: Primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
: The Intolerable Acts (1774) , designed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party , led to the formation of the First Continental Congress .
: High-ranking American general who famously defected to the British in 1780. Global Legacy
Harsh winter quarters where the army was drilled into a professional force. Siege of Yorktown
: The British monarch whose policies the colonists resisted.
: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and later the first U.S. President.
Adopted on July 4; formally broke ties with the British Crown. Battle of Saratoga
The war grew from more than a decade of tension over British attempts to assert greater control after years of "salutary neglect". Key drivers included:

