The American Revolution - Research Paper Example

? The American Revolution History and Political Science The American Revolution started in 1775 due to open conflict amongst the united thirteen colonies and the Great Britain. During the American Revolution, the British soldiers, together with American patriots battled at Lexington, Massachusetts, as well as in the nearby Concord. However, in 1783 the Treaty of Paris brought to an end the war with Great Britain getting forced to acknowledge the independence of United State’s 13 colonies. Whereas no particular event gets credit for the actual origin of the revolution, the war started as a disagreement concerning the treatment of the colonies by the Great Britain versus the manner in which the colonies perceived they needed to be treated. Although Americans believed they had permission to all the rights of Englishmen, on the other hand, the British believed that the aim of establishing the colonies was for them to be used in the manner in which that was best suitable to the crown, as well as the parliament. There is an exemplification of this dispute was evident in the rallying whimpers of the American Revolution, along with the motto: No Taxation Without Representation.1 Based on America’s way of thinking, the distance between the colonies from Great Britain led to independence, which happened to be hard in overcoming. Those eager to colonize the modern world in general had a strong, independent trait desiring modern opportunities, as well as enhanced freedom. Apart from that, the being of colonial legislatures denoted that the colonies were literary independent of the crown since the legislatures had the authority of levying taxes, mustering troops and passing laws. Eventually, these powers turned into rights according to many colonists. As a result, when curtailed by the British, there was the development of conflict; therefore, the United States’ future leaders found into these legislatures. Although the British trusted in mercantilism, Robert Walpole who was the Prime Minister espoused a viewpoint of salutary neglect. Salutary neglect was a system in that the actual imposition of external trade relations was sloppy. His perception was that this enhanced freedom would end up stimulating commerce. A number of the revolutionary leaders had studied key writings concerning the Enlightenment comprising of those of Thomas Hobbes, the Baron de Montesquieu, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. As a result, the founders garnered the ideas of the social contract, separation of powers, limited government and consent of the governed.2 For almost a decade, there was mounting between Great Britain, as well as the American Colonies since the British government had bypassed a sequence of laws in trying to elevate their control over the colonies. However, Americans had grown fond of having authority concerning their local government; therefore they objected to these latest laws, while at the same time, protesting getting taxed devoid of their approval. In 1775, Britain’s Parliament affirmed Massachusetts, the core of the majority of the protests, as being rebellious thereby placing the British troops in Boston to undertake swift action on the rebels; war broke out shortly afterwards. The Colonies were fundamentally unprepared for war since they did not have a central government, while, at the same time, they lacked a controlled army or navy. Representatives from the colonies organized the first Continental Congress undertaking the national government’s duties. Apart from that, Congress was in charge of the war effort thereby voting to coordinate an army, as well as a navy. This led to George Washington, who was not only a wealthy Virginia landowner, but also a former military officer, getting selected as the Continental Army’s chief commander. This led to the Congress embracing the Declaration of Independence whereby the colonies affirmed their liberty from British statute on July 4, 1776. Tension had been elevating between Great Britain, as well as the American Colonies for not less than 10 years prior to the beginning of the American Revolution. Early in the mid-1760, the British government bypassed a sequence of laws to elevate its jurisdiction over the colonies. However, the Americans had grown fond of a large level of self-government thereby strongly resisting the latest laws, particularly tax laws. Fierce debate ensued concerning the right of British Parliament in taxiing the colonies devoid of their approval. Great Britain, along with its larger as well as better qualified army and navy, started a vast land and sea effort of crushing the revolution. Nonetheless, it was necessary for them to transport while supplying its army all over the Atlantic Ocean. With the continuation of the war, the British won a number of battles while being slight beneficiaries of their victories. This led to American patriots forming new forces while continuing the fight.3 The significant events leading to the American Revolution Although a number of events were helpful in causing the American Revolution, the three most significant events that led up to, while, at the same time causing it were the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, together with the Stamp Act. The Boston Massacre happened to be an occurrence on March 5, 1770, which was five years prior to the American Revolution between British troops and a grouping of citizens of Boston who were then residing in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The intention of the British troops was to discourage protests against American Revolution flanked by British troops concerning the Townshend Acts, which was import tax to the colonies. Due to constant aggravation by the citizens, a squadron of British soldiers who got struck by snow, as well as ice balls with rocks inside thrown throughout a protest, fired into the crowd thereby killing five men. Although the eight soldiers, together with their commanding officer underwent trial for murder, John Adams, who later turned out to be the United States president, together with Josiah Quincy came to their defense. Two of the soldiers got the charge of manslaughter while the others, comprising of the officer, getting acquitted. Following this incident, the patriots of Massachusetts Bay became more and more aggravated by the soldiers and could not take it anymore. 