- The American Revolution was a struggle between 13 American colonies and Great Britain.
- The American colonies wished to attain independence and create a new sovereign nation – the United States.
- The American Revolutionary War lasted for eight years – between April 1775 to September 1783.
- The American colonists supporting independence were named Patriots.
- The American army was known as the Continental Army after the Continental Congress of 13 states.
- The 13 colonies were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.
- Colonists remaining loyal to the British crown were known as ‘loyalists’.
- British soldiers were known as ‘redcoats’ or ‘devils.’
- During the war, the majority of people living in the American colonies were ‘fence sitters’ not taking either side.
- The American Commander in Chief was George Washington.
- The British military commander at the start of Revolution was Sir William Howe, though he was later replaced due to failures in the British war effort.
- King George III led British resistance to American independence. The British Prime Minister was Lord North (a Tory)
- Not all British MPs supported military action against the American Patriots. The ‘Whig’ faction, e.g. Edmund Burke criticised military action to resolve the issue.
- During the war, African-American slaves served on both sides of the war. The British offered freedom to slaves who escaped their masters and served with loyalist forces. After 1776, George Washington raised a small number of black only units.
- During the chaos of war, many slaves were able to escape. In South Carolina, 30% of slaves escaped, migrated or died during the conflict.
- Approx 25,000 American Patriots died during military service – the biggest cause of death was disease – often in unsanitary prisoner of warships.
- Compared to the ratio of the population, The War of Independence was the second-deadliest American conflict after the Civil War.
- In 1776, the population of the 13 American colonies was estimated at 2.4 million. 85% of the white population was of British descent, with 9% of German origin and 4% Dutch.
- Approx 42,000 British sailors deserted in the war. American colonies also had difficulties raising troops due to the economic need to stay on a farm. 90% of the American population worked on farms.
- The British army was weakened by needing to also fight in the Caribbean.
