THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

(April 19, 1775 — September 3,1783) 

The late 18th century was a period of revolutions in America and France. The American Revolution or the American War of Independence took place between 1775-83 was a momentous historical milestone which inspired the people of other countries to overthrow their colonial masters and paved the path to democracy and self-government.

The American Revolution was the first organised political revolution in the history of the world in which people asserted their right to rule themselves. It led to the birth of the United States of America as a nation, the end of autocratic rule and the establishment of a democratic form of government.

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 

The discovery of the American continent – the New World – was followed by the establishment of permanent European settlements in the 16th century. By the middle of the 18th century, thirteen British colonies had been established along the east coast of North America.

RIGID CONTROL OVER ECONOMIC POLICIES

These colonies were under the control of the British government which gave them considerable liberty to manage local affairs but kept a tight grip on the economic policies. The Government of England believed that colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country. This was greatly resented by the colonists who were independent-minded Britishers, who had left their homes in England and settled in the New World in search of freedom and a better life. By the mid-18th century, these thirteen colonies had developed into prosperous agricultural settlements, mainly in the south with small but flourishing industries in the north and a thriving overseas trade.

UNJUST AND EXPLOITATIVE ADMINISTRATION 

The colonies had their own Assembly, but the Governer of the colony was appointed by the British Government. The Governer was not answerable to the Assembly and governed the country in the interest of Great Britain, the mother country, nd not the colonists. This caused great resentment among the American settlers who worked very ard but could not enjoy the fruits of their labour.

HEAVY TAXATION AND RESTRICTIONS ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE

The British government collected heavy taxes from the colonies and imposed many restrictions on business and commerce. This hampered the economic development of these colonies.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES 

There were a lot of contrasts between the American colonists and the British. The colonists were simple and liberal, while the British Puritans were rigid and conservative. The colonists decided to adopt their own distinct identity, which aspired for freedom to grow and develop as a separate independence nation.

NO REPRESENTATION IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

The British colonizers did not let the American colonists to have their own government. The representatives were all appointed by the British. Matters came to a head when the colonists demanded the right to have a say about the matters affecting them. The colonists argued that the British Parliament had no right to tax the colonists since they had no representatives in the Parliament. ‘No taxation without representation’ became the clarion call of the colonists.

INFLUENCE OF EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHERS

The American revolutionaries were greatly influenced by the ideas of the European philosophers like Locke, Voltaire and Rousseau who inspired them to fight for liberty.

DEMAND FOR TOTAL FREEDOM

The demand for representation in the British Parliament gave way to the demand for total freedom from the British rule. The colonies began to assert their right to sovereign authority and argued that the right to govern should be based on the consent of the governed. The exploitative and oppressive British government had forfeited its right to govern the American colonists.

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY

The conflict eventually led to an open revolt of the colonies. The revolt, known as the American War of Independence, was sparked off by an incident known as the Boston Tea Party.

In 1773, a group of colonists, disguised as Native Americans, raided British ships in Boston Harbour and threw 340 crates of tea into the sea. This incident was a protest against the new taxes imposed on the colonists, even for basic necessities like tea. The Boston Tea Party was seen as an act of open defiance of the colonists against the British authority.

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