#american_history 

## The prelude
In **1754-1763**, Britain fought with France in the **French and Indian War**, which was ended by the **Treaty of Paris**. This left Britain in a state of economic recession, so in order to refill the treasure, King George III levied heavy taxes on the colonists, for example: ^d10f4a
- The Sugar Act (1764) - duties on foreign sugar, textiles, coffee, indigo, rum and so on
- The Stamp Act
- the tea tax

## The Revolutionary War
Widespread discontent among the [[British Colonies in America|colonists]] culminated in the **Boston Tea Party** of 1773, when a group of men disguised as Mohawk Indians and led by **Samuel Adams**, brother of the president [[John Adams]], dumped three British ships' tea cargo.
The Revolution began on **April 19, 1775**, a day after the British General Cage sent a thousand troops to seize suspected supplies of guns and ammunition at Concord, however, at Lexington they met the Minutemen - who were called so because they could be ready to fight in a minute - and a standoff ensued.
On July 4, 1776, the **Continental Congress** issued the **Declaration of Independence**, formally starting the Revolutionary War.
The war lasted six years, until **1781**, when combined forces of American and French troops laid siege to the British Army at **Yorktown**, forcing the latter to surrender.

## The Aftermath
In Feb 1787, the Congress summoned each state's delegates to create the Constitution, written by **[[James Madison]]** and the others, which went into effect in March 1789. 
In 1791 ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were added to the Constitution.
In 1789 [[George Washington]] was elected as the first President of the United States. He served two terms.