American History: How The US Got Their Independence
American History
10/12/11
How the U.S Was Won America is known as the land of the free, and home of the brave, but that was not always the terms of its existence. America started off like any other country, poor, in debt, and under another countries rule. Luckily, the country that they were under was Great Britain, who underestimated the power of the fight for freedom. The U.S got their independence because of the colony structure, the French support, and their passion for liberty. The American colonists first landed in Virginia, and from there they spread southwards and northwards over time. The British could not control all of the colonies at the same time. The colonies in the north began resisting taxes and mercantilism,
and the southern states, which had more natural resources. When the war started, this spread out colony system helped them to overwhelm the British. After major cities like Charleston, New York, Boston, or Philadelphia were captured, the War kept on since the Americans were not centralized, and there was no capital at that time. The size of the colonies played a role in the British defeat as well, as the British had to simultaneously fight a war and occupy the colonies to suppress the rebellion. They could easily fight the war, but not garrison troops, because of the widespread “fire” of patriotism. The British couldn't conduct suppression operations the same way they did in places like Ireland and Scotland, because doing so would mean that the British would lose the support of the loyalists called Tories. They desperately needed to maintain a relationship with some Americans to ensure that they had any chance at all of winning the War.
The French and the British were sworn enemies, and had been involved in many wars together, the French had come out on the losing side on almost all of them, the most recent was the 7 Years War. The Americans got a great deal of encouragement, supplies, and eventually military support from the French. The British and French were historical antagonists and the French had lost great swaths of territory in North America during the French and Indian War. As a result they were greatly interested in seeing the British receive a dose of their own medicine and provided both economic and military support to the Americans. Furthermore, European military advisors like the Marquis de Lafayette helped the untrained American soldiers organize, and develop military tactics.
Finally the Americans passion for their liberty propelled them to victory. General George Washington, who eventually became president, was one of the few men to take part in the French-Indian War. And during this war, he fought beside the Natives, who used Guerilla warfare tactics. Washington used some of these tactics to defeat and confuse the traditional British. The British did not have a goal besides to stop the rebellions, but as was mentioned before, the “fires of liberty“ were not only in one place. The Patriots had a clear goal; their quest for independence was without compromise. The American rebels had everything to win by victory and everything to lose by being defeated, but the British could survive with or without the exploitation of the colonies.
America is the “Land of the free, and the home of the brave”, and it took brave men to stand up for their rights. The story of America’s freedom shows that hard work and determination can beat talent, when talent doesn’t work hard. The British had all the soldiers, all the cannons, and the best navy in the world, but they did not have the motivation. In the end the Americans showed that is not mass, number, or size that wins wars, but heart.
10/12/11
How the U.S Was Won America is known as the land of the free, and home of the brave, but that was not always the terms of its existence. America started off like any other country, poor, in debt, and under another countries rule. Luckily, the country that they were under was Great Britain, who underestimated the power of the fight for freedom. The U.S got their independence because of the colony structure, the French support, and their passion for liberty. The American colonists first landed in Virginia, and from there they spread southwards and northwards over time. The British could not control all of the colonies at the same time. The colonies in the north began resisting taxes and mercantilism,
and the southern states, which had more natural resources. When the war started, this spread out colony system helped them to overwhelm the British. After major cities like Charleston, New York, Boston, or Philadelphia were captured, the War kept on since the Americans were not centralized, and there was no capital at that time. The size of the colonies played a role in the British defeat as well, as the British had to simultaneously fight a war and occupy the colonies to suppress the rebellion. They could easily fight the war, but not garrison troops, because of the widespread “fire” of patriotism. The British couldn't conduct suppression operations the same way they did in places like Ireland and Scotland, because doing so would mean that the British would lose the support of the loyalists called Tories. They desperately needed to maintain a relationship with some Americans to ensure that they had any chance at all of winning the War.
The French and the British were sworn enemies, and had been involved in many wars together, the French had come out on the losing side on almost all of them, the most recent was the 7 Years War. The Americans got a great deal of encouragement, supplies, and eventually military support from the French. The British and French were historical antagonists and the French had lost great swaths of territory in North America during the French and Indian War. As a result they were greatly interested in seeing the British receive a dose of their own medicine and provided both economic and military support to the Americans. Furthermore, European military advisors like the Marquis de Lafayette helped the untrained American soldiers organize, and develop military tactics.
Finally the Americans passion for their liberty propelled them to victory. General George Washington, who eventually became president, was one of the few men to take part in the French-Indian War. And during this war, he fought beside the Natives, who used Guerilla warfare tactics. Washington used some of these tactics to defeat and confuse the traditional British. The British did not have a goal besides to stop the rebellions, but as was mentioned before, the “fires of liberty“ were not only in one place. The Patriots had a clear goal; their quest for independence was without compromise. The American rebels had everything to win by victory and everything to lose by being defeated, but the British could survive with or without the exploitation of the colonies.
America is the “Land of the free, and the home of the brave”, and it took brave men to stand up for their rights. The story of America’s freedom shows that hard work and determination can beat talent, when talent doesn’t work hard. The British had all the soldiers, all the cannons, and the best navy in the world, but they did not have the motivation. In the end the Americans showed that is not mass, number, or size that wins wars, but heart.