American revolution

• The Causes of the American Revolution

  • In 1607, British settlers established the 13 colonies along the east coast of North America. Local assemblies and governors represented the British Crown.
  • The Enlightenment: This movement valued science and reason over faith and authority, challenging the divine right of kings.
• More causes

  • Restrictions on Trade: Britain wanted America to be a source of raw materials and a market for British goods. The Navigation Acts forced colonies to sell products like cotton, sugar, and tobacco only to Britain.
  • The Seven Years War (1756-1763): Britain wanted the colonies to help pay for the army stationed there.
  • No Taxation Without Representation: The Stamp Act (1765) imposed a fee on legal documents, newspapers, and more. The Quartering Act (1765) taxed colonists to cover soldiers' costs. Colonists protested with the slogan 'No Taxation Without Representation.'
• • The Boston Massacre (1770): British soldiers fired on a protesting crowd, killing five civilians.
• • The Boston Tea Party (1773): In protest against the Tea Act, which exempted the East India Company from tea taxes, the Sons of Liberty dumped 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbour. This led to military rule in Boston.
• The First Continental Congress (1774): Representatives from each colony met in Philadelphia to oppose British taxes, boycott British goods, and prepare for war by training soldiers and stockpiling weapons
• • The Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775): British troops tried to seize weapons at Concord but were intercepted, resulting in deaths and further conflict.
• The Second Continental Congress (1776): Led by George Washington as commander-in-chief, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring separation from Britain.
• Main Events of the American War of Independence

  • George Washington led the Continental Army, which was smaller and less equipped than the British Army.
  • Despite losing at Bunker Hill, the Americans captured cannons and rifles at the Battle of Boston. They had small victories at Princeton and Trenton.

  British General Howe captured Philadelphia in 1777, but the Americans won at Saratoga
• More main events

  • During the winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778), the army suffered but was trained by Prussian Baron Von Steuben.
  • France, Spain, and the Netherlands joined the war against Britain in 1778.
  • The decisive victory came at the Battle of Yorktown (1781), where British troops surrendered to American and French forces.
  • The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized the colonies' independence from the British Empire.
• The Results of the American Revolution

  • Foundation of the United States of America: Over 200 years, it grew to 50 states. This expansion came at the cost of indigenous American peoples and their cultures.
  • By 1900, millions of immigrants from around the world had settled in the US.
• More results

  • Impact on France and Ireland: The revolution inspired the French Revolution (1789) and the 1798 United Irishmen Rebellion.
  • Influence of Ideas: The Declaration of Independence stated 'all men are created equal', but this initially applied only to white Christian men. Women, black slaves, and indigenous Americans continued to fight for equal rights.