--- title: Map of the American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783: Campaigns, Battles & Naval Power in the War for Independence author: Simeon Netchev source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17652/map-of-the-american-revolutionary-war-1775-1783/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) updated: 2026-06-06 --- # Map of the American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783: Campaigns, Battles & Naval Power in the War for Independence _Authored by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/)_ ## Image File [![Map of the American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783: Campaigns, Battles & Naval Power in the War for Independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/17652.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/17652.png) ## Image Caption The [American Revolutionary War](https://www.worldhistory.org/American_Revolutionary_War/) or American [War](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) of Independence (1775–1783) began as a crisis within the British [Empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/empire/) and developed into a war for sovereignty. [Thirteen colonies](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thirteen_Colonies/) in British North America resisted imperial taxation, tighter parliamentary control, and restrictions on colonial self-government after the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763). What began with protest and resistance escalated into armed conflict at Lexington and Concord (April 1775), followed by the creation of the Continental Army under [George Washington](https://www.worldhistory.org/George_Washington/) (1732–1799; commander-in-chief, 1775–1783) and the formal [declaration of independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2411/declaration-of-independence/) at Philadelphia on 4 July 1776. The war was shaped by geography, naval power, alliance diplomacy, and the difficulty of controlling a large colonial population across coastal, frontier, and riverine theaters. [Britain](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Britain/) captured major [cities](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) such as New York (1776), Philadelphia (1777), Savannah (1778), and Charleston (1780), but struggled to turn occupation into lasting political control. The Patriot victory at Saratoga (1777) encouraged French intervention (1778), widening the conflict into an imperial war involving France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic against Britain. The decisive Franco-American victory at Yorktown (1781), enabled by French naval control of the Chesapeake, forced Britain toward negotiation. The [Treaty of Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/Treaty_of_Paris_of_1783/) (1783) formally recognized the independence of the United States and reshaped the political order of the Atlantic world. #### Editorial Review This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## About the Author Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history educator, passionate about the human stories that shape the past. - [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeon-netchev/) ## Cite This Work ### APA Netchev, S. (2026, June 06). Map of the American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783: Campaigns, Battles & Naval Power in the War for Independence. *World History Encyclopedia*. ### Chicago Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783: Campaigns, Battles & Naval Power in the War for Independence." *World History Encyclopedia*, June 06, 2026. . ### MLA Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783: Campaigns, Battles & Naval Power in the War for Independence." *World History Encyclopedia*, 06 Jun 2026, . ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/ "User Page: Simeon Netchev"), published on 06 June 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0deed.en). This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.