What happened in 1776?

I thought for a moment that I was trapped in an episode of Jay Leno's Jaywalking. I couldn't believe what was happening and honestly thought they were kidding me.

In my Senior English class, we are reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, an African novel about the downfall of a tribesman during the oncoming British colonials. I had a point to make about the winners being the ones who write history. So I ask this class of Seniors, "What happened in 1776?"

I was just trying to engage them. I just asked a common knowledge question to get an answer, to make sure they were breathing.

The first response: "World War II."

Then, in successive order: "World War I. Vietnam. Korea. Civil War." And they thought highly of themselves for saying Civil War because it was so very old.

Well, I worked them around to the War of Independence. Then I had to ask, "Who did we gain our independence from?"

"France?"

"Japanese?"

I did get back to my point, explaining that in England it is not called the War of Independence. How does England see this war?