The American Revolution was a war fought between Great Britain and the American colonies over independence from 1775 to 1783 which resulted in a fundamental change in American politics, society, and economics. The American Revolution began as a result of Great Britain taxing the colonies to cover the debts accumulated through the French and Indian War. While the majority of the colonies stayed loyal to their ‘Mother Land’, some of the colonist felt resentment toward England. Some colonist felt that England had no right to tax the colonies, while they had no representation in parliament. This created a divide within in the colonies between those who were in favor of independence-Patriots, and those who were still loyal to the Crown- Loyalist (or Tories). Even though the majority of the colonist considered themselves to be Loyalist, there was a bitter resentment toward the ‘Tories’ by the ‘Patriots’, as seen in Document B. In the Document it states that the colonist should ‘Instantly banish every Tory from among you’, and to ‘Let America be sacred alone to freemen.’ The unrest did not stop there, as the war ended it had became evident that the young nation would be going through major changes for years to come. On the economic standing, the young nation did not have a tax system, a monetary system, or any source of attaining money. Prior to the war, the colonies each had a separate monetary system. When the war was over, it became clear that the colonies would need to have one equal economic system for the entire nation. This lead had led to many uprisings, and civil unrest within the colonies. An example of this type of unrest would be Shays Rebellion. In her letter to Thomas Jefferson, Abigail expressed her concern about the un... ... middle of paper ... ...ating that ‘No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever…but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion ‘ (Document D). Another discussion that kept arising after the American Revolution was how much power the government should have. Having already dealt with tyranny under King George III, the colonists were apprehensive about giving the government too much power. However, in ‘The Federalist’ James Madison states that Government must have the power to control people, but that the abuses of government must be controlled. He states that ‘in framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the greatest difficulty lies in this; you must first enable the government to control the govern; and in next place oblige it to control itself.’
The relationship between Britain and her Americans colonies slowly deteriorated between the 1750s and the beginning of the American Revolution. When the first British immigrants settled in America, the relationship of the colonies and their mother country was somewhat peaceful. In the following generations, however, their relationship became tenser as Britain imposed policies and taxes on unrepresented American colonists. The British believed they were right in doing so because they had large debts to pay from ongoing wars with France. These taxes caused uprisings among colonists which contributed to British occupation in America, leading to more rebellions. Eventually, the rift in the relationship between the colonists and the British led to the Revolutionary War and the formation of a new country.
Some say that the Revolution was destined to happen ever since Settlers set foot on this continent, others argue that it would not have happened if it weren't for a set of issues that finally drove the colonists to revolt. Ultimately, Britain lost control in 1765 when they gave in to the Stamp Act Congress’s boycotts against parliamentary taxation and gave them the idea that they had the power to run a country. To a lesser degree, Salutary Neglect led to the conception of a legacy of colonial religious and political ideals which set in motion an eminent conflict. During this period, England “forgot” about the colonies and gave them colonists a taste of independence and suspicions of individual political theories. Through Parliament's ruthless taxation without representation and a near opposite religious and political mindset, Britain and the colonists were heaved into a revolutionary war.
The American revolution was a reaction to unfavorable tax policies from the King of England. When the King of England began to infringe on the colonists’ liberties, leaders inspired by the enlightenment grouped together to defend the rights of the American colonies. As Thomas Jefferson writes in the Declaration of Independence, “History of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries ad usurpations,
It all started with the war with the French. The colonies were not too fond of the northern Quebec French territory. They begged for King George to send troops over and destroy the French. George agreed, so he started a war with them. Great Britain conquered their territory successfully. This war was quite costly, so King George decided to raise the taxes on all goods being sent over from Britain. America was very upset by this idea. They fought with the King and he told them that they did not have to pay any taxes but one, the tea tax (Marshall 294-295). For some reason, America was still upset. A few people decided to dress up as Red Indians and hijack the ship of goods. They threw all of the tea overboard into the Boston harbor. This act is known as the Boston Tea Party (296-297). America was tired of being told what to do by the king, so they came together to write the Declaration of Independence. This letter stated that America wanted to become their own country. They wanted to be separated from Great Britain and the king’s power. This started the Revolutionary War. America elected General George Washington to be their leader (297). The people fought for their rights for years, but finally, King George gave up and let the colonies be a free independent country. If King George was not such a bad king, America still might have been apart of Great Britain today
Any historical event with-world changing consequences will always have two sides to the story. What most Americans refer to today as the American Revolution is no different. As Americans, most of us view eighteenth-century England as a tyrannical power across the ocean, and see men like George Washington as heroes who fought against the oppressor. If history and wars were that simple, everyone would understand them, and the need for wars would be diminished. The truth is, England was not the least bit tyrannical to the colonies. Actually, the rebels had no idea, nor any intention of establishing a new and separate government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." They only meant to make a statement and attempt to avoid every tax that Parliament could dream up in the process. Across the Atlantic Ocean in England's Parliament, some men such as William Pitt and Edmund Burke understood opposition to taxes by the American colonists. After all, the colonies had been all but ignored by England since they were established in the early part of the seventeenth century up until the Seven Years War (1756 - 1763). Other men such as George Grenville and Charles Townshend did not understand at all the protests against any taxes implemented by Parliament . These men felt that was not only the right of Parliament to demand taxes, but also their duty to raise money for the Crown. Parliament had the power to demand a tax of every British citizen in the empire, and these men had developed their own ideas about how those taxes would be implemented.
