Assassin's Creed III is primarily set during which major 18th-century conflict?

Assassin's Creed III is primarily set during the American Revolutionary War.

The game's historical storyline spans the period surrounding the American Revolution, including events from the 1750s through the early 1780s. Its central protagonist is Ratonhnhaké:ton, commonly called Connor, a Kanien'kehá:ka Assassin who becomes involved in the struggle between the colonial Assassins and Templars.

Major historical figures in the game include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, and Charles Lee. The story visits Boston and New York and also includes frontier environments. Historical events such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party appear as settings or contexts, though the game fictionalizes parts of the characters' involvement.

The French and Indian War is also important because it shapes the early part of Connor's life, but it is not the conflict that primarily defines the game's main period. The War of 1812 occurs later, after the principal events of Assassin's Creed III.