In Assassin's Creed III, which historical war forms the game's main setting?

In Assassin's Creed III, the American Revolutionary War forms the game's main historical setting.

The story follows Ratonhnhaké:ton, known by the name Connor, as he becomes involved in the conflict between the American colonists and Great Britain. Major historical events and figures appear throughout the campaign, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Lee.

The game begins before the Revolution and includes a substantial opening section centered on Haytham Kenway. It then moves through the colonial period and the war, allowing Connor to travel across Boston, New York, and the surrounding frontier. That broad timeline can make the setting seem like a general colonial-era story, but the American Revolution is its defining conflict.

The French Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 belong to later historical periods. The Seven Years' War also shaped North America, but it predates Assassin's Creed III's central events.