The Magnitude of the Revolutionary War - Essay Example

of the of the of the The Revolutionary War The American Revolution lasted for just six years, andAmerican revolutionists fought against the British army. Some historians view the American Revolution as guerilla attacks carried out by uncoordinated American militias. The British had a well trained and highly effective army, with highly sophisticated armory. However, the British could not withstand the attacks mounted against them by the colonists. The British soldiers failed to overcome these attacks due to their lack of territorial knowledge, and very importantly the burning zeal of the colonists to be freed of the British evil. In this manner, it can be contended that the mighty British had underestimated the American urge and passion for freedom (The American Revolution Effects). The American militia emerged victorious and the War came to an end. The first pact between the Americans and the British was the Treaty of Paris, which granted the land and sovereignty over it to the Americans. Subsequently, insecurity and instability surrounded the American economy, and a new society emerged, in which the social mores regarding women, African Americans and Native Americans underwent significant changes. The economic and social status of these groups changed for the better (The American Revolution Effects). In the year 1733, the British government enacted the Molasses Act, which was the basis for the beginning of the uprising. The new act imposed a heavier levy on the import of molasses. The colonies were in the practice of importing molasses from French sugar factories, which were established on the West Indian islands. Molasses was a byproduct of sugar production that constituted the chief ingredient in making rum, by the distillers of New England. The rum produced by the distillers was consumed by the local people. In addition, these distillers exported the rum to other nations in West Africa (Standage). In these African nations, the rum was used as exchange for procuring African slaves. It was the accepted currency for African masters who sold slaves to the Americans. The business of rum, sugar and slaves was termed the triangular trade. The objective behind the enactment of the Molasses Act was to impose a heavy tax on the import of French molasses, in order to compel the colonists to purchase molasses from British companies. However, this was not to the liking of the colonists, because, British molasses were inferior to French molasses; and British molasses could not be acquired in large quantities (Standage). During that period of time, rum constituted 80% of the all the exports made by New England. In addition, rum was the most preferred drink of the colonists, and their average annual consumption of rum was four gallons per head. Thus, rum was a very important component of their economy and it also played a major role in their culture. The enactment of the Molasses Act, served to deliver a body blow to their economy, prosperity and alcoholism. However, the colonists were least deterred by these British iniquities and continued to import French molasses in sufficiently large quantities, just like in the past, despite the new act and the heavy tax imposed upon them by it (Standage). The British were deeply humiliated, because it was tantamount to the undermining of respect for British law. The move of the colonists had set a dangerous precedent, with regard to disrespect for British laws and the British administration; and served to encourage the colonists to disobey laws, which they thought to be unfair and unreasonable. The colonists sincerely, felt that they were entitled to display their defiance to these inequitable British laws (Standage). The British government had neither actively implemented nor enforced the Molasses law. Subsequently, in 1764, the government enacted the Sugar Act. This new act reduced the tax imposed by the 1733 Act. However, this time around, the government strictly implemented the new law, and its enforcement officials spared no effort in collecting tax on molasses. Great Britain had incurred heavy losses in the French and Indian War, and there were huge debts incurred by the British, in order to repay those debts. These factors compelled the British government to strictly enforce the collection of tax on molasses (Standage). The rum distillers of New England started protests against the imposition of the tax and against the new act. They opposed the compulsory import of molasses from Britain. Accordingly, they organized several protest rallies against the British government and organized the boycott of the import of molasses. No taxation without representation was the slogan of these protesting groups. Subsequently, this slogan became very popular and spread throughout the colonies. Proponents of freedom and independence were known as the Sons of Liberty. They motivated the public to fight against the British and to gain independence; and mobilized public opinion against British rule (Standage). These freedom fighters chose taverns and distilleries for their meetings and debates. John Adams, the leader of the revolution, had documented his experiences in the freedom struggle. He had stated in his diary that he had convened a meeting of the Sons of Liberty in the year 1766 in a small and remote distillery. He also wrote that all the participants in that meeting had consumed rum and smoked pipes. John Adams later became the president of the United States of America. The Sugar Act was the first in a series of unfair laws imposed by the British on the colonies (Standage). The subsequent laws imposed much heavier duties on the colonists, some of these were the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767. The British authorities even imposed taxes on the import of tea. This tea tax further incensed the colonists and served to enhance hatred and opposition toward the British. The consequence was the Boston Tea Party incident. Therefore, tea also served as an engine in the struggle for