American Revolution - Episode 4

• Protests in America started against British rule.

• 1765 - 
• The organization named "Sons of Liberty" was formed and this was led by Samuel Adams
• Guided people to use violence against Britishers, boycott British goods and trade with Britain
• Formed Committees of Correspondence (पत्राचार समिति  )called "Crucial Links"
• 1766-
• The Declaratory Act was passed which repealed (रद्द गर्नु)  stamp act
• But along with that, they declared that the British parliament and the King have full powers to make laws and impose new taxes on colonies in future
• People became angrier with this declaration
• 1767-
• Charles Townshend, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) of Britain, came with Townshend Act.
• This Act declared the following points:
• The British government suspended the legislature of New York because this legislature did not play an active role in following quartering act.
• Imposed more taxes on essentials goods like Tea, Paper, Glass, Lead, Paints, and all other ingredients to build houses.
• Provided power to British authorities to search any building, ships, and vessel. 

• Protests began against the Townshend act.
• The protest was not against British rule but it was against taxation and the mission of this protest was to eliminate taxes added by Townshend Act.
• 1770-
• Boston Massacre
• While the protest against the Townshend act was going on in Boston
• 5 protestors were killed by British soldiers and people saw how cruel the British government was. They could even kill innocent people to fulfil their selfishness.
• Paul Revere and Samuel Adams publicised this event very heavily in all different colonies of America by publishing pamphlets. 
• People started demanding freedom from British rule after Boston Massacre.
• 1773-
• Tea act
• Lord North, the new Prime Minister of Britain, removed all taxes except Tea because Britain had a huge stock of Tea with them left to be sold. 
• Loyalists refused the act and did not allow ships loaded with tea in harbours/ports.
• The governor of Massachusetts, named Hutchinson, declared that he will unload ships in Boston harbour.
• 16th December 1773:

                                Samuel Adams gathered some groups, went to the harbour in the dress of Native Americans and threw all teas worth 10000 pounds, which were loaded in ships, in the sea. This event is called BOSTON TEA PARTY.

• 1774-
• Intolerable act- was published to take action against Boston Tea Party
• Public meetings in town halls were banned.
• Boston port was closed and it was said to remain closed till British Government do not get compensation.
• Act told to arrest Samuel Adam and send him to London.
• Quebec act- Quebec is a place in Canada and its boundary was extended towards the south to not allow American colonies to extend their territories towards the north.
• Patriots started training militias to fight with the British.
• September 1774
• First Continental Congress was called, i.e. American representatives gathered in a place and shared their ideas.
• Continental congress is group of representative of each colonies
• Made a form of government, not exactly government, but they promised to work like government.
• Made decisions to use domestically produced goods and boycott British goods.
• Decided to stop trade with Britain.

• 1775-
• April 1775 - fighting started in Lexington and Concord 
• The Continental Army was lead by General George Washington
• Continental Army had gained control over rural areas (countryside) after few wars but they found difficult to gain control in urban places like Boston and New York.  
• July 1775 - Continental army sent letter to King George III, the King of Britain, to stop opressive laws (दमनकारी कानून) and stop the war. But despite of taking positive actions in favor of letter, the king declared congress as traitors (गद्दार). 
• Loyalists keep helping British army to suppress the war because they were hugely benefited by British policies and laws.
• A pamphlet named "Common Sense" was hugely published in 1775 and circulated widely in 1775-1776. This pamphlet had no name written on it. So no one knew who wrote it. It awared people about independence in simple language with various arguments and reasons.  
• The topic of independence was sparkled in people's mind for first time by this pamphlet. Then onwards, people started asking for independence in America.

• 1776-
• Patriots had overthrown all existing governments of British of 13 colonies, closed British courts and removed British officials from existing administrative bodies.
• The did elections for legislature and prepared new constitution for themselves.
• They declared "They were states now, not colonies".
• 4th July, 1776: Declaration of Independence was adopted at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was written by Thomas Jefferson.
• Second continental congress started acting like government, asked for support from France (since France was badly defeated by Britain in Seven Years War) to fight with British armies. 
• France supported Americans so heavily that they nearly bankrupted themselves in that war. This gave rise to French Revolution.
• Spain and Netherlands also supported Americans but not as much as France.

• 1781-
• The war ended in 1781.
• English general Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown to finish this war

• 1783-
• The Treaty of Paris was signed and the war ended officially.
• Great Britain accepted and recognized America as an independent country.
• Near about one lakhs soldier died in war out of which most armies in the war died due to diseases and near to 15% of armies died due to war.
• 1789-
• America prepared the first written constitution in the world.
• Ideas of liberty (freedom) and rule of law was introduced.
• Ideas of the natural rights of man was introduced in the new constitution.
• The concept of Separation of power i.e. separate body for the separate function was implemented.
• A system of checks and balances was brought into implementation.

Few more dates:

1865: Slavery was abolished in USA.

1920: Women were given right to vote. 

1965: African-americans were given right to vote in America

Importance of American Revolution  - Next Episode

Reference

Study IQ education. (2017b, April 19). अमेरिकी क्रान्ति - American Revolution + American Civil War - World History for IAS/UPSC/PCS/SSC [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0sb56tiqg