Although America had not yet decided to vote for independence until July 2nd, 1776, the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord on the night of April 18, 1775. No one intended to fight that night but a shot was fired in the midst of confusion and 8 Americans lay dead once the redcoats responded. It was the shot heard around the world. Even though it was a shot not planned, word of the incident spread rapidly. A peaceful compromise was not possible since too much blood had already been spilled. In December 1775 Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act, which outlawed trade with rebellious colonies and set up a na

As a series of military skirmishes fostered the growth of American patriotism, the continental congress took the final steps. On July 2nd, 1776 Congress voted for independence and on July 4th Congress ordered publication on the Declaration of Independence, which declared the colonies free and independent from Britain, as the United States of America.

Following the Prohibitory act, Thomas Paine pushed the colonists toward independence from Britain. Paine produced an essay Common Sense where he asked the question whether "a continent should continue to be ruled by an island". Common sense systematically stripped kingship of historical and theological justification.

The struggle and fight for independence affected civilians as well as soldiers who suffered deprivation and death. Residents of North and South Carolina as well as New Jersey were hard hit by the fighting as British and American armies marched across their land. Often the soldiers would loot farms, seeking political revenge. In most cases troops harassed or even raped women and young girls. Wherever the army went, families lived in fear. Patriot mobs tarred and feathered suspected Loyalists in New England and Local Committees of Safety often imposed fines or jail sentences on those who refused to support the patriot cause.

Despite all the sufferings the population went through, the outcome of the American Revolution War was worth the hardships. America had finally gained its independence. Once independent, the new state governments were

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Approximate Word count = 1020
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)