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The American Revolution (1775–1783), image, image, image, image, image,…
The American Revolution (1775–1783)
In the American War of Independence, Great Britain fought against its 13 colonies located on the Atlantic Coast of North America
The causes of the American War of Independence
Political factors
The British Parliament made decisions about taxes and other issues in relation with the colonies. But, Great Britain didn't allowed them to be represented on the Parliament.
Economic and social factors
There was a wealthy colonial bourgeoisie who wanted the freedom to trade without the interference of Great Britain
Ideological factors
As the colonists were familiar with the Enlightenment ideas about liberty and equality, the independent movement was created based on these
The Seven Years War and its costs
The British fought against France for the control of a territory that nowadays forms part of Canada. Even though Great Britain won, the king George III increased the taxes in the colonies so that he could pay his debts
The colonists refused to pay taxes and in one of the various protests that was held, in the Boston Tea Party, a group of colonists threw a cargo of tea into the sea
Then, the British send troops to Boston and this marked the beginning of the conflict.
The War of Independence and its consequences
The war began when some of the colonies decided to fight for independence and when in 1775 they created their own army led by George Washington
The War of Independence developed in two stages
First stage
Great Britain had some military successes but the colonists took actions that were politically significant. On 4 July 1776 the Continental Congress proclaimed the Declaration of Independence
Second stage
The colonists won the Battle of Saratoga which led to Spain and France to offer them support. As the two sides were more closely matched in military terms, it led to a ceasefire
American Independence
In the year 1783 the American Independence was recognised, with the birth of the United States and the Treaty of Versailles
United States Constitution
In the year 1787 the United States Constitution was adopted, which led to the establishment of a federal constitution based on the Enlightenment principles
Principles of the Constitution
Popular sovereignty: this was expressed through male suffrage. However, only white men with a certain amount of property could vote
Separation of powers: the president was the executive branch, Congress was the legislative branch and the Supreme Court was the judicial branch
Type of government: federal republic
Rights: citizens were free and equal before the law. Despite this, slavery continued to be legal
Main consequences
The United States became a symbol for the struggle for liberty and equality in other countries
It showed that it was possible to put Enlightenment ideas into practice
