What began as a revolt against Britain`s restrictive economic and political policies against the thirteen American colonies ended with a diplomatic agreement in which Britain recognized the new nation, the United States of America. In April 1775, the war began in Lexington, Massachusetts, until 1776 when the colonies declared independence and formal warfare against Britain, with General George Washington commanding the army. With the help of a diplomatic alliance with France, the Americans were able to bring Britain to its knees. On October 19, 1781, after five years of war, the fighting officially ended when “British General Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia.” The Treaty of Paris, signed on 3 September 1783 in Paris by representatives of King George III. signed by Britain and representatives of the United States of America, officially ended the American War of Independence. . . .