The American Revolution marked the beginning of a new nation. The Revolution's leaders believed in a set of principles and achieving specific goals. These goals included: freeing themselves from monarchical rule and establishing a republic based on a union of thirteen states to promote liberty and equality among white men. The successful revolution against the British, the ratification and successful implementation of the United States Constitution in March of 1789, and the development of manufacturing and westward expansion fulfilled the American Revolution's goals. .
Early American leaders wanted to free themselves from monarchical rule. Living under their own colonial government institutions, Americans became accustomed to governing themselves. Founder Benjamin Franklin describes the importance of the union of colonies under one government in Chapter 9 of his autobiography, "I projected and drew a plan for the union of all the colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense. Franklin explains that American colonists governed themselves many years before the revolution. While the Americans governed themselves, they sill lived as British subjects. This allowed the British to financially exploit the colonies. The British needed money to finance their large empire and many wars. They maintained a large Army and Navy and had colonies in India, Asia and North America. They also fought a costly war with France called the French and Indian War. This war significantly affected the North American Colonies and ultimately led to British taxation over the colonies without representation. This eventually resulted in the elimination of colonial self-government in Massachusetts with General Thomas Gage's appointment as governor. .
The Americans fought a long war for their independence. After several years of fighting, the Americans finally prevailed at Yorktown with the British General Lord Cornwallis's surrender.