The American Revolution Analysis

The American Revolution is the decade long revolt from 1765 to1783 against the British government by the American Colonies. Also known as the American Revolutionary War, this war was won by the American Colonies against the British Government with the help of France and others. After the Revolution, the American Colonies gained independence from Britain and became the United States of America. There is not exactly one reason behind this revolution, but the seeds for the revolution were planted long ago and it grew slowly.

There are many reasons and events that stacked up for years, eventually leading up to the revolution. The heavy tax by the British government against the American Colonies, lack of representation of colonies in the British Parliament, and treatment of Americans as secondary citizens are some of the reasons behind the revolution. Even though these are some reasons, history shows that the American evolution was caused by several events that took place throughout the years that pushed the colonists to fight for their rights and independence.

The root of the American revolution was planted in the beginning with the founding of the American Colonies. Even though the Jamestown was the first colony formed by the English for business and mining purpose, Plymouth colony was formed by the Pilgrims who felt that they needed to be far away from the Church of England (Brooks). And after the formation of Plymouth Colony, other people from England who held the same beliefs and wanted religious freedom came to join the Colony (Brooks). Also, the non-separatist Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony and tried to reform the Church of England by creating new and Reformed Church in the New World. The early colonies were formed to escape from England. As the years went on, the revolution seems inevitable as England tried to involve more and more in the internal affairs of the Colonies.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 issued by Britain after the French and Indian War established a line down the crest of Appalachian Mountains, allowing British Settlers to stay only on the east coastal area (The Royal Proclamation of 1763). This way British can control, govern, and place taxes on the colonists. This act angered colonists who wanted the new rich territories of the New World. This was just the first of many acts and taxes that the British imposed on the Colonies, which eventually led to the Revolutionary War. Before 1764, there were no taxes imposed to the colonies by the British Government, but in 1764 Sugar Act was passed by the British Parliament in order to uplift their own economy, which had suffered after the war (Sugar Act). The colonists were not used to pay taxes until then. The act had negative effects on their economy because the taxes were increased on many goods. Again, in 1764 the British parliament passed the Currency Act to get control over the banking system. The colonies were angry with the parliament because the control of their economy and financial system was being placed in the hands of the British Parliament. The colonists believed that they were just used in order to profit the merchants and bankers in Britain.

Not only that, the Stamp Act of 1765 placed taxes on all paper goods like bills, newspaper, calendars, contracts, and more (The Stamp Act). Everyone was affected by this act. The British government had been placing taxes on the colonies but this one affected the colonists the most and pushed them to the edge. The colonists had to pay this large amount of tax, but they did not have any representatives in the British government, so this act pushed the colonist to cross over to violence and rebellion. At last, the parliament repealed the act. But, with the repeal of the Stamp Act, the British Parliament passed the Declaratory Act because the British parliament did not want to admit defeat. The Declaratory Act stated the British's Sovereignty over the colonies (Declaratory Act). After then, the British government passed more acts raising tax on more products.
Many people were unsatisfied with these taxes, so they started to protest. In 1765, during one of the protests in Boston, colonists and soldiers fought, and several colonists were killed. This event was called the Boston Massacre. Moreover, in 1773 the British Parliament added more taxes on tea. Furious group of patriots, Sons of Liberty, boarded the docked ships in Boston harbor and threw all the tea in the water. This event, Boston Tea Party, enraged the UK causing them to pass the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Act.

The Coercive Act was the main source that pushed the colonists to unite for their independence. The Coercive Act closed Boston Harbor causing trouble for market and trade. Also, the Act stopped the elections for the town official and gave judicial power to Britain and British judges (Boston Tea Party). Britain thought that these Acts would stop the protest but instead it united all the colonies.

In 1774, elected delegates from all 12 colonies met in Philadelphia for The First Continental Congress to push back the British oppression (Boston Tea Party). The First Continental Congress did not ask for independence but send a petition to the British Parliament to repeal the taxes without any representation (The Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress). The British Parliament did not send any response to this petition. Besides, in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, a fight broke out between the British soldiers and local militia in 1775. And the first shots for the great revolutionary war between the colonists and British were fired. Then, the Second Continental Congress convened to make plans for the war ahead of them.

The American Revolution is an important event in the history of the U.S.A. Many lives were lost in the Revolutionary War. But with the sacrifices of the brave people, colonies were able to gain freedom and become the United States of America. The Revolutionary War itself was inevitable. It would have happened sooner or later. There was not one reason for the war. British oppression with other events paved the path that leads to the American Revolution.

Works Cited

1. “Declaratory Act.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Dec. 2017. www.britannica.com/event/Declaratory-Act-Great-Britain-1766. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019.
2. “Sugar Act.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 05 Jan. 2018. www.britannica.com/event/Sugar-Act. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019.
3. “The Boston Tea Party.” HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 15 Apr. 2019, www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-tea-party. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019.
4. Brooks, Rebecca B. “The History of Plymouth Colony” History of Massachusetts Blog, 28 Sep. 2016. www.historyofmassachusetts.org/plymouth-colony-history/. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019.
5. Getchell, Michelle. “The Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/road-to-revolution/the-american-revolution/a/the-intolerable-acts-and-the-first-continental-congress. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019
6. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The Stamp Act, 1765. www.gilderlehrman.org/content/stamp-act-1765. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019.
7. The Royal Proclamation of 1763. U.S. History Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium. www.ushistory.org/us/9a.asp. Accessed on 20 Apr. 2019.

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