The American Revolutionary War was a conflict between the 13 British colonies and Great Britain that lasted from 1775-1783. The revolution had many causes. Long-term political, economic and social changes in the colonies prior to 1750 contributed to the United States forming an independent nation with its own political institutions. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) also changed the relationship between the colonies and Britain. The Stamp Act crisis in1765 and subsequent conflicts led to the outbreak of war in 1775. In 1776, the colonists made the Declaration of Independence to sever their ties to Britain.
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 naval blockade causing a war on the American Commerce.
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. 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. When word of the rebellion reached Britain, the British government decided to use overwhelming military force to crush the American revolt.
The Term Paper on African-Americans In The Civil War
The foundation for black participation in the Civil War began more than a hundred years before the outbreak of the war. Blacks in America had been in bondage since early colonial times. In 1776, when Jefferson proclaimed mankind’s inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the institution of slavery had become firmly established in America. Blacks worked in the tobacco ...
The British government entered the war with confidence, thinking that they would beat the Americans. They believed that their armed forces and would cause fear within the upstart colonists. But even though Britain had the experience and the money to win the war, America did have many advantages. They were fighting on their own territory and were close to the sources of supply where as Britain would have to transport troops and supplies overseas. The American Revolution lasted for eight years and had four distinct phases. During the first phase, from April 1775 to July 1776, the Patriots strategy was to turn their revolt into an organized rebellion, while armed Loyalists and British governors tried to put an end to the uprising.
The second phase of the war began when the British invaded New York in July 1776 and ended in October 1777 with the Patriots triumph at Saratoga. Britains goal had been to confront and defeat the Continental Army and to isolate the radical Patriots in New England. General Washingtons strategy had been to protect his weak forces by retreating, and then counterattacking when he held the advantage. Britain then tried to subdue the South during the third phase of the war. Beginning in early 1778, Britain employed regular troops to take territory and then used local Loyalists to hold it. Patriots weakened the British forces by using guerilla warfare and then the assistance of French soldiers in October 1781 led to a major victory at Yorktown, Virginia. The final phase of the war came in 1783 when the Patriots won a treaty that recognized the independence of the United States. The struggle and fight for independence affected civilians as well as soldiers who suffered deprivation and death.
The Essay on Cold War Or New War American Foreign Policy Since 9 11
The Cold War can be most aptly characterized as an ideological conflict between two superpowers which enveloped and polarized the world for fifty years. It was a conflict between communism and capitalism, the Soviet Union versus the United States. Both nations foreign policies were shaped in order to retain and increase the influence of their respective ideologies whilst restricting the spread of ...
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. Among the civilian population, the war lowered the standard of living and increased conflict among social groups.
Civilians were faced with a scarcity of imported goods and skyrocketing prices. Women were forced to take over new responsibilities in the home, challenging traditional gender roles. Most women took on the task of farming, plowing and cutting the fields. But the most devastating blow was the impact of the financial costs the war brought. Paper money began to be manufactured for the soldiers enabling them to buy clothing and supplies. Most soldiers suffered from hunger and deprivation so by issuing paper money it gave them a chance for survival. The military were faced with harsh conditions and in many cases they would kill themselves or runaway. 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 able to implement republican constitutions, while the Continental Congress directed the American war effort. A loose union was created in 1781 under the Articles of Confederation. Britain recognized its former colonies as an independent nation after the war ended in 1783. The United States Constitution was ratified in 1789 and created a stronger central government.
Bibliography:
Mandelbaum, K.
The American Revolution. New York: Viking Press, 1996. Colton W., Legvold Y. Controversies of British Military Strategies during American Revolution. Oxford University Press, 2000. Resnick I. Great Britain during American Revolution.
Blitz Print, 1998..
The Essay on French American War Revolution Colonies Revolutions
Thousands of years ago many people believed in Ptolemy s geocentric theory that the Earth was the center of the universe. But, not until around 1500 was that theory disproved by the heliocentric theory formed from a great astronomer named Copernicus. His theory proved that the sun is the center of the universe and that celestial objects revolution would orbit around the sun and not the Earth. The ...
