Covers the two decades in the mid-18th century that determined the destiny of North America. Relates how the Seven Year's War between France and England began as a clash between les Canadiens and land-hungry American settlers in the Ohio Valley and escalated into a world war that engulfed the continent. Depicts the naval invasion of Louisbourg, and recounts General James Wolfe's siege of Quebec and the battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Covers the aftermath of that battle and the changing fortunes of the different forces up to the end of the war in 1763, when 70,000 French colonists came under British rule, setting in motion the ever-evolving French-English dynamic in CanadaThe American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the American War of Independence,[N 1] or simply the Revolutionary War in the United States, was the revolt against Great Britain by the thirteen American colonies which founded the United States of America.[N 2] Originally limited to the colonies, French and Spanish intervention would spread the fighting to Europe, the Caribbean, and the East Indies as well. The war had its origins in the resistance of many Americans to taxes imposed by the British parliament, which they held to be unlawful. Formal acts of rebellion against British authority began in 1774 when the Patriot Suffolk Resolves ousted the royal government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The tensions caused by this would lead to the outbreak of fighting between Patriot militia and British regulars at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. By spring 1776 the Patriots had full control in all thirteen colonies and on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared their independence. The British were meanwhile mustering large forces to put down the revolt. They inflicted significant defeats on the American rebel army, now under the command of George Washington, capturing New York City in 1776 and later Philadelphia in 1777. But they did not land a finishing blow against Washington's forces. British strategy relied on mobilizing American Loyalist militia, of whom they made little effort to enlist until late in the war.[14] Poor coordination helped doom a British advance against Albany in 1777, which resulted in the capture of a British army following the Battles of Saratoga. France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had been secretly providing supplies, ammunition and weapons to the revolutionaries starting early in 1776. The American victory at Saratoga persuaded Britain to offer full self governance to the colonies, but France entered the war to prevent the Americans from accepting a compromise peace.[15][16] They were followed by their ally Spain in 1779. The participation of France and Spain was decisive[17] as they contributed crucial land and sea power to the American cause and diverted British resources away from North America. After 1778 the British shifted their attention to the southern colonies, successfully recapturing Georgia and South Carolina for the Crown in 1779 and 1780. In 1781 British forces attempted to subjugate Virginia, but a French naval victory just outside Chesapeake Bay led to a Franco-American siege at Yorktown and the capture of over 7,000 British soldiers. The defeat broke Britain's will to continue the war. Limited fighting continued throughout 1782, while peace negotiations began. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris ended the war and recognized the sovereignty of the United States over the territory bounded roughly by what is now Canada to the north, Florida to the south, and the Mississippi River to the west.[18][19] A wider international peace was agreed, in which several territories were exchanged. The expensive war drove France into massive debt, which would contribute to the outbreak of the French Revolution.[20]

• published: 13 Oct 2014
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