The Revolutionary War was a lot more than what is visible on the ground. The war was fought to achieve intellectual freedoms as well as political and rational freedoms. It is true that without gossips rumormills pamphlets boycotts or other means of spreading rumors, the war would have been for political and economical freedoms. The Revolutionary War’s social aspect facilitated the rise of intellectual, political and in your face elements. The social element seems to have been the catalyst for the anger. According to some, the Revolution’s birthplace was colonial-era cities. In particular, taverns & coffeehouses.
To share thoughts and grievances, people must discuss the current top issues. People discovered that the British rule was not popular during these treatment periods. Another social exchange took place during and after The French and Indian War. The American colonists were deeply affected by this war.
The British forcedfully enlisted colonists into the war (also known by the term impressment) between 1756 and 1757. The British also seized farm equipment and machinery from local farmers and traders. Americans, who were used in a way to handle their affairs on their own and without too much interference by the British government, began to resist and resent them. All this led to an American realization that English intervention was unjustified and ineffective. For the first time, they were forced to come together by the war. The colonial squaddies considered themselves a part a human’s navy. It was no longer a hierarchical organisation.
This will shape American policy in the future. The Revolutionary War was a product of many intellectuals. These thoughts were most likely shared amongst people in one tavern. These thoughts were shared with each tavern. The individual idea was already a common idea by the time the sample returned to the first tavern.
John Locke’s thoughts are a good example. The British government imposed huge rules that were antagonistic to the colonists in the 1760s. The colonists used Lockean and biblical justifications to support their opposition. The Bible recommended that people must fight harder to remove unjust leaders. John Locke thought that humans had the power to manipulate electricity.
The notion that the main purpose of government has changed into protecting the natural rights its citizens. His notion of natural rights was life, freedom, and property. The rights are automatically granted to all humans by virtue of their birth. When the central authority fails to safeguard these rights, citizens have the right and duty to overthrow their government.
The residents have the right to revolutionize if they find that resistance is ineffective or if an authority becomes so tyrannical, unjust and oppressive that it cannot be changed. The patriots listened to and supported Locke’s ideas. The Mutiny Act of 1865, for example, shows that King George and Parliament did not defend the natural rights of colonists. This act required colonists pay for the upkeep and supply of military forces, while also allowing them to remain in their houses. In addition, British ships searched American waters for smugglers because of Mutiny Act. Colonial manufacturing was confined to avoid competition with Britain’s growing business.
This act restricted all rights to herbs. It became obvious that Britain was not acting in the best interests of the colonies. Locke’s principle dictated that drastic measures were needed. Many different motives drove the Revolution. One of the most important arguments was what kind of government we should have. It became believed that people are corrupted and egocentric. Governments were therefore needed to protect them from this evil.
The authorities were also run by corrupt people, so they too sought protection from abuses of power. The English Charter made it clear that no member of the political hierarchy (monarchs, aristocrats, or the general public) could have power without any checks. The English charter was under threat throughout the 1600s. The king was exercising corrupt authority and subverting powers to other government elements. The device grew to be a single center of power, and was subsequently threatened through tyranny. In 1770, the Boston Massacre was a specific act that shaped positive attitudes.
The incident occurred when a scuffle broke out between British infantrymen and a bunch of individuals at an supply-rigging factory. Several days later, dockworkers started throwing rocks and snowballs at the customs building nearby. Numerous British soldiers opened fire on the group during the subsequent scuffle. Five colonists were killed. The way resistance leaders handled this tragic event has quickly transformed it into a picture of British brutality and oppression. Many people have used their writing or creative skills to paint the event. The victims are now martyrs.
Samuel Adams was the most radical colonial leader in provoking outrage at the Boston Massacre. He said that England was a place of sin and corruption and only in America could extraordinary features be seen. He was a regular speaker at city council meetings, addressing such unpopular British measures as Townshend Duties (taxes on goods imported into Boston), the presence of British soldiers in the city, and other issues. The colonists responded to his messages with a sense of solidarity, which ultimately led them into war against Britain. The Revolutionary War had many political motivations.
In the first place, Britain was without doubt absent from colonial matters for many decades. Before the reign George III, colonial parliaments were usually the ones who held authority in a new state. In reality, the American assemblies claimed to have the power to tax their colonies, make appointments, approve appropriations and dismiss criminals. They had control over royal officers by controlling colonial finances. It is necessary to amend the disallowed tips of felony (by England’s Privy Council). The Privy Council in England had disallowed felony tips.
The British, however, discovered the colonial activities and tightened the leash. The British were resented by the nation, which in turn grew the sense of unity and concertation towards an enemy. The war’s political dimensions were spread through the public in the form of rumors and pamphlets. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet is one such example. Paine arrived in America years before he wrote his Common Sense pamphlet, which outlines his views on American independence. Paine argues that America has lost touch with England and therefore, independence will only come after a long time.
