The story of how 13 British colonies on the eastern seaboard of North America became the first 13 states of the USA. We shall explore the events and ideas that led the colonies to rebel against the Crown. We’ll follow the course of the war (1775-83), without dwelling on the detail of individual battles. And we’ll cover the principal events that shaped the new nation, including: the development of the constitution; the creation of the capital city; the Louisiana Purchase; the status of slavery; and a second war with Britain that you may not have heard of, The War of 1812. Along the way, we’ll meet a lot of interesting people.