The 1700s presented a dire time for many colonists in America. While household names like George Washington, Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin receive the most recognition for their roles in the American Revolution, the “95 percent of Americans who were not members of the Founding-era gentry” often go overlooked for their vast contributions prior to 1776 (Holton 18). This group included “Native Americans, enslaved blacks, and ordinary whites,” all of whom experienced significant hardships during the decades leading up to the American Revolution (Holton 21). For white farmers, statistics show a dramatic decrease in landholdings from the mid 1600s to the 1700s, leading to a desire for something to keep them afloat and help them to support …show more content…
For one, “taxation without representation” attacked the “free colonists’ well-being” (Holton 18). The taxation started with the Sugar Act in 1764, which taxed molasses but ultimately raised revenue. Although the act would prove to be beneficial, the colonists believed that they should be represented in Parliament if their products would be taxed. When the British subjected the colonists to the first internal tax, the Stamp Act of 1765, the colonists became even more furious and the thought of independence seemed better than ever. Previously, the British had created the Proclamation Line of 1763, which protected Native American land but infuriated many including the Founding Fathers who “dreamed of vastly enhancing their wealth by speculating in western land” (Holton 18). Furthermore, the Quartering Act of 1765 as well as the loss of life at Lexington and Concord, among other factors, “conspired to convert free Americans to the cause of independence” (Holton …show more content…
If any free male American fought, they were promised land by the end of the war, which sounded especially enticing due to the fact that the average New England Farm Size was down from 200-300 acres in the 1650s to under 100 acres in the 1750s, with a similar trend in Concord as the landholding decreased from 259 acres in 1663 to 56 acres in 1749 (Colonial Statistics 63). Many of the farmers of land in these areas were young, white males with no real future, and war seemed to be their best option. Also, the distribution of wealth showed negative trends as the richest 5% held 48.7% of the wealth in 1771, up from 30.2% in 1687 (Colonial Statistics 66). Things continued to get worse for the working people throughout the 1770s, and they wanted better. Another key group who saw potential for improvement in their quality of life were enslaved blacks, although they chose to fight for the opposing side of the Revolution. By the time of the Revolution, “about one fifth of the people in the rebelling colonies- approximately half a million souls- were enslaved” (Holton 20). The “widening gap between white Loyalists and Patriots” became more and more obvious to such a large group of colonists, and they took it upon themselves to step in (Holton 20). The
Did Daniel Shays Find Success in His Quest to Liberate the Farmers? The 1780’s were a time that threatened many farmers’ livelihoods in Massachusetts. In this era of American history, states had much more power than the federal government had, so the state of Massachusetts had all jurisdiction over laws that could help or hurt farmers. Farmers at the time were trying start their farms in the new American country and they acquired tons of debt in the process getting the necessary equipment to start their farms.
Entry 1: What were the differences in the way Indians were treated between the different countries? In the Europeans eyes, Indians were known as inferior and the Europeans acted as if the Indians were actually the primitive species. Considering the Indians had a different lifestyle than the Europeans and the Europeans were more advanced in their technology and political structure, made the Indians inherently less than. Compared to the treatment of the Europeans toward the INdians, the Spanish were much more courteous.
I believe that the persistence of class inequality in America stood out the most about the Revolutionary era. In the book The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, George Robert Twelves Hewes, was one the many people who took part in revolutionary acts against British rule. He is also the person that The Shoemaker and the Tea party was mainly about in the first portion of the book. Most would think that someone who had taken part in something as significant as the first steps leading up the revolutionary war would be honored, respected, and even to a certain extent taken care of by his country. George took part in events such as the destruction of tea, Boston Massacre, along with other acts that mobs partaken in, in Boston.
