Facts About How the Revolutionary War Started

The Revolutionary War took place between 1775 and 1783 and ended with American independence from the United Kingdom. The war was initially caused by American resentment of the taxes imposed by the British government.

Taxes and Tea

• Because they resented the taxes imposed on them by the British government, a group of tea merchants destroyed a consignment of tea that landed at Boston in December 1773 as a protest against the British taxation policy, an event that became known as the Boston Tea Party.

Laws and Rights

• The British government responded by passing several harsh laws restricting trade and movement in the colonies and particularly in Boston. The situation escalated when a group of colonists held the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia in September 1774 to write a Declaration of Rights for those living in the colonies.

First Combat

• The first battle between British soldiers and the colonists took place on April 19, 1775, when the two clashed in Middlesex County near Boston. These clashes are known today as the battles of Lexington and Concord.