American revolution causes and consequences

American Revolution: Consolidation or Independence

The American colonies were administered and used by Great Britain, primarily for taxes and importation of goods for the use of the British. During the period of time when citizens in the colonies were getting restless and seeking some remedies primarily for the poorer classes,

Britain was involved in Queen Anne's War in the early 1700's and King George's War in the

Some colonial merchants were able to make fortunes during the Wars but for most of the colonial citizens, the people faced higher taxes, unemployment and poverty Howard Zinn 52.

Britain also forced sailors to serve in these wars and this impressment of colonial citizens led to a riot in Boston in 1747 Zinn 52.

The American Revolution according to Zinn, was a case of important people in the colonies finding that by creating a nation they could take over land, profits and political power from favorites of the British Empire 59. By viewing the previous rebellions and riots as being aimed at overthrowing the colonial governments which caused stable and effective local and political elites those with thoughts of revolution found a dissatisfaction that could be redirected. This group of local and political elites realized that by utilizing these rebellions against Britain and her local officials this would be a tactical response without it being a conscious conspiracy 59.

With Britain's defeat of France and expelling the French from North America, the colonies had only two groups as rivals -- the British and the Indians 59. Britain tightened its hold on the colonies and sought to pay for its wars by taxation in the colonies and significant trade with the colonies 60. The British needed the colonies more than ever but the colonies did not need Britain any longer. Due to these issues, the local colonial leaders decided to foment class anger-particularly in Boston. By addressing and stirring those angry citizens to direct their mob actions against the elite who represented Britain, the colonies would be seen directing its anger properly against the British as outsiders 61.

In Philadelphia, the lower middle classes expanded to a point that leaders of the Revolution recognized that the desires of these groups of open meetings, popular participation in policy making and election of ordinary people to government positions were significant and necessary. The key for the wealthier leaders of the Revolution was to maintain some control over the unemployed, property less peoples so that they did not turn their anger toward the richer revolutionaries 65.

The infamous Boston Massacre was the result of a number of accumulating problems. Impressment and quartering of 2,000 British troops in Boston led to British soldiers taking jobs from working people when such jobs were already scarce. Grievances against British soldiers for taking rope makers jobs led to a crowd provoking the British soldiers. The soldiers, who fired first, ended the massacre by killing several more . The soldiers were then put on trial where 6 were acquitted and 2 were branded on their thumbs and discharged 67. The colonial citizens were extremely displeased with the outcome of the Boston Massacre and Britain soon removed the soldiers from Boston in an effort to ease the situation 67. It seems that the anger of citizens could indeed have an impact and this factor would the revolutionaries to act as one..

By December 1773, the Boston Tea Party was controlled by the Boston Committee of Correspondence which was formed a year earlier to organize anti-British actions. The success of the Tea Party resulted in Britain's Parliament passing the Coercive Acts, nearly establishing martial law in Massachusetts, getting rid of t he colonial government and closing the Boston port and sending in troops 67. Despite these attempts at quelling the colonists, the town meetings and mass meetings continued to develop in opposition.

It soon became even more clear that the colonies needed to include the poorer classes to join the Revolution if all planned to defeat the British oppression 68. Each colony was basically forced into getting these other groups to become one cohesive group with the American Revolutionaries. Patriotic sentiment was one useful method to effect this goal. Indeed, Patrick Henry with his verbal repertoire and Tom Paine with his skillful pamphleteering with Common Sense both used their skills to appeal to the masses, rich or poor 68. Eventually the development of the Continental Congress, an illegal act according to Great Britain, ordered that a committee prepare the Declaration of Independence which was written by Thomas Jefferson 71. After debate regarding certain statements in the declaration such as all men created equal which did not include women or blacks, the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on July 4, 1776. The declaration made all British law void and separated the colonies from Great Britain 71.