The American Revolution

The Boston Massacre

British soldiers fire into a Boston crowd, killing five. Patriot propagandists turn the deaths into a rallying symbol of imperial tyranny.

The Boston Tea Party

Colonists disguised as Mohawks dump chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act; Britain retaliates with the punitive Coercive Acts.

Lexington and Concord

British troops and colonial militia clash at Lexington and Concord — 'the shot heard round the world' — igniting the War of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence

The Continental Congress adopts Thomas Jefferson's Declaration, proclaiming that all men are created equal and that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.

The Declaration's ideals of liberty and equality inspired revolutions worldwide, even as they stood in stark contradiction to the enslavement of hundreds of thousands within the new nation.

Victory at Saratoga

The American triumph at Saratoga persuades France to enter the war as an ally, transforming a colonial rebellion into a global conflict Britain could not easily win.

Surrender at Yorktown

Trapped by Washington's army and the French fleet, General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, effectively ending major fighting in the war.

Treaty of Paris recognizes independence

Britain recognizes the independence of the United States and cedes territory east of the Mississippi, giving the young nation room to grow.

The Constitutional Convention

Delegates in Philadelphia replace the weak Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution, creating a federal government with balanced legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Washington becomes first president

George Washington is unanimously chosen as the first president; two years later the Bill of Rights guarantees fundamental freedoms and sets a template for constitutional government.