independence

In 1763, once the French and Indian War (1756-1763) was over, England gained control of Canada and all of North America east of the Mississippi. Even before the end of the war, the colonists started to move over the Appalachian Mountains. So as to prevent any war against the Indians living there, King George III made a proclamation in 1763, which forbade colonists to go over the Appalachians until agreements could be reached with the Indians. Between 1763 and 1773, the colonies rebelled against British authority. While the empire was growing, the British government needed more money. Thus it started a new financial policy.

* The Sugar Act of 1764

Greenville, the prime minister, urged Parliament to pass the Sugar Act: it raised the duties on sugar and certain other luxuries imported by the colonies.

* The Stamp Act of 1765

It required that all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, commercial bills and other papers issued in the colonies bear a stamp. This direct tax was designated for colonial defense. During the summer of 1765 there were stamp riots in many towns. A Stamp Act Congress was held in New York in Oct, 1765. The members who were delegates from several colonies drew up a petition to the King and supported a boycott on British goods until the act was withdrawn. Most colonists simply refused to pay the tax. The boycott was successful and the Stamp Act was finally repealed in 1766. But Parliament passed another law called the Declaratory Act: it claimed that the British government had "full power and authority (over) the colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever".

* The Townshend Acts of 1767

In 1767 a new ministry led by chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend drew up new taxes on imports (tea, lead, paper, glass, paint) that Americans could only receive from Britain. The Boston merchants again boycotted English goods. British troops sent to enforce these laws and maintain order, but riots broke out in Boston.

*The Boston Massacre (1770)

On March, 5th, 1770, the English troops fired into a protesting crowd and killed five men. Eventually in 1770 most of the Townshend Acts were repealed, however the tea tax was maintained, which caused the Boston Tea Party: In December, about 50 members of the political organization, The Sons of Liberty, disguised themselves as Amerindians and boarded British merchant ships in Boston. They dumped 342 cases of tea into the ocean. In reply, Parliament passed a set of laws to punish Massachusetts : the "Intolerable Acts" and Boston harbour was closed until the tea was paid for.

In 1774 a group of colonial leaders formed the first Continental Congress to oppose British oppression. On April 18, 1775, 700 British soldiers marched silently out of Boston to take away hidden stores of arms from rebellious colonists in Concord, a nearby town. The colonists were informed of it and in a village seventy men barred their way. Shots were fired: the American War of Independence was starting. Once in Concord, the British soldiers destroyed some weapons, but on their way back, 273 British soldiers were shot down by hundreds of men.

In May 1775, a second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. It started to act as an American national government. An army was set up under the command of George Washington, who had fought in the French and Indian War.

The first major battle of the American Revolution was the Battle of Bunker Hill. More than one-thousand British soldiers were killed or wounded and about four-hundred American soldiers. That battle greatly reduced whatever hope was left for a negotiated settlement. King George III issued a proclamation on August 23, 1775, declaring the colonies to be in a state of rebellion.

In 1776 Thomas Paine published a pamphlet, entitled Common Sense. It had a great impact on the citizens of America. It attacked King George III, as well as the idea of government by kings. It called for independence. About 150,000 copies of "Common Sense" were sold in America. As a result, the Continental Congress urged colonists to establish state governments and to write a constitution. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write a document explaining why the colonies should be free from British rule. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress cut all political ties with Britain and claimed the independence of the colonies. On July 4, it issued the Declaration of Independence. Armed conflict between America and England lasted until 1781.

The Americans had gradually lost faith in their commander, but on Dec 26, 1776 Washington's victory at Trenton changed the way Americans felt about the war: more men decided to join the army. It now had ten-thousand soldiers. However in August 1777 the British soldiers captured Philadelphia.

His army was suffering. Many had no shoes, clothes, or blankets. They were almost starving. The winter was very cold and they almost froze. Some died. So General Washington tried to get supplies so as to survive the winter. By the spring of 1778 they were ready to fight again.

The new British military leader, General John Burgoyne, wanted to separate New England from the other colonies, but he was defeated in New York. The French government was supplying the Americans secretly. From that victory on, the French decided to side with the Americans. The French government recognized American independence. The two nations signed military and political treaties.

By 1780 the British gained control of South Carolina and Georgia, but they were not able to take control of North Carolina. Then the British soldiers moved to Yorktown, Virginia. The British commander was Lord Charles Cornwallis. Both troops met near Yorktown. Lord Cornwallis expected men to arrive by ships from England, but actually the French were also coming and they defeated some of the men that were expected to arrive. The French ships reached the coast near Yorktown. The Americans and the French began attacking with cannons. Cornwallis knew he had no chance to win with such a small troop. He surrendered on Oct 17, 1781. The war was over.

There are several reasons why the Americans won:

* They were fighting at home, while the British had to bring troops and supplies from across a wide ocean.

* In Britain the long and costly war was no longer popular.

* The French help.

* The leadership of George Washington: he had believed in the success of the colonies since the beginning of the war.

The Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the American Revolution and acknowledged the independence of the United States. The Thirteen colonies were now free and formed one nation.