Shortly after the French and Indian War ended in 1763, which left the British with a large war debt that needed to be paid, the English government decided to pass a few laws, imposing taxes on the colonists, such as the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765) which Congress later condemns, and the Townshend Acts (1767) to help settle that war debt. The colonists did not like these new taxes and felt as if they should not have to pay these taxes because they had no representation in the British Parliament and they protested against them. This led them to the Boston Massacre (1770) occurred, resulting in the death of five men and eight being wounded. This eventually led the colonists wanting to break free from the British governments unfair laws and taxes which resulted in the American Revolution. The Revolution started in the mid 1760s. It gave slaves a chance at freedom, which most of them did not get. It gave the American’s their independence from the British. It gave women the chance to fight in the war, unknowingly and for the right to vote which was not granted. Native Americans fought alongside the British but they were treated badly by them and they even lost their properties to them.
John Locke’s ideas on Enlightenment influenced the colonists to begin the American Revolution. Those ideas include that people have the natural rights to life, liberty and property; citizens enter a social contract with the government and they are formed to protect a person’s natural right, and if the government doesn’t protect a person’s rights they have the right to overthrow the government. He also believed that all persons should be treated equally under the law. When the Stamp Act was introduced the colonists felt as if they should not be taxed because they have no relations with the British government and it was unfair to them. Locke’s ideas influenced the colonists to fight for freedom from the British, this then resulted in the American Revolution.
In the American Revolutionary War, there were male colonists that were either patriots or loyalists. The patriots were colonists who wanted the Americans to gain independence from the British. The loyalists were the ones who wanted to remain under the control of the British. Some chose not to choose between being a patriot or a loyalist and remained neutral hoping that the war would be resolved without them being involved. Some also believed that America could have won independence from the British. The loyalists and patriots both contributed in the war by fighting in it. Some loyalists fled during the war and after the war the remaining loyalists either remained in America and received punishment or they went on to find safety in cities where the British occupied, but when the British left they left with them. They moved throughout England, Canada and the West Indies. A great amount of these loyalists suffered depression and despair because they were separated from their families. The patriots did in fact win the American Revolution war and their independence from the British.
127 our experts are availableright now
Women contributed to the American Revolution by taking on the responsibilities of managing shops and farms, alongside taking care of large families and dealing with shortages of food and supplies when their husbands went to fight in the war. Some served as spies, nurses, and camp followers. Some women joined their fathers and husbands in the war to do common chores such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, and providing care for the wounded. A few women disguised themselves as men to join and fight in the war. Some that were injured in the war later applied to the government for pensions and used their scars as evidence that they served. In the document, “Abigail and John Adams Debate Women’s Rights, (1776)” Abigail Adams wrote a new code of laws she requested her husband John to “… Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors.
Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could.” and also told him that “…(they) will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.” which sums up to her requesting for women to have a voice, a right to vote, and representation. John Adams wrote back to her completely disregarding her requests (Charles Adams). After the war, some women took on the role of being educators to children, but women still did not have rights to vote or a say in anything.
During the American Revolution the Native Americans decided to remain neutral and not get involved. The British requested that they join the war and a few Indian tribes agreed to join. They believed that fighting alongside the Britsh would be better for their interests and rights, opposed to the colonists. The British would be a better supplier for manufactured goods and weapons that the Indians relied on and that participating would allow them to regain land that they once lost (Berkin 124). In the document “Mohawk Leader Joseph Brant Commits the Loyalty of His People to Britain, (1776)” Brants explains how the Native Americans showed their loyalty to the British but they still were treated badly by the British and later on speaks on how Brants people felt uneasy due to the fact that the British claimed the majority of their land, which was unfair to their wives and children (Jo CHEW, Secy). After the war, in the 1780s the Indian tribes moved into settlements on the banks of the Grand River in Ontario, which lead to the end of the suffering they faced at in the war, when all of the Indians resources were used up by the British such as food, clothing and supplies.
Slaves contributed to the American Revolution by joining the British in the war in order for them to win their freedom. The black soldiers were treated better by the British, but in both of the armies the black soldiers did the more dangerous jobs than the white soldiers but the white soldiers were paid more than them. Besides fighting in war, some slaves found different ways in gaining freedom. Some escaped plantations and farms and headed to major cities, where they were able to pass as free people, also some slaves were able to join Indian tribes. Shortly after winning the war, thousands of former slaves went aboard British ships seeking a better life in Canada, England, British Florida and the Caribbean, but that’s not what they got. Once they arrived they faced racism from the white loyalists which led them to move again and they moved to Sierra Leone, in West Africa, and they established a free black colony. James Otis, Thomas Paine and Benjamin Rush all worked together in trying to end slavery in the 1760s and 1770s. Free black Americans joined campaigns in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut to help end slavery. In Boston and Pennsylvania, slaves petitioned for themselves in order to be “liberated from a state of Bondage, and made Freemen of this Community.” (Berkin, 148). Pennsylvania was the first to pass an emancipation statute which lead to persons being released from slavery.
Slave owners in the South ignored the debates of slavery being ended so they replaced missing slaves and became more strict on their slaves living on their plantations. In the document “Slaveholders in Virginia Argue Against the Abolition of Slavery (1784-1785)”, it spoke about how slave holders did not want the slaves to be emancipated from slavery after the war. They said that the slaves were “very important Part of our Property.” In Maryland and Virginia, free black communities grew after the war. After George Washington’s wife died, he freed all of his slaves, but Patrick Henry believed that freeing slaves would be an inconvenience and that slavery should continue. At the end of it all, not all slaves got the opportunity to be free after the Revolution.
In conclusion British imposed unfair laws and taxes on the colonists to settle their war debt. The colonists felt as if this was unfair, and this resulted in the Revolutionary War. Men who were either loyalists wanted to remain under the British’s control and men who were patriots fought for the independence of their people. Slaves were also given the chance to fight in this war for the chance of freedom, but many of them remained enslaved after the war. Women during the war took care of household chores and family members while their husbands were away at war, some women even fought alongside men and some women aided the wounded soldiers. Women also wanted the right to vote but the thought of this was completely disregarded. Native Americans did not want to fight in the war but the British convinced them and they believed that they would be better off than the colonists, but they were wrong. The British took advantage of the Native Americans’ properties and resources and contributed to them having to flee the country.
