The American Revolution is one of the biggest events that durably affected the American population: first this conflict was the only one that ever took place on their territory, and secondly it opposed American people themselves in a merciless civil war. Before 1775, the American territory was a British colony composed by 13 states that had been ceased by France after the 7Years' War that opposed France to Britain. At that moment, the Colonists did not feel different from the other subjects of the British crown. However it quite changed when it clearly appeared that the British government wanted to make the Colonists pay for the cost of the 7Years' War. Indeed after the War against France and Spain, there were no more money in the British State's budget, and as a consequence the government decided to raise taxes for its American colonies: Sugar Act, Currency Act and Quartering Act in 1764, Stamp act in 1765, Townshend Acts in 1767, Tea Act in 1773.
[...] It clearly divided the population in 2 groups: those who remained faithful to the British Crown, who were called the Loyalists (also called the King's men opposed to those who raised against George III and his government, called the Insurgents (also called the Patriots or the Congress-men 1777 : Saratoga, the turning point of the revolution and its consequences on the issues of the conflict However this Declaration of Independence seemed to crack the whip to the British troops: at the huge Battle of Long Island of August 1776 they seized the City of NY, where was based an important camp of the Patriots, and nearly captured Washington and his soldiers. [...]
[...] All along 1779, the American and French attempts to recover Savannah were unsuccessful. But on May 12th of 1780, British troops led by General Clinton carried on their conquests invading South Carolina: they surrounded American troops in Charlestown and captured men that in fact composed the whole army that the Insurgents had in the South. Lord Cornwallis, a British general, was committed to defend the town against any attempt from the Americans and their allies to recover Charlestown. Actually, the situation was quite bad for the Insurgents. [...]
[...] The treaty of Paris was signed on September 3rd of 1783: Britain recognised the American independence and begrudged territories to France and Spain. The United States Congress ratified the treaty on January 14th of 1784. It put an end to the American Independence war and gave birth to a new nation. Conclusion The American independence had decisive consequences on the United States themselves, but on a lot of other countries too: Indeed, this war especially led France and Britain to bankruptcy: - In Britain, the defeat cost King George III dearly: these events stretched his sanity to the breaking point and his political power decreased when William Pitt the Younger, a Whig Mp, became Prime Minister in 1783. [...]
[...] The Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to George IIIrd to attempt reconciliation and to avoid more bloodshed But the King rejected it and instead published the Proclamation of Rebellion that condemned the American Insurgents as traitors. At the end of Spring 1776, the Patriots managed to take control of the whole 13 colonies . From now on they were able to declare the Independence Act. Thomas Jefferson was responsible for preparing the text of the Declaration of Independence. A little word on Thomas Jefferson : he was born in 1743 in Virginia and had inherited from his father, who was a planter, some acres of land, and from his mother, a high social standing. [...]
[...] As a result, he American merchants, who were normally pro-British in inclination, allied with the colonial radicals That is why more and more people rose against the British power: For example, the Sons of Liberty a secret group plotting against the government and calling for a united action, was founded in 1765 after the implementation of the Stamp Act, and it reached to the abolition of the tax by the Parliament thanks to a great pleading of Benjamin Franklin in front of the Parliament. [...]
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