All arguments against separation are based primarily on common sense and simple statistics. He stated that government was a major evil and that it could be made safer by allowing for regular elections. Paine said that the government’s role in society must be the most efficient and simple. The British government took great advantage of their obligations.
It was under-represented. The English elite benefited from it, but colonists and dissidents were not included. Elections were rare, not frequent, when a monarchy and strong parliament were in power. Paine’s influence is quite evident, based on the 500,000 copies sold. The huge reaction of loyalists to Common Sense is another indication of his great social influence. The colonists also created a political indifference by causing a fuss about the English Charter.
The constitution was no longer written and so it became subject to change at the discretion of Parliament. Americans conceived of constitutions as colonial documents. They found it difficult to accept that the top ideas would change. Many protested at the thought of an English constitution that would prevent politicians from manipulating their freedoms. They were particularly concerned with the freedom of being taxed by their own consent. John Dickinson from Philadelphia circulated a popular pamphlet when the Townshend Duties began to be levied.
Letters of a Pennsylvania Farmer became the name of this book. The argument was that all tax types were designed to change the economy, not to raise income. Even this difference was unacceptable to colonists. So, the phrase No Taxation without Illustration became formulated. The colonists had to consent for any tax that Parliament wished to levy.
The economic motivations are a clear indication of this social notion. The Revolutionary War was fought largely on the basis of economics, but they wouldn’t have been as strong without social pressures. In the 1760s Britain passed a few acts. They imposed taxes for goods that colonists weren’t able to buy from other countries. The Sugar Act of 1764 is one of the acts that Britain passed in the 1760s.
The sugar industry was held responsible and vice-admiralty court trials were established in America for accused smugglers, which denied them the support of jurors. It was intended to eradicate the illegal sugar trading in France, Spain and most colonies. The Currency Act of 1764 was another act. The Currency Act was a law that required all colonies to cease generating and issuing any paper currency, as well as to retire the existing paper money. Stamp Act of 1765 is one of the most recent. The Stamp Act of 1865 was the first to impose a tax on most published documents: newspapers and licenses.
The British government achieved their goal: the officers collected more than ten times as much revenue as they did before in America. The colonists did, however suffer periodic economic slumps. Although the American economy appears to be doing fine, there was a growing sense of economic anxiety. Although, the recessions were frequent, and in 1760, there was also a severe depression. The number of unemployed/semi-employed people grew rapidly. All these troubles combined to create a sense that something went wrong.
The British were the ones who overstepped their boundaries in this social view. All the acts infuriated the colonists. They attributed the anger to taxation. They were willing to tolerate all the acts. However, Britain then imposed Townshend Duties. These duties were levied on a variety of items imported into the colonial territories from England: tea, lead, paint, and paper. The colonists saw their purpose as similar to that of other acts, which was to increase sales without the consent of the colonists. It was necessary to do something more than boycotting.
Massachusetts Assembly was the leader in opposition. The meeting sent a letter out to all colonial government advising them to protest against any tax levied by Parliament. Then, the secretary of United States of America, Lord Hillsborough sent a letter to all colonial governments, stating that they could dissolve any assembly endorsing Massachusetts letter. Massachusetts stood their ground, and other colonies rallied around them.
They would use this energy to repeal the Townshend Duties. The Tea Act of 1773 was the British law that was used to affect colonial financial machine growth. East India had the right under the Tea Act of 1773 to export immediately its merchandise to colonial colonies without paying any taxes. The employer could also be required to monopolize colonial trade in tea. Many colonists were angry about the act for many reasons. It was a great opportunity for colonial traders who feared being replaced or bankrupted if monopolies were used.
This act also invoked ancient sentiments about no taxation with out example. The act was met with a boycott of tea by many colonists. The social element of the situation is what makes this situation so interesting. Tea was boycotted as a result of all patriots. Daughters of Liberty – a informal organization of girls – took part in the social detail.
These women stood united and wrote poetry. This brought about a stronger sense of unity. Even before the Tea Act passed, colonists protested the Stamp and Sugar Acts by refusing to purchase English goods. Sons and Daughters of Liberty and other companies intimidated those who refused to take part in the colonial protest. Over time, the British government became frustrated with all the resistance. This frustration was finally released at some unknown time during the Boston Tea Party. One hundred fifty men boarded three East India Company ships and threw the tea chests into Boston Harbor.
Boston Tea Party was as significant as Revolutionary War. Although the Revolutionary War began as a struggle for intellectual and political freedoms within reach, its end result was the influence of social forces and circumstances. The poetry, pamphlets, as well as the legal records themselves, all show this. You can infer from human nature or historical records that the majority of conflicts were caused by social influences. Hitler was a good example. He told the world that Jews are evil.
This cycle of homicides began because people started believing him. There are some rumors and gossip that don’t have the same drastic outcome. Maybe we can learn something from our forefathers by studying their actions, conflicts, motives, and results.