1773 — Boston Tea Party: Protesters dumped tea into Boston Harbor to oppose British taxation.

1774 — First Continental Congress: Delegates from twelve colonies met to coordinate a response to British policies.

April 1775 — Lexington and Concord: Fighting between colonial militia and British troops began the Revolutionary War.

June 1775 — George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army.

July 1776 — The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Britain. Supporters of American independence were called Patriots.

December 1776 — Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River and surprised Hessian forces at Trenton.

October 1781 — British General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown after American and French forces surrounded his army.

September 1783 — The Treaty of Paris formally ended the war and recognized the independence of the United States.