This Revolution became a war of independence of the American colonists from the British Empire. The trigger for the Revolution was Great Britain's imposition of taxes on the colonies because of the war with France. The colonists refused to pay them because they were not entitled to representation in the Parliament. The Americans had the help of military forces sent by the King of France and the alliance of the Spaniards and the Dutch. Among their leaders were the great politicians Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and General George Washington. During this groundbreaking Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were drafted. The principles of this Revolution greatly influenced the revolutions that followed (the French Revolution in 1789 and, of course, later the Greek Revolution of 1821).