4 On the other hand, the Boston Tea Party happened to be an event, which occurred in December 16, 1773, as a result of a grouping of Boston citizens protesting against the British tax on tea imported into the colonies. Though most stipulations of the Townshend Acts got revoked by Parliament, there was retaining of duty on tea thereby demonstrating the power of Parliament to tax its colonies. As a result, the citizens of Boston declined the unloading of three British ships, which entered Boston in November 1773 along with 342 chests of tea. On the other hand, Thomas Hutchinson, who was the royal governor of Massachusetts, declined the idea of the tea ships returning to England pending the payment of duty. Therefore, on the evening of December 16, a grouping of Bostonians, prompted by the American patriot Samuel Adams, while, at the same time, masquerading as Indians, aboard the vessels while emptying the tea to Boston Harbor. Following the refusal of the government of Boston of paying for the tea, the British shutdown the port; these actions by the British concerning the tea irritated the Bostonians. After what occurred with the Boston Massacre, the Patriots needed something that was capable of pushing them over to the edge thereby starting the Revolution, along with the taxes this pushed them some steps closer. 5 George Grenville, who was the British prime minister initiated the Stamp Act and bypassed by the British Parliament in 1765 as a way of increasing revenue within the American colonies. It necessitated all legal documents, playing cards, licenses, pamphlets, commercial contracts and newspapers carrying a tax stamp. The acts stretched to the colonies the technique of stamp duties then applied in Great Britain with the intention of raising money to lower the cost of maintenance for the military defenses of the colonies. Considering that this act got bypassed devoid of debate, it provoked widespread opposition amongst the colonists, who contended that since they did not have representation in Parliament, it was impossible to legally tax them devoid of their consent. Three most significant events were helpful in causing The American Revolution; without them, there might not have been a Revolution. Overtime, the road to revolution slowly built up; a number of events fed the rising need for independence by the thirteen colonies. Below are the key events, which led to the Revolution.6 French and Indian War - 1754-1763: This war was between Britain and France and resulted in the victorious British being deeply in debt while demanding enhanced income from the colonies. Following the defeat of the French, the colonies turned out to be less dependent on Britain for fortification. Proclamation of 1763 - 1763: This proscribed settlement further than the Appalachian Mountains; whereas Britain had no intention of harming the colonists, a number of colonists got offended by this order. Sugar Act - 1764: This act increased revenue by elevating duties on sugar coming from the West Indies. Currency Act - 1764: Parliament contended that colonial currency was the root for devaluation, something that was harmful to British trade. As a result, they prohibited American assemblies from giving out paper bills or even bills of credit. Committees of Correspondence - 1764: Coordinated by Samuel Adams and helping in the spreading of propaganda, as well as information through letters. Quartering Act - 1765: Britain gave an order that colonists were to accommodate, while, at the same time, feed British soldiers when necessary. Stamp Act - 1765: This necessitated tax stamps on a variety of items, as well as documents comprising of playing cards, newspapers, together with marriage licenses. According to Prime Minister George Grenville, the intention of this direct tax was for the colonies to give payment for defense. Preceding taxes imposed by Britain were either indirect, or hidden. Stamp Act Congress - 1765: 27 delegates from nine colonies held a meeting in the New York City thereby drawing up a statement of rights, as well as grievances thus bringing colonies mutually in opposition to Britain. Sons and Daughters of Liberty - 1765: Colonists attempted to fight back by enforcing non-importation agreements. In most cases, the Sons of Liberty exploited the law by forcing these agreements by techniques like tar and feathering. Townshend Acts - 1767: The imposition of these taxes took place so as to assist in making the colonial officials’ sovereign of the colonists and comprised of duties on glass, tea and paper. Smugglers amplified their activities to prevent the tax resulting in increased troops, in Boston. Boston Massacre - 1770: In Boston, the colonists, together with British soldiers openly clashed; this event was a case of British cruelty in spite of questions concerning how it actually happened. Tea Act - 1773: To help the unsuccessful British East India Company, it attained a monopoly to trade tea within America. Boston Tea