American Revolution 1775–1783: Birth of a Free Liberal Society

Colonial America Under British Rule

The birth of America as the "New World" during the early 16th century, as a result of the Age of Discovery in Europe, brought about significant changes in human society, particularly in Western civilization. The discovery of America, prompted initially by explorers including Christopher Columbus, led Britain to extend its territorial and political powers through colonization. By colonizing America, the British asserted their power on the world stage, since their new colony was vast in territory and virtually unexplored in terms of the economic, political, and social potential of its early inhabitants, the Native American Indians.

Colonial America was comprised of thirteen British colonies, all of which were subject to the control of the British government. Initially, the early periods of colonial life in the Americas were productive, though sometimes halted by disease and the inability of British settlers to cope with the country's environmental conditions. Despite these difficulties, America thrived and eventually became a prosperous source of agricultural goods not only for Britain but for other countries as well.

However, the success of British colonies in spurring the social and economic growth of America led to the imposition of laws by the British government designed to exert full control over the economic resources and monetary gains that America produced. The imposition of these laws created a deepening conflict between the British government and its American colonies — a conflict that would have a significant effect on the emergence and eventual declaration of the American Revolution, wherein the British colonies fought for their independence from British rule.

Legislative Catalysts of Colonial Resistance

The catalysts that led to the declaration of the American Revolution were a series of legislative acts implemented by the British government, primarily economic in nature. Four acts in particular influenced the Americans' decision to protest their subjugation to British control: the Navigation Acts, the Stamp Act, the Quartering Act, and the Intolerable Acts.

The Navigation Acts sought to require that all imported goods destined for America be transported through and checked in England first, imposing customs taxes on foreign exporters. The Stamp Act, on the other hand, imposed an indirect tax on Americans by requiring the purchase of stamps affixed to all legal documents — including contracts, newspapers, and bonds — that reflected any kind of transaction.

The Quartering Act, imposed in 1765 as a result of increasing hostility between the British and the Americans, required colonial households to accommodate British redcoats. These soldiers were sent by the government to ensure that Americans were not conducting transactions illegally — that is, without paying the required taxes. In response to the unfair imposition of these regulations, Americans protested, leading to the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Britain reacted by imposing yet another set of laws — the Intolerable Acts — that further limited the freedom of Americans in conducting economic and political transactions, both domestically and internationally. This new set of laws imposed taxes, closed Boston's sea trade, and placed severe restrictions on the political, social, and economic freedoms of specific British colonies (Dolan, 1995: 18–27).

From Protest to Revolution

Due to the unfair and oppressive nature of these legislative measures, Americans chose to protest. When they were met with violence by the British militia, that resistance escalated into the declaration of the American Revolution. In this conflict, Americans sought to free themselves from British rule and to develop America as a new nation built upon a distinct American identity and society.

The success of the Americans in the Revolution produced a range of effects — some beneficial and some detrimental to the growth of America as a new nation and society. The most important legacy of the American Revolution was that it allowed the people to live in a free and liberal society, free from unreasonable legislation and the dictatorship of European colonial forces.

Conclusion

The positive and even negative developments in America as an independent nation and free, liberal society created in it an image of political empowerment, social freedom, and economic prosperity. Independence and freedom became the defining character that America — later the United States of America — left as a legacy to future generations of Americans.