Some changes in American life have been noted since the beginning of the XVIII century. The settlers mastered many fertile lands, founded successful farms, and created many industrial enterprises. The metropolis pursued its policy towards the colonies: the grounds were mainly supposed to give almost gratuitous income to the treasury and private English companies (Mohajan 2019). The conflict between the settlers and the English administration developed precisely along the line of the colonists’ rights. The colonists were dissatisfied with their unequal legal status compared to the same Englishmen who lived in the metropolis. The main demands of the colonists were the desire to equalize their rights with the inhabitants of England. The purpose of this article is to consider the methods of achieving goals by patriots, their ethical considerations, and the grounds for their disbelief.
The impetus for the colonists’ honest indignation at their inequality was adopting the stamp duty law, which was to be applied only in England’s North American colonies. The new law caused mass protests and unrest among settlers in America (Israel 2017). Having no representatives of their own in parliament, the colonies were deprived of the opportunity to influence the structure and nature of taxation, the goals, and the methodology of their collection and expenditure. Spontaneous anti-English demonstrations and rallies broke out on the streets of cities (Hill 2018). Patriots sought to ensure that increased taxes were abolished and observed economic growth. In addition, an essential aspect for patriots was the desire to have their representation in legislative bodies.
The patriots used various methods of resisting the invaders, including demonstrations, boycotts, revolutions, and reformations in the field of administration. As a result, this led to the American Revolution of 1765. The colonists of England began to purchase goods produced by specialized organizations instead of establishing their production. Prices for local goods started to decline, and the so-called consumer revolution began. On a cultural level, this has begun to reduce the division between social classes (Block 2018). As more and more people had access to goods, the distinction that once marked the haves and have-nots began to decrease. As the differences between social groups fell, ordinary people became increasingly dissatisfied with their position in the government. The colonists’ failures consisted of the fact that the forces were unequal, but still, through the people, they were able to achieve success in revolutionary activities.
Despite the boycotts and protests, Britain did not listen to the patriots, which led to the creation of two new movements, the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment. The purpose of these movements was to unite like-minded people and explain why the established directions of power were no longer effective (Bly 2019). More and more people became followers of these revolutionary movements, which eventually led to a larger-scale American Revolution. After that, the colonists freed themselves from British rule and achieved their democratic system in society.
The ethnic problems that existed were that people were striving for independence and freedom. Because power was concentrated in Europe, the people experienced economic difficulties. The colonies were negatively influenced by the authorities who enslaved them, which was also an ethical problem and a cause of people’s discontent. After liberation from the influence of Britain, the United States created a Constitution that made it possible to obtain internal security, established and strengthened the government, and created its defensive potential (Van Horn 2018). Yet the new US policy has not been able to solve all the existing ethical problems, even though people have received freedom, education, and autonomy.
In conclusion, the American nation had significant opportunities to achieve its goals. The people’s disagreement provoked the revolution to live under the oppression of Britain and various ethical problems. The actions taken by the colonists showed that the people were strong and could effectively cope with difficulties and tasks. Patriots moved away from the accepted standards of administrative influence and worked with ordinary people who had their problems. Together they achieved freedom and the creation of a nation with its own Constitution.
References
Block, Sharon. 2018. Colonial Complexions: Race and Bodies in Eighteenth-Century America. Philadelphia: the University of Pennsylvania Press.
Bly, Antonio T. Review of Face Value: The Consumer Revolution and the Colonizing of America, by Cary Carson, and: The Power of Objects in Eighteenth-Century British America by Jennifer Van Horn. Eighteenth-Century Studies 52, no. 4 (2019): 437-440.
Hill, Christopher. 2018. Reformation to Industrial Revolution: 1530-1780. London: Verso.
Israel, Jonathan. 2017. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. United Kingdom: Princeton University Press.
Mohajan, Haradhan. The First Industrial Revolution: Creation of a New Global Human Era. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5, no. 4 (2019): 377-387.
Van Horn, Jennifer. Review of Face Value: The Consumer Revolution and the Colonizing of America, by Cary Carson. Journal of Interdisciplinary History 49, no. 2 (2018): 335-336.