Causes and Events Leading up to the Revolutionary War
For the past two-hundred and twenty-five years, the United States of America has been its own empire. However, prior to this time, this country was the equivalent of young child, trying to find its own identity. Great Britain was the mother country for the colonies that had settled onto North American soil during the 1600's. For a time, Great Britain guided, supported, and ruled this new world. As the colonies settled into the Eighteenth century, they entered the realm of adolescence, wanting more freedom, less rule, and more of a voice in what would ultimately be their own destiny. For over 100 years, the United States willingly accepted rule from Parliament. Yet, as England's situation at home worsened during the mid-eighteenth century, they looked over to the new world to help dig them out of the financial trench they were in. Between the years 1763 and 1775, Great Britain placed a number of acts, taxes, and bullying schemes upon the colonies, in hopes of easing their own monetary woes. Consequently, these actions which were being pounded upon the colonies proved to be more than they could stand. Finally in 1775, the revolutionary minds of the colonies banded together to fight for their freedom. What I plan to discuss
With the arrival of fifty-five delegates from the colonies, what would become known as the American Revolution was taking shape. These men sized each other up, expressed their views, and with their decision to resist the Coercive Acts, realized that they would all commit treason together. This meeting displayed just how much these revolutionary minds wanted to be set free from Great Britain. Their stride towards independence was so close within their grip. The situation at hand just needed a slight push to make the idea of a revolution, become a revolution. Avery short time after the repeal of the Stamp Acts, the Quartering Act was established. This stated that the colonists must supply British troops with housing, food, and firewood among other items. The mere presence of the redcoats was disturbing enough to the colonists, without having to provide shelter for them as well. Following this act, Parliament hit the colonies again with the Townshend Acts in May of 1767. This required the colonies to pay tax on imports ranging from paper to tea. Once again, the Americans being led by New York and Boston went back to their boycotting ways. Merchants of the various seaports along the east coast agreed not to import any British goods until Parliament once again saw the error in their ways and repealed these taxes. Newspapers joined in, and before long, the bashing of the British was of common conversation in the colonies. Yet, British Customs Commissioners continued to tighten their grip over the colonies and began seizing American ships and its cargo. The people of Boston and other seaports quickly developed an open hatred for these "royal" pains in the arse. At this point, Parliament was facing its biggest challenge yet. The colonies were now banding together, communicating frequently, and validating their righteous ideals against the mother country. At this point in time, it is important to note how influential groups such as the Pamphleteers and the Sons of Liberty, specifically Samuel Adams were to the revolutionary cause. Historically speaking, the deaths of five people would not categorize itself into a massacre, but this is how this incident was being billed. The Pamphleteers were a group of people who spread written materials supporting the cause of the colonies, usually embellishing the facts to gather more support. Immediately after the "massacre", the Pamphleteers quickly recognized the dead as martyrs. "Samuel Adams and his coadjutors were determined to make the Boston Massacre an enduring symbol of British tyranny." While the British repealed most of the Townshend Acts except for the tax on tea, the colonies enjoyed some peace and prosperity between 1770 and 1772. Adams continued to remind people that there was still a tax on tea and organized anniversaries to remind people of the repeal of the Stamp Act and the Boston Massacre. He knew that this brief period of tranquility would soon pass and wanted the colonists to remember just what the British were capable of. With the Stamp Act of 1765, began the construction of a mass political movement. The Stamp Act required Americans to purchase special seals or stamps to validate legal documents. "The colonists could see that they would have to pay stamp fees at every stage of a lawsuit, that diplomas and deeds, almanacs and advertisements, bills and bonds, customs papers and newspa
Some common words found in the essay are:
Stamp Act, Customs Commissioners, Boston Massacre, Parliament England's, War American, Philadelphia York, Acts March, Sugar Act, Samuel Adams, Coercive Acts, stamp act, mother country, repeal stamp, british government, british troops, boston massacre, repeal stamp act, townshend acts, national debt, tea act, american soil, night december 1773,
Approximate Word count = 2288
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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