In verses 17-19 the prophet beholds in his vision the war by which the independence of the United States was established: (1) The Gentile immigrants humbled themselves before the Lord. (2) The "mother gentiles" were defeated, because the wrath of God was upon them. (3) The Gentile immigrants were delivered by the power of God "out of the hands of all nations."
The conflict known as the American War of Independence was precipitated (April 19, 1775) when General Gage sent a force from Boston to seize provisions at Concord, Mass., and to capture the two prominent leaders, Samuel Adams and John Hancock. On June 15, George Washington was appointed Commander of the Colonial forces, and on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence dissolved allegiance to the British crown. In July 1778, the Americans were strengthened by the presence of a French fleet outside New York, and a considerable land force. Cornwallis, trapped in the Yorktown peninsula, where LaFayette's forces were joined by Washington's, and by 4,000 under Rochambeau, and 3,000 from De Grasse's fleet in the West Indies, surrendered on October 19, 1781. The treaty of peace was signed in Paris, September 3, 1783. By this treaty the independence of the United States was recognized, and the colonies received an addition of all the territory between the Alleghanies and the Mississippi. New York was evacuated by the British on November 25, 1783. The battles on the waters were mostly confined to privateering. John Paul Jones, with a few vessels, made important captures in British waters.
It was thus that the land was "redeemed by the shedding of blood." (77:2 N. 1:7)