The Four Stages Of The American Revolution

The American Revolution The American Revolution was a political turmoil that occurred in the United States between 1765 and 1783 through which rebels in Thirteen American Colonies defeated Britain’s authority and led to the formation of the United States of America. The rebels achieved this goal through their rejection of monarchy and aristocracy that was characterized by initiatives that were geared towards a revolution. This important event in the history of the United States was also brought by a series of political, intellectual, and social changes that took place in government, thought processes, and the American society. The commencement of the American Revolution can be traced back to 1763 when leaders from Britain started to stiffen imperial reins (“Overview of the American Revolution”, n.d.). The tightening up of imperial reins by British leaders was
characterized by the enforcement of punitive and coercive laws on various colonies. One of the major reasons for the actions of these British leaders was to enforce taxes in order to pay pensions to retired officers, to uphold a standing army in the colonies, and to halt colonial claims to other regions. These efforts proved to be futile since they damaged the once harmonious relations between Britain and these colonies resulting in increasingly conflict-driven relations. The colonies resisted attempts by the British leaders to raise money through the Sugar Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Stamp Act. The enactment of other regulations such as the Coercive Acts and the First Continental Congress increased the tensions between Britain and the colonies and culminated in the initial attempts by the colonies to gain independence from Britain. These attempts by the colonies to gain independence from Britain resulted in a long and bitter war that had devastating impacts and considerable effects including the formation of a new nation, the United States of America.
The initial stages of this battle took place in 1775 through which there were various British military victories and American moral successes. During these stages, the colonists inflicted heavy casualties on the largely superior British military force at Bunker Hill though they failed to prevail. The following year marked the first victories of the colonies at Princeton and Trenton at a time when the superior British military force occupied New York. While these victories enhanced the morale of the colonies, the British military also occupied Philadelphia, which was the hub of the Continental Congress. However, the Patriot forces gained a significant victory in 1777 at Saratoga, New York, which persuaded France to sign treaties with the United States. This decision by the French later became a crucial turning point of the war since its impact was experienced much
later. The treaties between France and the colonies increasingly frustrated the British since France provided military assistance and stores of needed gunpowder. This acted as a significant turning point that forced the superior British military force to turn its attention to the south for failure to capture the north. As the fighting continued, the British unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the support of loyalists in order to defeat the Patriot forces. During this period, the British were increasingly concerned with the likelihood of French naval involvement in the war. The war came to an end in 1781 when the British forces were encircled and eventually surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia (“The American Revolution”, n.d.). This event is a definitive moment in American history because it contributed to the formation of the United States of America. As compared to other great revolutions, the American Revolution was the only successful one since it contributed to centuries of freedom and prosperity (Magnet, 2012). Generally, without the American Revolution, it is possible that the United States of America could have not been formed. This implies that it is the most definitive and significant moment in the history of the nation.