Read: A Message from Boston

It is the spring of 1775. Thirteen British colonies lie along the Atlantic coast of North America. In Boston, a port city in the Massachusetts colony, people are arguing about who should make the rules. For years, the British government has collected taxes from the colonies. Colonists pay taxes on items such as tea and printed paper. Many object because they have no elected representatives in the British Parliament, the lawmaking body that approves the taxes. “No taxation without representation” becomes a popular protest phrase. Other colonists remain loyal to Britain and believe that breaking away would be dangerous. In December 1773, colonists protesting the tea tax boarded ships in Boston Harbor and dumped chests of tea into the water. This event became known as the Boston Tea Party. Britain responded with strict measures, and disagreements deepened. Some colonists still hoped that petitions and discussion could repair the relationship. In April 1775, British troops and colonial militia fought at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The battles began the Revolutionary War. In July 1776, representatives of the colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing that the colonies would become independent states. The war continued for years. France later helped the American side, and in 1783 Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation. The Revolution did not mean that everyone in the colonies experienced freedom in the same way. Enslaved people remained enslaved, and women could not vote. The new nation’s promises and its limits would continue to be debated.