The American Revolution

Victory at Yorktown secures independence. Americans aspire for a more perfect union.

Washington takes command of the Continental Army. Congress declares American independence.

Washington abandons New York City and flees across New Jersey, before attacking Trenton.

Philadelphia falls, but the American victory at Saratoga allows France to enter the war.

The war drags on and moves to new theaters: at sea, in Indian Country, and in the South.

George Washington takes action when an unsigned manifesto starts circulating among his officers.

James Forten was 14 when he signed onto a privateer to fight for his country.

Mumbet, later known as Elizabeth Freeman, would help bring an end to slavery in Massachusetts.

London’s Southern strategy falls apart as Nathanael Greene takes British outposts one after another.

When Spain enters the war, the governor of Spanish Louisiana sees his chance to retake West Florida.

When it becomes clear that the British won’t win in New England, they set their sights on the South.

The economic realities of the war start to settle in for both the Americans and the British.

The Articles were weak by design and left Congress unable to pay soldiers in the Continental Army.

Artistic renderings of the Revolution often include the flag, but little is known about its origins.

Most revolutionaries were Protestants, but there were also Catholics, Jews, and Muslims.

John Peters was the most respected man in his small settlement until the First Continental Congress.

Thousands poured down the Great Wagon Road, eager to start a new life in North America’s interior.

When the British imposed new taxes, women joined the Resistance Movement by the thousands.

The American Revolution is over, and delegates convene to create a new system of government.

Outnumbered and surrounded, General Charles Cornwallis surrenders, ending the American Revolution.

George Washington discovers that Benedict Arnold has abandoned his post and defected to the British.

Daniel Morgan leads the British into a trap, securing a crucial victory for the Patriots.

The American Revolution is not just the start of a nation, but an event that will change the world.

The British surround and siege Charleston, South Carolina, one of the largest cities in America.

Spain joins the war, but not as an ally of American independence – as an enemy of Britain.

The Continental Army engages the British in the last major battle in the North of the Revolution.

The Continental Army threatens to unravel while suffering harsh winter conditions at Valley Forge.

The American Revolution has spilled into a global war, but the United States hangs on by a thread.

The British seize Philadelphia, but Washington plans to retake the city at the Battle of Germantown.

After days of fighting at Saratoga, Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates secure a Patriot victory.

General Horatio Gates' force clashes with the British, beginning the Battle of Saratoga.

The Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee choose opposing sides at the Battle of Oriskany.

Washington uses bonuses and drafts to encourage Americans to join the Continental Army.

Washington devises a bold plan to cross the Delaware River and attack Trenton on Christmas night.

Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold rush to stop the British sailing down Lake Champlain.

General Clinton ambushes George Washington in the largest battle of the American Revolution.

The Continental Congress meets to debate and adopt the Articles of Confederation.

Cherokee chief Tsi'yu-gunsini, Dragging Canoe in English, fights against Patriot settlers.

The British assault Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill near Boston in the bloodiest battle of the war.

George Washington assumes command of the Continental Army and must turn it into a unified force.

"Common Sense" awakens the American colonies to the idea of true independence.

Benedict Arnold's army braves the fierce winter to attack Quebec City in Canada.

Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence and proclaims all men are created equal.

Royal governor Lord Dunmore offers freedom to enslaved people that fight their Patriot masters.

Henry Knox leads a daring expedition to deliver artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston.

Tensions erupt as colonists confront the British Army at Lexington and Concord, beginning the war.

Bostonians protest the newly passed Tea Act by dumping 46 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor.

The revolutionary ideals of liberty spread across the colonies while many suffer from enslavement.

The Stamp Act and taxes on American colonists lead to unrest and threaten to cause a revolution.

A bloody clash between Bostonians and the British army leaves five dead in the Boston Massacre.

The American Revolution will be a war that will pit brother against brother – and birth a nation.

Extolling Washington's qualities in leadership, command and mental faculties.

With Washington commanding less than 3,000, the winter of 1777 became a fight over supplies.

Historian Stephen Conway on the psychological impact of Saratoga on the British.

Filmmakers discuss how they used stories of both well-known and lesser known figures.

The filmmakers on how they tapped a broad range of influences to recreate the music of the era.

The filmmakers on how understanding the people of the Revolution can help us understand who we are.

Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt on the challenges of telling America's origin story.

The filmmakers discuss how they crafted imagery to help tell the story of the American Revolution.

The filmmakers discuss how the story of The American Revolution came together.