The American colonization, on the eve of Revolution - Essay Example

27 August 2007 The American Colonization, on the Eve of Revolution What do you think the greatest social and political tensions were in the thirteen colonies on the eve of the American Revolution?The first of the series of events that caused the American Revolution was the passage of the Stamp Act by the British Parliament. These outraged the Americans for they were not given representation on the matter. Different resistances to the new law intensified. Some of these were importers pledging not to import British goods, barricading a fort where the stamps are stored and destroying them.

A group called “Sons of Liberty” was formed and led the movement against it. Eventually due to the violent protests and plea, the Stamp Act was repealed but a Declaratory Act wherein it gives the British parliament the right to legislate laws it wished for its colonies replaced it.A few years later, the parliament passed the Tea Act to save the East Indian Company from bankruptcy. It removed all the duties on tea exported by the British thus giving them undue advantage over other exported tea to America.

On the day, the first shipments of the tea arrived in Boston, three members of the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians boarded the ships and threw all the tea into the sea later known as the Boston Tea Party.For the first time, leaders of the twelve colonies, excluding Georgia met in Philadelphia and convened the First Continental Congress to create a single unified stand and response to the laws and policies passed by the British Parliament. Through the congress, they filed a petition called the Declaration of Rights and Grievances to the British king.2. Which groups of individuals would support the revolution?

Which groups of individuals would NOT be inclined to support revolution? Why?At the height of the revolution, all of the thirteen colonies convened again as Second Continental Congress. An Anglo-American philosopher in the name of Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet entitled “Common Sense” and asked whether “a continent should be ruled by an island”. Only a few Loyalist Americans then were ready and willing to defend Great Britain. This was due to the continuing clashes between the Patriots and British troops.

The Patriots then were the primary army who are fighting against the British. These clashes further advanced the growth of American patriotism. The Second Continental Congress took the ultimate steps. They organized an army to continue the fight called the Continental Army with George Washington as the commander-in-chief.The Patriots then were the staunch supporters of the continuing revolution while the Loyalists would still want to be part of the British Empire. Most of the Loyalists then were wealthy and politically powerful people in the American society.

These include the merchants, lawyers and landowners. And the Patriots were mostly composed of the workers and those below the social structure of the American society and some sympathetic wealthy people. But the Patriots then have an advantage over the Loyalists. As mentioned before, the war was now ongoing and this influenced the way Americans perceived it. The calls for Independence were lot much stronger than that of the plea for reforms. Still a few Loyalists remained until the war ended wherein they fled the country and the Patriots established a central government.