American Independence 3

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Introduction

The Americas were colonized by the British from the year 1607 to 1776. The British colonization

involved both the English (later the British) and the Scotts. The colonization began in

Jamestown, Virginia and the colonies established throughout Americas. The English territories

in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Guyana formed the British America. A

group of British colonies on the East Coast of North America formed the Thirteen Colonies. The

Thirteen Colonies fought a war against the Great Britain, the American Revolution, a war that

they won, gaining independence from their colonizers in the year 1776. After their

independence, they formed the United States of America. In 1763, however, few would have

guessed that a revolution was about to take place in British America. This is because, on the

surface, none of the colonies seemed to be discontent. Furthermore, the colonies were

prospering economically and again they were not unified. In fact, most of the colonists thought

themselves as loyal English subjects. However, between the year 1763 and 1776, several events

took place, leading to the colonies revolting against Britain and seeking their independence.

These events happened after the end of the French and Indian War, in 1763.

The colonists were moved to revolt due to several factors that came to play after the end of the

French and Indian War. First, high and unfair taxes were imposed on the colonies after this war.

This was due to the financially draining nature of the war, since the French and Indian War left

huge debts and British had to fight the still ongoing Indian rebellions. In addition, the British

had to increase military presence for protection, which called for the raising of revenue on the

part of the colonies to pay for all these costs. The colonists had no representatives who could

voice out their complaints regarding the taxes to the British government; they suffered silently.

In 1763, a proclamation act was signed. This involved the forbidding of any settlement at the

west of the Appalachian Mountains. This territory was to be considered an Indian settlement.

The colonists wanted to go to the Appalachian Mountains because this area offered cheaper

land but the passing of this Act limited this and made it impossible to do so. Custom duties

were then increased on many items, ranging from sugar to textile to coffee. The raising of these

items was intended to increase the efficiency of the customs system in America. As if this was

not enough, the Currency Act was then passed. This was an Act of the Parliament in Great

Britain. It served to regulate paper money that was issued by the colonies. It achieved this by

prohibiting the colonies from issuing legal tender paper money. All this was intended to protect

British Merchants and creditors, by ensuring that they weren’t paid using colonial currency

which was depreciated. Another form of tax was then introduced on documents, meant to be

used in payment for the defense of the colonies (Stamp Act). Some printed materials, inclusive

of the newspapers, were to be on paper. Furthermore, they were to be produced in Britain and

stamped with a revenue stamp. Only the Americans were the ones to pay for this tax. A number

of external taxes on products that the colonies needed were also introduced. This happened

after the passing of the Townshend act. The taxes involved stuff like glass, lead, paints, paper

and tea. The tax was also to fund the ongoing development of infrastructure. The Americans

boycotted, leading to the sending of more British troops to America. Another Act, the

Quartering Act, was passed, demanding that that the colonies residents ought to offer food and

housing to the British troops that were stationed in America. There was to be no bargain

concerning this. In 1770, an angry mob of colonists in Boston confronted one lone British guard.

The guard called for help and this resulted in the killing of five colonists by British men who

came to aid. This event was considered an evidence of British cruelty to the colonists and

distrust between the colonists and British grew, fuelling the desire to revolt. A few years later,

the British East India Company was given a monopolistic control of the tea trade in the

Americas. The price of tea was lowered extremely. In response to this, some patriots proceeded

to dress up in the manner of American Indians, dumped twenty three thousand pounds of

British tea into Boston Harbor and burned ships. This happened in the year 1773. In 1774, a

series of laws, the Coercive Acts, were passed in response to this. This formed the Intolerable

Acts, which was intended to curb any efforts that were being made by the colonists to steal

their independence, as the dumping of tea and burning of ships were considered acts to revolt

against Britain. Boston harbor was closed to everything except British ships.

These activities by the British, as unfair and suppressing as they were to the American colonies

are what prompted the colonists to revolt against the British and seek out their independence.

This however, was not as easy as it could have seemed from the surface. This is because there

were strong political, economic and emotional bonds that tied America to Britain. For instance,

Britain offered protection for America from the French and Indians. The economy of the British

America was well-off as compared to that of other nations. Again, most American colonists felt

emotionally bound to the British, even considering themselves as loyal British citizens. They saw

no need to seek out independence. However, the series of events, after the French and Indian

war, discussed above brought about a change. After all, there was no longer need for

protection of the colonists by the British from the French and Indians. The end of this war had

severed any political ties that bound America to Britain. Again the unfair taxation, forbidding of

settlements among many other unfair activities, severed any emotional bonds and feelings of

loyalty that some colonists had to Britain, and prompted retaliation. Every action by the side of

the British, meant to belittle and submit the colonists, brought an equally strong response from

the side of the colonists. For instance, the colonists boycotted British goods in response to the

Stamp Act. Following the Boston Tea Party, they dumped pounds of tea and burned ships at the

harbor. These retaliations on the side of the colonists resulted in severing of any political,

economic and emotional bonds that tied them to Britain. In addition, several other major

events led to severing of these bonds. These are significant events that led to American

Independence. First, there was the First Continental Congress. This was a convention at

Carpenter’s Hall constituted by delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies (except

Georgia). They met on September 5, 1774, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The delegates served

as representatives from each colony. The agenda of the meeting was to discuss how they would

respond to the British Intolerable Acts. This was no different from a conspiracy, which served to

weaken the bonds tying America and Britain. In April, 1775, colonists send troops to Boston,

where the first shots were fired. The Americans then fought the British troops even before they

arrived in concord. They shot them in the backs, dying without honor. This marked the start of

the American Revolution War. Then there was the battle of Bunker Hill. General Petna, an

American, stole canon and set up a fortress in Boston harbor. This he intended to do so as to

destroy all the British ships there. Americans shot any of the British troops that were sent here.

The Second Continental Congress was then held. All delegates from the Thirteen Colonies met

on May 10, 1775. This was soon after the start of the warfare in the American Revolutionary

War. They send an olive branch to King George, who refused and proclaimed the colonies in

rebellion. The revolt did not stop there but the colonists only doubled their efforts against the

British. The bonds had now already been severed, and Britain was losing the war to Americans.

These significant events are what led to declaration of American independence. The British

realized that they had no more hold on Americans, and allowed the writing of the first

constitution of the United States of America. It legally established the union of the states. On

July 4, 1776, fifty men witnessed and signed the declaration of freedom from Britain

Colonization. This declaration was a statement that was adopted by the Second Continental

Congress. It announced that the Thirteen American Colonies were henceforth no longer a part

of the British Empire. They were now Independent States, the United States of America. The

actions of the American colonists had finally paid off. The treaty of Paris signed in 1783 officially

ended the American Revolutionary War, and the peace and freedom that all had been for so

long yearning for, was finally attained.

Works Cited

Bailyn, Bernard. The ideological origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press,

2017.

Wood, Gordon S. The radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage, 2011.

Boatner, Mark Mayo. Encyclopedia of American Revolution. Vol. 1. Digital Publisher, 1974.

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