FIGHTING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

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7

FIGHTING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1775–1783

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> How were the North American colonists able to successfully gain their independence from Great Britain in 1783?

Chapter 7 follows the course of the American Revolution from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the Treaty of Paris in 1783. It examines the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the military strategies of both sides, the experience of war on the home front, the role of Native Americans and the French, and the ultimate defeat of the British against seemingly improbable odds.

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Figure false: Grosvenor and Salem, 1775. Lieutenant Thomas Grosvenor (1744–1825) and his servant Peter Salem at the Battle of Bunker Hill, 17 June 1775. Detail of an oil painting on canvas, 1786, by John Trumbull. The Granger Collection.

> Why did Americans wait so long before they declared their independence?

> What initial challenges did the opposing armies face?

> What role did the home front play in the war?

> How were Native Americans and the French involved in the war?

> Why did the British southern strategy ultimately fail?

> Conclusion: Why did the British lose the American Revolution?