✦ History

American Revolutionary War

April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783 · Philadelphia, Yorktown

Result American and allied victory

19 April 1775-3 September 1783 war in which American Patriot forces, the Continental Army under George Washington, defeated the British Army. Fought in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic, its decisive moment came with Washington's 1781 victory at Yorktown. The 1783 Treaty of Paris acknowledged the independence of the Thirteen Colonies, creating an independent United States.

On the map Overview Contemporaries

American

British

French

Spanish

Dutch

Other

United States The thirteen colonies
Great Britain Kingdom of Great Britain
Muscogee Confederacy
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel
Province of Quebec
Electorate of Hanover
Cherokee
Shawnee
France Joined the war in 1778
Spain Fought Britain from 1779 as an ally of France
Dutch Republic
James Monroe John Adams Diplomat, Negotiated the Treaty of Paris Thomas Jefferson Governor of Virginia, Drafted the Declaration of Independence George Washington Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army Alexander Hamilton Benjamin Franklin Minister to France, Secured the French alliance; negotiated the Treaty of Paris Marquis de Lafayette Major General, French volunteer in the Continental Army; served at Yorktown Peyton Randolph belligerent leader
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Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Major General, Inspector General of the Continental Army; trained the troops at Valley Forge Horatio Gates Major General, Won at Saratoga; defeated at Camden
Thomas Gage William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe Charles Cornwallis Lieutenant General, Surrendered at Yorktown, October 1781 George III King of Great Britain, British head of state through the war Henry Clinton General, Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America, 1778-1782 John Burgoyne General, Surrendered at Saratoga, October 1777 Frederick North, Lord North Prime Minister William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne belligerent leader
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George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville Secretary of State for the Colonies, Directed British strategy in America
Comte de Rochambeau Lieutenant General, commander of the French expeditionary force in America Comte de Grasse Lieutenant General of the Naval Armies, commanded the French fleet operating in American waters Louis XVI King of France, Allied France with the United States in 1778

