American Revolution: America Had Opportunities to Make Peace With British Rule
The birth of the United States was a long and laborious process, costing thousands of lives and testing the human will to survive and dominate. Revolutionists, although their zeal waxed and waned over time, eventually perceived any attempts by Britain to govern the colonies as unfair. Attempts by England to retain control of their colonies became magnified, and were used as an inspiration toward rebellion. Britain's motives were considered to be increasingly untrustworthy. "By 1775 many colonists were convinced, as one town meeting stated, that the British government had 'a design to take away our liberties and properties and enslave us forever'"(Millet p. 49-50). This seems fairly strong language directed toward Britain, while Americans were simultaneously enslaving black servants. America's break from England may have been inevitable. England's actions were construed in a manner that would agitate and increase the nationalistic spirit required for rebellion, and create such nationalism that an initially rag-tag army was able to finally defeat the British due to the sheer determination to be independent. What we now call the beginning of the revolution was considered by the British to be only a rebellion at that time.
By 1774, England had incurred a mammoth national debt in its victory over the French, with whom it had battled for control of America and Canada. In an effort to recoup some of its losses, England naturally turned to its American colonies, which it considered to be under its rightful ownership, and made decisions to formally tax Americans and enforce the Navigational Acts that had been ignored by Americans for years (Ward, p.7-8). In a measure designed to protect the colonies from further invasion by the French, Britain also passed laws that required Americans to take in and house British soldiers newly stationed in the colonies to protect King George III's interests. In conclusion, it seems that America had opportunities to make peace with British rule and to comply with its governance. However, America and its revolutionaries used as many events as possible to fan the flames that would lead to liberty from Great Britain. Parliament and King George III did what they felt was appropriate to retain control of Britain's colonies, but it is likely that the colonists always saw themselves as headed toward independence, and England's actions were only part of a self-fulfilling prophecy. One could say that America was pregnant with the sentiment of liberty for many years, and the birth of the United States was inevitable the inevitable outcome. When the Stamp Act was passed, requiring revenue to be paid upon every legal document, pamphlet, or any other commercial document, Americans became starkly and more fully conscious of being under Britain's direct control. Control from a distance was one thing, but England's actions had begun to affect their everyday lives. A congress was called in New York in 1765 with all colonies represented, and a petition was submitted to England for repeal of the Act. British officers in were America being harassed and tortured and forced to resign. It was at this time that the colonists formed the "Sons of Liberty" in the northern areas. The colonists simply disregarded the terms of the Stamp Act, and proceeded to boycott British goods, causing additional strain on England's flailing economy. To Britain's credit, the Act was repealed, but another Act was passed that would bi
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1508
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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