Kentucky And The Second American Revolution Essay

In the end America got tangled up in the conflict and both countries were creating problems for America. The British also forced Americans into their navy, and this practice was known as impressment.

The American Revolution was a critical turning point in American history. Following the French and Indian War, Britain ignored its previous policy of salutary neglect and began intervening in the colonies affairs through taxes, occupation of soldiers, violation of civil liberties, all the while ignoring colonial pleas for representation in Parliament. These events led to the “shot heard ‘round the world” at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. America was now at war with Britain. Nevertheless, the impact of

McDonough, James L. War In Kentucky: From Shiloh to Perryville. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1994

A border state, Kentucky attempted to remain neutral during the Civil War but was unsuccessful because of its strategic location and the divided loyalties of its citizens. Farmers who used the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for transporting their produce wanted access to both waterways and the international port of New Orleans. If the South separated itself from the North, this free access would be impeded. On the other hand, influential plantation owners and state rights advocates sided with the Confederacy. As a result, Kentuckians could be found in both Union and Confederate armies. What side was the State of Kentucky on and was she truly neutral in the beginning.

While many historians might argue that the American Revolution was not so revolutionary in its nature, there is no denying the lasting effects that it has had not only on the continent, but the world. Through an analysis of documents from this period and the social, political, and economic changes that occurred in the colonies, it is clear that the colonial governmental system was radically changed during this time period. The political ideas that emerged from this revolution have shaped modern democratic governments for years, coupled with the advancement of other Enlightenment ideals.

Unfortunately, Britain was still in a previous war with Europe at the time Congress had declared the war of 1812. The British refused to let the war with Europe get in the way with the Americans. Since the Americans had pride they strongly believed that they would win. Although, due to the military cuts under Jefferson, America was not prepared for war. The army was limited with less than 7,000 men and the navy barely had 16 warships ready. British had put together a blockade off of the American Coast on the first days of the war. The war was set on Eastern and Central North America, and the Atlantic and

Consequently, the war between Britain and France put America in the middle of a shipping war (1807). France did not want America giving its goods to Britain and vice versa, and Britain, in particular, was seizing American ships taking U.S. sailors to serve in their Royal Navy.

The Revolutionary War can be interpreted differently depending on if it is being told from the White American perspective or the Black American perspective. From the White’s perspective the Revolutionary War was primarily about the oppression of the colonies by the British nation and the fight for freedom. During the war the White Americans fought against the British and used any person including slaves who was willing to fight in the battle against the British including those who supported the British cause. Once the colonies were free there was discrepancy over if the slaves should be given freedom or not. When taken into account the Black American population contributes a whole new dynamic to the Revolutionary War. The beginnings of

The wars caused Britain to impress many American sailors again. When Thomas Jefferson was president he tried to stop this by passing the Embargo Act of 1807, but it failed. James tried to put an end to the situation as well but did not succeed. While Britain was impressing our sailors, Americans began to expand westward and conflict began with Native Americans. Apparently Britain was working with the Native Americans and was convincing them to attack. As well Congressman from the South and West wanted war to stop Britain from impressing American sailors and protect farmers. They were called War Hawks. All of these events eventually lead to the first battle of the war and explain why Americans wanted war in the first place. British impressing American sailors, Native American conflicts, and War hawks were all the causes of the War of

On April 19,1775 the American Revolutionary War started and ended on September 3, 1783.Did you know that Samuel Adams had the idea for the Boston Tea party? I bet you didn’t know that!! Do you also know why there was an American War? Well, it happened because the Great Britain wanted to rule the new 13 colonies and the colonies did not want to be ruled.Did you know who patriots were? Well, patriots were people who fought for the rights of the colonies to be a free country which soon became our U.S.A. Do you know loyalists were? Loyalists were people who fought for the rights of Great Britain to rule over the new 13 colonies, but I guess that they didn’t win the war. There were also big events like the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea

Another reason for the obscurity of this war is that its causes are complex and little understood today. Most scholars agree that the war was fought over maritime issues, particularly the Orders in Council, which restricted American trade with the European Continent, and impressment, which was the Royal Navy’s practice of removing seamen from American merchant vessels. In contemporary parlance, the war was fought

The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 brings about the death of the elite Federalist Government in favor of the democratic Republican Government, concerned with the needs of all of its citizens. United States of America suffered many growing pains when trying to balance its commitment to liberty with the need for order, but with the help of their greatest ally (France) and the people of the thirteen colonies of America they defeated the greatest empire in the world. A new U.S. federal government started operating in 1789 after the new constitution was made, the previous government under the Article of Confederation were too weak after the revolutionary war, the state did as they please, the congress were unable to impose tax, enforce foreign treaties, or draft troops. It was mainly a friendly government; thus the expression “the do-nothing congress”. Each state considered itself free and independent, and easterners and westerners were separated by geography as well as their own concerns.

The Revolutionary War started on April 19, 1775 at Lexington and Concord. America was very much unprepared with no central government or army. The congress stepped up as the government and began to organize an army. The Revolutionary War did not end until September 3, 1783 with the signing of the final peace treaty between America and Great Britain. The victory in the Revolution War led to the birth of a new independent nation.

The scope of Gordon Wood’s history, “Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815” is approximately 730 pages bracketed into nineteen chapters. Clearly, this affords Wood the opportunity to cover a lot of territory in his lengthy study of a crucial period in the nation’s history. Wood spent nearly twenty years preparing this work, and yet he dedicates a whole chapter the two years preceding the turn of the 19th century. I chose The Crisis of 1798-1799 because it seemed to be one of the most germane selections in the book. It is common knowledge among Americans that the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and most know that the Constitutional convention took place just shortly thereafter. Most Americans also recognize that the primary source of turmoil during this time was the Revolutionary War. I would assert, unfortunately, that relatively few fully grasp how tumultuous the climate of early America truly was. Wood dedicates his efforts toward emphasizing the breadth of the situation that America’s early leaders were faced with in the post-constitutional years; for, during this time survival of the Republic was not guaranteed.

As many American businesses engaged in credit sales with Britain, they were crippled when several financial crises gripped London in the 1760’s and 1770’s. These forced Britain merchants to call in their debts. Unable to generate any liquid form of currency, American businesses were frequently ruined and the colonial economy damaged. Outraged by these new laws and the Quartering Act which required colonial citizens to house and feed British troops, the American colonies began to systematically boycott British goods.”(1)