Strength and losses

Killed
6,800
Wounded
6,100–8,500
Captured
11,500

United States Strength c. 217,000 · Killed 4,435 · Wounded 6,188

Units

Continental Army Aaron Burr Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Ogden Abraham Buford Alexander Hamilton General Alexander McDougall Major General Anthony Wayne Artemas Ward Major General Arthur St. Clair Benjamin Lincoln Major General Casimir Pulaski General Christopher Greene Colonel Daniel Morgan General Edward Hand George Clinton George Mathews Green Clay Henry Dearborn General Henry Knox Major General Henry Lee III Horatio Gates Hugh Mercer Brigadier General Israel Putnam General James Clinton Major General James McHenry James Monroe Major James Wilkinson James Winchester James Wood Jean François Hamtramck Colonel Johann de Kalb Major General John Armstrong Jr. General John Brooks Colonel John Francis Mercer Colonel John Glover John Hardin Colonel John Hoskins Stone John Marshall John Stark Major General John Sullivan Major General John Thomas Major General Joseph Bloomfield Joseph Warren Major General Josiah Harmar Josiah Tattnall (politician) Lachlan McIntosh Brigadier General Levin Winder Marquis de Lafayette Morgan Lewis Nathan Hale Colonel Nathanael Greene Major General Peleg Wadsworth General Peter Gansevoort Major General Philip Schuyler General Pierse Long Colonel Richard Butler Robert Magaw Colonel Samuel Smith Seth Warner Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko Lieutenant General Thomas Knowlton Timothy Pickering General William Barton William Bradford William Darke William Eaton General William Maxwell Brigadier General William Moultrie Major General William Prescott Colonel William Sanford Pennington Major William Whipple William Woodford Brigadier General Benedict Arnold 1775–1780 Charles Lee 1775–1780 George Washington 1775–1783 James Moore Brigadier General · 1775–1777 Richard Montgomery 1775 William Alexander 1775–present Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben 1778–1783 Northern Army (Continental Army) Arnold's Expedition to Quebec Arnold's Lake Champlain flotilla Southern Army (Continental Army) Morgan's flying army 14th Continental Regiment 1st Maryland Regiment Also under Southern Army (Continental Army) and Morgan's flying army
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1st Rhode Island Regiment Lee's Legion Also under Southern Army (Continental Army) United States Army Corps of Engineers Green Mountain Boys Continental Navy Dudley Saltonstall Commodore Esek Hopkins Commodore John Paul Jones Bonhomme Richard Penobscot Expedition fleet
British main army in North America Rall's Hessian brigade British southern army (Clinton and Cornwallis) British Legion (Tarleton) Burgoyne's army Baum's detachment Royal Marines Charles Mitchell Charles Townshend George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe James Dutton Jeremy Moore Major-general John Maitland John Pitcairn Julian Thompson Keith Mills Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey Prince Philip Robert Sturges Thomas Davey 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot
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65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot Royal Navy Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan Admiral Alexander Cochrane Admiral Alexander Ramsay (Royal Navy officer) Admiral Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope Admiral Andrew Mitchell Admiral Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Vice Admiral Archibald Cochrane Captain Arthur Salter, 1st Baron Salter Arthur Wakefield Bertram Home Ramsay Admiral Brian Young Cecil Burney Admiral of the Fleet Charles Cornewall Vice Admiral Charles III Charles Mitchell Charles Napier Vice-Admiral of the Blue Chris Wreford-Brown Captain Christopher Cradock Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood Vice Admiral David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven Lieutenant Dudley Pound Admiral of the Fleet Edmund Moubray Lyons Captain Edward Boscawen Admiral Edward Cooke Post-captain Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hobart Seymour Admiral of the Fleet Edward Neville Syfret Admiral Edward Vernon Admiral of the White George Anson, 1st Baron Anson Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney Admiral George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington Admiral George Collier Vice Admiral George Downie Captain George Elphinstone Admiral George Johnstone George Lambert Admiral George Montagu Admiral George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven Captain George Pocock Admiral George Rooke Admiral of the Fleet George V George VI Harold Burrough Admiral Harry Rawson Admiral Henry Harvey Vice Admiral Henry Leach Admiral of the Fleet Henry Mowat Home Riggs Popham Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson Vice Admiral Hyde Parker Admiral James Callaghan Lieutenant James Dutton James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier Admiral of the Fleet James Lucas Yeo Post-captain James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez Admiral James Somerville Admiral James Wallace Admiral John Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent Admiral John Leach Captain John Pitcairn John de Robeck Admiral Josiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood Josias Rowley Admiral Julian Thompson Keith Mills Lancelot Holland Admiral Lloyd Mathews Lord Mountbatten Admiral of the Fleet Manley Dixon Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot Admiral Michael Clapp Commodore Nigel Lawson Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma Sub-lieutenant Peter Warren Vice Admiral Philip Broke Rear Admiral Prince Andrew Romanoff Seaman Prince George, Duke of Kent Prince Louis of Battenberg Admiral of the Fleet Prince Michael of Kent Prince Nicholas of Romania Admiral Prince Rupert of the Rhine General Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark Ralph Kerr Captain Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe Admiral of the Fleet Richard Lestock Admiral Richard Pearson Richard Saunders Dundas Captain Robert Blake Admiral Robert Burnett Admiral Robert Heriot Barclay Commander Robert St Vincent Sherbrooke Rear Admiral Robert Sturges Roger Curtis Vice Admiral Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes Admiral of the Fleet Rosslyn Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss Admiral of the Fleet Samuel Barrington Admiral Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood Admiral Samuel Inglefield Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward Admiral Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet Vice Admiral Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st Baronet Rear Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet Vice Admiral Sir John Duckworth, 1st Baronet Admiral Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet Admiral of the Fleet Sir Richard Strachan, 6th Baronet Admiral Sir Robert Kingsmill, 1st Baronet Admiral Sir Samuel Cornish, 1st Baronet Vice Admiral Sir William Howe Mulcaster Corvette Captain Thomas Davey Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves Admiral Thomas Mathews Admiral Timothy Laurence Vice Admiral W. A. G. Young William Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork Admiral of the Fleet William Brown William Hobson Commander William IV Admiral of the Fleet William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock Admiral William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate William, Prince of Wales John Byron Vice Admiral · 1731–present Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth Vice Admiral · 1771–present Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet Admiral · 1771–1799 Sidney Smith Admiral of the Red · 1777–present Thomas Cochrane Admiral of the Red · 1780–present Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet Admiral of the Fleet · 1781–present Royal Navy North American fleet British Lake Champlain squadron Parker's squadron HMS Serapis
