Since the birth of the United States, there have been ideals at the core of the nation encouraging it to keep progressing. Infact, these ideals where the motivation for the colonies to become independent from Britain. Before the American Revolution, England had total control over the colonies. This allowed the king of England at this time, King George III, to take advantage of the colonies. The king imposed unfair laws onto the colonies such as the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts and the Intolerable Act. With each of these acts made and enforced, the colonists felt that they were being ruled unjustly. To explain how they knew King George was treating them unfairly, the colonists agreed on certain ideals to be a guideline for how a government should be run. The ideals they decided upon where, Liberty, Democracy, Rights, Equality, and Opportunity. In order to take control of their government and rule with these ideals at the core of it, the colonists rebelled against England. This revolution is now known as the American Revolution, and is the reason the US is an independent country. During class, we looked at a couple of the most influential articles of writing made at this time and decided which of the American ideals it best embodied These document where Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, and a Massachusetts slave petition called Denouncing Contradictions. The goals of each of these documents, was to convince the intended audience to
Between 1770 and 1776, resistance to imperial change turned into a full-on revolution. The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, was a time of revolting and political uprising, in which the 13 colonies separated from the British Empire, forming the independent nation known as the United States of America. Though the American Revolution began because the colonies wanted independence from Britain, many important historical events and revolts also lead to the tensions and resistance to what resulted in freedom and independence for the colonies from British rule. Events such as the Stamp and Sugar Acts, the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, and the Continental Congress led to expanding tensions and soon to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
The American Revolution was preceded in part by a series of British Parliament laws that regulated trade and taxes. Rumors from England that more taxes might follow encouraged some colonists to begin thinking about whether they really consented to taxes passed by a Parliament to which they elected no representatives. (1) This particular legislation of taxation caused tensions between colonists and local imperial officials, who readdressed the colonists concerns that the British Parliament would not address American complaints concerning the new laws. The unwillingness to respond to American demands for change by the British opened the doors to colonial argument that they were part of a corrupt and tyrannical empire in which their traditional liberties were at stake! This position eventually served as the foundation for the Declaration of Independence.
“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” as stated in the Constitution as well as stated by the philosopher John Locke, is the basis for the United States of America as we know it today. The notion that all humans were created equal and that all people are entitled to basic human rights came from the various experiences the colonists faced through the Revolution, which was a vital influence in the creation of the Constitution. The revolution was a key turning point in American history, it was when the American colonies rejected the ideals of the British and battled for their independence.
The year 1770 had inflamed many colonist in the Americas into blind uncontrollable wrath, while the colonists tried to become a self-ruling state and discard the strong unbreakable clinch the British had on the Americas, the British had established several obstacles making the colonists having to work harder to become an independent country. Several acts was placed upon the American colonists such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Quartering Act, and the Currency Act that had restricted America to broaden their horizons and become economically stable to grow and flourish and imposed additional taxes on common products imported into the colonies such as paper, glass, and tea, The colonists soon started smuggling (moving goods illegally into and
The American Revolution is typically looked at as a conservative movement, but it seems most of the actions taken were very radical. They were fighting to defend their rights, governed and natural. The American Revolution was as radical as any other revolution, in a special 18th century way, and this seems to hold true while looking at the new waves of thinking. It involves the Whigs and Tories, and while they are at opposite sides of the spectrum, they consecutively agreed to not address and higher-law principles so they would not have to rework their entire system.. The Revolution worked against this, and the parties chose to pretend it was not a serious movement and act, as they believed it would not take any effect. More people got involved and all aspects of life began to be questioned and revolutionized. The Revolution seems to be radical in a more definitive way as it caused segregation of beliefs, the Declaration of independence, and
The southerners felt that it was a glorious destiny to be freed from the Union just as their forefathers had wanted to be free from England, the southerners were inspired by the American Revolution of 1776. The Confederacy was now a country, it was the southerners country; “they felt a sense of duty to this country that had called on them to defend its very existence” (McPherson, p, 11).
