Effects of the Revolution

The 8 year long American Revolution is a key event in history because of the long time effects it had on our world, even today. This post is specially dedicated to exposing this effects.

One of the effects was of course the complete independence of the British colonies from the British Empire/Crown. The colonists achieved their long time dream (I use the word long a lot okay) of constructing their own government and government rules. After the revolution, there was no King who would levy taxes on them or appoint governors for them. These freedom of government completed the formation of what today is one of the most influential countries in the whole wide world: United States of America.

Another effect was that since the American Revolution was the first independence movement of colonies towards the Empire owing them, it inspired other colonies to seek and fight for independence. It kind of made them think they could also have the freedom they felt the need to have, but just didnt know how to explain or express. Latin American independences are inspired in the American Revolution. In fact, the American Revolution also inspired other countries to revolt against their own authorities. The biggest and most famous of these revolutions was the French Revolution, which happened about 8 years after the American Revolution in 1789. If you think about it, it seems incredible that the colonies won when the British had the greatest Empire of that time.

A bit of French Revolution humor
 

The last effect I´ll mention, is more an intellectual effect of the Revolution. You must have heard the famous phrase, "all men are created equal" from the Declaration of Independence. These single fragment that the Patriots intensly marked was taken from other groups such as slaves and women (check out our post on Revolution effects on slaves, women, and loyalists. By the way) to fight for their rights and position in society. Of course the men who were involved in the writing and signing of the Declaration only referred to men-white men. This didnt keep other from interpreting and extending the meaning of the phrase. Nowadays, in most Constitutions in the continent of America all citizens are considered equal and granted equal rights. This includes women and slaves that so fiercly fought to gain this rights after the outburst of the Revolution.

To wrap it all up, the American Revolution wasn't just a war that colonists fought to gain freedom and they won and that's all. It had all the ever-lasting effects that we explained in this post.

The Treaty of Paris

Historically there was more than oneTreaty of Paris. One of them was in 1783. Other was in 1878. We are talking about these two because they were both relevant part of the American Revolution effects.

The first Treaty of Paris the one in 1783, was what sealed the peace between the British and the colonists. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris the Revolutionary War was officially over. Bejamin Franklin and John Adams were two of the main American negotiators. He was a really good negotiator and obtained vast land for the colonists. The other nations involved in the war, like the French had separate agreements. On the Treaty of Paris, the colonists agreed not to attack loyalists who still lived in America. They also agreed to pay any existing debt to Great Britain. The British agreed to remove all its troops from the colonist's territory.

The second treaty of Paris we are talking about was an agreement made in 1898 Guat. Resulted in end of the Spain control of Cuba and Puerto Rico and part of the Western Indies. The treaty was signed on December 10,1898 and ended by the Spanish-American war. It Came into Effect in April 11,1899.The treaty signaled the end of the Spanish empíre in America and the Pacific Ocean and marked the beginning of an age of the United States colonial power. United States was far more advanced in terms of independence and self government by the time. Remember that it had been more than a century after the signing of Treaty of Paris of 1783.

The controversial treaty was approved on February 6, 1899 by a vote 57 to 27, only one vote more than the two-thirds majority required Only two Republicans voted against ratification.
The treaty of Paris also provided Cuba as an independent country from Spain. The U.S congress madre sur Cuba would still be under it's control. The treaty also assured that that Spain would cede to the United States the States of Puerto Rico. 

How did the Revolution affect the natives americans, slaves, women?

The American Revolution had ever-lasting effects in the world, but it affected some groups in a different way than it affected other groups. In the following paragraphs, we wrote the effects the revolution had on women, slaves, and native americans.

Women:
It affected the women because even after their loyal service to the Patriots during the Revolutionary war, they didn't gain any legal and political rights. The revolution inspired women to be free and independent. The ideals of the revolution inspired women for equality, freedom and independence that would contribute in the future. The American Revolution affected the status of women. Also it inspired women for equality. It affected the position of white women. Revolution took vivid changes in the aspects of women. It gave a new light to the women who had been looked down and to fight the cause.

