The American Revolution: febrero 2011

Loyalists and Patriots

viernes, 25 de febrero de 2011

We know that Patriots fought against Great Britain but we almost don´t hear about the Loyalists. The Loyalists were people who had close relatives in England, depended financially from the crown or they thought the King was justified in their actions.Most of them were wealthy and honorable. Neutralists were those who either didn't want to fight, lived too far away to fight, or believed in both Loyalist and Patriot principles. German hired soldiers called Hessians were paid by the British government or Parliament to go and fight on the British side. The Patriots wanted to boycott the British because they had to high taxes without any representation in the Parliament.The British controlled the colonists and told what countries they can trade or not.All these anger the colonists who wanted revenge.

The Second Continental Congress

jueves, 24 de febrero de 2011

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Throughout New England, minute men were confining the Redcoats while the Provincional Congress controled the colonists actions. Some loyalist fled out of Boston because of the current situation. Would the other colonies help them and fight against the British troops?

The answer for this question came in May 1775, when delegates of the thirteen colonies assembled in Philadelphia for the second Continental Congress. They decided to get the responsibility for the war. Armed volunteers from the Middle and Southern Colonies marched north to join the patriots that seized British troops in Boston. All these militia was called New Continental Army. The Continental Congress gave this army to George Washington so that he could lead it. Some radical members of the Continental Congress wanted to declare independence from Britain. Some thought they were not ready yet to make such step. Most of the colonists wanted to be part of Britain all they ask for was to have representation in the Parliament. In July 1775, after three months of violent wars the Continental Congress sent an “Olive Branch Petition” to the King, which he obviously rejected and instead of making peace he sent even more armed British troops.

Lexington and Concord

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War errupted at Lexington and Concord in April 19,1775. These were two country towns west of Boston. Gage provoke the war by sendig British troops to arrest Hancock and Adams and order to seized the weapons and amunitions the patriots were hiding. British troops had occupied Boston and were marching on Concord as they passed through Lexington. When the British troops were on their way Paul Revere and other man heard their plans and decided to warn the local patriots. By the morning about 70 militia men were gather at Lexington Green. As the the "Redcoats"marched down town they order the patriots to go home. As they did so, some one shot his gun. Both sides opened fire, and the Americans were forced to withdraw. When the shooting stopped 8 patriots laid dead. But they had slowed the British advance. No one is still sure who fired first, but it was the "Shot Heard 'Round the World."

By the time the Redcoats got to Concord, the minutemen were waiting them to attack. The weapons depot was saved, and the British were forced to retreatand go back to Boston. The skirmishes were preceded by Paul Revere's famous ride, warning the countryside: "The British are Coming!"

Intolerable Acts

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The Intolerable Acts were punishments imposed by the King George III. The Boston Tea Party anger the Parliament and later they passed the Coercive Acts.The Intolerable Acts consisted of:

-Boston Port Act: this act closed the port to trade with Britain and other important countries in the world.The harbor was closed and stores too. The consequences were huge and people were loosing their goods. Britain was boycotting the colonies in revenge of the event that happened in Dec.16,1773.
-The Quartering Act: In 1775, a bill was passed called the Quartering Act. the colonists had to give shelter and food for the British troops. If they disobey ,they would be shot.
-The Administration of Justice Act: British Officials could not be tried in colonial courts for crimes. They would be taken back to Britain and have a trial there. That left the British free to do whatever they wanted in the colonies and to the Colonists.
-Stamp Act:The Sugar Act was repealed in 1766 and replaced with the Revenue Act of 1766 which reduced taxes to one penny per gallon on sugar.This occurred around the same time that the Stamp Act of 1765 was repealed.