A poet once said, “There are two documents in American history that made America what it is today. Common Sense by Thomas Paine was inspiring to many American colonists as it was persuasive in showing how the colonists should have their own independence. Paine appealed the average citizen’s rationale, hence the title Common Sense. Paine’s pamphlet illustrates the importance of independence, and argues that colonial life under British rule was detrimental to America’s potential to become prosperous. In a fairly lengthy, but readable style, Paine discusses the differences between democracies and monarchies, specifically Great Britain’s. Paine shows how monarchy creates large disparities between the Kings and Queens and the average citizens, and the citizens have no voice in who becomes their ruler. By contrast, he believes that a government under democratic rule elects leaders based on the demand of the people. Much shorter, but just as equally influential, The Declaration of Independence was a famous document that was authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson mentions how the colonies should be considered as equals with their English counterparts and why it is important for man to have freedom. Paine and Jefferson both want Americans to succeed, but they also have some notable differences in their documents. The Declaration of Independence called for the colonists to have the same rights as the British, and it was mainly directed for England to see that Americans
It was the first revolution to majorly succeed and change how people saw their countries, it was the American Revolution. The American Revolution was the first successful revolution against a European empire that provided a model for many other colonial peoples who realized that they too could break away and become self-governing nations (New world Encyclopedia, 1).The American Revolution was vital to history because ideas seen by other countries started a chain reaction. Many ideas were taken into account when the Americans revolted against Europe and all of these played important factors throughout history. Ideas about liberty, equality, representation, and natural rights were first seen as properly put into action to change old systems in the American Revolution. As the American Revolution was the first to succeed and earn freedom, it greatly affected countries all around the world on how they made freedom and equality a part of their government
The American Revolution was undeniably the most pivotal time period in respect to United States History, but who was really to blame for initiating the conflict? While both the British politicians and American colonists shared the blame for the kindling of the revolution, one party was certainly more at fault than the other: the British. Through short-term causes of taxation and incommodious trade acts, and long-term causes of salutary neglect and involvement in the burdensome French & Indian War, the British politicians proved to ultimately be the most responsible for igniting the Revolutionary War.
In American history everyone believes that the American Revolution would begin in 1775. But many would argue that the American Revolution had started even earlier than that. As the American Revolution would not spring up overnight, but throughout a series of events that would build tension caused by different views on government, and conflicting interests between the British and their colonies on the western hemisphere.
When the American Revolution first broke out, many countries did not give the colonies more than a passing thought; most assumed that this rebellion would quickly be quelled by the world renowned British army and the colonies would once again be under their control. However, under the leadership of military officers and the guidance of laws and proclamations set forth by the Founding Fathers, America succeeded in their revolution against the control of Britain. Textbooks and teachers have praised America for years, stating that the revolution was a major turning point in world history, setting precedence for future revolutions, such as the French Revolution just a decade after the American Revolution ended. However, in later years, historians have begun to argue that the American Revolution was not the first of its kind, or unique in the way researchers previously stated. The Declaration of Independence, though groundbreaking in its own right, was influenced by documents and declarations in the English Civil War, such as the Petition of Rights and the English Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence, in turn, was a base for the authors and contributors of France’s Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Furthermore, for all the connections in the chain of antecedents for these documents and the documents themselves, such as philosophical and religious writings, they did not build off of each other in terms of giving rights to more and more people; women and other
As we all know there were many events that led to the American Revolution and many things changed over time. In this paper I will be looking at a couple of important documents and analyzing them in my own opinion. I will be looking at The American Promise that was talked about in chapter 6, the Virtual Representation of 1775, and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense document and lastly the Declaration of Independence. I will be giving my honest interpretation and telling how I think these documents affected us during the 1700’s.
The American Revolution was a political upheaval that took place between 1765 and 1783 during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America.
In regards to the American Revolution, the point that armed rebellion became inevitable arrived when after nearly five constant years of American colonist protesting. American 's had enough and needed to take a stand for the numerous inequalities they were forced to deal with. It was foreseeable that the American Revolution took place due to the unfair taxes that the British were giving Americans. Also, England was not allowing Americans their freedom, along with violence and the political dominance by the Parliament over the colonies by announcing the Stamp Act in 1765, which happened to nearly affect all Americans tremendously.
“The revolution was effected before the war commenced. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.” - John Adams, 1818