Party - 1773: A group of colonists masquerade as Indians plunked tea overboard from three ships within Boston Harbor. Intolerable Acts - 1774: The passage of these acts were in response to the Boston Tea Party thereby placing limits on the colonists comprising of outlawing town meetings, as well as the closing of Boston Harbor. First Continental Congress - 1774: While responding to the Intolerable Acts, 12 out of the 13 colonies held a meeting in Philadelphia from September-October, 1774. The key results of this were the establishment of The Association justifying a boycott of British goods. Lexington and Concord - 1775: In April, there was an order for the British troops to go to Lexington and Concord so as to confiscate stores of colonial gunpowder, while, at the same time, capturing Samuel Adams, together with John Hancock. In Lexington, there was open conflict with eight Americans got killed while in Concord; the British troops got compelled to retreat as a result of losing 70 men. This was the primary instance of open warfare. Second Continental Congress - 1775: All 13 colonies had a representative in this meeting in Philadelphia starting May. The colonists were still hopeful of the possibility of their grievances would be tackled by King George III. In this meeting, George Washington was appointed as the head of the Continental Army. Bunker Hill - 1775: This main victory for the Colonists led to George III declaring the colonies in rebellion. The American Revolution begun as a result of a series of events with the French, together with the Indian War causing enormous debt for England; therefore, when it was time for paying the money England set for the colonies. The needless imposition of acts on the colonists, the absence of representation within the Parliament, along with the embargo of trade together with other countries led to the American Colonists getting mad. The acts forced on the colonists turned out to be unfair; in 1764, there was the passing of the Sugar Act, as well as the Currency Act. The Sugar Act led to the increment of taxes on sugar, while, on the other hand, the Currency Act prohibited the colonies from reproducing their own money. On top of that, in 1765, there was the passing of the Stamp Act, which prohibited the purchasing of certain items devoid of paying for their stamp, as well. Apart from that, in 1767, there was the passing of the Townshend Acts, which placed taxes on a number of items including glass, tea, lead, paint and sugar. This resulted in the approval of the Tea Act in 1773, which placed the latest tax on tea leading to the Boston Tea Party, whose head was the Sons of Liberty. Finally, there was the passing of the Coercive Acts, used by the colonialists in doing they did a number of things in disrupting the way of life within America. As a result, the Coercive Acts led to the shutdown of Boston Harbor, as well as the cancellation of the Massachusetts Charter, moving trial locations, while, at the same time, requiring colonists to accommodate British soldiers. As a result, of the acts that made the colonialist pay high taxes, they became terribly upset; they lacked any representation within the Parliament to prohibit the passing of these acts. This led to rising of the motto, "No taxation without representation", which ended up being heard right through all of the colonies. Eventually, the American Revolution outgrew the increasing restrictions imposed on the colonies by the British. However, approximately one-third of the colonists favored the rebellion; another one-third went on siding with the British while the last third turned to be neutral about the rebellion, as well as the break from Great Britain. 7 The success of America in the American Revolutionary War led to the creation of a new nation whereas British failure ripped off an enormous part of their empire. Although such impacts were inevitably going to have influences, historians debate the level of each in comparison to that of the French Revolutionary, as well as Napoleonic Wars, which tested Britain soon after the American experience. It is extremely rare to find a government capable of surviving a failed war devoid of pressure; however, in Britain the defeat in the American Revolutionary War resulted in demands for constitutional reform. There was criticism concerning the hard core of government for the manner in which they handled the war, as well as for the evident power they possessed, with fears that Parliament had stopped representing the interests of the people and was just approving everything done by the government. Petitions overflew from the Association Movement, insisting on a trimming of the king’s government, the extension those capable of voting, as well as a redrawing of the electoral map. There were also demands concerning universal manhood suffrage. Although Britain lost thirteen colonies within America, it retained Canada, together with land within the Caribbean, Africa, as well as India; rather, it then started expanding in these regions, developing what was referred to as the Second British Empire that eventually turned out to be the largest territory in world history. On the other hand, Britain’s role within Europe never ended with its diplomatic power soon getting restored, thereby being capable of playing a vital role within the French Revolutionary, as well as Napoleonic Wars.8 Bibliography: Bruce Lancaster, John Harold Plumb. The American Revolution. Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. Fiske, John. The American Revolution, Volume 1. Illinois: Kessinger Publishing, 2006. Wood, Gordon S. The American revolution: a history. Rhode Island: Modern Library, 2002. Read More