Crash Course: American Revolution — History & Culture

Editorial package on the History & Culture page of nationalgeographic.com

Stories: Road to Rebellion — Lesson 1: The seeds of the American Revolution were sown decades before the first shots were fired or quills set to parchment. But every lesson must begin somewhere, and so we begin with a young officer whose first disastrous foray kicked off a war. It was a war that initially brought the Colonies a; The Colonies Come Together — Lesson 2: Outraged by the Intolerable Acts, the Colonies decided to meet in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774, for the first Continental Congress. The crown’s harsh laws had backfired, reminding colonists that they were at the mercy of the whims of King George and his Parliament.; Fighting for Independence — Lesson 3: They fired muskets. They built redoubts. In 1775 the once disparate colonies took up arms against British domination.; Washington’s Trials — Lesson 4: Defeated in New York and pursued by redcoats, a beleaguered continental army triumphed at Trenton—and revived the revolutionary cause.; Turning the Tides — Lesson 5: A decisive American victory at Saratoga persuaded Britain’s old enemy France to enter the war on the revolutionary side.; Victory, At Last — Lesson 6: From the battle of Monmouth to Britain’s surrender at Yorktown, Americans overcame tremendous odds to win their independence.