Slaves:
Although the slave trade itself was banned and in the northern states, slavery wasnt abolished, it did not completely remove slavery and make them considered as a "real person". Just like in women, the Revolution inspired slaves for equality, freedom and independence that would help them in the future. It affected them because they thought that they were going to have a new path but really they continued with slavery. Slavery continued after the war despite the efforts of African-American soldiers. It affected them because they did more critics on slavery.

Native Americans:
The American Revolution didn't affect directly the native americans. It affected them because when the colonists won, it was official they had lost vast territories and would have to share land extensions with colonists. The Procclamation of 1763 wasnt so forceful after the war, because the colonists were independent from the King and he couldnt give them orders anymore. The Procclamation of 1763 kept colonists east of the Appalachian Mts, just so you remember. France owed a large piece of land that was west of the Appalachian, and the colonists eventually bought it. Further on, they also took hold of the area around California and Florida. So as you see, the Natives were being taken away from lands and this led them to live in reservations. Nowadays, natives can live anywhere they want but many choose to live in reservations.

Revolutionary War Ends: Cornwallis surrenders

Up to this date, we have talked about a long chain of events that led to the revolutionary war. In this entry, we are talking about the last of this events that led to the revolutionary war to end.

Cornwallis was a British general who had previously driven George Washington's forces out of New Jersey in 1776, and led the British in victory over General Horatio Gates at South Carolina in 1780. By 1781, he raided plantations and towns in Virgnia and settled in Yorktown. The British began fortifying the town. Washington found out and instructed French general Marquis se Lafayette, who was in Virginia with an army of about 5,000 men to keep Cornwallis from escaping Yorktown by land. Meanwhile, Washington was in New York with 2,500 troops. He saw a chance and began plotting a plan to attack Cornwallis. He designed this plan with Rochambeau, a French allie that provided him with 4,000 French troops.

The plan Washington and Rochambeau had was to attack Cornwallis, and defeat him. They were expecting a French fleet under the Count de Grasse, which was coming directly from France. Washington was really risky in making this decision. There were no electronic devices at the time that he could use to communicate with Count de Grasse to be 100% sure he would arrive in time. This fleet was a key component of the attack, because they were supposed to prevent Cornwallis from escaping to New York by sea and from receiving British aid by sea. Luckily for Washington, the French fleet arrived on time providing with 7,000 more troops and blocking British fleet under Thomas Graves which was a reinforcement Cornwallis really needed.

Intense fighting occurred during the first 2 weeks of October. There were 14,000 troops of French and Patriots, which gradually overcame the British troops. On October 19, it was all set. Cornwallis surrendered 7,087 officers and men, 900 seamen, 144 cannons, 15 galleys, abd 30 transport ships. He knew that if they kept on fighting, he would lose anyway and have greater losses. He didn't attend the surrender ceremony because he was ill, but sent his sword to the American and French commanders, through General Charles O'Hara as a sign. With the surrendering of Cornwallis in the Battle of Yorktown, fighting in th colonies ended.

After Cornwallis surrendered though, a formal peace negotiation wasn't official. This happened months later in 1782 and on 1783 it became completely official with the "Treaty of Paris". This document formally recognized the colonies as: United States, a free and independent nation.

Winter at Valley Forge

The Continental Army, under command of George Washington, haven't had much success during the Fall of 1777. His army had confronted the British under the command of General Howe two times-one in Brandywine (Sept.11) and other Germantown(Oct.4)-and had been defeated. Cold weather was approaching so Washington decided to move his men to winte head quarters. He chose Valley Forge, at Schulkill River, 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia. It was a stragetic place, since it was easily defensible but close enough to the city to maintain pressure on the British. The 12,000 members of the Continental Amry went to this place on December 19, 1777.

The winter at Valley Forge is popularly depicted with images of starving and freezing soldiers, but the situation at the winter quarters was, though not that adecuate, bearable in comparison to what the soldiers had passed through before. As soon as they got there, they built 2,000 log huts, defensive trenches, five redoubts, and a bridge over the Schuylkill. The soldiers suffered from hunger and cold because of scarce food, boots, and coats. Sometimes their food consisted on a mix of flour with water, which was not enough, especially during the winter. Washington wrote a letter to Congress reporting that nearly 10,000 of his soldiers didnt have boots nor coats. He saw that if things didnt change  for good, there were only going to be three options: starve, dissolve the army, or disperse in search of food and clothes. All options were terrible.

