Road to Revolution
This 1851 painting by Peter F. Rothermel depicts Patrick Henry giving his famous "If this be treason, make the most of it!" speech (Library of Congress).
Almost from their founding, the English colonies in America were moving toward independence. The government in England was never able to govern the colonies closely enough to monitor their day-to-day activities. Over time, the colonists developed economic and political independence much like children become more independent from their parents as they grow older. Children may even become rebellious as teenagers and desire independence as they become adults.
Colonial Unity
"Join, or Die," the famous cartoon logo usually associated with the American Revolution, was printed in Ben Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754 to promote his Albany Plan for the colonies to unite.
Between the end of the French and Indian War in 1763 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, a series of events led by many colonists occurred to propel many colonists to favor fighting for their rights as Englishmen and later for their independence during the American Revolution. Read American Revolutionary War Facts: Events Leading to the American Revolution to learn more about the causes of the Revolution.
Taxation without Representation
A tax collector is "tarred and feathered" by members of the Sons of Liberty.
Following the French and Indian War, England felt it was only fair that the colonists do their part in paying for the costs of providing protection. England also began to impose strict rules and new taxes on the colonies in an attempt to raise revenue. The colonists had lived for many years without strict English supervision. They refused to submit to the new, oppressive rules and regulations, and what they considered "taxation without representation". Read "No Taxation Without Representation" to learn more.
Tensions Rise
This engraving by Paul Revere depicts the Boston Massacre.
The British viewed the tighter regulations and rules as a vital way to maintain order, whereas the colonies saw them as a denial of liberty. These tensions further escalated in 1770 with a series of events that eventually led to war. The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party caused hostility to grow between the American colonies and Great Britain. Britain tried to maintain control by passing the Coercive Acts, which ignited the colonists' passion to protect their rights and ended with trade boycotts of British goods. King George III ordered troops to squash the rebellious American insurgence.
Patriots of the American Revolution
ROLLOVER IMAGES
First Continental Congress
John 1774 Address to the King signed by 51 delegates to the First Continental Congress.
The colonies decided to hold a meeting to discuss how to react to the Coercive Acts. On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia to plan a united response to the actions of King George III and Parliament. It was at this meeting at Carpenter's Hall that 56 delegates from all thirteen colonies except Georgia gathered for the first time on a national level to sow the seeds of independence.
First Continental Congress
Although the colonies were not declaring independence at this meeting, the decisions made there ultimately forced the colonies in that direction. The First Continental Congress adopted several measures including:
- Renewed boycott and call to the people of all English colonies to arm themselves and form militias
- Direct letter to King George III appealing for protection and a peaceful solution as British citizens
- Agreement to meet again in the Spring 1775 if no resolution
The meeting ended on October 26, 1774 and the delegates vowed to meet again in May 1775.
Read "First Continental Congress" to learn more about the meeting.
Outbreak of the Revolution
Between the First Continental Congress and the planned second meeting of the Continental Congress, the struggle for power and victory between the American colonists and Great Britain escalated. On November 18, King George III responded to the colonists' plea for help by writing, "The New England colonies are in a state of rebellion, blows must decide." Those first blows occurred at the Battles of Lexington and Concord with the "shots heard around the world" in April 1775. Though there was now a struggle on the battlefield, there was a deeper struggle taking place among Americans concerning the role of government in the lives of citizens.
Second Continental Congress
Less than a month after Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress met in May 1775. This second meeting would now have to focus on dealing with the military crisis against the British. The Second Continental Congress was responsible for several decisions, including:
- Forming and funding the continental army to fight against the British
- Commissioning George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the army
- Appealing to King George III by sending the Olive Branch Petition to declare loyalty to the Crown and attempt a peaceful resolution
King George III refused to look at the Olive Branch Petition and affirmed that the colonies were in an open state of rebellion.
Read "Second Continental Congress" to learn more about the meeting.
Soon the colonists would no longer be fighting simply for representation in a British Parliament or for the King to listen to their grievances, but for freedom and the right to start a new country governed by free men.
The Second Continental Congress served as a temporary government during the early years of the war while a formal system under the Articles of Confederation was being adopted after independence was declared.
Writing the Declaration of Independence
Military conflicts between the American colonists and British forces amplified the independent fervor amongst many colonists. In June 1776, after fighting for over a year, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence to state the reasons for separation and independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson was chosen as the main author on a committee that included: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Benjamin Franklin.
Parts of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was divided and written in four sections:
- The introduction, or preamble, explained the purpose of the Declaration.
- A declaration of rights explained the political ideas, like Locke's natural rights, on which the document was based. Jefferson included, "inalienable rights" and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
- A list of complaints against the British king.
- A "Resolution of Independence" was the final section in which Jefferson stated, "these United Colonies are… and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States."
Signing the Declaration of Independence
At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Ben Franklin said, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately/' Franklin was pointing out the importance of the decision and consequences of declaring independence. Declaring Independence could not be taken lightly. The act was considered treason and rebellion with the penalty of death for those who participated in the act.
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence.
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, which formally declared the colonies independent from British authority. It was a crucial step in the Revolutionary War and in the founding principles on which the new nation's government and society would rest.
Review
Test your knowledge about the events leading to the American Revolution on The Road to Revolution.
