American War for Independence Wars Are Fought

American War for Independence

Wars are fought for many reasons, but freedom from oppression is by far the noblest. The Colonial States of America were British ruled until the year 1776, when the Declaration of Independence called for a complete withdrawal of the King's forces from the American colonies. (Decl. Of Indep. Entire.) The American War for Independence was a revolutionary war by every definition of the word; the ruling British Empire was cast off permanently, the separation and equality of the various states was guaranteed, and sufficient support for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights completed the newly created United States of America.

The drafting of the Declaration of Independence created a precedent for freedom that the United States had been waiting for decades, and it addressed directly the oppressions beset upon the American colonies by King George III. The Articles of Confederation were a result of the need for a unified front against encroaching European powers, as no one former colony could protect itself without the help from its neighbors, and at the same time equality for each state's rights was guaranteed. (Art. Of Conf. 3.) Finally, the Constitution created the powers that a truly powerful state required, including a central government and legislature. (U.S. Const. Preamble.) The Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments to the Constitution, assured states that the federal government would not be able to restrict certain freedoms issued to citizens, including the freedom of speech, religion, and expression. (U.S. Const. Amend. I-X) Each document contributed to the revolutionary quality began by the success of the American colonies during the American War for Independence.

The French revolution is now considered to be the most truly revolutionary war, as it transformed an ancient and powerful nation from within, in a sudden and violent upheaval of disgruntled citizens. The overthrow of King Louis XVI in 1792 and the subsequent Terror changed French society permanently. (The Victorian Web, 2010) The French revolution ended poorly, with only bloodshed to show for it, and the rise of a new Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, to restore French glory. The Haitian slave rebellion was another type of revolutionary war in 1791, with the Haitian blacks led by General Toussaint L'Ouverture who overcame slavery and the threat of imprisonment in order to reject the control of European slavers and merchants in Haiti. (Knight, 2010) The French Revolution was about liberty in France, whereas the Haitian revolution was about freedom of Blacks in Haiti.