War Begins: 1775

The confrontation becomes an armed conflict. Militia fight British troops at Lexington and Concord. Colonial forces seize Fort Ticonderoga, British and colonial troops suffer heavily at Bunker Hill, and Congress places the forces around Boston under George Washington’s command.

Yet the purpose of the fighting remains unsettled. Congress explains why the colonies have taken up arms while also petitioning George III for peace. The king instead declares the colonies in rebellion, and Parliament moves against colonial trade and shipping. By the end of the year, Americans are raising armies and fighting British forces while Congress still stops short of declaring independence.