The American Revolution Essay, Research Paper

What does the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act and Quartering Act of 1765; the Townsend Duties of 1767, the Boston Massacre, the Gaspee incident, and the Intolerable Acts have in common? They were all reasons for Americans to declare their independence from Great Britain. Because of Great Brtain’s inflexibility and ignorance in colonial affairs, Americans did not want to be ruled under Parliament. During the 1770’s, American’s national pride had increased rapidly, especially after the French and Indian War. The national pride Americans showed during the American Revolution was their greatest ally against the superior military powers of Great Britain. This paper surveys the American Revolution from “The Shot Heard Round the World” to the forming of a national government.

After the Boston Tea Party, Parliament echoed for a show of their strength over America. Some members of Parliament opposed the idea of crushing the colonists, and a minority of others believed they could not be stopped easily (Garraty 103). In 1775, the House of Commons voted against allowing the colonies to become an independent nation, and the American Revolution had begun. Because most resistance took place in Massachusetts, Great Britain declared that the colony was in a state of rebellion and troops were sent to await orders. The people of Massachusetts reorganized their militias calling themselves the Massachusetts Patriots and training Minute Men to fight against the British. Patriots began to mount up at Concord and were warned of oncoming British soldiers, or Redcoats, by Paul Revere. Passing through Lexington to get to Concord, Recoats were met by about seventy Minute Men who had been waiting for their arrival. As soon as Minute Men realized the Redcoats, headed by General Thomas Gage, outnumbered considerably they withdrew. However, a shot had been fired and the British killed eight men (Garraty 104). This marked the famous “Shot Heard Round the World,” which was coined because of its impact of being the first nation to declare its independence. Fortunately for the Americans, militiamen surged into Concord forcing the Redcoats to yield their position and March back to Boston. This battle became marked as the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The British had suffered 273 casualties and the Americans took fewer than 100. General Gage admitted that “”The Rebels are not the despicable rabble too many have supposed them to be”" (Garraty 104). Later, George Washington heard how the Patriots had captured four British forts, he sadly wrote, “a brother’s sword has been sheathed in a brother’s breast and the once happy and peaceful plains of America are either to be drenched in blood or inhabited by a race of slaves” (Garraty 104).

Soon after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia was seeking a way to completely break from England (Brinkley 117). The country was opened to ships from all different nations