The war for independence
Preparing for War. In Massachusetts people were especially upset by the blockade of Boston Harbour. Farmers in the area began organizing to practice shooting and marching. These men were called minutemen, because they could get ready to fight at a minute's notice.
On the cold Wednesday morning of April 19, 1775, the tension which existed between the colonists and the British led to shooting. British soldiers met a group of armed colonists at Lexington. A shot was fired. That shot was the start of the War for Independence, in which a brave group of colonists fought mighty Great Britain.
In the spring of 1775 the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. They met to organize an army and navy to defend and support colonial rights.
In June 1775 the Congress appointed George Washington commander-in-chief of the colonial army. Washington left Philadelphia to take command of the army near Boston.
By the following year more and more people had come to believe that the colonies should be independent. Colonial soldiers had died fighting for colonial rights. British leaders had shown no respect for the colonists' rights.
In the spring of 1776 the Continental Congress decided to take action. Thomas Jefferson, a young Virginian, was asked to write a declaration explaining why the colonies should be free.
In the declaration Jefferson described his ideas about human rights. Jefferson said that all people had the right to life and liberty. No government could take these rights away. If the rulers tried to do so, the people had the right to choose a new government. Jefferson blamed the King for ignoring colonial laws, ruining trade and making people pay high taxes.
On July 4, 1776, the Congress adopted Jeffereon's Declaration of Independence. The colonies stated that they were no longer a part of Great Britain. A new nation was born.
Defending the nation. The war lasted six years. It was a difficult war for both sides. The British were fighting far from their homeland. Supplies had to be sent from across the ocean. Although the Americans lacked supplies and military training, they were fighting on the land which they knew well. And they were fighting to protect their newly declared independence. The Revolutionary War was fought in the farmyards, fields and forests of America. Thousands of men and women helped in the fight for independence.
Women help. Thousands of women followed their husbands and sons to army camps to help them. They marched, cooked and even fought side by side with men. One of such women was Mary Hays.
Mary Hays's husband, John, was a gunner in charge of firing a cannon. While he fought, she helped to take care of the wounded and cooked. Sometimes, in the heat of a battle, she brought cool pitchers of water to the soldiers. The soldiers called her Mary Pitcher.
During the battle of Monmouth in New Jersey John Hays was wounded. Mary Hays took her husband's place at the cannon and fought bravely.
Unlike Mary Hays, many women stayed at home. They ran family farms and businesses. While their husbands and sons were away, these women took over men's jobs and did their own work, too. In addition, some women collected money for the needs of the war.
Blacks help. Major John Pitcairn was a popular British officer. He had led British troops in many battles. He was planning to lead his soldiers into battle at Bunker Hill. But a bullet stopped him.
The bullet was Peter Salem's. Peter Salem, a black man, had already fought at Lexington. Then he became one of 21 blacks who joined with whites to fight at Bunker Hill. Peter Salem and two other blacks, Cuff Whitemore and Salem Poor, were honoured for bravery in that battle.
During the
Revolution some blacks formed their own military units. One Rhode
Island unit was made up of 125 blacks. These soldiers fought in the
battle of Rhode Island, where their unit did not give up any ground
to the British. Later, one leader called 
the
battle of Rhode Island "the best fought action of the war."
Help from overseas. Many people in Europe admired the colonies' fight for freedom. Some Europeans even came to America to help in the fighting.
The Marquis de Lafayette was a 20-year-old French nobleman and military officer. Lafayette hired soldiers and a ship and sailed to America. When he arrived, he offered his services to Congress. Congress made Lafayette a major general, and George Washington asked him to serve on his staff. The young officer and Washington soon became close friends.
Lafayette served bravely in the war. At one battle he was wounded. In the final battle at York-town he helped to defeat the British.
Baron Friedrich von Steuben was a German officer who came to help the Americans. Von Steuben was good at training soldiers. In winter at Valley Forge5 he helped to train American soldiers to be bet-The Marquis de Lafayette the fighters.
The War ends. On October 19, 1781, the war was over with the victory of the Americans.
In 1783 the British and Americans met in Paris and signed a treaty. In the Treaty of Paris Great Britain agreed to recognize the independence of the United States. The Americans had won their revolution.