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Article: American Independence, War of (1775–1783)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
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AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, WAR OF (1775
–
1783)
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, WAR OF (1775
–
1783).
The War of American Independence began on 19 April 1775 with firefights at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. It ended on 28 June 1783, when a British force ceased operations against the French, who were aiding rebels in southern India. Barring Vietnam, it was the longest war in the history of the United States to the twenty-first century. It involved most European powers as either belligerents or watchful observers. In one way or another it touched every part of what had been British America, including not only the thirteen east coast colonies but also Canada and Native American ...