Revolution in the Americas - The American Revolution (FINALLY!)

The American Revolution that occurred a long time ago,
in a galaxy far, far away (NOT HISTORICALLY
ACCURATE - not in this galaxy anyway...) 

I know i've been promising this one blog for ages, so finally, finally I am going to release this post which has been in the draft stages since forever (not really). I think I said in one of my previous blogs that the American revolution wasn't going to be a major revolution within my presentation. I think its better that it is a part of my introduction and sort of a cause of the ideas and ideologies becoming so strong in Europe. NOTE TO SELF - you need to think of the exact wording of your question, preferably tomorrow would be good.

So apart from Cowie (lets face it, you knew I was going to use him anyway), I have also looked at a website which did a very good job at summing up the revolution. I also watched the patriot which isn't exactly ideal to be referring to in a research task, but it got me in the mood for American Revolution. So hey, whatever you know?
Anyway, I decided it shall be good to do a quick summary of the causes of the American revolution just to sort of get my head around what was happening at the time etc.

Causes of the American Revolution

So this particular information I gathered from this site here. And i'm not writing their names down yet because there is like 3 of them and I won't be referring to them in my project. And so henceforth, I do not need to mention that until the bibliography. This website just gave me an understanding. Anyway here we go:

• Increase in taxes to colonies - Whilst this is the first, I also think this is the most important of all the factors or 'causes'. This was an example of inequality, or the beginnings of it. The British had just finished fighting in the Seven Years War (French and Indian war), and whilst they won, they were low on money due to the fact that they had spent it for war etc. SO. The British (as they always have these sneaky mastermind plans, that's the British for you) decided to tax the colonies without consent. This REALLY REALLY annoyed the colonies, and then there you already have some ideas brewing in terms of discontent from the old regime (aggressive nationalism), oppression from the old regime (leading to liberalism and 'freedom'!) as well as the inequality (which liberalism also covered). It was the beginning of revolt and revolution. BRITAIN YOU MADE THE WRONG MOVE. FOR THE HUNDRED BILLIONTH TIME YOU CAN'T JUST BE A BUM TO EVERYONE!!! 

  

  An Artists depiction of the Boston Tea Party (1774)

• The Boston Tea Party (They had a fight for the right to poourr-tea!) - I think this was one of the most famous events within the American revolution. It was basically when a bunch of colonists raided a ship full of tea in the harbour and threw it all overboard. It was significant as it was pretty much the first time these brewing ideas were put into action to rebel against the oppressive English forces. But these actions had consequences for the colonists...
• The Intolerable Acts - So Britain, being the bums that they were (Led by King George III who was apparently stupid anyway), decided to impose a number of laws onto the colonists to further oppress them and attempt to prevent them from rising up. This included: the closing of the Boston port until they had paid for the damaged tea, putting the government of Massachusetts under British control, and having the colonies provide housing and food etc for British soldiers. There were two more, but I felt these particular ones are the best as they REALLY made the colonists angry and further created that aggressive nationalism, brotherhood of the colonists and hatred towards the British. 

There were quite a few more factors discussed but I felt these three were the most relevant in strengthening those ideologies of nationalism and liberalism within America at the time (the others are more the execution of those ideas). The interesting thing is that some historians may not argue that the American colonies were as influenced by the enlightenment as in some parts of Europe. However, this need to break away from a monarchy, and the feeling that these colonists had, that they were not British, but belonged to the new land, was critical in the outcome of this revolution. In the end it was the distaste for British rule, and the freedom these people longed for due to their oppression, that led them to revolt and overthrow the rule of the British empire. Additionally, it was the lack of freedom, the lack of equality, the lack of liberty and the lack of justice, and many key individuals (Cowie mentions a few) within the enlightenment which promoted the ideas that these things belong to humanity, and that humanity is deserving of them, which enabled the colonists to overthrow the British. 

AND, onto Cowie;

The Revolution in the American Colonies - H.R. Cowie

I don't really want to repeat myself, so i'm just going to touch on a few things that weren't mentioned above. A few good points about the build up to the revolution. 

Political Cartoons! WOO! 

I found 'Mercantilism' an interesting concept that the British had made up (of course you did Britain). It was essentially the idea that there was an unquestioned assumption that British institutions were superior to others (of course you think you are Britain) - It involved strict regulations concerning the shipping of trade only within the British Empire, as they had many colonies, they felt that by doing this they were "denying other nations the opportunity to increase their share in the worlds trade" (BRITAIN YOU GREEDY MONGRELS). Britain also had the lovely idea that the colonies were privileged to be a part of an empire under a concept or mercantilism - I suppose they had their military protection, but at the same time Britain still managed to exploit the colonies in many ways. 

But I think the most interesting part of this, is that law and parliament for America was all the way across the Atlantic ocean, and it was often time consuming for things to travel back and forth (6 months approximately), and so we can see another reason why the anti-British feeling was brewing in America. Cowie finally states "The British ruling classes were incapable of regarding the distant colonists as equals. It was expected that the colonists would simply accept their 'fortunate' status and obey the laws set by the british parliament". Britain Britain Britain.... what will we ever do with you? 

Revolutionary ideas and leaders 

So i'm just going to put this section into dot points. 

• Land was cheap and available within the American colonies "and as a result a more open, independent society had developed". 
• Different form of economy to Britain -> They resented the restrictions Britain imposed as they wished to trade with the French and Dutch - "in this attitude lay the seeds of revolutionary action"
• American colonists believed that they were "entitled to the same rights and privileges as English citizens"
• Paul Revere "stimulated a spirit of protest through the propaganda effect of his cartoons and engravings"
• Many journalists in the early 1770's stressed that the colonies needed to break away from British control

So that was essentially an extended little piece of information or whatever have you as to why the American revolution was successful and how the ideas (and leaders who encouraged the ideas) impacted it. But I think the outside influence from Europe was the most interesting, and relates the most to what I will be discussing in class Thursday week. Cowie states "The spirit and style of the protesting individuals reflected the claims for individual liberty being made in European society in the same period" or hence the enlightenment. This revolution taking place in the American colonies was very much an example of how these ideas of the enlightenment could be taken and how they could work effectively in a society. Thomas Paine was a man who did not arrive in the American colonies until 1774, and in 1776 he published a pamphlet called common sense which encouraged the colonists to fight for full independence. Cowie states that his pamphlet "presented in popular form the natural rights that was later embodied in the Declaration of Independence... painted a rosy picture of a self-sufficient, independent republic that could assure the prosperity and liberty of its citizens... that their liberties could best be secured in a republic, rather than a hereditary monarch". And so, we have an 'outsider' exposed fully to the effects of the enlightenment, coming to the colonies and encouraging a fight for freedom. This obviously built up discontent for Britain and its monarchy and hence people turned to a republican system where they believed that they could have their liberties and freedoms. 

This revolution, the quest for independence, can in many ways be seen as the 'model' for Europe. As an 'experiment' if you will. This revolution proved to them that not only were these utopian ideas of liberalism, equality and democracy desirable, but that they were achievable. This is why the American revolution was so significant to the other revolutions that occur throughout history. Whilst it wasn't the direct overthrow of a monarchy, it strengthened the ideas of the enlightenment within europe and affirmed that they could succeed. 

I found it funny...
It relates to my argument

DONE! Well I feel very accomplished. Now it's only an evaluation of the final book sitting on my shelf called 'on revolution'. I shall sign off for now, and must admit that I enjoyed this post thoroughly, I usually always do. And now for my usual words in the language of the chosen revolution. 

~ LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION ~ 

YEEEHAAWWW! (sorry I had to)