American Revolution: violence, guns, leaders, Britain, Patriots, Loyalists, and overall, just violence. This is called the sword. However, it was also about nonviolent acts, the pen of war. The American Revolution included many different events, many of which were non-violent. It was a fight between the British and the Americans between 1776 and 1783 and took place all through the 13 colonies. Pen events are events that don’t include violence but in this case, it also had a huge impact on future acts. The pen had a greater impact on the outcome of the American Revolution because of the Declaration of Independence, the Stamp Act Congress, and the Northwest Ordinance which had an impact on many people without the use of violence.
The Declaration
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In one of the readings, after the Stamp Act took place, the patriots reacted and so it states, “The colonists wanted to reply to the Stamp Act. Many citizens from different colonies gathered to form a group.” This reveals that the colonies all came together to fight against how the British taxed them on paper goods. Instead of coming together to form an army with weapons and plans on how to attack, they came together to discuss how the British were treating them and to decide on how to respond without causing any more violence. Secondly, in the same text, when the representatives all came together to act, it says, “In October 1765, representatives from 9 of the 13 colonies met at a special Stamp Act Congress. The Stamp Act Congress published a document known as the Declaration of Rights and Grievances.” This highlights that they came together to write a document that expressed all of their emotions against the Stamp Act. They all worked together to fight against the poor government that they wanted to abolish and arranged to do so themselves. The Declaration of Rights and Grievances was a document that stated that the American colonists were equal to all the other British citizens and that without their representation in the parliament, the parliament could not tax them. In conclusion, the Stamp Act Congress had an impact on the outcome of the American Revolution …show more content…
For instance, in one of the texts, when the narrator described all of the different aspects of the Northwest Ordinance, it states, “This process for a territory to become a state was based on democratic principles, including outlawing slavery, establishing public education, respecting Native Americans, and implementing a bill of rights.” This highlights that all of the rules involved in expanding their territory were about becoming a modern civilized society and being kinder to everyone. They were working on giving everyone the same rights through land expansion. Establishing public education was crucial to having an advanced society and it let everyone get the education some got but others didn’t. It was also a step up and was created through non-violent actions, proving that even the most incredible accomplishments are performed without the use of violence. Secondly, in the same text, when the narrator mentioned that Native Americans were involved in this, it stated, “The Northwest Ordinance guaranteed citizens of new states the same civil rights as people in other states, while also stating that Native American ‘lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent.’ ” This illustrates that the Native Americans were being treated properly throughout this whole process. Being treated fairly brought the Americans into the spotlight since Great
One of Washington’s goals was to have Native Americans “gradually, over the course of the very next century, become assimilated as full-fledged American citizens,”(Ellis 54). However, Native Americans were not granted citizenship until 1924, long after both the McGillivray Moment and Chief Joseph’s Surrender. Although the Creek nation chiefs in the McGillivray Moment were seen as a sign of hope, and treated with respect, “celebrated, feted, honored, and ‘speechified’ by local officials eager to acknowledge their passing presence,”(Ellis 52), they were still seen as the lesser race--Native Americans. White settlers refused to recognize them as citizens of the United States, regardless of the fact that they were here first. The Nez Perce Indians in Chief Joseph’s Surrender were, of course, treated with less respect, but were still not seen as fellow citizens.
This would later result in “No taxation without representation” where citizens cried out for justice. The Stamp Act Congress was formed, which would show a step towards unity in the colonies. Citizens began to boycott and the British parliament would finally give in. They repealed the Stamp Act but would pass the Declaratory Act proclaiming that the Parliament had the right to bind the
Parliament’s unpopular passage of the Sugar Act and Quartering Act came with little backlash from the colonists when in comparison to the Stamp Act (Schultz, 2011, p. 69). The colonist’s profound response was (1) because the Stamp Act placed a tax on goods used by those of higher education like merchants and lawyers rather than just layman; (2) because the tax was also passed in March and did not go into effect until November of 1765, which gave colonists an ample amount of time to organize against it; and (3) because the imposed tax was to pay the salaries of colonial officials rather than to regulate trade, which was a clear undermining of the colonial self-rule and an indication that Parliament was attempting to limit colonists’ liberties (Schultz, 2011, p. 69). Themed as “no taxation without representation,” colonists convened the Stamp Act Congress in October 1765 in which they vocalized their opposition to the tax. Most colonists called for a boycott of British goods, and some organized attacks on customhouses and homes of tax collectors (History.com Staff, 2009).