On February 23, 1778 Baron Friedrich Von Stueben arrived at Valley Forge. He was a German that had previously been a member of the Prussian General Staff. He had met Benjamin Franklin at Paris and had been moved to the American cause since then. He was accepted by General George Washington and soon began designing  training program for the soldiers of the Continental Army. He didnt speak English, but he worked with the help of interpreters. He selected 100 men from the army and began developing a "model company", in which he instructed this 100 men in drill, maneuver, and a simplified manual of arms. The 100 men Baron Stueben instructed were then sent to instruct other units on what they had learned. Baron Stueben also contributed in the improvement of sanitation of the winter quarters by repositioning kitchens and latrines. Overall, his teaching of discipline and organization changed the soldier´s way of behaving in and out of the field forever.

The Winter at Valley Forge was really hard to pass for the members of the Continental Army, but both their determination and the aid they received helped them pass through it. They had really taken advantage of the winter, because they emerged as a stronger fighting force. George Washington, their strong military and individual leader never gave up and von Steuben had done an excellent job strengthening the soldiers. On the 27 of June the Continental Army faced another battle, the Battle of Monmouth (remember Molly Pitcher from our last post?) after which they could celebrate their first victory in nmonths!

 

Battles of Saratoga

It started on september 19, 1777. The battle were fought 18 days apart on the same ground, 9 miles south of Saratoga, New York. This battles were the turning points of the Revolutionary War. This battles consisted of two military engagements, which is why The Battle Of Saratoga is divided two parts, which were the Battle Freeman's Farm and the Battle of Bemis Heights. The victory gave new life to the American cause at a critical time, it ended in October 1777 with the American victory. The succes gave France the confidence in the American cause to become their ally. Later American successes owed a great deal to French aid in financial and military assistance.

Starting on September 19, the british general  Burgoyne moved some of his troops in an attempt to flank the American position on Bemis Heights, Benedict Arnold anticipated the strategy, and placed significant forces in the way of Burgoyne. Burgoyne's forces succeeded in gaining control of Freemen's Farm, defeating the Continental Army under Horatio Gates. Disputes continued during the days following the battle, while Burgoyne waited for reinforcements that would arrive from New York City. On the other side, militia forces continued to arrive increasing the size of the American army.

Further on, American troops attacked British troops in the area of Fort Ticonderoga, and bombarded the forts. Another Biritish General called Sir Henry Clinton, began making plans to divert the attention of the Americans from Burgoyne. On October 6, he captured American forts in the Hudson River highlands. Sadly for him, it was already too late to help Burgoyne. On October 7, Burgoyne attacked Bemis Heights. The Continental Army had gained strength and had about 12,000 soldiers while the British had about 4,000 soldiers under Burgoyne's command. The Continental Army and the lobster backs engaged in heavy fighting. After the redoubt held by Colonel Breyman and his regiment was taken, Burgoyne decided to withdraw and takes his army to the camp they had built at Saratoga. Burgoyne began to hope that forces of Clinton of the South, would come to aid him. This clearly demonstrates how communication was a major difficulty between the British forces. Almst all British messengers were caught and hanged by The Americans.



Red=British, Blue=Patriots
 

Burgoyne waited for  news of Clinton’s advance until 17th October 1777, when he was forced to sign the convention by which his troops surrendered to Gates, who had by then between 18,000 and 20,000 men. This was the ending of the war. The British learned that the Americans would give everything to fight, and as mentioned above this motivated the French to ally with the Patriots. Keep in mind that before the battle the French had helped the Patriots with secret ammunitions, but after the Battles of Saratoga the French and Patriots signed the alliance.

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley

If heard as Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley or the name might sound rare, probably "Molly Pitcher" sounds more familiar.

"Molly Pitcher" was a name given to the woman known for delivering water to the troops of the Patriots during the Battle of Monmouth. They did this during a time the Continental Army and the colonists were facing tough times. The Continental Army needed the most support they could get from the civilians, including the wives or partners of members of the troops. That is why at the time many women freed their sons and husbands for military service by running farms and shops. They also made blankets, socks, and clothes for soldiers. Mary Hays was one of these women, key to aid and help keep going the Continental Army.

