Aidan Galler

AIDAN GALLER APRIL 19, 1775 | D BLOCK $11.99

The Liberty Tree

ISSUE NO. 12

LOOK INSIDE: THE IMPACT OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

Aidan Galler

D Block

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR Introduction to the Revolutionary War Also known as the American War of Independence, the Revolutionary War was a series of battles fought between the British army and American Colonists. This war lasted eight years, and has a grand total of about 651,031 calculated battle deaths between both armies.

The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence (bottom right), which was written by Thomas Jefferson, states the reasons of why the British Colonies sought independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence is considered to be the founding document of the United States.

The Declaration of Independence is an act of the Second Continental Congress, and was officially adopted on July 4, 1776.

Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17th, 1775.

The Impact of American Independence “His Britannic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to be free sovereign and independent states, that he treats with them as such, and for himself, his heirs, and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same and every part thereof.� This is an excerpt from the Treaty of Paris, which was signed on

1

Aidan Galler

D Block

September 3, 1783. This document, negotiated between the U.S. and Great Britain, marked the end of the Revolutionary War and granted America freedom as an independent country. The Revolutionary War was an important event in American history because the war guaranteed freedom from the British Regime’s taxation laws, the war allowed the American government to be a democracy, and the fight against slavery began.

General Washington and his army enter winter encampment at Valley Forge in 1777.

Casualties of the War The numbers recorded of soldiers either killed in action, wounded, missing in action or captured during the American Revolution are to the bottom right. These numbers are surprisingly low considering the amount of violence and ferocity inflicted in each battle. Reports of the numbers exaggerated by both sides make these figures a given compromise. Deaths by disease are not reported, but it is indicated that for every ten war deaths, one loss from disease is marked. The ending statistics, according to mountvernon.org, show that out of the total Colonial population, roughly 1.7 million people, 217,000 men served in war. Out of these men, at least 6,824-10,000 died on battlefield.

8,445-25,000 men were severely wounded, about 10,000 died from disease, and there are 18,152 men reported captured by the British army.

No More Taxation Without Representation Consequently, the Revolutionary War allowed the Colonies to separate from British rule, diminishing the large sums of tax money paid toward the British government. When the Thirteen Colonies were wound tight under England’s reign, many large, discriminatory taxes were mandatory payments for the Americans. After gaining the right as an independent country, the Thirteen Colonies would no longer stand to pay taxes to Britain, and instead decided to prepare for war. In the late 18th century, there was an act stating that “colonists needed to find or pay for lodging for British soldiers stationed in America.” (ushistory.com).

This angered the Americans, for they saw no reason to house soldiers when the French and Indian War was over. But, England

2

Aidan Galler

D Block

needed money to pay for war debts. The King decided to place several kinds of taxes onto the colonists to help pay for the aftermath of the French and Indian War. It came to the point where the King of England sent “British troops to America to force compliance with various new taxes being imposed.” (according to history.com). Although the Colonies were hundreds of miles away, heavy taxation demands were collected frequently, galvanizing riots across the nation. “Even the richest of rich here can’t pay the taxes they expect us to. Money isn’t an issue for them.” (page 211).While more taxes cycled through over the span of the coming decades, they caused more rising tensions amongst the Colonists. However, the American people wanted more than a break on taxes- they wanted to adopt their own system of self-government.

The Foundation of a New Government In time, it became evident that there existed a different belief in America than the one in England. The original foundation of America’s government was not met with the Colonists. The Revolutionary War allowed the American government to become a democracy. The Colonists wanted America to be a democracy. After suffering huge losses of tax money, the settlers wanted their rights back under the enforcement of laws that encouraged fairness and equal opportunity. Americans believed that democracy and justice could diffuse through discussions of individual liberty and equality against the British Monarchy. According to history.com, the “American Revolution and the domestic instability that followed prompted a call for a new type of government with a constitution to guarantee liberty.” The English political system was the main reason for the revolt of the American colonies. According to John Locke, a 17th century Englishman, “a ruler gains authority through the consent of the governed. The duty of that government is to protect the natural rights of the people, which Locke believed to include life, liberty, property.” (ushistory.org). Great Britain’s systematic government was a monarchy- a ruler chosen by blood relation. On page 183 of my book, it says “The Colonists wanted a person worthy of power in office! Those monarchs back in England only care for themselves- they're selfish and cruel when it comes to running a country.” America’s founding fathers took it upon themselves of creating a government based on the values of liberty, equality, and justice. More than 200 years later, that government is still intact. And although a democracy ensures that everyone’s voice is heard, a common practice in southern Colonial America, slavery, restricted the rights of many black individuals throughout the decades to come.

The Beginning of Equality Ironically, though the Revolution was about gaining freedom and separating from the British Monarchy, slavery still existed. Eventually, they began to attain freedom, as their owners were desperate for money and food. Somehow slavery would survive the Revolutionary War. But that doesn’t mean that the deaths and new rules didn’t change the perspectives of many. At the end of my book, the slaves achieved their freedom without formal emancipation. The British army wanted to weaken and seriously threaten the stability of the economy, so they freed many slaves as they moved through the South. According to history.com, “revolutionary sentiments led to the banning of the importation of slaves in 1807.” So even though the majority of African Americans remained slaves, the growth of free black communities was encouraged by the American Revolution.

3

Aidan Galler

D Block

A New America In conclusion, the Revolutionary War was an important event in American history because Colonists did not need to pay large tax sums to the king, the new foundation for government would be a democracy, and slaves began to escape bondage. When England ruled over the Colonies, they denied Americans representation and took away our rights, and taxed them unfairly. American slavery was Chart of states that were protected under laws of slavery (above) dying out, seeing to it that freedom for all meant freedom for all. And although the struggle to get there was diďŹƒcult, the eorts of the Colonial Americans back in 1775 shaped the country we live in today.

BIBLIOGRAPHY - Assistant, Education. Army Heritage Center Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017 - The Colonies Under British Rule. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017.

- Democracy in the Colonies. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017.

- "The Economics of the American Revolutionary War." EHnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017.

- "Fascinating Facts about the Declaration of Independence." Declaration of Independence Facts, Full Text & Dates To Remember | Constitution Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017.

- Revolutionary War - Battle Casualties. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017.

- "Slavery and the Revolutionary War." The American Revolutionary War. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017.

4