The colonists were angry that they were being taxed with representation in Parliament. Document 6 illustrates the protests that took place as a result of the imposing of the Stamp Act. In Document 3 George Washington expresses his opinion on Great Britain taxing the colonists. He
The Stamp Act, Catalyst to the American Revolutionary War In pre-revolutionary history certain significant events such as the Sugar Act, the Currency Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party and led to the drafting of the declaration of independence. However, the most significant event that led to the drafting of the declaration of independence was the stamp act. The stamp act was the most significant event because it helped the colonists successfully united against England and because the stamp act congress was created and would serve as a model for the continental congress and many members of the stamp act congress would become key figures in the battle for independence. Before the passing of the Stamp Act Ben Franklin had tried
The Stamp Act of 1765 is widely known as one of multiple events that built up to the American Revolutionary War. One of the misconceptions of this act is the purpose behind it. This act was not enacted just because, but rather to help pay for British troops stationed in the colonies during the Seven Years' War also known as the French and Indian War. Colonists were required to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and playing cards. The issues with this act did not rise because the colonist didn't want to be taxed, instead the source of anger was caused by not having representatives in Parliament.
With regards to the revolution, this can be translated into the colonies’ aggressive retaliation or response in the form of the Boston Tea Party and the First Continental Congress on September 5, 1774. (1764 and 1765). Similarly, the Progressive school of thought supports the notion that the American Revolution was incited by the economic motivations of the British and the merchants of the colonies to each maintain or enhance their highly profitable status. With such debate as a motivating factor of the investigation, I will investigate if the Boston Tea Party can be considered the primary cause in the American Revolution. At the same time, I shall attempt to delve in to the backgrounds of the socio-economic factors that have also played a role such as the Stamp Act and political factors such as the passage of intolerable acts.
In 1765, the disapproval of the Stamp Act caused the colonies to unite and stand up for what they believed in. John Adams describes his amaze in how all the colonists are filled with the spirit of liberty. Today, the spirit of liberty still remains because without it we wouldn’t fight for our rights and be where we are today. Liberty is having the right and freedom to do what we want, be who we want, and have what we want as long as it doesn’t harm the liberties of others. Although sometimes we take our freedom for granted we do realize how lucky we are to have the ability to be ourselves.
The article is a fervent attack against Britain and the Stamp Act, outlining all the spirited protests throughout the colonies, and offering a list of resolutions to the British government. The article is impassioned and clearly aimed at mustering more support from the colonists. Comparing the letter to the article is interesting, as it shows the monetary motivation behind the decision to publish the paper without stamps; though the decision was publically painted in the newspaper as a patriotic protest. This act alone would have been just as influential as the actual printed words in the article. The article outlines the declarations of King George III in the Stamp Act, details the resulting protests throughout the colonies, including a riot in Boston, and concludes with its own set of declarations on behalf of the colonists, essentially stating that they will not buy any goods from England until the Stamp Act be
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act on March 1765 to tax the colonies in order to raise money to pay off military debts. This act required the colonists to buy a stamp from England whenever they bought paper items such as newspapers, legal documents, licenses, and more. However, the colonists immediately protested because they did not see it as a way to raise money. The colonists were angry because everyday items were being taxed, and this led to many riots in numerous cities. As a result of colonial defiance in not buying the stamps required for paper items, multiple colonial courts were shut down.
The Stamp act crisis is considered by many to be the catalyst for the series of events that led to the American Revolution. It affected everyone in the colonies, from the very rich to the very poor. It made anything from marriages to wills more difficult and expensive to obtain, and it created controversy about who should have the right to enact taxes on the American colonies. There were of course some who supported the tax, but their argument was based on the fact that most of the people under the English government didn’t have the right to vote, not based on whether that was just. Those that opposed the tax argued that the colonies aren’t actually virtually represented, because no members of parliament came from the colonies.
Indigenous people were lied to constantly, given false promises, and false hope. Document 3 emphasizes this, Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce, mentioning how “Good words do not last long,” and ,”Nothing is done.” The perspective of this document is significant considering how a chief of an Indigenous tribe speaks up about the injustice done to his people and dozens of other tribes as well. Native Americans were taken advantage of during westward expansion, their land forcefully taken from them and are treated inhumanely. Westward expansion caused for unjust treatment towards Indigenous people, they were given false hope of a country that would be better, however, their homes and people were taken away.
The American Revolution, a war fought between the American Colonies and England was a war of independence and was stemmed from acts of rebellion, eventually leading to violence. While American victory was the birth of our country and freedom, this revolution was hardly revolutionary at all. For many white men, it was a new beginning with many open doors ahead. But those doors would remain shut for women and their rights, Native Americans and African Americans in this new independent country.
A revolution is a large-scale rebellion with the intent to change or get rid of the current political system. The American Revolution was a fight to be free from British rule. People were tired of being controlled. The colonists of America wanted to create their own government where they could get what they left Europe for. While some may argue that the American Revolution did not change life for minorities, the American Revolution changed the political, economic, and social atmosphere and set the stage for future change.
The American Revolution (1700-1790) was a historical event in time, where the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States of America, gained independence from the British Empire. Many historians would agree that the Revolution was caused by events and the growing differences between the colonists and England. The cause of the American Revolution could be summarized in the saying ‘liberty vs. tyranny’. The American Revolution was a struggle by liberty-loving Americans to free themselves from a dictatorial British rule. In this period, the Colonies protested against the British Empire and entered into the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence.