Revolutionary War — American

: 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 american revolutionary war

Harsh winter quarters where the army was drilled into a professional force. Siege of Yorktown

: The British monarch whose policies the colonists resisted. : Primary author of the Declaration of Independence

: 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 Global Legacy Harsh winter quarters where the army

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: