American Revolutionary War.docx

American Revolutionary War.docx

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AmericanRevolutionaryWar

AmericanRevolutionaryWar

TheAmericanRevolution（1775-83）wasaconflictbetween13BritishcoloniesontheeasternseaboardofNorthAmericaandtheirparentcountry,GreatBritain.Francelaterintervenedasanallyoftheindependentstates,andthewarresultedinthecoloniesbecomingaseparatenation,theUnitedStatesofAmerica.ItisalsoknownastheAmericanWarofIndependence.

TheendoftheSevenYears'War（1756-63）,whichhaditsNorthAmericanbeginningin1754andwasknowninAmericaastheFrenchandIndianWar,resultedinthefinalexpulsionofFrancebothfromthecontinentofNorthAmericaandfromIndia.InbothcasesFrenchpowerwasreplacedbythatofGreatBritain.Asaresult,Britainbecamethepreeminentpowerinthewesternhemisphereandsupremeonthehighseas.Itenjoyedanenormousandgrowingvolumeofmaritimecommerce.Britain'sking,GeorgeIII,whohadsucceededtothethronein1760,wasdeterminedtoplayanactiveroleingoverningthenation.Duetotheking'sineptitude,however,theresultwaspoliticalinstabilityandalackofdirectioninnationalaffairsatthesametimethatBritain'scrisiswithitsAmericancoloniesdeveloped.

CausesoftheRevolution

TheDeclarationofIndependence

Britain'sking,GeorgeIII,whohadsucceededtothethronein1760,wasdeterminedtoplayanactiveroleingoverningthenation.Duetotheking'sineptitude,however,theresultwaspoliticalinstabilityandalackofdirectioninnationalaffairsatthesametimethatBritain'scrisiswithitsAmericancoloniesdeveloped.

KingGeorgeIII

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TheNationalArchives

TheendoftheSevenYears'War（1756-63）,whichhaditsNorthAmericanbeginningin1754andwasknowninAmericaastheFrenchandIndianWar,resultedinthefinalexpulsionofFrancebothfromthecontinentofNorthAmericaandfromIndia.InbothcasesFrenchpowerwasreplacedbythatofGreatBritain.Asaresult,Britainbecamethepreeminentpowerinthewesternhemisphereandsupremeonthehighseas.Itenjoyedanenormousandgrowingvolumeofmaritimecommerce.Britain'sking,GeorgeIII,whohadsucceededtothethronein1760,wasdeterminedtoplayanactiveroleingoverningthenation.Duetotheking'sineptitude,however,theresultwaspoliticalinstabilityandalackofdirectioninnationalaffairsatthesametimethatBritain'scrisiswithitsAmericancoloniesdeveloped.

TheStampAct

TheStampAct

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TheNationalArchives

TheSevenYears'WarrevealedtoBritishofficialstheAmericans'disregardfortheNavigationActsandimperialauthority.Duringtheconflict,colonialmerchantscontinuedtotradewiththeenemyandsmugglegoods,whilecolonialassembliesrepeatedlyrefusedtoprovideBritishmilitaryofficialswithmenandsupplies.

ThewarleftGreatBritainwithaconsiderabledebtandexpensiveresponsibilitiestoadministernewlyacquiredterritoryinNorthAmerica.BelievingthattheNavigationActsshouldbeenforcedstrictlyandthatthelightlytaxedcolonistsshouldpayashareoftheempire'sdefensecosts,ParliamentinMarch1765passedtheStampActtoraiserevenue.Thisactrequiredthecoloniststopurchaseandusespeciallystamped（watermarked）paperforallofficialdocuments,deeds,mortgages,newspapers,andpamphlets.Violatorswouldbeprosecutedinvice-admiraltycourts,withoutjuries.Revenuesderivedfromtheactwereintendedtopaypartofthecostofmaintainingapermanentforceof10,000BritishtroopstopreventhostilitiesbetweenthecolonistsandtheIndiansofthewesternfrontiers.

TheStampActprovokedalmostunanimousoppositionamongthecolonists,whoregardeditasaviolationoftheirrights.TheybelievedinafederaltheoryofempirethatdividedauthoritybetweenthecoloniesandGreatBritain.Fromtheirbeginnings,thecolonialassemblieshadmodeledthemselvesonParliamentandhadlegislatedinternalmatters,includingraisingtaxesandarmies,andoverseeingthejudiciary.Inpractice,Britainwasresponsibleforexternalmatterssuchasdeclaringwarandpeace,presidingoverforeignaffairs,andregulatingtrade,Indianaffairs,andthepostoffice.Tothecolonists,theStampActviolatedtherightofEnglishsubjectsnottobetaxedwithoutrepresentation;itunderminedtheindependenceoftheircolonialassemblies;anditappearedtobeonestepinaplottodeprivethemoftheirliberty.