Expédition Particulière French Army Abel Douay Divisional General Adolphe Guillaumat General of the Army Adrien Maurice de Noailles, 3rd Duke of Noailles Marshal of France Aimable Pélissier Marshal of France Anne of Romania Lieutenant Antoine Chanzy General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot Divisional General Bernard Janvier Army General Burkhard Christoph von Münnich General Field Marshal Chadli Bendjedid Colonel Charles Auguste Frossard General Charles Denis Bourbaki Divisional General Charles François Dumouriez General Officer Appointed In Emigration Charles II d'Amboise Admiral Charles Leclerc Major General Charles Mast Divisional General Charles-Théodore Millot General Christian de Castries Brigadier General Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser Field Marshal Daniel Liénard de Beaujeu Donatien de Rochambeau General Ferdinand Foch Marshal of Poland Fernand de Langle de Cary General François Achille Bazaine General François Certain de Canrobert Marshal of France François Christophe de Kellermann General François Gaston de Lévis Marshal of France François-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery Colonel Frederick Townsend Ward Brigadier General Gabriel Ramanantsoa Divisional General Georges Blanchard Army General Georges Catroux Army General Henri Dentz General Henri Giraud General Henri Gouraud General Henri Navarre Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud Marshal of France Jacques Massu General James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick Jean Baptiste Kléber General Jean Boudet Divisional General Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau Major General Jean François Carteaux Divisional General Jean-Jacques Uhrich General Jean-Joseph Farre Divisional General Jean-Marie Degoutte General Jean-Étienne Valluy General Joseph Gallieni General Joseph Joffre General Joseph Souham Divisional General Joseph Vinoy Divisional General Jules Gaucher Lieutenant Colonel Kléber Dadjo Lansana Conté General Louis Brière de l'Isle General Louis Charles Armand Fouquet, Chevalier de Belle-Isle Lieutenant General Louis Charles César Le Tellier, Duke of Estrées Marshal of France Louis Faidherbe Divisional General Louis Franchet d'Espèrey Marshal of France Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme General Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines General Louis-François de Boufflers Marshal of France Louis-Gabriel Suchet Marshal of the Empire Louis-Joseph de Montcalm Lieutenant General Louis-Nicolas Davout General Marcel Carpentier Army General Marcel Maurice Bigeard Marie-Pierre Kœnig Marshal of France Marquis de Lafayette Maurice Gamelin Generalissimo Maurice Sarrail General Maxime Weygand General Michel Roquejeoffre Army General Michel-Joseph Maunoury Marshal Nguyễn Văn Thiệu Lieutenant General Noël Jourda de Vaux Marshal of France Oscar de Négrier Divisional General Paul Aussaresses Brigadier General Paul Maistre Divisional General Paul Ély Army General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque Marshal of France Pierre Bosquet Divisional General Pierre Louis Charles de Failly Divisional General Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau Colonel Prince Francis Xavier of Saxony General Raoul Salan Army General René Prioux General Robert Nivelle General Saye Zerbo Toussaint Louverture Ulrich Friedrich Woldemar von Löwendal General Yves Godard Colonel Élie Frédéric Forey Marshal of France Émile Fayolle General Étienne Jacques Joseph Alexandre Macdonald Marshal of France French Navy Alexandre Ferdinand Parseval-Deschenes Vice Admiral Amédée Courbet Admiral Armand Joseph Bruat Admiral Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix Marshal of France Charles Rigault de Genouilly Admiral Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois Vice Admiral François Darlan Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers Admiral Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu Admiral Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume Vice Admiral Jean Decoux Vice Admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée Contre-amiral Jean-Marie Charles Abrial Vice Admiral Jean-Pierre Esteva Admiral Louis Adolphe Bonard Vice Admiral Marcel-Bruno Gensoul Admiral Sébastien Lespès Vice Admiral Édouard Guillaud Admiral D'Estaing's fleet De Grasse's fleet Ville de Paris French squadron at Newport
Spanish Army Alfonso Beorlegui Canet Colonel Antonio Castejón Espinosa Teniente General Antonio Cordón García General Arsenio Linares y Pombo General Bernardo de Gálvez General Carlos Asensio Cabanillas Lieutenant General Carlos Romero Giménez Colonel Diego Felípez de Guzmán, 1st Marquis of Leganés General Felipe VI of Spain Francisco García-Escámez General Francisco de Melo General Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares General Gonzalo Queipo de Llano General Hernán Cortés General Joaquín Ezpeleta Enrile Field Marshal José Carrillo de Albornoz, 1st Duke of Montemar General José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa Captain General of the Army José Miaja Lieutenant General José Moscardó Ituarte General José Sanjurjo Lieutenant General José Solchaga General José de Urrea General Juan Francisco de Bette, 3rd Marquis of Lede General Leopoldo Menéndez General Louis Des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, duc de Mahon Captain General of the Army Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquis of Estella General Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, 10th Count of Aranda Captain General of the Army Pedro de Alcántara Téllez Girón General Rafael García Valiño Teniente General Sebastián Pozas Perea General Toussaint Louverture Antonio Ricardos y Carrillo de Albornoz Captain General of the Army · 1741–1794 Francisco Javier Castaños, 1st Duke of Bailén Captain General of the Army · 1768–1852 Spanish army of Bernardo de Gálvez
111th Infantry Regiment (United States) Royal Indian Navy

Battles and events 137

Key events

1774 1 event
1775 15 events
1776 21 events
1777 23 events
1778 12 events
1779 19 events
1780 11 events
1781 18 events
1782 14 events
1783 3 events

Before and after

Followed from
Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773
Battles of Lexington and Concord April 19, 1775
Ended by
Treaty of Paris (1783) September 3, 1783
Peace of Paris (1783) September 3, 1783
Led to
Evacuation Day (New York) November 25, 1783
Constitutional Convention May 25 – September 17, 1787

Related events 1 degree away • 2 degrees away

1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
 
Boston Tea Party
 
American Revolutionary War
 
Battles of Lexington and Concord
 
Treaty of Paris (1783)
 
Peace of Paris (1783)
 
Evacuation Day (New York)
 
Constitutional Convention

Also involved 131

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