After the French and Indian War - The King of England decided that the American colonists should pay part of the cost of defending themselves.  The cost of the war was 150 million pounds.  The colonists did not like having to pay this money because they didn't have a person elected to be in the government. In 1772 the colonists began to create their own government.   The British government did not like that the colonists created their own government so they sent soldiers to the 13 Colonies. 

In 1767, the British government passed the Townshend Acts, taxed things like glass, paper, and tea in the colonies. This made the colonists angry and they boycotted British goods. There were riots and people were killed. One of those riots was called the Boston Massacre. Another one was on December 16,1773 called the Boston Tea Party. Colonists boarded British ships and dumped 90,ooo pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor.

The first battle took place at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. When the British sent a force of about  1000 soldiers to take away the  weapons and to arrest colonists in Concord, Massachusettes. The British soldiers ran into the local armies marking the first fighting of the American Revolutionary War. The news got out in the 13 colonies to send troops to fight in Boston.

In 1775 the colonies goverment called the continential congress created the continental army. They sent the olive branch petition to the King to ask for peace.The King said no and called them tratiors. In March 1776 the continental army kicked the British out of Boston. The colonies now were ready to declare independence.

By June of 1776 9 of the 13 colonies were ready for independence.  The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson.  On July 2nd 1776 Independence was voted and passed by the colonies.  On July 4, 1776 the new nation called the United States of Amreica was created.  On November 15, 1777 the Continental Congress approved a new constitution called the Articles of Confederation.