How colonists were able to defeat the greatest world power of their time?

  The colonists were able to defeat the greatest world power of their time by revolution. The stood against several laws. They stood against the stamp act, saying that they owned Englishmen rights. They opposed to taxation of Parliament, and indicated colonial boycott of British goods. In the first continental congress they started forming and training militias and storing military supplies. This is what lead to the revolutionary war which the colonists won.