10 Things You Never Knew About the American Revolution

But how much do you really know about this revolutionary period that birthed the United States and changed the world?

While you might know lots about the Boston Tea Party or the Declaration of Independence, here are 10 lesser-known stories, hidden figures, and moments that made the nation.

Did you know the Continental Congress actually voted for independence in 1776 on July 2nd not July 4th? Founding Father John Adams predicted that the 2nd would be celebrated by future generations with "pomp and parade." However, because the formal Declaration document was approved on the 4th, that date became the one etched into history.

To keep secrets during the war, a Patriot spy network established by George Washington, called the Culper Ring, would use invisible ink to write hidden messages. One spy would write a mundane letter, then hide the real intel between the lines using a chemical that only became visible when treated with a special substance.

During the brutal winter at Valley Forge, Polly Cooper, an Oneida woman, led a group hundreds of miles to deliver white corn to the starving Continental Army. She accepted only a shawl as a token of gratitude, refusing any other payment for her vital service.

Smallpox, not British bullets, posed one of the greatest threats to Washington's troops during the war. A massive outbreak prompted Washington's secret order for the first large-scale immunization program in American history, preventing his army from disappearing before battle.

On the 5 March 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of Bostonians, killing multiple people including sailor Crispus Attucks. This caused a serious outcry and became known as the ‘Boston Massacre’. Attucks became a martyr for the revolutionary cause .

We speak of the 13 colonies, but the revolutionaries desperately hoped for 14. In 1775, the Continental Army launched an invasion of Quebec, hoping to spark a pro-independence uprising in Canada. However, the campaign was a frostbitten failure and Canada remained a loyal British stronghold.

The famous warning, "The British are coming!", was probably never said. In 1775, colonists still identified as British and the soldiers of the British Army were known as Regulars. So Paul Revere likely actually said, "The Regulars are coming out."

The war saw the birth of submarine warfare. The American Turtle, a one-man, hand-cranked wooden submersible, attempted to attach an explosive charge to a British warship in New York Harbor. Though the mission failed to sink a ship, it remains a testament to the inventive spirit of 1776.

During the war, British prison ships, such as the notorious HMS Jersey, were floating graveyards. Disease and starvation claimed the lives of approximately 11,000 prisoners. Which was nearly double the number of those killed in battle throughout the entire war.

While the revolution began in Massachusetts, it ended as a global struggle. It was not just a fight between Great Britain and its colonies. The survival of the young United States depended on a complex web of international alliances, including France, the Netherlands, and Spain.

250 years ago, the USA was born from a revolution. Today, the National Archive allows you to step back in time; meet the inspirational people, discover the documents and artifacts of the revolutionary age, and explore the places where it all happened.