Death tolls in the American Revolution weren't as high as in other wars, but the losses were significant for the population of the 13 colonies. Families were torn apart, communities devastated, and lives forever changed by the conflict.
Final Jeopardy category: the American Revolutionary War. The answer is: The last battle of America's war of independence was fought on this... (Answer: Yorktown, Virginia)
A new Smithsonian exhibition examines the global context that bolstered the colonists' fight for independence. The support and alliances they formed with other nations played a crucial role in their ultimate victory against the British.
An insurgency as a struggle for control and influence, generally from a position of relative weakness, outside existing state institutions. The American colonists, facing the might of the British Empire, embarked on a daring insurgency that defied all odds.
As war with Britain broke out in the spring of 1775, however, Massachusetts patriots needed every man they could get, and a number of black soldiers and sailors joined the fight for independence. Their contributions and sacrifices have often been overlooked in history.
Washington was the “indispensable man.” Supposedly, he was the individual central to American victory in the struggle for independence and without whom the outcome may have been very different. His leadership and strategic brilliance were instrumental in guiding the colonies to freedom.
The first generation of United States Marshals appointed by Washington proved their commitment to the new nation in time of war. They played a crucial role in maintaining law and order, protecting the fledgling government, and upholding the ideals of the revolution.