Mary Hays was born in 1754, in New Jersey. Her father was a dairy farmer at that same colony. When she turned just 13, she became a servant and that same year she married a barber of the name William Hays. When the Revolutionary War began, William enlisted and became a gunner for the Pennsylvania Artillery. On 1777-1778 she eventually joined her husband as a camp follower on the Philadelphia Campaign in New Jersey, eventually wintering with the Army at Valley Forge. It was later on, during the battle of Monmouth in which she became known with the name "Molly Pitcher" as we described before, because she brought water to the troops. During this war, she operated canons in place of her husband when he, for some reason couldnt. An enemy cannon almost kills her but it passed directly through her legs. There was only one witness in this event.

When the war ended, William and Mary returned to Pennsylvania. Mary worked as a "charwoman" for the State House at Carlisle. When William died, Mary married another Revolutionary War vet named John McCauley. She was awarded a pension in 1822 by Pennsylvania State Legislature. On 1876 on the anniversary of the war, a marker was placed on her grave noting her exemplary service. She died on January 22, 1832.

Please scroll farther down to read about Margaret Corbin.
Just for fun here is a video about Molly Pitcher´s life:

Margaret Corbin
 

There was another women who is acknowledged by the name "Molly Pitcher". Her name was Margaret Corbin. She was born in 1751. She was married with a member of the colonists troops. When her husband got killed on Fort Washington on Manhattan Island, New York on 1776; during the war, she took up a cannon. She gave all she had to contribute to win the war. She got seriously wounded when her arm was almost severed and her breast was lacerated by grapeshot. She lived until about 1800 after receiving charity payments from the Invalid Regiment and later became the first woman to receive a small pension from Congress for military service. She was known throughtout her community as a bad-tempered, hard-drinking eccentric by the nickname of "Captain Molly!"

Events that lead to Independence

It took more than a decade to make colonists determined to seek independence. Here in timeline form, is the presentation of the events that lead them to do so:

1765-Stamp Act. This was the first Parliament attempt to tax the British colonists. This was when the whole Taxation Without Representation things started. Parliament just wouldnt understand or listen. If they had done it the American Revolution wouldve never take place.

1767-Townshend Acts. This were passed by Charles Townshend. It imposed taxes on everyday materials such as lead, paint, paper, and tea. The colonists protested and this taxes were repealed-except for the one in tea. That same year the "Declaratory Acts" were passed by Parliament which declared that Parliament had the right to tax colonists. As you see, this only caused more anger in the colonists.

1770- Boston Massacre. This happened between an angry mob of colonists and British sentinels. It started when the angry mob were picking on a British sentinel. The situation got so tense that more sentinels had to go for support. A shot followed another and 5 colonists were killed. This aggriavated tensions between the colonists and the British soldiers.

1773- Boston Tea Party. This wasnt a common tea party, in fact it wasnt even a tea party. A group of Patriots dressed as Mohawk indians dumped aproximmately 300 chests of imported British tea into the Boston Harbor. This was a symbolic action of the Patriots to claim for their rights. This was a spark of the American Revolution.

1774- Coercive Acts. This were passed after the Boston Tea Party. They were specially for Massachusetts. There were 5 Coercive Acts. You can read about them by clicking in one of our entries in the right of these page. The Coercive Acts lead to the First Continental Congress which united the 12 colonies that attended it (Georgia didnt attend).

1775- Lexington Battle. General Thomas Gage was the governor of Massachusetts. He sent troops to Lexington to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. They had a stockpile of weapons hidden in there. When they got there, specifically Lexington Green the militia were waiting for them and told them to disperse. 8 militia were killed. When the troops got back from Lexington, some militia attacked them from hiding places and 200 lobster backs were either killed or wounded.  

Lexington Battle

1775- Common Sense by Thomas Paine. This was a 51 page pamphlet that exposed radical ideas about independence and separation from Great Britain. This greatly impacted the Patriots because some of the feelings they had were expressed in these pamphlet. It also influenced the colonists in general because of the radical ideas it proposed inclding the formation of a Republican government.

