Disruption and Continuity in Revolutionary America 1775-1783

Introduction :

 Great Britain, after winning the 7 years’ war (1756-1763), began to tax excessively their American colonies because the conflict had been very expensive. First, the Sugar Act of 1764, then the Stamp Act of 1765 and in 1767, the Townshend Acts. They were all very unpopular in America. The colonists criticized the lack of representation in Parliament. This resistance became violent when in March 1770, 5 colonists were killed in what is now called the Boston Massacre. In December 1773, the Boston Tea Party revolted Britain which as a response, passed the Coercive Acts of 1774.

 Between 1775 and 1783, Great Britain fought a war against the Patriots ( so the colonist in America who rejected British rule ). In April 1775, 700 British soldiers received the secret mission of raiding the stores in which the Patriots kept their arms. That led to the battles of Lexington and Concord, which officially started the war. Then the colonies declared their independence in 1776, however, the British king, George III, denied it. In 1778 and 1779, Americans were joined by French and Spanish soldiers who eventually helped them winning the war. The treaty of Paris of 1783 recognized the thirteen colonies as one independent nation.

 In this context, « disruption » refers to the economic, but also social and political changes that occurred in the thirteen colonies during the war of Independence. On the other hand, « continuity » has the exact opposite meaning, because it is about all the elements that remained the same even after the Revolution in America.

 How did the Revolution lead to the creation of a new American society, which brings together innovation and tradition ?

Body of the essay :

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◦ The thirteen colonies rebelled against Britain’s authority because of the heavy taxation that was enforced by Parliament after the 7 years’ war. More generally, they rebelled against the attempt of the crown to assert greater control over their affairs after years of salutary neglect.

◦ At first, in the colonies, people did not wish for a war against Britain. They wanted to remain in the British Empire. During the first Continental Congress which took place in 1774, after the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, the Patriots hoped for a peaceful reconciliation with Britain, concerning their aspiration for independence. However, the British decided to pass the Prohibitory Act of November 1775, thus declaring the colonies under naval blockade. After this, it became clear that war was bound to happen.

◦ All the American who enlisted in the revolutionary army were convinced patriots. Indeed, if before 1775, the colonists may have been divided because of religious, political or economic matters, they all agree during the Second Continental Congress that independence from Britain was the most appealing outcome. Nevertheless, the revolutionary army founded by the first continental Congress, grew bigger during the war because soldiers from France, Spain and the Netherlands joined the ranks. And those soldiers were not considered convinced Patriots. They fought for the interests of their own country first, and then, for the Americans’ ones. Black slaves also fought with the Patriots. They hoped for freedom but were probably not in their heart convinced Patriots.

◦ The men living in America were all encouraged to fight. The revolutionary army needed men to fight against the trained British soldiers in order to win the war. The Patriots were not professionals soldiers, so the more numerous they could be the better. Besides, Patriots were not the only American people who fought during the war. Many natives peoples fought alongside the British army to prevent the colonists from invading all their lands. The Cherokee and Chickasaw tribes are good examples of this tendency. Of course, they were encouraged to fight by the British.

◦ The people who dominated the Continental Congress were white men who owned lands in the colonies, or were successful merchants and who wanted independence. There were Patriots. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington attended Continental Congresses. They were representative of the majority of the colonists because 80% of them were Patriots and white, but they did not all own land, so only the wealthiest of the colonists had representation in Congress.

◦ During the war, Loyalists were frowned on in the colonies. After July 4, 1776, the Patriots were predominant. Therefore, all the remaining people loyal to the Crown had the choice to, either keep quiet, or flee. The major part of the Loyalists went north, in the British colonies in Canada. Among them, were Black Loyalists. They were former slaves who gained their freedom by fighting for the British. Other Loyalists directly joined the British Army to fight against the Patriots. Some of their landholdings in the colonies were destroyed because of the war. The plantations were regularly attacked by Patriot and the lands that had not been destroyed were given to Patriots who had distinguished themselves during the war.

 ◦ Obviously, all Americans did not want the same thing from the war. The opposition between the Loyalists and the Patriots was easily definable. One side wanted to remain British colonies and the other wanted full autonomy, thus independence. The Natives, they wanted Britain to stop the colonization of America, that is why they fought this war.

◦ The war surely ushered in a more democratic regime. Before the war, one governor ruled the colonies, and he could be revoked by the British king. The governor could choose the members of its council and concentrated most of the powers. He was a representant of the King in the colony. The colonists did not have a say in the making of decisions.

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