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Twelve out of the 13 colonies voted in favor of independence on July 2, 1776. The Second Continental Congress officially adopted the document on July 4, 1776, and the United States became independent.

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The troops found out about a group of rebellious colonists who had stockpiled14 some weapons in a small town outside of Boston called Lexington, so they went to go steal the weapons.

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Twelve out of the 13 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress in September, 1774 to decide what to do about this mistreatment from the British government.

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American colonists liked having fairly independent lives and governments while still enjoying the economic benefits of being part of the British Empire.

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In the 1600s and 1700s, Great Britain held a vast empire with colonies all over the world.

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The rise and decline of the first global empire. This resource has been archived as the interactive parts no longer work. You can still use the rest of it for information, tasks or research. Please note that it has not been updated since its creation in 2003.