America rebelled against the rule of Great Britain. There were many battles fought and the colonies gained their freedom and became the independent country of the United States. The American Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 until 1783. The author reveals the infighting and backbiting among America's first political leaders, as they feel their way along the sharp divide of whether there should, in fact, be a revolution; the grief and agony of the half-starved, half-naked revolutionary army troops; the grotesque persecution - in the name of liberty - of political dissidents abused by their countrymen and women in ways that would shame Americans today. The American Revolution was a momentous event. It altered the course of world history. It remains the focus of American patriotic pride.