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American Revolution
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The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
The word semiquincentennial appears in white text on a blue background.
Timeline of the American Revolution
Find out how the 13 American colonies gained their political independence from Great Britain
What was the Boston Tea Party?
British ships in Boston Harbor portrait of Thomas Gage by John Singleton Copley Paul Revere's ride
The video thumbnail image shows the silhouette of a colonial man riding a horse in the early morning.
Battles of Lexington and Concord
For Students
Emanuel Leutze: Washington Crossing the Delaware
Key Facts of the American Revolution
Stamp Act
American Revolution Timeline
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Quizzes
American Colonial Flag, popularly attributed to Betsy Ross, was designed during the American Revolutionary War features 13 stars to represent the original 13 colonies.
Facts You Should Know: American Revolution
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Betsy Ross Flag. United states
The American Revolution
D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.
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Parsons Weems' Fable, oil on canvas by Grant Wood, 1939; in the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Catalog entry: The historian Mason Locke Weems, commonly known by his clerical title, Parson Weems, pulls back a curtain to point at 6-year-old George Washington. Bearing an adult head and holding an axe, George gazes blankly up at his father, Augustine, who questions his son while holding a partially cut cherry tree. All of this takes place in front of a 20th-century brick building, which Wood modeled after his own home in Iowa. The scene illustrates the fable of Washington and the cherry tree, which Weems invented in 1806 for the first president's biography. Wood playfully suggests the artifice of the tale here, presenting the story in the manner of a costumed stage play rather than a real event. Amid the action, two Black figures pick cherries in the background, a reference to Washington' slaveholding past and a reminder of of what often gets left out in historical mythmaking.
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American Revolution: Facts & Related Content

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News •

George Washington Revolutionary War letter up for sale on Presidents Day • Feb. 18, 2025, 1:05 AM ET (The Hill)

Facts

Also Known As American Revolutionary War • War of Independence • United States War of Independence
Date 1775 - September 3, 1783
Location United States
Participants Dutch Republic • France • loyalist • Spain • United Kingdom • United States • American colonies

Did You Know?

  • The American Revolution was the United States' longest military conflict before the Vietnam War.
  • Charles Cornwallis did not himself surrender at Yorktown; rather, claiming illness, he sent his deputy, Charles O'Hara.
  • Roughly 5,000 members of the Continental Army, 5 percent of the total number, were black.

Photos and Videos

The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
British ships in Boston Harbor
portrait of Thomas Gage by John Singleton Copley
Paul Revere's ride
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battle of Lexington
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
George Washington
Ethan Allen
The word semiquincentennial appears in white text on a blue background.
Find out how the 13 American colonies gained their political independence from Great Britain
What was the Boston Tea Party?
The video thumbnail image shows the silhouette of a colonial man riding a horse in the early morning.
The video thumbnail image shows a historical painting of George Washington and Revolutionary troops in the winter.
See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
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Key People

McCrea, Jane
Jane McCrea
North American colonist
George Washington
George Washington
president of United States
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
president of United States
Bernardo de Gálvez
Spanish colonial administrator
Laurens, John; Hamilton, Alexander
John Laurens
American army officer
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
American author, scientist, and statesman
Gilbert Stuart: portrait of John Adams
John Adams
president of United States
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
United States statesman
George III
George III
king of Great Britain
James Monroe
James Monroe
president of United States
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
British-American author
Tadeusz Kościuszko
Tadeusz Kościuszko
Polish general and statesman
The Marquis de Lafayette
Marquis de Lafayette
French noble
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
American politician
Charles III
Charles III
king of Spain
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry
American statesman
Alexander McGillivray
Creek chief
John Singleton Copley: painting of Paul Revere
Paul Revere
United States military officer and silversmith
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
American general
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis
British general and statesman

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
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