The American Revolution

13.3.1. The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the modern United States of America. The revolution brought the Constitution of the United States of America and the rebellions of slaves who saw the contrast between slavery and proclamations of liberty, political separation of 13 colonies from the British Empire and the creation of the USA with a new political system.

13.3.2. It is generally agreed that the revolution originated around the time of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), and ended with the election of George Washington as the first President of the USA in 1789.

British officials believed that the British government—and Parliament in particular—had the constitutional power to tax and govern the American colonies. The Americans had developed a very different opinion of how they should be governed. In the 1760s, British Parliament passed several acts which strengthened the customs service, forbade colonies to issue paper money, and required all legal documents, licenses, commercial contracts, newspapers, pamphlets, dice, and playing cards to carry a tax stamp.

13.3.3. As a result, Americans rioted. They agreed to boycott all imported British goods — particularly tea. On December 16, 1773, colonials dressed as Native Americans dumped a shipload of tea into the harbor. This event got the name the Boston Tea Party. Then every colony but Georgia sent delegates to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Congress refused to recognize the authority of Parliament and instead sent a petition to the king. A Second Continental Congress created a Continental Army, with George Washington as its leader. The War of Independence really began.

13.3.4. The political philosopher Thomas Paine had great influence during two upheavals in the XVIII century: the American Revolution and the French Revolution. He published his most famous work, the 50-page pamphlet, Common Sense, on January 10, 1776. The document asserted that every consideration of common sense called for the American colonies to become independent and establish a republican government of their own. The document went on to criticize the monarchy as an institution. The pamphlet sold more than 500,000 copies and helped encourage the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Over time, the Declaration of Independence has profoundly affected American history. Phrases from the document such as "all men are created equal" quickly took on a life of their own. The ideal of equality led Northern states to free slaves within their borders in the 1780s, 1790s and early 1800s. The document itself continues to be an important symbol for the American people. Over one million Americans view the document each year in the rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., where it is displayed along with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-07