The aMERICAN REVOLUTION |
Britain spent a large amount of money on the French and Indian War and in return put new laws in place that put taxes on imported goods to the colonists in America. The Sugar Act placed taxes on sugar, the Stamp Act placed taxes on printed materials, the Quartering Act required Americans to feed and house British soldiers, and the Townshend Act placed taxes on lead, paints, and tea. The colonists did not agree that they should have to help pay for Britain’s war debts and protests resulted. Some colonists threw crates of tea imported from Britain into the Boston Harbor to protest the new laws and taxes. The throwing of tea into the Boston Harbor is now known today as the Boston Tea Party and with this event passed the Intolerable Acts, which closed the Boston Harbor until the tea had been fully compensated. Eventually, the First Continental Congress was formed to figure out how the colonists could get Britain to treat them more justly. King George III with hearing the establishment of the First Continental Congress and the lack of control of the colonists, demanded that troops be sent to America. With the arrival of these British troops, the American colonists formed an army of their own. The Boston Massacre also added to the colonists’ betrayal to Great Britain as British soldiers fired shots into an unarmed crowd of American protestors.
The American Revolution began on April 19th, 1775 as the “shot heard round the world” (the first shot of the war) was fired by the American colonists, between Lexington and Concord. The first major battle between the American and British armies was at Bunker Hill with the British army winning, but suffering significant casualties. The Second Continental Congress met and formed the Olive Branch Petition as one last attempt to show King George III their loyalty, but pleading him to remove the newly formed laws. The rejection from the King initiated the creation of the Declaration of Independence as the American colonists wanted independence from Great Britain. The Battles of Long Island and White Plains left the Americans defeated. George Washington led the American soldiers into the Battle of Trenton and boosted the American colonists’ morale, which led the Americans to avoid British advance and attack the British in Princeton. With the British troops depleted and lacking supplies, the British surrendered at Saratoga. The American troops stayed at Valley Forge during the harsh winter elements and suffered casualties. The British now attempting to come from the south to attack the Continental Army, captured Savannah, Charleston, and Camden. Lacking loyalists, the British had to fight their way north into North Carolina and Virginia. During October of 1781 in Yorktown, Virginia with French troops combing with Washington and his Continental Army, the British had to surrender, marking the British defeat in the war.
As the American Revolution came to an end, there was one document that solidified the end of the war and the amity between America and Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris 1783, as said in the reproduced document from the Library of Congress, was the “Definitive Treaty of Peace Between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty." On September 3rd, 1783 in Paris, France, the treaty was signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay who represented the United States and by David Hartley who represented Great Britain and the King. The treaty brought about many political and social changes to both the United States and Great Britain. America and Britain’s economy almost remained unaffected from the treaty. The United States, however, dealt with political problems and loyalists being unhappy from the treaty. America also gained large amounts of land that the British owned and many British were angered because they thought that the Americans received the benefit from the treaty.
From the American Revolution, we can learn about our nation’s history. We can learn about the struggles and triumphs that went into making our country into the place it is today. Many events surrounding the American Revolution were critical in America’s Independence and freedom from Great Britain. Without the occurrence of these events who knows how our life’s may be like right now. We can learn from the history of the American Revolution in order to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.
The American Revolution began on April 19th, 1775 as the “shot heard round the world” (the first shot of the war) was fired by the American colonists, between Lexington and Concord. The first major battle between the American and British armies was at Bunker Hill with the British army winning, but suffering significant casualties. The Second Continental Congress met and formed the Olive Branch Petition as one last attempt to show King George III their loyalty, but pleading him to remove the newly formed laws. The rejection from the King initiated the creation of the Declaration of Independence as the American colonists wanted independence from Great Britain. The Battles of Long Island and White Plains left the Americans defeated. George Washington led the American soldiers into the Battle of Trenton and boosted the American colonists’ morale, which led the Americans to avoid British advance and attack the British in Princeton. With the British troops depleted and lacking supplies, the British surrendered at Saratoga. The American troops stayed at Valley Forge during the harsh winter elements and suffered casualties. The British now attempting to come from the south to attack the Continental Army, captured Savannah, Charleston, and Camden. Lacking loyalists, the British had to fight their way north into North Carolina and Virginia. During October of 1781 in Yorktown, Virginia with French troops combing with Washington and his Continental Army, the British had to surrender, marking the British defeat in the war.
As the American Revolution came to an end, there was one document that solidified the end of the war and the amity between America and Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris 1783, as said in the reproduced document from the Library of Congress, was the “Definitive Treaty of Peace Between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty." On September 3rd, 1783 in Paris, France, the treaty was signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay who represented the United States and by David Hartley who represented Great Britain and the King. The treaty brought about many political and social changes to both the United States and Great Britain. America and Britain’s economy almost remained unaffected from the treaty. The United States, however, dealt with political problems and loyalists being unhappy from the treaty. America also gained large amounts of land that the British owned and many British were angered because they thought that the Americans received the benefit from the treaty.
From the American Revolution, we can learn about our nation’s history. We can learn about the struggles and triumphs that went into making our country into the place it is today. Many events surrounding the American Revolution were critical in America’s Independence and freedom from Great Britain. Without the occurrence of these events who knows how our life’s may be like right now. We can learn from the history of the American Revolution in order to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.