American Revolution Essays Text

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The thirteen colonies that became the usa were originally colonies of great britain. By the time the american revolution took place, the citizens of these colonies were beginning to get tired of the british rule. For those people who see the change in the american government and society a real revolution, the revolution is essentially an economic one.

The main reason the colonies started rebelling against 'mother england' was the taxation issue. The colonies debated england's legal power to tax them and, furthermore, did not wish to be taxed without representation. The revenue act of 1764 made the constitutional issue of whether or not the king had the right to tax the thirteen colonies an issue, and this eventually became an entering wedge in the great dispute that was finally to wrest the american colonies from england olsen.

It was the phrase 'taxation without representation' that was to draw many to the cause of the american patriots against the mother country 6. the reaction against taxation was often violent and the most powerful and articulate groups in the population rose against the taxation 6. resolutions denouncing taxation without representation as a threat to colonial liberties were passed 6. In october of 1765, colonial representatives met on their own initiative for the first time and decided to mobilize colonial opinion against parliamentary interference in american affairs 6. From this point on, events began to reach the point of no return for the colonies. In december 1773, the boston tea party occurred as a reaction to the hated tea act of earlier that year. In 1774, the first continental congress met and formed an 'association,' which ended up assuming leadership and spurred new local organizations to end royal authority olsen, 9.

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Because of the influence of these associations, many people joined the movement, and collection of supplies and mobilization of troops began to take place. The leadership of the association was able to fan public opinion into revolutionary ardor 9. However, not everyone favored the revolutionary movement this was especially true in areas of mixed ethnic cultures and in those that were untouched by the war. The citizens of the middle colonies were especially unenthusiastic about the revolution ward.

Among those who did support a change in the government structure, not everyone who joined the movement favored violence. Quakers and members of other religions, as well as many merchants from the middle colonies, and some discontented farmers and frontiersmen from southern colonies opposed the use of violence, and instead favored discussion and compromise as the proper solution olsen, 9. The patriots were able to gain a great deal of support for a violent revolution from the less well to do, from many of the professional class, especially lawyers, some of the great planters and a number of merchants 9. Support for the revolution increased when it became clear that king george i had no intention of making concessions 9.

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By the fall of 1774, the american people had in place the mechanisms of revolutionary organization on the local and colony level. A congress of the colonies would coordinate and control the revolutionary movement ward, 53. The reason the british and the americans resorted to using arms after a decade of fighting verbally and ideologically over the rights of the british subjects in the colonies, was because both sides had finally become convinced that force alone could decide the issues that divided the empire miller. In april 1775, the battle of lexington occurred, closely followed by the battle of concord. The shot at lexington marked the first blood spilled in the war of the american independence ward, 3. These two very important instances of bloodshed served to evoke the spirit of american patriotism all over the colonies olsen, 10. The second continental congress met on may 10, 1775 and george washington was elected commander of the patriotic forces.

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He and his army fought for the defense of american liberty and consequently led america to independence ward, 61 62. The british rejection of the olive branch petition, which expressed a general desire for the restoration of harmony between britain and her colonies thomas. 248 , issued in the summer of 1775, stiffened the patriots' resolve towards independence bmpl. Another strong arguments for independence revolved around the issue of not becoming like the rotten mother england. Americans believed that the longer they remained within the british empire, the greater was the danger of contamination miller, 427.

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By early 1776, americans were ready to denounce any allegiance to the british crown ward, 63. In january of that same year, thomas paine published common sense, a brochure that strongly served to rally americans to independence. Paine's writing convinced many of his countrymen to disown the monarchy and replace it with a republic 76 77. as long as americans deluded themselves with the hope that they could be free and yet remain british subjects, paine believed that the cause of liberty was doomed miller, 463. By spring of that same year, all royal governors had been ousted and patriots replaced british authority in the colonies by makeshift governments. In july 1776, congress met and adop ted the declaration of independence from britain. The articles of confederation was the first document uniting the citizens of all thirteen colonies into one country.

Under the articles, the central government was very weak and the states held most power, but it was a beginning. As a result of shay's rebellion, the articles were disowned and the federal constitution was written in 1787. Much of the revolutionary cause came from the colonial challenge to parliament's power of legislation. Since the patriots' demands could not be met, the country proclaimed itself independent from 'mother england' and the united states of america were born. The struggle for liberty and independence during the period of american revolution laid the foundation for the creation of the new great nation which world view and life principles was totally based upon enlightenment thinkers. The first thirteen colonies became the united stated of america and received independence from britain. The reason was not only the cruelty of british colonists, but the fact that ideas of development political state of old world were incompatible with that of the new one.

Ideological basis of the war was mainly formed by the series of social and intellectual shifts that took place in american society at that period. New republic ideas appeared that were very interesting to the population of america. The american society was shifting to republicanism and expending ideas of democracy. Republicanism refers to the governing ideology based upon rule of law, liberty and civic virtue.

The ideas of liberalism of kohn locke were also essential for political figures during the period of revolution. The basic idea of the revolution was getting freedom for each citizen of the nation. African americans from the very begging were expecting to get freedom and equality after the independence, but their hopes were not realized. Even though american government was very promising regarding this issue, the war at the end brought only few changes for them.

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After the end of the revolution, slavery was abolished in the north, but it greatly expended upon the south and the racial prejudice remained. For native people of america this war was not for getting independence and the expression of patriotism. Their towns were usually first to attack and they were last, who benefited from this war. When finally the constitution appeared, the ideas of freedom, which were widely supported during the period of the revolution, were transformed. Even though freedom and democracy was proclaimed, slavery was still protected by the constitution, although not called by the name for the benefit of the south.

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There are a lot of different opinions regarding the real effect of the revolution upon the country. From one side it was not revolutionary at all, as speaking globally it just changed the territorial placement of government from distant to local one. But from the other side it was a unique that event that had deep impact upon further development of the country, as well as establishment of natural rights of people and the legislative system with laws chosen by them. In the conclusion i would like to summarize that despite achieving set objectives and getting independence, question of freedom and equality remained open.