American Revolution

The 50 Years that Made America

Fifty years separate the Boston Tea Party and the Monroe Doctrine. How did a group of British colonies become a self-proclaimed protector of continents within half a century?

How Britain lost America

By the end of the Seven Years War in 1763 Britain had become a global power for the first time. But the conflict’s colossal expense and the high-handed approach of British politicians led to the loss of America, writes George Goodwin.

Runaway Reading

How did literacy encourage slave rebelliousness after the American War of Independence?

Magna Carta: The Atlantic Crossing

In no country is Magna Carta held in greater reverence than in the United States. Alexander Lock examines its crucial role in the founding of the republic’s political and legal system and looks at the Charter’s transatlantic transition.

The Stamp Act

A tax on Britain's American colonies was introduced on 22 March 1765.

General John Burgoyne

Before and after his surrender at Saratoga, writes Aram Bakshian Jr., Burgoyne had a lively career as a commander in Europe, a politician and dramatist in London, and a figure on the social scene.