Introduction / Context:
The American Revolution is the name given to the struggle through which the thirteen British colonies in North America broke away from British rule and eventually formed the United States of America. While earlier years saw protests, boycotts, and political disputes, the revolution as an armed conflict is usually dated from the first battles between colonial militias and British troops. This question asks in which year the American Revolution started, testing knowledge of the difference between political declarations and the beginning of military hostilities.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is about the start of the American Revolution as an event.
- It asks for the year when the revolution began.
- The options are clustered around the mid 1770s, all of which are important years in American history.
- The learner is expected to distinguish between the first shots of the war and later milestones such as the Declaration of Independence.
Concept / Approach:
The American Revolution as a war began in 1775 with the battles of Lexington and Concord, where colonial militias clashed with British troops in Massachusetts. These confrontations marked the outbreak of open armed conflict. The Declaration of Independence came later in 1776, and other key events followed in subsequent years. Because the question asks when the revolution started, meaning when fighting began, the correct year to choose is 1775, not 1776 or other dates that refer to later stages.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that tensions between Britain and the colonies built up in the 1760s and early 1770s through taxation disputes and protests.
2. Remember that the first actual battles of the American Revolutionary War occurred at Lexington and Concord in April 1775.
3. Recognise that 1776 is important for the Declaration of Independence but does not represent the beginning of armed conflict.
4. Examine the options and locate 1775, which matches the year of the first battles.
5. Eliminate 1774, 1776, 1777, and 1781 because these years either precede the actual fighting or belong to later phases of the war.
6. Choose 1775 as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, learners can think of standard history summaries that describe the American Revolutionary War as lasting from 1775 to 1783. The date 1776 is reserved for the Declaration of Independence, issued after fighting had already begun. Some timelines also mark 1781 as the year of the Yorktown campaign, which effectively ended major fighting. These references reinforce that the formal beginning of the war, and thus of the revolution in a military sense, is 1775. Therefore, when exam questions ask in which year the American Revolution started, the expected answer is 1775.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1774 is a year of rising tension and meetings such as the First Continental Congress, but no large scale fighting had yet started, so it does not mark the beginning of the revolution as a war.
1776 is the year of the Declaration of Independence, a political milestone, but it comes after the first military clashes of the revolution.
1777 falls in the middle of the war and includes battles such as Saratoga, but the revolution was already underway by then.
1781 is associated with the defeat of British forces at Yorktown and is closer to the end of the conflict, not its start.
Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to associate the beginning of the revolution directly with the Declaration of Independence and to choose 1776 instead of 1775. Others may confuse different stages of the conflict or simply guess among the mid 1770s. To avoid this, it is helpful to memorise the basic range 1775–1783 for the American Revolutionary War and then connect 1775 specifically with the first shots at Lexington and Concord. This clear identification ensures accurate answers when questions focus on when the revolution started.
Final Answer:
The correct answer is
1775.
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