There were many conflicts and wars during the 18th and 19th centuries. These conflicts grew and grew because America was trying to become an independent nation, moving away from England and discovering new lands, the new colonies made many enemies. Many of these conflicts and wars have represented turning points in history, some for the better and some for the worse. In this world it is necessary to have conflicts to achieve certain things. Some of the largest known conflicts or wars are the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. There were also many smaller conflicts that led to these wars becoming more well known and were also some of the beginnings or outcomes of the wars themselves. The war began when immigrants from England decided they wanted to be independent colonies and no longer under the king of England's rule. Most of the early fighting took place on American soil. In 1778, France signed an alliance with the new nation of America supporting their fight for independence. Once France signed its alliance with the new nation, the war turned into more of a world war than America and England. Now England was fighting the American colonies in America, and France, Spain and the Netherlands on the home front. Another reason why the war was started was because of the taxes put in place by the king and enforced by the English soldiers in the colonies. Most Americans were against being taxed by the king, so some patriots decided to ruin a shipment of tea, known as the Boston Tea Party. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress had previously declared independence (Henretta, 2012). However, the war was not over until 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the war. The treaty recognized the geographic boundaries of the colonies and also granted part of Florida to Spain