American History Critique Essay

The American Revolution takes a major place in the history of modern world. After all, it is the first major rebellion against a European mother country (Jordan and Litwack 109). It paved the way for more colonial revolutions such as the French Revolution and the upheavals that happened India, the Middle East, and the Philippines, among others (109). Furthermore, the American Revolution is deemed as the first in modern times to deal with issues on equality.

In the U. S, the American Revolution is regarded as the “first step” in the establishment of the nation; the revolution served as the foundation for the country’s “national identity” (Greene 2008). American revolutionaries sought for liberty yet the underpinnings of the revolution itself remains unclear- historians say that it was a civil war, a battle between the Britons in Great Britain and the British Americans in the colonies on one hand, and those between the colonists who longed for independence and those who were not (109).

Simply put, the American Revolution was a battle for independence but it took after a year before colonists finally saw it as a battle for independence (109). The American Revolution can be broken into two events: the American War of Independence and the creation of the American government (Henretta 2008). Following the convention for the Second Continental Congress in 1775, tension started to escalate (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson and Williams 156). The thickness of the atmosphere was caused by growing dissension of the colonists.
One factor that brought this was the war Britain had waged against France among other things. The war, which started in 1754 and lasted until 1763, planted the seeds for the American Revolution. While Britain won the war, the country generated major debt and to pay it off, turned to its colonies (Henretta 2008). This proved to be a big mistake (on the part of the British) for the country’s relationship with its colonies started to become sour. With the huge debt, Britain started to reassess its power over its colonies, concluding its salutary neglect policy and enforcing new taxes and reorganization (2008).
This did not sit well with the colonists. They deemed that Britain, as America’s mother country, was only supposed to interfere with external issues (2008). The reforms included The Stamp Act, which obligated the colonists to pay for stamps of all documents as well as playing cards (2008). In 1777, British and colonial soldiers had a row in Lexington and Concord following the British’ refusal to revoke the Intolerable Acts, which include the Quebec Act (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson and Williams 150-151).
The Quebec Act granted a provision for set-up of new government for the French province of Canada but would have no representative assembly (Jordan and Litwack 102). Although this did not concern the colonists, they felt that this would translate to the British government’s s refusal to give rights and freedom to Americans living in the Ohio Valley (150). Furthermore, the new boundaries may reduce westward movements in the country and lastly, the colonists were afraid that the Roman Catholic Church may have gained more power (150).
The growing conflict saw the rise in valor among the colonist. It was during this time that Patrick Henry, a delegate in the First Continental Congress, uttered his famous line, “… give me liberty or give me death” (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson and Williams 151). By 1775, the British had unleashed its military unit to stop the revolt. It looked easy on the outside, with Britain quickly outnumbering its 13 colonies (Henretta 2008). But America had some aces up its’ sleeves. For one, the colonists were battling in their own territory, which abetted them with supplies and manpower (2008).
Moreover, the colonists had capable military leaders who had served during the French and Indian War (2008). It also helped countries such as France and Spain provided assistance in the latter part of the war (2008). While the colonists were working towards independence, the Congress still thought that reconciliation was on the table, passing the Olive Branch Petition, which requested King George to stop the Parliament from taking drastic measures but did not yield (Jordan and Litwack 110). The battle was on. The battles at Breed’s Hill and Quebec were unsuccessful but the colonists did not waver.
They finally tasted success at Boston where the British troops were forced to evacuate to Nova Scotia (112). It is ironic that it took an English immigrant to stress what the colonists were fighting for. Thomas Paine, an immigrant who settled in Philadelphia, championed the colonists’ cause. He wrote a pamphlet which attached the British monarchy. Called Common Sense, the pamphlet spoke how it “made sense” why America deserved its independence and that Britain should relinquish its hold on the country (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson and Williams 160).
The pamphlet, which sold 120,000 copies, was instrumental in convincing the rest of the Americans to fight for its independence (160). In April 1776, the Congress opened American ports to trading to other countries except Britain, a move that made the country independent (Jordan and Litwack 113). Later on, the Congress notified the colonies to start their own state governments (113). Approving Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution of Independence, the statement was a bold and courageous move on the colonists’ part. To formally declare America’s independence, a Declaration of Independence was drafted.
With Thomas Jefferson as principal author, the Declaration of Independence was signed and printed on July 4, 1776 (114). But the Declaration did not put a stop to the ongoing battle for the actual independence. The war continued in the Middle Colonies and into the South (Jordan and Litwack 117). With the assistance of the French government, the colonists were able to thwart General Lord Cornwallis, putting an end to Britain’s colonization. The Treaty of Paris, which involved four countries- U. S. , Great Britain, France, and Spain, was instrumental in formalizing America’s freedom (Jordan and Litwack 122).
Spain was part of the negotiating party because the country was aggressive towards America’s search for freedom. France was included because of the French-American Treaty of 1778 which obligated the U. S. to check with them before going on any agreements with Great Britain (122). The success of the American Revolution lies in on how it affected the political and military shape of the nation. It was a revolution of human consciousness, the one that provided the foundation for change and opportunity. And the American Revolution made that possible.
Works Cited Divine, Robert, Breen, T. H. , Fredrickson, George and Williams, R. Hal. America The People and the Dream. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company,1991. Greene, Jack. “The American Revolution Section 25”. The American Historical Review. October 19, 2008 <http://www. historycooperative. org/journals> Henretta, James. “American Revolution”. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. October 19, 2008 <http://www. encarta. msn. com> Jordan, Winthrop and Litwack, Leon. The United States 7th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1991.