Originally a collection of colonies, the United States fought and rebelled against the nation of Great Britain due to their dissatisfaction of various factors, including their lack of representation within Parliament. As of the year of 1775, the United States would continue to rebel and eventually go to war with the Great Britain. While both sides may have had certain advantages, such as the home field advantage or even monetary wealth, the US was able to fend off the British thanks to the major assistance provided by the French (as well as from Spain, the Netherlands, and Prussia) in the American Revolutionary War. The war was eventually brought to an end with the British suffering a major defeat in Yorktown during the fall of 1781, and the
The British colonies in the Americas were forced to pay taxes by the British government. The colonies did not want to pay taxes because, they found it unfair to pay taxes to a government that they had no say in. The colonies fought for their rights in protests and petitions under the slogan “No Taxation Without Representation” the British government did not give in, leading to all out warfare and the creation of a new nation: that inspired many other revolutions, created the first successful enlightenment democracy, and had a very bloody Civil War. All this prompts us to ask ourselves: What if the British government had given given the American colonies a seat in parliament?
The American Revolution brought about triumph of the United States, but the success of the country wasn't always so sure and the need for liberty didn’t seem easily as attainable as the people at the time thought it would be. The only thing that was standing in the way of the colonist was the most powerful army in the world; but the feeling to be free, to be independent, and to be its own powerful country was what fueled these men. In 1775 battles between colonists and representatives of the British power intensified and in order to calm things down of what the King thought was a meaningless rebellion, he sent Red Coats from the British Army. In spite of their efforts, days and months went. The Red Coats and the King saw the colonists strength, their courage and their determination.
Colonies fought and won a war against Britain to declare their independence. In the eighteenth century, being an American meant having a government that changes and evolves over time. It meant having ideas that change over time for the benefit of the people. While some of their ideas were terrible, they did help shape both Americans and America to what it is today. To be an American means to have the same rights as everyone regardless of who you are, the freedom to practice whatever you want, and obligation to try to make this as great of a country it could be.
Most think of Colonial America as the United State’s first stake in land. Some think of it in relation to Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving special episode. While some truth holds to both of the previous statements, many do not understand or care to know the differences between each colony. From farming to foreign contact, each colony had different ways of living and standards within their society.
In fact, many Americans believed that they were “capable of ordering their own reality” in this new country (22). Earlier, during the 1760s, “kin and patronage” were the predominant ways someone gained any political power. But according to a British official, these elites had “been long in a gradual decay” by 1776, and the rise of political factionalism led to more political participation (22). Thus, by bringing down the social constructs of pre-1776, the colonists became more unified and politically
Why Do We Need Freedom? Taxation without representation. This is how are freedom began. The French and Indian war had just ended.
This is my story of what happened during the stamp act. My name is Samuel Brown. I live right on the harbor of Boston, Massachusetts. I am 10 years old. I have three siblings, my two older brothers Quincy and George and my sister Matilda .
America is a diverse country, filled with people of different race, religion, and class. People from all around Europe and Africa were transported to America, whether it be for religious freedom, escaping poverty, or being forced across the Atlantic through the Middle Passage. As time continued different people began to come to America, each group bringing their own unique quality to the ever growing country. These differences among the nation have caused relationships to form between north and south, wealthy and poor, slave and white man and man and woman. From These Beginnings, Black People in a White People’s Country, and The Transformation of European Society have shown the changes of America from the fifteenth century, ultimately holding
The American Revolutionary War lasted eight years (1775–1783).50 Referred to as the American War of Independence and as the Revolutionary War in the United States, it was an armed conflict between Great Britain and the thirteen colonies. The colonies had declared themselves the independent United States of America. The Revolutionary War started on April 19, 1775.51 The war began with the confrontation between British troops and local militia at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.52
In elementary school we are taught that the colonists revolted for the benefit of all people. We were lied too. The phrase “all men are created equal” completely overlooked most of the population. Americans still saw indians as second class citizens, blacks as being only property, and women were nothing without a husband by their side. The word “men” referred to only white, wealthy, landowners.
“Far too much value is placed on peace, stability and compliance with the surest path to greatness can only be found through rebellion”(Upland, Robbie). In order for nations to be transformed to gain their freedom and democracy, they must experience rebellion. A rebel is choosing to become an individual and refusing to follow a crowd that tries to prevent them from ever becoming an outcast. Why does the natural world thrive on rebellion? One of the strongest urges in human nature is to feel free.