How the American Revolution Started: (1775-1783) “The shot heard around the world”, Tea Act, Stamp Act, and more

Note: Information will be repeated to help clarify.

An Introduction

The Two Main Combatants

Great Britain (also known as the British)

-started the American Revolution with the French and Indian War. (This happened because the British wanted more money. They already had control over most of the colonies beforehand but did not focus on the states because of the battle. Since they had control of France after the French and Indian War, (which could make things more expensive,) they needed more money. Great Britain decided to target the colonies and enforced taxes on them, which would have helped them gain the money they needed.)

The 13 Colonies (also known as America/American)

-the original United States

-consisted of 13 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia

-controlled by Great Britain

Other countries involved:

France (also known as the French)

-joined the American Revolution in 1778

-secretly allied with the 13 colonies (This basically means that France was secretly helping America with battle.)

-joined the war to re-battle Great Britain (Great Britain defeated them in the French and Indian War, so the French wanted payback and wanted to weaken the British.)

-got its land taken away by the British (Because of the French and Indian War.)

The Act of the British Parliament that lead to the American Revolution

A decade before the American Revolution, the British and the colonies were already in a tensive state. The French and Indian War, (also called the Seven Years War), lasted from 1756 to 1763. The British defeated France and gained almost all of France. However, this would mean that there was more land and more expenses. Great Britain decided to take advantage of the colonies and enforced taxes, meaning that for everything they bought or did, they had to pay extra money, along with the item. The extra money would go to the British government, aiding them with revenue.

Some examples of taxations were the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, and the Tea Act.

The Stamp Act

The stamp act was the enforcement of taxes on printed materials. This includes paper, newspapers, magazines, and playing cards. The colonies were supposed to only buy these materials from Britain, and Britain only. To check if they had done so, Great Britain stuck a stamp on the paper, showing that they had payed their taxes.

Fun Fact: Britain only allowed the colonies to pay taxes money with British money and would not take the common colonial money.

The Townshend Act

The Townshend Acts was the enforcement of taxes on imported paper, lead, glass, and tea. The government also extended their foolishness and established the American Customs Board in Boston. This committee collected the taxes from the colonies. The British also set up new courts to prosecute those who had smuggled goods from other parts of the world. Last but not least, they also had consent to search colonist houses and buildings.

Fun Fact: Its name came from the man, Charles Townshend. He is known to be one of the causes of the American Revolution.

The Tea Act

The Tea Act was the enforcement of imported tea. In 1773, the British Parliament was able to ship tea to the colonies directly, without stopping at England or seeing commission agents along the way. This meant that England could not sell the British team leaving Britain with the source of income.

Fun Fact: The British East India Company was where the source of tea was coming from.

The Britain Parliament grew enraged and started to prosecute those who protested. This caused more havoc and small, but bloody battles. In 1770, the colonists went to the Customs House in Boston and teased British soldiers, who fired back and killed five men with the names of Crispus Attucks, Patrick Carr, Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick and James Caldwell. Crispus Attucks is reportedly the first casualty, although it is not certain. This is even known as the Boston Massacre and is one of the main causes of the American Revolution.

The colonies were angered by each act. They believed that the British Parliament was wrong to tax them and that only their deliberative assembly should have the right to. (A deliberative assembly is a group of people who use the rules and ethics of organizations to make laws.) colonials acted harshly toward Great Britain and protested. They refused to pay the tax, threatened to quit their jobs, and boycotted. For the tea act, colonials dressed up as Mohawk Indians and dropped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This act is called the Boston Tea Party,

Firing back, Great Britain designed the Intolerable Act (also called the Coercive Acts), which were a set of laws that would assert imperial authority in Massachusetts. (This means that the British wanted to control more land, which in this case, is the colonies.)

Quickly, a group of delegates from each of the 13 colonies gathered in Massachusetts on September 1774. Some people who attended this event were: George Washington, who represented Virginia, John and Samuel Adams, who represented Massachusetts, Patrick, who represented Virginia, and John Jay represented New York. During the encompassment, the leaders decided to state their hatred of the British crown. They declared that taxation without representation and the unfairness of the British army, which they would get to investigate the colonies without their consent to be denounced. (Taxation without representation means that you are required to pay taxes without giving any say in the government’s policies.) –https://www.investopedia.com. This meeting was called the First Continental Congress. “It issued a declaration of the rights due to every citizen, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury.,” history.com states. Hurridly hoping to meet again, the Continental Congress settled to meet again on May 1775, but the time had run out.

On April 18, 1775, British troops traveled to Boston, then to Concord, Massachusetts, to capture a hidden stash of weapons.(also called arms cache.) Others found out what the British were going to do, and warned the others. A messenger with the name of Paul Revere is famous for messaging the towns with other militiamen. After they had finished their duties, they set off to fight the Redcoats. (This is what they called the British since they all wore red suits during battle.) The next day, the militiamen met with the British and fought. This battle was called the Battles of Lexington and Concord. 49 colonists were killed and 39 were wounded. The British had 73 men killed and 174 wounded, signifying a victory for America. But, it certainly wasn’t the last. The American Revolution had just begun.

This is article will be repeated in the full article, which will hopefully finished in a week.