Spring 1776- Jefferson wrote the draft of the Declaration of Independence.

July 4, 1776- Delegates, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Samuel Adams, get together to write and sign the Declaration of Independence.

"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine

 
"Common Sense" was a 50 page pamphlet writtern by Thomas Paine in 1776. Ok, you might be wondering why we mention this book: What special role does it have on the American Revolution? It was the first written material which challenged British government authority and the royal monarchy. It had a great impact on the colonies, because every one could read and understand it; even the commoners. This was because it was written in such a plain and direct language and relying on Biblical verses and philosophical ponderings. This book was the first one who openly asked for independence from Engand.

"We have power to begin the world all over again." -Thomas Paine

Click me! For a summary of "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was born in England, but because of the advise of Benjamin Franklin he moved to America in 1774. He worked in a Philadelphia magazine the first year, but it was in 1776, a few months after the confrontation between militias and lobster backs in Lexington Green and in Concord, which are considered the first events of the American Revolutionary War; when Thomas Paine published "Common Sense". In his work he argued that instead of protesting against taxes colonists should claim total independence from Great Britain. This pamphlet gathered all his ideas about human liberty, he opposed slavery of any kind.

"These are the times to try men´s souls." -Thomas Paine

"Common Sense" made the still undecisive colonists ponder that they had an important issue to discuss in a public way. It even got to start debate between the colonists, but the article not only exposed problems but also offered solutions. For example, for the colonists who were disgusted  because of the tyranny they were governed by he proposed a Republican government. I imagine the courage he had to defy Parliament and the monarch is such a direct way, because of the tensions that had happened between the people living in the colonists and the two power previously mentioned. Going back to this 50 page pamphlet, shorter than most books available in the worldwide market today, made way and greatly influenced the writting of the Declaration of Independence, which was signed by the delegates of the Contintental Congress and other colonial delegates and committee members in July 4, 1776.

Second Continental Congress

On May 10, 1775, delegates from the 13 British colonies met at the State House in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. On the first Congress of the colonies, the Stamp Act Congress 9 colonies had attended. On the First Continental Congress 12 colonies attended, and now all the colonies were present. Several new delegates, important characters in the American history, were present. This included John Hancock from Massachucetts, Bejamin Franklin from Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson from Virginia. When the Second Continental Congress the confrontation in Lexington Green between militia and lobster backs had happened, in which 8 lobster backs had been killed. The other confrontation in Concord when the lobster backs were going back to Boston, also with the militia, had also recently occured, in which 200 lobster backs had been killed and wounded.
Video: Reenactment of Lexington Green battle:

The first thing that was done on the Second Continental Congress was to take responsability for war. They created what is known as the Continental Army in case they needed to meet the military threat of the British government. They named George Washington as the supreme commander of the Contintental Army, and he even chose to serve without pay. Another thing they did in July, was to approve the Olive Branch Petition which was direction to the king of that time, King George III. With this petition they attempted a peaceful resolution  and declared their loyalty to the Crown. The King, though refused to receive this petition and declared that the colonies were in a state of rebellion in the month of August. The colonists felt disappointed, they had previously believed that only Parliament was against them and now they knew it was also the King.

George Washington hired Hessian mercenaries to keep the colonists, which were opinions against Parliament were in majority stronger than ever. The colonists were beginning to feel part of another nation, or country not anymore members of Britain. Patrick Henry was one of the first colonists who had called the 13 colonies as America , back in the First Continental Congress. With time, cries of independence were beginning to be heard. The members of the Congress were even getting accused of treason against Parliament. They could just hope that all would end well and kept on governing.

First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress formed shortly after the imposing by Parliament of the Coercive Acts, from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. Philadelphia was the host of this Congress, specifically in Carpenter's Hall. Delegates from 12 colonies were sent, leaving only Georgia out. This delegates were elected by the people on the colonies: through the colonial legislature or the Committees of Correspondence of the colonies. Their goal was to unite to show some authority to England, but the delegates had been sent with different ideas outbursting their in their minds. For example, delegates from Pennsylvania

and Carpenter´s Hall nowadays New York wanted to seek a resolution with England, while others wanted coonial parity or even separation from England. Even with all this mixture of ideas they all had a common goal: they had to make the King and Parliament understand their grievances.

