The American Colonists Opposed to the British - Essay Example

The American Colonists Opposed to the BritishThe American colonists who fought against the British during the Revolutionary War were not always implacably opposed to the British. There were a number of opportunities to mend fences throughout the conflict, but most of them occurred at the beginning of the war. Before the fall of New York, it would have been possible to reach an agreement between the British and the American sides. Following this battle, the two sides were too militarily entrenched to reach an agreement.

The rhetoric had become to heated and too many lives were lost. What the British failed to understand throughout the conflict was that the colonists wanted respect and more autonomy. They wanted to have more power over their own lives. This was a reasonable and natural request. By denying it, the British forced the Americans into drastic action. Even after the War started, colonists petitioned the King to change his mind and simply grant more power to the colonial legislatures. It is important to remember that Americans were divided over the war, with a large contingent of Loyalists living among the Revolutionary colonists.

The British could have made more overtures which would have split Americans even more, and perhaps led to peace rather than American Independence. If the British had not been so obstinate, peace might have prevailed.