British Colonists Becoming Americans
By the eve of the American Revolution, a large number of colonists had already developed a strong sense of their identity and unity, and considered themselves true Americans; not just English immigrants. While most Americans realized that they must unite to win their freedom from England, not all colonists supported the cause. The Americans discovered that they did have many things in common. They were all being unfairly taxed, and they could not have representation in Parliament. In 1773, the English enacted a tax on tea that was sold in America; this tea tax enraged the colonists, and resulted in the Boston Tea Party, which in turn caused the English to create a blockade on Boston's ports. This hurt the economy of Boston, which was then one of the major American cities, because the citizens could not receive valuable shiploads of supplies, such as food and textiles, until they repaid England for the damages caused when the tea was destroyed. Since Parliament consisted of people only from England, there was no one to voice a
In the years leading up to the Revolution, the American colonists were joining together and held a grasp on their sense of identity. This move towards a unified people can be seen in a letter written in 1774, in which Richard Henry Lee informed Arthur Lee that "all N. America is now most firmly united and as firmly resolved to defend their liberties ad infinitum against every power on Earth that may attempt to take them away" (Document C). In conclusion, it can be seen that in the latter part of the 18th century, many colonists believed that England was not treating the colonies fairly. Because of this, many Americans decided that they would not stand for it any longer. But to win their independence, colonists had to face England as a one united country, not as individuals. They accomplished this, though, and a unified America was born. But, the blockade at Boston Harbor also had a positive effect on America. As a result of the English action, Boston was cut off from food, and the other American colonies rallied to the suppor
Some common words found in the essay are:
Tea Party, Lee America, Americans English, Document Loyalists, Boston Harbor, England Loyalists, Document A, Document People, Revolution American, Boston Document, sense identity,
Approximate Word count = 699
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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