independence. However, it was rum that principally kept alive opposition towards British rule in the US. Thus, rum played a key role in the emergence of Revolutionary War, which was based on decades of hatred and rebellions (Standage). American soldiers preferred to drink rum, and the British imposition of tax on molasses resulted in the freedom struggle that compelled Great Britain to grant independence to the American colonies. Molasses is employed in making rum, and finally, rum emerged as the revolutionary spirit of America. According to John Adams, the father of the USA, molasses played an important role in American independence, and was an essential ingredient of the Revolutionary War. Thus, many major events start from seemingly insignificant causes (Standage). The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had enacted a gradual emancipation act in 1780. Similarly, the Massachusetts Bill of Rights proclaimed that all people must have freedom and equality. The spirit of the Revolutionary War continued and in 1783, a majority of the black people brought suits before the courts claiming their freedom. The Supreme Court declared slavery to be unconstitutional. The decisions and ideologies established by the Revolutionary War demanded an eradication of the practice of slavery in all the Northern states by the early nineteenth century. Consequently, the Northern States prohibited slavery in their states. However, the Southern States were in a dilemma, as to whether to continue or eschew the pernicious practice of slavery (Stern and Stern). Nevertheless, these reforms were unable to alter the plight of the black people. They remained as second class citizens in the United States, and it took another century for their complete emancipation from slavery. Those were the outcomes of the Revolutionary War, which cannot be judged under the present standards. They were extraordinary victories in those times. Prior to the Revolutionary War, slavery was the social norm and a significant practice in American society. The Revolutionary War changed societal perception and freed the black people. It was a landmark event in American history (Stern and Stern). After the Revolution, the status of women been changed drastically. They were granted greater liberty and upheld in every aspect. Women had never enjoyed such position previously. They had participated in the War along with the men, by providing innumerable services to the soldiers in the Continental army. They had performed a number of domestic duties in the military camps, and without women, there could have been large scale desertion by the soldiers. Several of the women even participated in the actual fighting by shouldering arms (Greene and Pole). Subsequent to the victorious Revolution, Americans were able to realize their ideals and to redress a few of their grievances via state constitutions. The colonies were exhorted to form governments that would ensure the safety and happiness of their populace. The new constitutions were based on democratic ideas and did not engender any radical changes with the past. However, these constitutions comprised of a strong undercurrent of republicanism (U.S. Department of State). Formal recognition for this newly constituted United States of America was accorded by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. It was undergoing a financial depression and was beset with a multitude of administrative problems that had emanated from the Articles of Confederation. Its early leaders were either redoubtable generals or eminent statesmen; and Washington, Adams and Jefferson were its first, second and third presidents. It embraced the principles of democracy and liberty and constituted a major influence on liberalism on the Continent. As such, the successful US endeavor, was effective to a great extent, in engendering freedom struggles in several Spanish American colonies (American Revolution - The Complete History ). Slavery was a characteristic of America, in the perception of the world community. However, its fight for freedom and the strategies adopted by it to gain its freedom from the clutches of the exploitative British constitutes a major contribution to world history. The freedom struggle established a position of respect for the American colonies, amongst the nations of the world. In those days, no country was strong enough to challenge the power of the British. It fell to the lot of the American colonies to show the rest of the world that the hegemony of the British could be defeated. Subsequently, this new country participated in politics to a very limited extent, in comparison to the current standards (Stern and Stern). The people of the United States of America participated, whole heartedly, in politics and decision making, which was unique anywhere in the world, in those days. In many nations, people found it extremely difficult to have a say in their own governance. Amidst that depressing situation, the American Revolution was started. Many nations were of the opinion that the revolution was radical and would prove to be a futile effort to emend the British Empire. The concept of self – governance was deemed to be alien, by the majority of the nations, and to be beyond reason and common sense (Stern and Stern). Works Cited American Revolution - The Complete History . 2006. 14 October 2008 . Greene, Jack P. and J. R. Pole. A Companion to the American Revolution. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1405116749, 9781405116749 , 2003. Page, 304. Standage, Tom. "The Real Spirit of 1776; Rum, not tea, was the drink from which the revolution was distilled." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif. (Jul 4, 2005. p. B. 13). Stern, Sheldon M and Jeremy A Stern. "Slavery in context." Boston Globe. Boston, Mass. (Aug 2, 1999. pg. A.15). The American Revolution Effects. 14 October 2008 . U.S. Department of State. Outline of U.S. History. Chapter 4: THE FORMATION OF A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. November 2005. 14 October 2008 . Read More