The American Revolution, fought for the independence of the American colonies from British rule, was a turning point in American history since it granted autonomy to the colonies from the powerful, influential nation of Great Britain. The colonists, as well as the founding fathers, helped plan the counterattack against British influence and actions to remove the burden placed on them through taxes and military involvement. The founding fathers, who were part of the colonial elite, galvanized the public and used their power to fight against the British and grant the colonists their ultimate desire: freedom. Bernard Bailyn is correct in saying that the British parliament was systematically trying to strip the colonists from their civil liberties, and the Founding Fathers and the colonists fought against this simultaneously for the advancement of society and ideals.
The American Revolution was a key moment in the history of the country, it went on to dictate the foundations on which the country would base its future off of. Without the revolution, the Americans would not have separated from England and their political, Ideological, and economical beliefs. The conflict regarding those three beliefs was the base of the revolution and caused a great number of events such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Act and the Boston tea Party. As well serving as the inspiration for the Declaration of Independence and Common Sense by Thomas Paine, and influenced the French and Indian war. The American colonist’s political and economical incentive for independence can be considered ‘common sense’, but the ideological
In the Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, Edmund Morgan, the author, examines the basis for the colonist’s frustrations to try and form an explanation for why the American Revolution occurred. Specifically, he examines the colonist’s struggles with Parliament and the taxes that were imposed on common people and merchants. The colonists did not get angry over the fact of the British taxing them, it was on the grounds that the British were taxing them without allowing them a say in Parliament. They wanted to be seen as equals to the people back at in the Old World. If they were to live under the crown then they should be treated as those living back in Europe. “Britons were taxed only by consent; therefore Americans must be. Britons had a right to be represented in their own legislative body; therefore Americans should have such a right and their assemblies be coordinated with Parliament.” Morgan took the position that the American Revolution occurred because the colonists were searching for equal representation in Parliament, equal liberty, and the ability to
The last few years leading up to the American Revolution was a riotous period noted by vocal and physical grievances. There were a multitude of causes of the war. Like most military conflicts; the Revolution was spurred by complex social, political, and economic factors. Politically, it was caused by the lack of the American people’s voice in the British parliament. Socially, it was caused by the unique disposition of the American Colonists and their society in contrast to their relationship with the English Government. Economically, it was causes by the British government imposing increasing levels of taxes on the colonist to get out of debt. I have discovered a substantial amount of information and documentation that support my claims.
For over a century Great Britain had ruled the colonies in America. Since the founding of the Chesapeake Bay colony in the south in 1607, and the Massachusetts Bay colony in the north in 1630, the colonies had relied on the crown for many of their needs. Over time the colonists established a social and economical system that was almost independent of the British Empire. In April of 1775, after many transgressions on both sides, the colonists decided that they no longer needed, or wanted the support, protection, and leadership of the country that founded them. There were many factors, both immediate, and longstanding that lead to the decision to fight for freedom from British rule.
From the 1770s to the 1780s, the American Revolution was extremely influential in developing the United States as a country, and creating the Constitution. This political upheaval was the colonists’ initial rebellious demonstration against the British, and heavily elaborated on the ideas of freedom from a dominating power, which reflected among all social divisions nationwide. From gender relations to the social hierarchy of the persecuted racial groups, every group was by some means affected by the American Revolution and the consequences that followed. The repercussions from the revolt were not entirely positive, despite the country’s newly-developed democracy and the citizens’ increase of political influence. The Revolutionary War had a
The American Revolutionary era was a time of innovation, politics, and liberty. This was expressed in many ways and created lasting impacts on Americans, but one of the most important effects was the new-found sense of independence and identity. W.J. Rorabaugh discussed this change and how it affected the relationship between master and apprentice and stated that “. . . Apprentices were simply asserting their liberties” (Apprentices & Masters, 206). Clare Lyons also pointed out this change in public behavior, which was characterized by an increase in self-expression and open sexuality, with information regarding the sexual evolution of the time. Essentially, she stated that “. . . Sexual behavior was an important manifestation of personal freedom”
In history, there have been occurring events that have fundamentally changed our society in more ways than just one. An event that had a drastic affect on the American society today is the American Revolution. The American Revolution helped our American society with the political views, social changes on the people, and the economic effects that have taken place during this time.
The American Revolution (1775-1783) was a revolution was based on British implemented high taxes, which lead to the American revolting against the British authority. The reason why the American Colonialist revolted because they wanted representation in Parliament, which is the reason why many primary documents during this time emphasize “no taxation without representation”. With the events such as Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party and the first shots fired upon of the revolutionary war at the battle of Lexington and Concord led the American Colonialist to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the end of the revolution in 1783, Britain had lost significant land to the newly formed United States of America. However, during the American Revolution there was a different narrative that was unaccounted for; Colin Callaway’s book The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities explores the unaccounted stories of indigenous people and nations during the American Revolution.
To this day, the American Revolution stands out as a pivotal moment in the emergence of the United States of America. The eighteen year struggle between Great Britain and the thirteen American colonies exemplified the power of will through the defeat of the strongest military force of the time. The American Revolution is often deducted down into the fight for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness or property. Yes, these Lockean philosophies played a crucial part in the revolution but they were not the sole motive in pursuing independence. Before convincing ideology was introduced, money and economics stood at the center of the unsound relationship between Britain and the colonies. After the Seven Years’ War, Britain was in a very delicate economic situation. Though they were regarded as the “world’s great commercial and imperial nation”, the depletion of their national funds paired with immense debts and new responsibilities created tensions that largely affected the American colonies. The resulting pressure placed on the colonial economy by the British Parliament sparked criticisms that, eventually, transformed into the full-blown revolution known today. Money set the foundation for the revolution that ideology eventually developed and validated. The economic restrictions enacted by the British government