American Revolution: WHO'S WHO?

American Revolution

THIS IS THE READING MATERIAL FOR THE "WHO WAS WHO IN AMERICAN REVOLUTION?" CLASS ACTIVITY.

 American Revolution the War for Independence):

The American Revolution, or the War for Independence, was a conflict that lasted eight long year, beginning in 1775 and ending in 1783.

Causes of the Revolution

The war arose primarily because American colonists were angry about numerous taxes issued by the British king. The British government had raised taxes on the colonies to help cover the debt from the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

A central grievance of the colonists was the lack of representation in the British law-making body, Parliament. This fueled the slogan, "No taxation without representation!".

Key acts and laws imposed by Britain that angered the colonists included:

1.  The Stamp Act (1765): This act placed taxes or fees on printed materials such as wills, licenses, college degrees, newspapers, public documents, and even playing dice and cards. Colonists resented these taxes, leading to riots.

2.  The Townshend Acts (1767): These placed taxes on useful imported items like glass, paints, lead, and paper, which were very much needed in a country building new houses and towns.

3.  The Proclamation of 1763: Issued by King George III, this proclamation angered many colonists because it ordered a temporary end to settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. This was intended to make peace with Native American nations, such as the Ottawa led by Pontiac, who had allied with the French.

4.  The Tea Act (1773): This law gave the East India Tea Company the exclusive right to import tea to the colonies and sell it directly to shopkeepers, thereby hurting colonial tea merchants.

Protests and Conflict Escalation

Colonists resisted British rule through various acts of protest:

• Tarring and Feathering: Colonists attacked those who collected the Stamp Act taxes, sometimes using the painful and embarrassing punishment of tar and feathering.
• Boston Massacre (1770): Five civilians were killed by British military, increasing the colonists' anger against the "redcoats" (British soldiers).
• Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773): In protest against the Tea Act, a group of colonists, some disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea (or 45 tons, 92,000 lbs) into Boston Harbor. The event was a political protest and was originally known as "The Destruction of the Tea".
• The Intolerable Acts (1774): In response to the Tea Party, the British Parliament passed these harsh laws to punish Bostonians. These included the Boston harboUr blockade (closing the harbour).
• First Continental Congress (1774): Colonists gathered to discuss how to deal with the British.

The War for Independence

The first battle of the American Revolution occurred at Lexington, Massachusetts, in 1775. The first three battles were Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. At Bunker Hill, although the Americans were defeated, they inflicted a large number of casualties on the British.

George Washington was made commander of the Continental Army. The Continental Army initially had no fighting experience and few supplies. Soldiers often suffered from food and clothing shortages, cold, sickness, and disease, lacking even shoes or blankets. Despite these setbacks, Washington led the Continental Army to victory over the English.

Important American victories included the battles at Saratoga and Yorktown. The British surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.

The Americans received crucial assistance from foreign allies: France, Spain, and the Netherlands helped the Americans against the British. Benjamin Franklin played a key diplomatic role, convincing France to help America fight England in the Revolutionary War.

Key Figures and Documents

The war produced several American heroes:

• George Washington: Leader of the Continental Army, America's first president, and hero of the Revolutionary War. He is sometimes called the "father of our country".
• Thomas Jefferson: He was the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence and later the third president.
• Benjamin Franklin: An important publisher, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and Patriot.

The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

This document, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and assisted by B. Franklin and J. Adams, outlined America's intention to become a new country separate from England. It stated that certain truths are self-evident: that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Declaration justified separation by listing repeated injuries by King George III, such as imposing taxes without consent, cutting off trade, and forcing colonists to house large bodies of armed troops.

The End of the War

After the British surrender in 1781, the Treaty of Versailles in 1783 formally recognised the independence of the 13 American colonies. A new nation was born in 1783. Following the war, the United States Constitution was written in 1787 to unite the colonies under a single government.

The American Revolution was a conflict driven not just by military campaigns (like turning the tables on the powerful British army), but also by a fundamental shift in thought regarding government authority and individual rights. John Adams famously suggested that the war was merely the "effect and consequence" of the revolution, arguing that "the revolution was in the minds of the people," which occurred between 1760 and 1775, before any blood was shed at Lexington.