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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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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