The American Revolution: Birthing a New Nation

Causes of the American Revolution

The American Revolution stemmed from growing tensions between Britain's 13 American colonies and the British imperial government. Key factors included:

• Taxation without representation: The British imposed taxes like the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts on the colonies without giving them representation in Parliament.
• Restriction of civil liberties: The Intolerable Acts closed the Port of Boston and stripped Massachusetts of self-governance.
• Ideas of republicanism and natural rights: Enlightenment thinkers inspired colonists with ideas of liberty and self-rule.

Key Events

The Boston Tea Party (1773)

In protest against the Tea Act, colonists boarded ships in Boston Harbor and threw entire loads of British tea overboard.

The Continental Congresses (1774-1789)

The First Continental Congress organized colonial resistance, while the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army and adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Major Military Engagements

• The Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775): The "shot heard round the world" marked the start of armed conflict.
• The Battle of Saratoga (1777): A major American victory that secured France as an ally.
• The Battle of Yorktown (1781): George Washington's forces trapped the British, leading to their surrender.

Consequences and Legacy

The American Revolution resulted in the formation of the United States as an independent nation through the Treaty of Paris in 1783. It inspired other revolutions like the French Revolution and established ideals like natural rights and self-governance that shaped modern democracy.

Exploring Primary Sources

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." - Declaration of Independence (1776)

By examining such founding documents, students can gain insight into the revolutionary spirit and ideology behind America's independence.