Introduction
A heightened awareness of socioeconomic disparity emerged during the American Revolution (1775–1783), prompting calls for more excellent democratic governance in the new nation and local governments and the end of slavery. In retrospect, it is clear that Britain’s aspirations to impose stricter power in North American colonies using the levy of taxes without representatives in the British Parliament were a major contributing factor in setting the stage for this war (History.com Editors, 2009). This sparked a desire for autonomy and independence among the colonies, which ignited the American Revolutionary War. Slavery, shifts in international relations, Native American land invasion, the establishment of a secular government, and the formation of republican governance are the five most illustrative examples of the American Revolution’s enormous impact on the development of the United States. The American Revolutionary War was a turning point in American history. It established the United States as an independent nation, created a new form of government, and inspired other countries to fight for independence.
Why the War Happened
Problems had begun to arise in the colonies by 1774, the year before the Revolutionary War broke out. The British Parliament (their version of Congress) had been adopting laws that taxed the American colonies for some time. Great Britain had attempted to extort money from the colonies through many regulations, including the Stamp Act in 1765 and the Sugar Act in 1764. The colonists were unhappy with the new regulations (“National Archives”, n.d.). The end of the French-Indian War in 1763 was a major factor in Britain establishing these regulations. Great Britain was saddled with a massive bill after the North American war.
Parliament claimed that the costly and protracted war was necessary to save its American people from the domineering French in Canada. To help cover the costs of the war, Parliament justified taxing the American colonists. In 1767, Britain passed a set of laws known as the Townshend Acts to increase revenue and impose central government control over the colonies (Wood, 2003). The importation of tea, paints, paper, glassware, and lead was subject to levies under these ordinances. Angry confrontations with British agents and refusal to pay for the acts were some ways people rejected the activities. The mother country dispatched additional troops to counter the colonists’ demands that Britain repeals the Intolerable Acts. Conflict erupted, and the colonies formally declared independence in mid-1776.
Significant Wartime Personalities
During the American Revolution, many notable people came to the fore. George Washington, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and numerous others stood out for their bravery, intellect, patriotism, and talent (History.com Editors, 2009). George Washington was the Supreme Commander of the Continental Army, Founding Father, and First President. He instituted many customs in governance, such as the inauguration address, the cabinet system, and the limit of two terms in office. One of the first colonists, Samuel Adams, helped pave the way for independence from Britain. He was a prominent figure in the American movement to counter British economic hegemony, both as a public speaker and an organizer. His wartime service earned him the position of governor of Massachusetts.
One of the most well-known of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin was also a prominent 18th-century diplomat, researcher, and inventor. As a representative of the colonies, he was instrumental in developing the Independence Proclamation and pushing the French to establish a partnership with the new nation (Wood, 2003). Before the American Revolution, Patrick Henry was an advocate for independence. Alexander Hamilton acted as the first Treasury secretary, George Washington’s head of staff throughout the Revolutionary War, and the founding member of the Federalist Party. He is most known for his renowned “Give me Liberty or Death!” speech. After establishing the United States banking system, Hamilton helped form the first national bank. Thomas Jefferson was a major figure in the development of the United States. He was the third American president and a founding father known for penning the Independence Declaration.
Some Permanent Effects of the War
A confluence of forces stoked the colonists’ thirst for freedom. In eastern America, multiple mass graves are associated with the revolutionary war (Sherrod et al., 2020). Surprisingly many slaves were manumitted during the revolutionary war, and countless more escaped their masters (Phillips & Sandy, 2021). The US was officially acknowledged as a sovereign nation, and Britain gave up territory for this recognition. Articles of Confederation, a new form of governance, were drafted in 1776–1777 and approved by Congress in 1777. In 1781, all of the states finally voted to ratify the articles. This new governmental structure connected the provisional government established by the Continental Congress, the governing body, with the permanent government established by the United States Constitution (“National Archives”, n.d.). To improve upon the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution was drafted in 1787. The Constitution established the three departments of government, the legislature, executive, and judiciary, and set the core democratic institutions of the country.
Conclusion
During the American Revolution, people became more aware of the economic and social inequalities that existed, leading to demands for better democratic leadership in the new nation and local governments, as well as the abolition of slavery. A major factor in laying the foundation for this war was the British ambition to enforce harsher force in North American colonies through the imposition of taxes without representation in the British Parliament. The Revolutionary War marked a watershed moment in US history. It led to the attainment of independence and government in the United States and encouraged revolutions in other countries.
References
History.com Editors (Ed.). (2009). Revolutionary War. History.com. Web.
National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Declaration of independence: A transcription. Web.
Phillips, G., & Sandy, L. (2021). Slavery and the “American way of war,” 1607–1861. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 63(4), 825-850. Web.
Sherrod, L., Willever, H., Shollenberger, K., Potter, C., Thorne, R., & Kline, A. (2020). Geophysical investigations of United States revolutionary war era (1777–1778) mass burial sites in Pennsylvania, USA. Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, 25(4), 477-496.
Wood, G. S. (2003). The American Revolution. Modern Library.