It’s been over 200 years since the original thirteen colonies of America fought their revolutionary war against Great Britain, in hopes of achieving their independence. We shall be going through a few areas of the Revolution, such as the military, social hierarchy, the role of men and women during the war, the colonists’ values of equality and their social contract response to the British government’s abuses, and we’ll compare these areas to the present day. The American Revolution started around April of 1775, when British redcoats and American militiamen exchanged gunshots in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. However, that was only the beginning of the fighting; the reasons for the war date from years prior, when resistance from the
William Penn was one of the few individuals to not only make enormous contributions to the New World but to the Old World as well. Before Penn even thought of the idea where individuals could seek religious freedom against persecution, he already became a great leader of religious freedom and acceptance in England (Powell, J. (n.d.)). Penn was imprisoned multiple times for his self-righteous actions towards trying to implement religious freedom in England (Powell, J. (n.d.)).
Britain and America’s relationship changed as American colonists fought for independence. Before the Seven Years War (1756-1763), “America” comprised of 13 colonies under British control and the attitude towards British rule was complex. The aftermath of this War strengthened the position of these colonies as it removed European Rivals (France in Canada) and opened the Mississippi for expansion but in doing so, destabilised the borders. It did not provide much political change for American people as British control was still in clear effect in 1763 shown by the Royal Proclamation, which led to a temporary line limiting expansion but which no American could settle across. This angered the American colonists who wanted to keep their local government control and expand into new farmlands.
His powerful words in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” moved his followers to take charge and earn their freedom. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, another incredible man, affirmed in his inaugural address that he would do anything to insure “survival and success of liberty” for Americans and it cost him his life (jfklibrary). Beyond his wealth and power, Kennedy was always considerate of the common man. This essay will explain how both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy wanted to end segregation with faith and cooperation, but their ideas of achieving change were different; this essay will also connect their sacrifices, like going to jail or having the will to die, for the sake of the people. Initially, King and Kennedy had similar views on freedom.
The Declaration of Independence was America’s declaration of freedom from Great Britain. Americans had begun to shift their view from Britain as a mother country to Britain as an oppressor. The early colonists were no longer willing to endure the oppression, thus a declaration was drafted that declared or demanded freedom. This document was an instrument of hope for the majority of the citizenry, but, also, a source of anguish for those still in bondage. During the course of seventeen days in June of 1776, Thomas Jefferson drafted a document that is still “the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty” (Archives).
However, independence was not yet declared. Shortly after, they decided to declare independence from Britain (not the Declaration of Independence yet). The delegates voted to form a "Continental Army" soon after, with George Washington as their general. The colonies started to favor independence after the war was in full swing. In 1776, the colonies adopted the "Declaration of Independence," at the same time however, Britain sent a large naval fleet, along with 36,000 soldiers, to crush the rebellion once and for all, because of this, George Washington was forced to retreat from New
Adams was the founder of the Sons of Liberty, a group of merchants, politicians and lawyers, involved in the protest of the Stamp Act. The refusal of the Stamp Act inspired Americans to confront the actions of Britain. Essentially, the Sons of Liberty encouraged the people of America to question the laws being enforced, creating tension between the two involved parties. To conclude, Samuel Adams is among the many factors that allowed the American Revolution to
The American Declaration of Independence was drafted in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson and proclaimed, when the American Revolutionary War had already started a year ago in 1775. The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence was written by Ho Chi Minh in 1945 and announced to the public in Ba Dinh Square , after which a period of struggle occurred between the Vietminh and the French forces. I would like to put forth my argument that both primary sources showed that the two independent movements were responses to the unfair treatment and policies imposed on the colonies by their colonial masters, thereby culminating in a declaration of ambition, desire and action, to form and preserve their new independent regimes. Both sources broadcasted the misdeeds and mistakes, which the colonial masters had committed against the colonists, to the world. The American Declaration provided a long list of grievances the colonists had against the British government, which amounted to over 60 percent of the document.
This was because Abraham Lincoln knew well the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution and the limits of his authority as a President. In conclusion we could say that although the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free a single slave, it become an important turning point in the war because it reached the hearts and wishes of millions of slaves, most of them African American, transforming the character of the war from a war to preserve the nation into a battle for human freedom. Moreover, the proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union army and navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. So as, by the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom. President Abraham Lincoln was a political genius because of the way he was able to exploit the Emancipation Proclamation and the freeing of the slaves to work for the Union in so many differing and crucial ways.
Born from a fiery rebellion against tyranny, the American Revolution created a national identity built on division. The Revolution divided America from Britain, while separating white Americans from African-Americans. Of course, America fought for its freedom as a nation: whites, African-Americans, and others united against British authority. When the Revolution succeeded and the United States came into being, a new national identity arose founded upon liberal ideals that promised equality and opportunity to all citizens: the American Dream. However, the new nation excluded one fifth of its population from its new ideals.