Some of the most known delegates were:

Massachusetts Bay: John Adams, Samuel Adams.
Virginia: Patrick Henry

The first weeks of the First Continental Congress were spent in debating and proposing. The colonists had for long been independent entities from England and they would not let them have too much control over them at the moment. One of the ideas they had on the First Continental Congress was A Plan of Union to Great Britain. This was proposed by Joseph Galloway from Pennsylvania. This plan consisted in that the colonists would elect a Grand Council for all the colonies, who would be an equivalent of the British Parliament and thus a continental represenant of the King. This plan was idea, for the colonist because their greatest desire was to have representation in Parliament. This seemed a good plan, but later on it was discarded after the passing of the Suffolk County resolves ; which were radical resolves for resistance against the Coercive Acts and British authority, even a suggested Massachucetts to appoint military officers.

Unity of Colonies would result in U.S.A.!

Resolutions, such as one that stated that colonists should begin training their citizens for war were approved. The delegates also attempted to define America's rights, such as liberty, and to place limits on Parliament's power such as the previous described Plan of Union showed. They took care to discuss the tactics they would use to resist the harsh acts the British Parliament was imposing. For this purpose they made a pact that agreed on non-importation of British goods in an attempt to resist Great Britain. This pact would come into effect the 1 of December of 1774 if Parliament didn't take away the Coercive or Intolerable Acts. After the First Continental Congress, tensions between the colonists and England increased, but unity between the colonists increased.

Coercive Acts

 

The Coercive Acts, also known as the "Intolerable Acts" as nicknamed by the colonists, were passed by British Parliament as a response to the Boston Tea Party. British Parliament was clearly surprised by this bold act of rebellion from the colonists, and they had to do something to control them and restore order in Boston.

There were 5 Coercive Acts, which were:

1) Boston Port Act: The Boston Port Act was imposed on March 31, 1774. It demanded that Boston Port would remain closed until the colonists payed for the damage caused after the Boston Tea Party. Of course the colonists were against this act, first of all they didnt want to pay the taxes and they were expected to repair the damages caused by a rebellion against taxes.

Administration of Justice Act: was it
really just?

2) Administration of Justice Act: This act was imposed on May 20, 1774, and was only applied in the colony of Massachucetts. It imposed that the British officals were from that moment on immune to criminal prosecution. It authorized the governor of Massachucetts to move trials of royal officials that were accused of crimes to England or another of the colonies if he believed that the accused person would not received a fair trial.This act is often known as the Murder Act because the colonists feared that royal officials would take advantage of this to escape punishment from committing capital offenses.

3) Massachucetts Government Act: It came into effect on May 20, 1774. This law repealed the colony's charter and gave English crown major control. Previously, the colony had elected members of it executive council, but thi Act took away that right and gave the king the absoulte power of appointing the members of this council. Town meeting were prohibited without the approval of the governor, except for one annual meeting. As you see, this taking away of the colonist's democratic power was a giant reason to fuel the colonist's anger.



Colonist has to quarter British soldiers
in her house

4)Quartering Act of 1774: This was the second Quartering Act that was imposed on colonies, but this time it had a different meaning. This law called colonists to provide members of the British troops with supplies and housing, in other words to quarter them, as a last resort on their private homes. In the first Quartering Act, the Quartering Act of 1765, the colonists had to quarter the soldiers who were protecting their land, but now they had to quarter people who were guarding that the law's set by Parliament was being accomplished.

5)Quebec Act: This was imposed on the date of June 22, 1774. This act involved Canada, but it joined the colonial Coercive Acts. This act extended the freedom of worship to the Catholics of Canada, and it also granted Canadians with the continuation of their judicial system. It is considered a Coercive Act because the colonists were mainly Protestants and they didnt like the idea of Catholics worshiping freely on their land.

FACT: Tarring and Feathering. Loyalists could be punished by Patriots by Tarring and Feathering a torture method in which they threw hot tar at the victim, subsequent to the throwing of feathers, and forcing hot tea down the throat.

