American War of Independence

The American War of Independence and the Boston Tea Party

Every year on 4th July, Americans celebrate the birth of their nation: Independence Day, which is a reminder of the 13 American colonies declaration of independence on 4th July 1776. It was the inevitable consequence of the unfair behaviour of the British government, which in1773 had cut the tax on tea in Britain, but had kept the rate the same in America. The American colonists did not have representatives in the British Parliament in Britain. As a result, on the night of 16th December a group of colonists dressed as Indians boarded three tea ships in Boston Harbour and threw all the tea into the water as a protest. At the first Continental Congress in 1774 representatives of each colony met to try and arrange fairer taxation. They failed, and fighting broke out between British soldiers and colonists in Lexington, Massachussetts, and the following year. The colonists formed an army led by George Washington. A second Congress again failed to make peace and on 14th July 1776, the Americans declared their independence .France itself helped the colonies to defeat the British and, in 1781, the war ended. Britain recognized the independence of the United States two years later.