A political movement that began as reform and became a fight for independence (1765–1783).
Historians are re-evaluating the widely taught image of George III as a tyrant, arguing that the American Revolution narrative has been shaped by wartime propaganda and that he was not mentally ill during the period. The new view emphasizes Parliament's role and the limits of royal authority within a constitutional framework.
Archaeologists guided by a 1775 map have uncovered a defensive trench and artifacts dating to the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston. Musket balls, gun flints, teacups and other items reveal how the fortifications were built and used, with no human remains found so far. The dig continues through the Fourth of July.
A volunteer at the UK National Archives has uncovered a vanishingly rare Exeter printing of the Declaration of Independence, printed in New Hampshire in July 1776. It is one of 11 surviving copies and the only one known outside the United States. The discovery helps trace how news of independence spread as the young nation fought for autonomy.
France has played a decisive but often overlooked role in the American Revolution, with Louis XVI’s government increasingly supporting the insurgents. France recognises American independence in 1777 and signs treaties in 1778, turning a colonial rebellion into an international conflict between rival powers.