OnthesegroundsastormofprotestaroseagainsttheStampAct.InthemonthsbeforeNovember1765,whentheactwastogointoeffect,riotsorganizedbytheSonsofLibertybrokeoutincolonialportcitiesandpreventedBritish-appointedstampdistributorsfromassumingtheirposts.ColonialassembliespassedresolvesdenouncingtheStampActandpetitionedParliamentrequestingitsrepeal.Toaddstrengthtotheformalprotest,Americanmerchantsbandedtogetherinnonimportationagreements,pledgingnottobuyBritishgoods.ThiscolonialboycottwassoeffectivethatcommercebetweenGreatBritainandAmericacametoastandstill.InOctober1765delegatesfromninecoloniesmetinNewYorkCityintheStampActCongressandpetitionedParliamentandthekingconcerningcolonialgrievances.ParliamentrepealedtheStampActinMarch1766,yieldingnottothecolonists'constitutionalobjectionstotaxation,buttothedemandsofeconomicallydepressedBritishmerchants.

TheTownshendActs

RepealoftheStampActleftBritain'sfinancialproblemsunresolved.Parliamenthadnotgivenuptherighttotaxthecoloniesandin1767,attheurgingofchancelloroftheExchequerCharlesTownshend（1725-67）,itpassedtheTownshendActs,whichimposedtaxesonlead,glass,tea,paint,andpaperthatAmericansimportedfromBritain.Inanefforttostrengthenitsownauthorityandthepowerofroyalcolonialofficials,Parliament,atTownshend'srequest,alsocreatedtheAmericanBoardofCustomsCommissionerswhosememberswouldstrictlyenforcetheNavigationActs.Revenueraisedbythenewtariffswouldbeusedtofreeroyalofficialsfromfinancialdependenceoncolonialassemblies,thusfurtherencroachingoncolonialautonomy.

Onceagainthecolonistsprotestedvigorously.InDecember1767,JohnDickinson,aPhiladelphialawyer,published12popularessaysthatreiteratedthecolonists'denialofParliament'srighttotaxthemandwarnedofaconspiracybyacorruptBritishministrytoenslaveAmericans.TheSonsofLibertyorganizedprotestsagainstcustomsofficials,merchantsenteredintononimportationagreements,andtheDaughtersofLibertyadvocatedthenonconsumptionofproducts,suchastea,taxedbytheTownshendActs.TheMassachusettslegislaturesenttheothercoloniesacircularlettercondemningtheTownshendActsandcallingforaunitedAmericanresistance.BritishofficialsthenorderedthedissolutionoftheMassachusettsGeneralCourtifitfailedtowithdrawitscircularletter;thecourtrefused,byavoteof92to17,andwasdismissed.Theothercolonialassemblies,whichwereinitiallyreluctanttoprotesttheacts,nowdefiantlysignedthecircularletter,outragedatBritishinterferencewithacoloniallegislature.

Inotherways,BritishactionsagainunitedAmericanprotest.TheBoardofCustomsCommissionersextortedmoneyfromcolonialmerchantsandusedflimsyexcusestojustifyseizingAmericanvessels.Theseactionsheightenedtensions,whichexplodedonJune21,1768,whencustomsofficialsseizedBostonmerchantJohnHancock'ssloopLiberty.ThousandsofBostoniansrioted,threateningthecustomscommissioners'livesandforcingthemtofleethecity.WhennewsoftheLibertyriotreachedLondon,fourregimentsofBritisharmytroops—some4000soldiers—wereorderedtoBostontoprotectthecommissioners.

ThecontemptofBritishtroopsforthecolonists,combinedwiththesoldiers'moonlightingactivitiesthatdeprivedBostonlaborersofjobs,inevitablyledtoviolence.InMarch1770ariotoccurredbetweenBritishtroopsandBostoncitizens,whojeeredandtauntedthesoldiers.Thetroopsfired,killingfivepeople.Theso-calledBostonMassacrearousedgreatcolonialresentment.Thisangerwassoonincreasedbyfurtherparliamentarylegislation.

TheBostonTeaParty

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TheNationalArchives

Bowingtocolonialeconomicboycotts,Parliament,guidedbythenewprimeminister,LordFrederickNorth,repealedtheTownshendActsin1770butretainedthetaxonteatoassertitsrighttotaxthecolonies.InordertorescuetheBritishEastIndiaCompanyfrombankruptcy,ParliamentpassedtheTeaActin1773,reducingthetaxonteashippedtothecoloniessothatthecompanycouldsellitinAmericaatapricelowerthanthatofsmuggledtea.Thecolonists,however,refusedtobuytheEnglishtea.TheyviewedtheTeaActasanotherviolationoftheirconstitutionalrightnottobetaxedwithoutrepresentation.ColonialmerchantsalsofearedthattheactwouldallowtheEastIndiaCompanytomonopolizetheteatradeandputthemoutofbusiness.InPhiladelphiaandNewYorkCitythecolonistswouldnotpermitBritishshipstounloadtea.InBoston,intheso-calledBostonTeaParty,agroupofcitizens,manydisguisedasIndians,swarmedoverBritishshipsintheharboranddumpedthecargoesofteaintothewater.

IntolerableActs

Inretaliation,Parliamentin1774passedaseriesoflawsdesignedtopunishtheprovinceofMassachusettsanddemonstrateParliament'ssovereignty.TheseweretheCoerciveActs,dubbedbythecoloniestheIntolerableActs.TheBostonPortActclosedthatcity'sporttotradeuntilitscitizenscompensatedtheEastIndiaCompanyforthedestroyedtea.TheMassachusettsGovernmentActalteredthecolony'scharterbypermittingtheCrownratherthantheHouseofRepres