The American Revolution

American Revolution The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, was one of the most significant events in American history. Without it, the United States of America may not have come into existence. It was a long way in the making, so there were some ups and downs pertaining to this war. One of which was the disadvantages the American colonies had to face. It was a very tough war, but the outcome was the beginning of the American dream. The colonists had much anger toward Britain because of the unfair treatments. The colonists were being taxed, but they had no representation in Parliament. They could no agree or disagree to any laws, they had no say on how to tax the colonists, and more. British troops were being quartered at the colonists' homes. Imagine if you were doing your daily job in the morning, and suddenly and unknown soldier bursts into your house claiming that he was quartered here and you had to provide him with a room, food, and clothing. England wanted strict control over colonial legislatures. That means that if England did this, than the colonies would have no say, what-so-ever in what laws are being made for their own country. Some colonists resented the power of colonial governors. A governor was placed in every colony. The colonists thought that the governor perhaps had too much power. The Proclamation of 1763 hampered the western movement of settlers. This proclamation banned all settlers the freedom to move west. Things were getting crowded at the colonies and they had no choice but to move west. But this document prevented that. This was enough unfair treatment to get the colonists going. A few British soldiers were sent to the streets of Lexington. British soldiers and colonists met face to face, then shots began to fire. Five colonists were killed. This was the final straw, the colonists were ready to fight. Tit all started when the colonists were given the Tea taxes. They were so tired of paying off the war they weren't even in, so they decided to rebel. A few colonists all joining at the harbor and began dumping tea in the water. This angered Britain because their money was being thrown into Boston harbor. This caused the British to pass on the Intolerable Acts, to punish the colonists. The Intolerable Acts were passed in 1774. There were three majors acts involved in these Acts. One of which was the Boston Port Bill and it closed the Boston Harbor until the people of Boston paid for the lost tea. Another act was The Administration of Justice, which basically said that British soldiers would not be tried for any crimes they commit in the colonies, giving them the right to hurt any American. Another act was the Quartering Act. It stated that a British soldier could come to your house and live there while you provide them food. This angered the colonists even more. The Intolerable Acts united the colonies against England. To decide on what steps they would take, the colonists met in Philadelphia at the first Continental Congress. At this meeting, George Washington, Samuel Adams, and many other decided they were to send a letter to King George III to repeal the Intolerable Acts. Of course, King George refused. There were mixed feelings on what to do, so they decided not to do anything drastic to cause a major war. A British commander sent troops to Lexington and Concord to collect all gun powder from colonists. Men refused, and shots began to be fired by the British. Eight men were killed and others were injured. The Second Continental Congress met all through the Revolutionary War. They made decisions when and where to attack the British and how to protect themselves. They issued paper money and set up a system where the government would borrow money from their citizens and pay it back with interest. They even created a postal system and the first American Navy was formed. There was never any power given to the Congress to levy taxes to finance the war effort. This meant that any support of the Army would come basically from the different colonies or persons who could afford to support them. After King George III officially called the Colonies in rebellion, the Colonists realized there was no way to solve the problems peacefully. They decided to declare independence and they drafted the Declaration of Independence. A war was on it's way. The colonists decided on George Washington as they General. He was a very promising and excellent ruler. He saw much in his soldiers. Although, no matter how much skill they had, it was very difficult to win the battles with a scarce amount of weapons. During the fight, they had so little ammunition, it was all used up withing 3 hours of shooting. Nathanael Greene wrote a letter complaining about how little food there was, and less water to drink. This little amount of nutrients starved the soldiers and left them weak. With this in mind, many of the volunteers to fight this war decided to leave. The men who volunteered were basically all the army Washington had, so this was not a good start. Washington saw his men departing one by one, so he had to do something. He rounded up his horse and went all over town talking to men, trying to persuaded them to rejoin. He mentioned how they decided Americans fate, and this is what got to many of the men. Many men came back, and decided to stick with it. While the Americas were struggling, the French came to aide. They were already an enemy to Britain, so they would do as much to get them as weak as possible. They began to supply the colonists with weapons and helped train many of them men. This gave much of the Americans hope. Everyone celebrated the alliances, they were now ready to fight. With so much spirit in them, the soldiers did not let the hunger distract them. The Virginia Militia acted amazingly, even if they were worn out and starving. Washington said they “even annoyed the enemy”. With independence on mind, the Americans fought with all the strength they had left. Keeping in mind they were fighting for their land, which the British have been taking control of. At the end of the war, the Americans proved themselves. Great Britain may have had a bigger army and may have been stronger, but the Americans had much more cause to the war, and a great amount of courage the British didn't have. The Treaty of Paris was officially signed, making the United States an Independent country.