Revolutionary War Facts

The Revolutionary War was a time of great triumph for early Americans. After being taxed unfairly by the British and deciding they wanted to be a free state, the early colonies rose up against the British beginning in April 1775 and battling until September 1783. Much like the Civil War, there was some discord among the Americans, as those who fought against the British were called Patriots, while those who supported Britain were called Loyalists. Though we declared ourselves free on July 4, 1776, that is not the official end date of the war, and there are several other Revolutionary War facts you may not know.

Some interesting Revolutionary War facts are as follows:

• The 13 original colonies involved in the war were Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.
• The majority of the people who actually lived in the colonies didn't take a side during the war. They preferred to remain neutral, or "fence sitters."
• There were several British men who spoke out against the use of military action to resolve the issue and were against the war against the colonies, including Edmund Burke, a member of the Whig faction.
• African American slaves served on both the British and Patriot sides of the war. The British promised freedom to slaves who escaped and served the loyalist forces, and George Washington had several small African American only units during the war as well.
• Because of the chaos the war brought, many slaves were able to escape. 30% in South Carolina escaped, migrated, or died during the war.
• While 25,000 American Patriots died during military service, the biggest cause of death was not a fatal injury, but instead was disease. Many of these Patriots were taken captive and died as prisoners due to disease in unsanitary warships.
• The Revolutionary War was the second-deadliest American conflict next to the Civil War.
• 42,000 British sailors wound up deserting during the war.
• 90% of the American population then worked on the farm, so many would not go to fight because they had duties to attend to at their farms.
• The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, who would go on to become America's third president.
• The first battles in the war took place at Lexington and Concord, and were very minor.
• The largest battle took place on August 27, 1776, and is known as the Battle of Long Island. British troops gained control of New York during this battle.
• The Continental Army used an "alarm and muster" system spreading information about troop movements, and Paul Revere, known for his famous system of lanterns, helped warn about the British invasion.
• In 1778, France joined the war as an ally to the United States, recognizing their independence from Great Britain.
• Benjamin Franklin was an ambassador to France, and was very influential in helping get French support from the King.
• Marquis de Lafayette was instrumental as well as a French general who offered military advice to the new army.
• In 1779, Spain also joined the war, as an ally to France and America, in the hopes of capturing the colonies in the Caribbean.
• The Battle of Saratoga, which was from September 19 to October 7, 1777, was a major turning point in the war and ended with 6,000 British troops surrendering to the American soldiers.
• The Battle of Yorktown was the final major battle that lasted from September 28 to October 19, 178
• A woman, Molly Pitcher, took her husband's place in battle firing the artillery gun after he was killed. She originally had been supporting the war by bringing the troops water during battles.
• Martha Washington, George Washington's wife, toured camps with him and was acting as First Lady during the war.
• General Benedict Arnold, known as a traitor the American cause, originally was a hero for the Patriots, helping lead forces in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga.
• Technically, with the involvement of France and Spain, the Revolutionary war became a world war.
• September 3, 1783, officially marked the independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris. On that day, there were separate peace treaties Britain signed with France and Spain to completely end the war.

We hope you enjoyed these Revolutionary War facts, and that you picked up some new information about our country's history. Without the sacrifice and bravery of these men, and women, we would not be enjoying all of the freedoms we have today.