The United States Revolutionary War began in 1775.
Armed conflict began in April 1775 when fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The clashes followed escalating disputes between Great Britain and its North American colonies over taxation, political representation, military occupation, and the authority of Parliament.
The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army in June 1775 and appointed George Washington as its commander in chief. The conflict continued after the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776; that document announced the political break but did not begin the fighting.
The war's decisive military phase ended with the British surrender at Yorktown in October 1781, but the formal peace settlement came later. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 and recognized United States independence. Thus 1775, 1776, 1781, and 1783 each relate to the Revolution, but they identify different milestones.