The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was fought between the American colonies and the British Empire. The American patriots, led by figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, believed in their right to self-governance and were fighting against the unjust taxation and infringement of their rights by the British government. The British saw the conflict as an act of rebellion and sought to maintain their control over the colonies. The war resulted in the independence of the United States and the formation of a new government.

The war had an international aspect in that France, in 1778, and Spain, in 1779, joined forces with the colonies against Britain. Separately, the Netherlands recognised the formation of the United States and provided financial support. Meanwhile, the British Empire purchased troops from German princes as its army was lacking. Towards the end of the war, most battles took place in the South. In of 1781, the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, was the last major land battle. French and American forces trapped General Cornwallis, who surrendered on 19 October, marking the end of the war. When a peace treaty was signed on 3 September 1783, in Paris, Britain agreed that the United States was an independent country.