In 1776 the thirteen American colonies, refusing to pay unjust taxes, declared their independence from Britain. The resulting years of war became known as the American Revolution, but many of the Founding Fathers believed the real American revolution was not the war with Britain but the revolution in ideas that had preceded and caused the war. From 1760 to 1775, many Americans were transformed from loyal British subjects into rebels. Together, the thirteen colonies set out to create something new: a government that derived its just authority from the consent of the governed.

To understand this unparalleled event, it is necessary to examine the character and ideas of eighteenth-century Americans, such as the vision that caused them to rebel and how faithfully they followed it.

The United States at War series is a collection of presentations that review the political, economic, and social tensions that have erupted in military conflict. They describe the historical context for each of the major US wars and examine how military conflict resolved, or failed to resolve, the issues that underlay them.