The war that led to the independence of the United States from Britain was the American Revolutionary War, fought from 1775 to 1783. Sparked by growing tensions over British taxation without representation and colonial dissatisfaction with British rule, the conflict began with skirmishes at Lexington and Concord. The Continental Congress, led by figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, united the colonies in their fight against British oppression. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognized American independence and established borders for the new nation, profoundly impacting the future of democracy and self-governance.