241 years ago today, on January 14, 1784 (December 22, 1783 lunar calendar), the American War of Independence officially ended. The American War of Independence is also known as the "North American War of Independence". In the second half of the 18th century, Britain established 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast. Each colony was ruled by a governor sent by the British. By this time, the colonies had developed a large number of plantations, established various industries such as textiles, ironmaking, and mining, and the economy was relatively prosperous. On the early morning of April 19, 1775, the people of Boston fired the first shot of the War of Independence over Lexington. The gunshot of Lexington shook the 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast. The American War of Independence began from then on. In order to unite against the British, the Second Continental Congress of North America decided on June 14 to establish a joint armed force of the colonies, the Continental Army, and appointed Washington as the commander-in-chief. On October 13, it was decided to establish a continental fleet. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the birth of the United States of America. In the early days of the war, the power gap between the two sides was huge. Britain was the most powerful colonial country in the world, with the world's first-class navy. The British army stationed in North America was about 30,000 people, well-equipped and well-trained; the population of the North American colonies was only 3 million, the troops were insufficient, the equipment was backward, and the training was lacking. However, the justice and progress of the war affected the course and outcome of the war. 1775-1778 was the first stage of the war, the main battlefield was in the north, and the British army had the advantage. 1779-1781 was the second stage of the war, the main battlefield was transferred to the south, and the American army was weak and stronger. In January and March 1781, the British army was defeated in Cowpens and Guildford. On October 19, Washington led more than 16,000 American and French troops to besiege Yorktown, destroying more than 7,000 British troops and achieving a decisive victory in the war. This victory led to the fall of the British cabinet. November 30, 1782. The new British government reached an armistice with the United States. On September 3 of the following year, the two sides signed a peace treaty in Paris, and Britain was forced to recognize the independence of the United States. The American War of Independence was a classic example of small victories against big, weak victories against strong. This victory opened the way for the development of American capitalism, and had a great impact on the subsequent French Revolution and the Latin American national liberation movement.