The American Road to Independence was a movement that was started by free people in colonial America before 1775. “The revolution was in the minds and hearts of people….before a drop of blood was shed in Lexington” long before the armed struggle began” on April 19th 1775; as the then ex- President John Adams asserted in the year 1818. (Miller et al 99-100).
Colonial America started to show signs of internal struggle after the year 1763. This was due primarily to one action started by the government in London, England. That one action was simply the action of passing taxes on the colonies without any type of American representation in the parliament in London. The French and Indian war, victory had given Great Britain total control over North America. The cost to the Kings treasury was great. It has been estimated the cost to the English crown for the war in America was in excess of 130,000,000 pounds. The seven-year war had almost doubled Britain’s national debt. Revenue was needed and needed quickly to sustain the cost of English troops needed to maintain order in the Colonies and to reduce the debt incurred from the war. The English Parliament started to levy a series of taxes on British American citizens. What upset the colonial Americans the most was the fact that this parliament in London had no Americans representing the very citizens affected by taxes being levied upon them!
British Americans look upon themselves as free men. “One free people cannot govern another free people. “(Miller et al 100)
The colonies in America, starting with the first settlement in Virginia, were governed primarily by themselves, The American colonial states had long developed economic and cultural independence; gained self government and accumulated combined populations of more than 1,500,000. This is helpful in depicting that traces of self-government that had already developed, long before the revolution began (Kennedy et al. 115-150).
Colonial rights as perceived from the American perspective were expressly accounted for in the declaration of colonial rights; which was documented by the continental congress in October 14, 1774 prior to the onset of the Declaration of Independence. These rights were presented in ten resolves that included natural rights; entitlement to all liberties, rights, and immunities of autonomy of natural born relative to England.
Other rights documented included the reserve of the ancestral rights embraced by their older generations that moved into America and receiving representation in the legislative commission. Also documented were the rights to control external commerce as well as rejecting to be taxed from it, without willful consent. Additionally, provided were the right to the entitlement to the British conventional law and free lawful trial and entitlement to British statutes at the time of their historical emigration. Also contained were the right to the privileges and immunities contained in the royal agreements and provincial legislation; the rights to demonstration, pronounce dissatisfactions and appeal to the overall ruler, without victimization from the ministers on areas including defending the American legislation (Berkin et al. 135)
The colonial ideas about self-government that helped shape the colonial understanding of the rights discussed above; included the ideas contained in the Sugar Act or Molasses Act that referred to the British counsel. The underlying idea of this act was stopping the importation of sugar and molasses imported into the Northern part of America from French and Spanish West Indies. This move was geared to compelling the citizens of New England to buy these commodities from the British West Indies planters only. Other colonial ideas that shaped the colonial understanding of these rights were those contained in the Stamp Act. In this act; stamped paper bearing fixed costs were to be placed on packages as a means of raising revenues, after the initiation of the model by William from Holland. The stamps were a means of taxing individuals and any people who tried to evade the taxes were penalized, and the transaction in question invalidated (Kennedy et al. 115-150).
Other colonial ideas that shaped the colonial understanding of these rights were the contentions contained in the Quartering Act; where the quartering of forces upon the English-American protectorate was provided for. In this provision the individual protectorates were required to provide for accommodation, fuel, drinks, beddings, lighting materials and soap. The other colonial idea fueling the conventional understanding of colonial rights was the suspension of the New York legislature through enforcement of the Tea Act. This act provided that the trial of offenses committed in America be tried in Britain. Other colonial ideas shaping the understanding of colonial rights were the act seeking to control the administration of Massachusetts, as well as the Quebec act (Berkin et al. 134).
On the other hand, the British views on the rights of citizens were greatly repressive due to the monarch’s denial of given civil rights. Some of the acts repressing the rights of citizens include the Treason Felony Act of 1848 This act contended that individuals were not capable of questioning the honor, style and royalty bestowed on the queen by the imperial British crown, as would be guilty of treason. This act also deprived individuals of the opportunity to contest for the principal public office; as it could amount to execution or legal observance. It is thus evident that in this system of rule there was no idea of the legal or illegal; freedom of speech as a right but like a privilege; knowledge and ability to enforce individual rights; and human rights to those not in the monarchial positions (Berkin et al. 155-175).
The British views on citizens’ rights; did not offer individuals with the rights to the freedom of information, right to a written constitution, and the rights to countering the extreme powers of the central administrative unit. All the citizens with in the British system of rule were referred to; as subjects except those within the Monarch who were not under the absolute authority and subjection of the monarch. Additionally, up to the year 1918 women did not have the right to vote. Long after the ideas conceive in Britain by British philosophers had been adopted by America and France; is when the British government confronted the provision and entitlement of individuals to the rights to property, life, happiness and liberty (Hofstadter 3-14).
The question of the powers of the local government in Britain was an area of great concern, as compared to the devolved nature of power embraced within the American system. The powers of local authorities had been really restrictive based on the rule of the central administration; through which the mayors are to a large extent powerless within the executive sphere. The power of local authorities headed by various councils and a number of nominated mayors were really undermined by the central rule; up to and until some reformations deploying power onto them were adapted (Berkin et al. 135-285).
However, substantial renewal is expected towards adapting a more like the American devolved administrative structure. Hofstadter’s arguments form an important aspect of the history and attempts to realize the sovereignty and independence experienced in the American nation currently. In his arguments he accounts of the Age of reform; in which he argues that the extensive movements touched on the areas of economic production namely agriculture and industry. He also talks of the government’s role in the process and the loss of free land. He further accounts to the populist revolt that appealed for the sectional organization consideration, then later the financial strains and the silver issue (Hofstadter 3-14).
The populist revolt further led to the passage of new laws and philosophies that were backed by progressivism; leading to the new civil war era. This era was characteristic with the displacement of old with new money reputation, estrangement of professionals and the onset of Mug wump. However according to him, during all these moves and reforms the urban dwellers did not worry much about the reforms but the development of democracy in general, which led to the development of publications, political machines; unions and trusts. Other contentions developed from these reforms included the need free enterprise, moral accountability and individualistic inclinations rather than the organizational spirit (Oates et al. 76-128).
Work cited
Berkin, Miller,Cherny, Robert. & Gormley. “Making America”, Volume 1. Houghton Mifflin Company. (2002): 155-175
Hofstadter, Richard. The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made it. Vintage. (1989): 3-14
Kennedy, David & Bailey, Thomas. The American Spirit, 9th ed. Wardsworth Publishing. 1997:115-150.
Miller, William. A New History of the United States. New York: G. Brazziler. 1958: 99- 100.
Oates, Steven & Errico, Charles. Portrait of America, 9th ed. Wardworh Press. 2006: 76-128.