 

Boston Tea Party

When a person listens to the words: Boston Tea Party, he/she imagines a very neat, elegant, nice room with clean tables fixed with comfty chairs, with trays of hot tea on them, cookies, biscuits, and bagels placed on a larger tray at the middle of the table and cheerful people celebrating a special occasion. The Boston Tea Party wasnt really anything like the described above.

Colonists were refusing to pay the taxes levied by the Townshend Acts, because as we discussed in our previous post, they didnt have any representation in Parliament and therefore they though Parliament had no right to levy them with taxes. Parliament decided to take all the taxes away-except for the one in tea-just as a demonstration that they did have the right to tax them. The colonists refused to pay those taxes, so they boycotted on the British tea and started smuggling on Dutch tea. When Parliament saw this, they gave the struggling East Indian Company, a monopoly of the importation of tea to America.These lowered the price of British tea, but the colonists rathered smuggling on the Dutch tea just to resist what they knew was just a strategy of Parliament.

This historic event, occured on a 16 of december, of the year 1773. Colonists had asked to officials that 3 ships loaded with taxed tea were sent back to Britain, but they refused. In responde, veiled with the coming of night, a group of men, "The Sons of Liberty" walked into the Boston Harbor. They were dressed as Mohawk indians, with even their face painted, to disguise their identity. They were divided in three groups, because their were three ships loaded with a valuable amount of tea. These ships were called: "The Beaver", the "Eleanor", and the "Dartmouth".

It is estimated that up to 130 men participated in the Boston Tea Party. These men mounted the three vessesl mentioned before, and dumped about 342 chests containing approximately 45 pounds of tea into the harbor. This is why it is sometimes called the "Largest Cup of Tea in America". Just imagine what color the water might have turned into, with pieces of tea floating everywhere. These act is symbolic to the United States history, because it wasnt only a furious act of rebellion; it was an aim to protect their constitutional rights. As excpected, authorities were enraged, and passed the Intolerable Acts, which basically ended self government in the colony of Massachussets and restricted the commerce in Boston.

Here is a link of the chronology of the events that lead to the Boston Tea Party and also the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party: http://www.american-presidents-history.com/boston-tea-party-timeline.html
This image represents what happened:

Boston Massacre

*Scroll until the very end for a video about the Boston Massacre.
It all started on March 5, 1770, on King Street in Boston. A shot followed another, unbelievably in self-defense from what started as a snow ball attack.

Tensions between the colonists had thrived since King George III started levying taxes with the purpose of raising money. They needed this money because the French and Indian War had left England in debt, and the British coffers were dangerously low. Most people of England were commoners and they didnt have money to give to the government. One of the purposes of the taxes was paying the soldiers who were sent to protect the land, but eventually the soldier's presence began bothering the colonists. The pay of the soldiers was very scarse and they eventually began taking jobs away from the colonists because they needed more money.

On that evening of March 5, 1770, a British soldier, who was guarding near the Customs House was attacked by a crowd of colonists(apparently drunk)with snowballs and sticks, similar objects. The attack primarily started because of a discussion bewtween the soldier and a colonist. Other Bostonians who were backing up the colonists formed the crowd previously described. Runners called Captain Thomas Preston , the officer of the watch. He sent a few soldiers to help the other one control the furious mob. With every minute the situation became more and more stressful.

Reports indicate the angry mob tried to provoke the soldiers to fire, and soon enough one of them did so. This single shot was followed by many others. The scene is imaginable: Shots louder than thunders, whispering and tormenting the ears of all those who were present in the incident. When the firing stopped, 11 Bostonians were injured, and 3 were dead. Other two victims died few days later from the terminal wounds from the shots.
The colonists who were killed were:

1. Crispus Attucks
2. Samuel Gray
3. James Caldwell
4. Samuel Maverick
And
5. Patrick Carr

The governor of that time, Thomas Hutchinson, ordered that 8 of the soldiers involved in the massacre to be arrested. Trials needed to be done in order to determine the fate of the soldiers. James Forest, a merchant of Boston pleaded John Adams, a prominent lawyer of Massachussets to defend the colonists. He understood the trouble that this implied but even though decided to help, because he believed that everyone deserved a defense. He convinced the judges that the soldiers were only acting as one would excpect in such a confusing and life threatening incident. He accomplished that 6 of the soldiers be acquitted and the other 2 were reduced to a charge of manslaughter; and their thumbs were branded so everyone knew they had committed a crime.
So you understand a little bit better how this happened, look at this representation of the Boston Massacre:

