The History of American Revolution Essay

Introduction

The American Revolution refers to a period between1763 and 1784 when the events in the 13^th American colonies culminated in independence from the British colonial rule. Different factors led to rebellion in the 13 American colonies that later became the United States of America following the declaration of independence in 1976. These factors included:

• Imposed taxes that proved unpopular among the Americans.
• Ideologies of liberalism and republicanism were beginning to be more influential among the political leaders of the day.
• The Boston massacre¹
• The intolerable acts²

The above factors together with a growing agitation amongst the people finally led to the revolt against the British troops sent to combat and quell the growing rebellion [Alan Brinkley, p. 116]. This was the beginning of the era of revolution in 1763.

Impacts of the American Revolution

The American Revolution led to a series of changes on the social front as well as on other fronts such as intellectual, political and economic. Some of the glaring social shifts involved the dramatization of the importance of women as well as their role in society. When the war in 1775 removed the men from their traditional roles in society, women took full charge and by so doing proved their capabilities. When the war ended the ideas of republicanism by John Locke as well as freedom and rights had started spreading amongst the women and the social shift that followed led to increased rights for women including limited rights to inherit as well as to control the property. It is at this time that women began to speak out on political and social issues. Moreover, the end of the war marked a beginning of an era where women’s role as mothers of the republican ideologies was properly recognized [Alan Brinkley, pp. 162-80].

The newfound independence also brought some short-lived freedom for African American slaves especially those who had fought against colonial rule. However, the culture that existed continued to portray blacks as the inferior race, and as such the freedom that came with the end of the war did not last but was curtailed by the whites in America.

The loyalists represented 15 -20% of the population in the 13 colonies at that time. This group included elderly conservatives who were loyal to the British Empire. After the war in 1775, most of the loyalists remained in America while others relocated to neighboring Canada, the West Indies and some went to Britain.

The American Revolution was in many ways a demonstration of the enlightenment on political, social, and religious fronts. It allowed religious liberty that gave people the freedom to exercise the will of their consciences. It cultivated a culture of tolerance on all religions while favoring none.

The Indians were in the category of the indigenous population and cultural differences brought about hostilities in the North-Western frontiers. The new government had a problem with the Indian population when war broke out. However, a short-lived peace was achieved by the signing of the treaty of Greenville that opened the North West for US settlement. This followed Anthony Wayne’s victory in 1794.

Conclusion

The American Revolution marked an end of an era of colonial rule and also marked the beginning of republicanism. There were several social and economic shifts that had an impact on a wide array of the population especially the minorities, women, the black population, and also the Indians among others. The mood for liberalism was cross-cutting and as such several groups embraced the ideologies of liberalism which led to several internal agitations for more freedom and rights for different groups.

Works Cited

1. Alan Brinkley. The Unfinished Nation. New York: McGraw-Hill (2003).
2. Mackesy, P. The War for America. 1775-1783. University of Nebraska Press. (1992).

Footnotes

1. this event happened on March 5 1770 when a large crowd of Americans marched towards a group of British soldiers threatening it by throwing different items including snowballs and stones at the armed soldiers.
2. The name was given to the set of laws passed by the British parliament