The American revolution began in 1763, after some victories at the end of the French and Indian War stopped the French military threat to British North American Colonies. Britain imposed a series of direct taxes to its colonies. Americans protested at the idea that they could be passed on this kind of laws by the Parliament without any of their own representatives in that government. When the Tea act was passed people from Boston dumped tea cargo overboard which led to a punishment in order to demonstrate the Parliament’s supremacy. This act was meant to favor the East India Co. as the Americans were forced to buy from them. Boston [capital of Massachusetts] was punished in order to show the Parliament’s supremacy. When the news spreaded to the other colonies a meeting was called named the Continental Congress that took place in Philadelphia [capital of Pennsylvania] and sent a message to England denouncing their abusive behavior. This congress was dissolved but a second one was formed with even more participation from the colonies and they began preparing for war and organizing an army. In response to these protests, the British sent combat troops and fighting broke out in 1775. Washington was the general of the American Army while Benjamin Franklin was the diplomatic representative. In 1776, the second continental congress adopted a Declaration of Independence [written by Thomas Jefferson] which rejected the British monarchy in addition to its Parliament. France became allies with the US as some sort of continuity of the seven years’ war where Washington had had an important participation. After five years of war, the british had not been very successful and the Parliament started to contemplate the recognition of their independence as it had also had incurred in an increase in the national debt. The peace negotiations started and a treaty was signed where US independence was finally recognized by the British.