Editing American Revolution (section)

==Military hostilities begin==
{{main|American Revolutionary War}}
{{Further|Shot heard round the world|Boston campaign|Invasion of Quebec (1775)|}}
[[File:Benjamin_Franklin_-_Join_or_Die.jpg|thumb|''[[Join, or Die]]'', a political cartoon created in 1754 attributed to [[Benjamin Franklin]], urged the [[Thirteen Colonies]] to unite.]]
[[George III|King George]] declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion in February 1775<ref>Cogliano, Francis D. Revolutionary America, 1763–1815: A Political History. Routledge, 1999, p. 47.</ref> and the British garrison received orders to seize the rebels' weapons and arrest their leaders, leading to the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]] on April 19, 1775. The Patriots assembled a militia 15,000 strong and laid siege to Boston, occupied by 6500 British soldiers. The [[Second Continental Congress]] convened in Philadelphia on June 14, 1775. The congress was divided on the best course of action. They authorized formation of the [[Continental Army]] and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief, and produced the [[Olive Branch Petition]] in which they attempted to come to an accord with King George. The king, however, issued a [[Proclamation of Rebellion]] which declared that the states were "in rebellion" and the members of Congress were traitors. The [[Battle of Bunker Hill]] followed on June 17, 1775. It was a British victory—but at a great cost: about 1,000 British casualties from a garrison of about 6,000, as compared to 500 American casualties from a much larger force.<ref>Harvey. ''"A few bloody noses"'' (2002) pp. 208–210</ref><ref>Urban p. 74</ref>

As [[Benjamin Franklin]] wrote to [[Joseph Priestley]] in October 1775: {{blockquote|Britain, at the expense of three millions, has killed 150 Yankees this campaign, which is £20,000 a head&nbsp;... During the same time, 60,000 children have been born in America. From these data his mathematical head will easily calculate the time and expense necessary to kill us all.<ref>{{cite book|title=Benjamin Franklin: An American Life|last=Isaacson|first=Walter|date=2003|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0684807614|page=[https://archive.org/details/benjaminfranklin00isaa_0/page/303 303]|url=https://archive.org/details/benjaminfranklin00isaa_0/page/303}}</ref>}}

In the winter of 1775, the Americans [[Invasion of Quebec (1775)|invaded northeastern Quebec]] under generals [[Benedict Arnold]] and [[Richard Montgomery]], expecting to rally sympathetic colonists there. The attack was a failure; many Americans were killed, captured, or died of smallpox.

In March 1776, aided by the [[fortification of Dorchester Heights]] with cannons recently [[Capture of Fort Ticonderoga|captured at Fort Ticonderoga]], the Continental Army led by George Washington forced the British to [[Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)|evacuate Boston]]. The revolutionaries now fully controlled all thirteen colonies and were ready to declare independence. There still were many Loyalists, but they were no longer in control anywhere by July 1776, and all of the Royal officials had fled.<ref>Miller (1948) p. 87</ref>