Taxation Without Representation

           The basis of the American Revolution

 

March 1775,Stamp Act was going in November of that year and colonists were starting to claim for their liberty. These Act consisted in that every printed material, these including newspapers, magazines, books, and even land deeds; had to bear a Royal Stamp that represented the imposing of a tax on the purchase of these materials. They were being taxed in the colonies without being represented. They thought that if they didn't have in Parliament someone who represents them then they should not tax them.

To understand these it is important to ask the following question: Why did the British imposed new taxes in the colonies?The 7 Year War, A.K.A. The Seven Year War, had favored England with more land. These meant more land to protect from French, Indian, and other invadors and the need to send soilders fpr this purpose. England was bankrupt, it had no money,because the war doubled the debt. Besides people in Parliament believed that the colonists had to pay the taxes because they were the ones receiving the benefits from the revenues and money had been invested on during and before the war on the colonies. In other words, people in Parliament believed that the colonies owed them money.

Colonist felt mad because Parliament was making them pay taxes without a say, not really for the fact of paying taxes itself. They would pay them but since they had no representation, in their heads Parliament did not have the right to make them pay the taxes. People in Parliament did not understand the protest of the colonists, because most of the population of England were commoners who couldnt vote and had to pay taxes, and they did so without complaining. The colonists just wanted at least one representative of theits to be sent to Parliament, and Parliament just wanted to go on with what they were levying just as they were doing. These conflict eventually resulted in The American Revolution.

Before American Revolution

French and Indian War

This war was also known as the Seven Year War, because it lasted 7 years (1756 to 1763) . It was fought between the French allied with the Indians against the English. The war spread to the Indies (in Asia) and Africa where the English colonists has settlled colonies. On the years 1756 to 1757 the French had the upperhand and they had destroyed the British forts. But by the years 1758 to 1579 the upperhand shifted in favor of England, while the Indians abandoned the French leaving them more vulnerable. It is to be taken into consideration that the indian population had been drastically decreasing since the arrival of the Europeans into America, so with the war the indian population continued decreasing and these was one of the factors which contributed to disencourage the indians to fight with the French.

On 1759 the British took power over French colony of Quebec in Canada, and in 1760 the British did the same with Montreal. With all this conquests, the French were forced to surrender. This was when the Treaty of Paris of 1763 was written, which gave the British a vast territory of land in America. This land was obviously a giant treasure for the English, but it eventually brought much trouble. If these war hadnt been fought, then probably their wouldnt have been a United States of America today. This war was practically the one which started the chain of events that would lead to the increase of England´s debt, levying of taxes, Taxation Without Representation, Boston Tea Party, and much more events that started the American Revolution.

British Government is a Model

For long the colonists had been mostly independent from the Parliament in England. Even so, when they settled the colonies the British form of government was a model for their settlements. Two powers predominated, which were the executive and the legislative. Most colonies, except Pennsylvania had two houses of legislation. These were the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Most colonies also had an elected assembly and a council of prominent citizens. This went on for much time, until the Parliament began paying attention to the colonies and believe that they virtually represented every British person (so the colonists were included) so they wanted colonists to obey British laws.
That was when the problem started. Parliament wanted to impose taxes, and the colonists didnt elect or vote for any members of the British Parliament.

About the Site :)

Welcome Revolutionizers!
*This is a US History class assesment
Are you curious about the sequence of events that lead to the American Revolution? Or seeking for information about this global impacting rebellion? Then you're justly in the right site! Every week, specially Fridays new information about the American Revolution will be updated to the blog. Every history student should know at least a bit about this revolution that ended in the development of the country of United States. Stick to us and scroll, discover & learn.
Thanks!

Any suggestions for improvement or other comments will be appreciated!
Owed by: Angie, Fabyana, Monica




                               
                                    Angie

Monica

                             Fabyana