THE United States Independence, also called the American Revolution, was declared on July 4, 1776.
From this moment on, England ceased to command the destiny of the Americans.
Initially, from 1776 to 1787, the United States was under the Confederacy regime, where there was no central government and each state was sovereign.
Later, in 1787, the Constitution was promulgated, which united the territories under the regime of presidential republic.
Background to US Independence
After the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the English Parliament decided to raise fees in the 13 Colonies to cover the costs of the conflict.
The settlers would also have to pay for the construction of forts, keep the displaced soldiers on American territory and were prohibited from crossing the Appalachian Mountains.
In this way, George Grenville, British Prime Minister, sent a military force of 10,000 men to America. One third of the expenses would be covered by two new taxes: the Sugar Law (Sugar Act) and the Stamp Law (Stamp Act).
The Sugar Law (1764) established new customs duties on large quantities of this product. The following year, the Stamp Law was passed, which required the use of a print on documents, books, newspapers, playing cards, etc. This law was so unpopular and there were so many protests that the British government revoked it.
In 1767, in the face of new taxes on glass, paper, ink and the Tea Law (Tea Act), which gave the West India Company a monopoly of this trade, the crisis broke out.
Discontented, the settlers argued that the laws were illegal. After all, they were part of the Kingdom, but they had no representatives in Parliament in the metropolis. This feeling was summed up in the slogan “no taxation without representation” (no taxation without representation). The complaint, however, was ignored by the British.
In 1770, the Boston Massacre took place, a fight between English settlers and soldiers that ended in the deaths of five American settlers. This quickly turned into an act of propaganda against the English and further encouraged the settlers who wished to separate from England.
Three years later, in December 1773, in protest of the Tea Act, several settlers invaded ships that were anchored in Boston Harbor and dumped the tea shipment overboard. The episode became known as the “Boston Tea Party”.
In retaliation, in 1774, the English government decreed the Intolerable Acts (or Intolerable Laws), which affected, especially, the inhabitants of Massachustes.
The Intolerable Acts closed the port of Boston until compensation for the destroyed tea was paid, meetings, public demonstrations against the King of England, among others, were banned.
United States War of Independence
Indignant with the Intolerable Laws, representatives of the settlers gathered at the First Continental Congress of Philadelphia, held in September 1774. In it, they decided to send the English government a request that the Intolerable Acts be revoked.
The English response was negative and Englishmen and colonists faced each other in the battles of Lexington and Concord.
In the face of hostilities, in 1775, state delegates met again in the Second Continental Congress of Philadelphia where they declared war on England.
On this same occasion, George Washington was named commander of the American forces and Thomas Jefferson was in charge of drafting the Declaration of Independence. This was approved on July 4, 1776, putting an end to England's domination of American territory.
As was to be expected, England sent thousands of soldiers to recover the region and the conflict would last until 1783. During the struggle for independence, the colonists relied on military help from Spain, Holland and France.
England was defeated and would recognize the independence of the United States through the Treaty of Paris, in 1783.
Consequences of the American Revolution
The American Revolution separated the United States from England and would inspire movements such as the French Revolution and the independence of the colonies of Latin America.
It was also the first time that the principles of the Enlightenment were put into practice, such as the separation of powers, the guarantee of individual freedom and social equality.
Once independence was achieved, American settlers began to expand to the West where they would clash with the Spaniards, Native Americans and the issue of slavery.
We have more texts on the subject for you:
- Benjamin Franklin
- American Constitution
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- Independence of Spanish America
- Seven Years War