The Boston Tea Party

jueves, 10 de febrero de 2011

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King George and his advisor Lord Townshend needed to raise money to put into the dangerously low British coffers. After much discussion the king and Townshend with what they thought a brilliant idea. In the minds of the British, it was obvious that the colonists owed England for protection of soldiers, selling them supplies, and buying them the products produced in America. The colonies were the perfect place to go for needed cash. Taxing the some goods the colonist needed would be the perfect way to raise the money. The British decide to tax glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea that were shipped to the colonies.

The colonists were dissatisfied with the new taxes levied on them. That was taxation without representation in their minds. The colonial leaders called for a boycott to all the British goods. With this way they could send the crown a message telling them to drop the taxes. Their plan worked well at a point that all the taxes were repealed except the one in tea. They wanted all the taxes to be repealed, so they planning to make a very public way to convinced England.

In 1773, The Davison Newman Company of London sent a ship loaded with tea to Boston Harbor. A group of colonists disguised themselves as Indians and entered the ship. They broke the trunks holding the tea using tomahawks. After breaking 342 trunks, they threw the tea into Boston Harbor. The king and Parliament were angry. This act of disobedience made them do what they called the Coercive Acts. The stage had been set the colonists were not giving up their freedom and the British were not accepting insolence.

The Boston Massacre

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In early to mid 1700’s British law was the only law in the colonies. To make sure the rules were followed, the king sent British 4,000 soldier troops to be stationed in the larger colonial cities. The king said the soldiers were to protect them, but most colonists thought they were there to keep them obey the rules. In 1765, Parliament passed the Quarter that made the colonist to give housing to the soldiers. The colonists were not particularly happy with this new law, neither the soldiers because of their assignments in the new world. The soldier’s pays were poor so they decided to get other jobs apart from the one they already had. This caused problems for the colonist to find their own job. The jobs the colonist got were usually very unpleasant, like cleaning stables or burying garbage.

One night of March 5, 1770, colonists began complaining about the soldiers and they felt angry for the jobs that were taken by them. An angry mob of colonists threw snowballs and rocks to a group of soldiers standing in a public house in Boston. Although the soldiers couldn’t shot to any colonist they felt so threatened that they fired the loud mob. When peace was restored five colonists lay dead on the snow. These soldiers were arrested and charged with murder by colonial officers.

The Boston colonists were horrified with such massacre had taken place in their city. They wanted justice for what had happened in Boston. John Adams thought the colonists were not going to treat fairly in the trial. He offered himself as the attorney of the charged soldiers. He made all the soldiers except for two to dismiss all their charges. These two soldiers were branded on their thumbs so that everybody knew they had committed a crime.

Patriots Leaders Emerge

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Colonists violently attack the Stamp Act. Those who opposed the British taxes were called Patriots.In the streets, people were showing interest in politics to form an association called ¨Sons of Liberty.¨This association were included cobblers,artesans,merchants,etc.Their most effective work was performed in newsprint. Many of the Sons were printers and publishers themselves.The groups also applied pressure to any merchant who wanted to import British goods.

In August 1765, a mob lead by the ¨Sons of Liberty´´destroyed the house and office of a tax collector.No one supported the Stamp Act. At the end of the year there were no more stamp collectors. One famous leader was Samuel Adams.Samuel Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 27, 1722.. He was a leader of the fight against British colonial rule, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Adams was a cousin of John Adams who became the second President of the United States.

Taxation Without Representation

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Taxation without representation is a situation in which the government levy (an imposing of collecting taxes by an authority) without an agreement with the people.On March 1765,Parliament passed a bill intended to raise money from the colonists called the Stamp Act.The Stamp Act required taxes on newspapers,books,court documents,contracts and land deeds.This was the first bill imposed by the colonists.These happened with England and the thirteen colonies.

The colonists wanted an actual representation meaning a representative voting on the Parliament.The colonists arguments really puzzled the British.They claimed the colonists as selfish.Parliament thought they can levy taxes anywhere in the empire.The King of England got mad and sent some soldiers over to America.One of the soldiers accidentally shot a colonist and this caused the Boston Massacre.