American Revolution vs. American War for Independence
Two separate events.
Revolution: change in political thought and governance structure.
War: military conflict for independence.
Background and Causes
End of the Seven Years War (Treaty of Paris, 1763)
Colonists restricted in land acquisition.
War debt led to increased British taxes.
British Taxes and Colonial Response
Taxes on colonial trade to support British economy and war debt.
Colonists opposed taxes without representation.
Key Acts and Colonial Reaction
Sugar Act of 1764
Reduced tax on molasses but enforced anti-smuggling laws.
British courts took over smuggling trials.
Stamp Act of 1765
Required stamps on printed materials to raise revenue.
Affected paper users like printers and lawyers.
Led to Stamp Act Congress and boycotts.
Repealed but followed by Declaratory Act.
Townshend Acts of 1767
New taxes and a customs board to curb smuggling.
Boycotts led by Daughters of Liberty promoting homespun clothes.
Boston Massacre (1770)
Conflict resulting in five colonist deaths.
Legal defense by John Adams.
Tea Act and Boston Tea Party (1773)
Lowered tea prices but upset colonial merchants.
Resulted in destruction of tea in Boston Harbor.
Intolerable Acts (1774)
Series of punitive measures including restrictions on self-government and forced housing of British soldiers.
Continental Congress
First Continental Congress (1774)
Coordinated colonial response to Intolerable Acts.
Set up Continental Association for boycotts and manufacturing.
Considered the first American government act.
Ideological Shift
Colonists began redefining rights beyond British citizenship.
Emphasis on freedom and natural rights.
Concepts influenced revolutionary attitudes.
Shift from Revolution to War
Outbreak of Conflict (1775)
Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of military conflict.
Varied colonial support for independence.
Impact of "Common Sense"
Thomas Paine's Pamphlet (1776)
Argued for independence based on logical and emotional appeals.
Widely circulated and influential in shifting public opinion.
Conclusion
The American Revolution was a complex period marked by ideological change, coordinated colonial resistance, and eventual military conflict leading towards independence.