Watch the Ken Burns Documentary on PBS!
https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american-revolution-episode-1-in-order-to-be-free/
What PBS says about it
“Thirteen American colonies unite in rebellion, win an eight-year war to secure their independence, and establish a new form of government that would inspire democratic movements at home and around the globe. What begins as a political clash between colonists and the British government grows into a bloody struggle that will engage more than two dozen nations and forever change the world.”
From:
Ken Burns
Historical Timeline
Historical Timeline of the American Revolution
The Seeds of Discontent The American Revolution was not a sudden burst of rebellion but the culmination of over a century of evolving identities and political disagreements. For generations, the thirteen colonies had enjoyed a period of “salutary neglect” from Great Britain, allowing them to develop robust, self-governing institutions and a distinct sense of American identity. However, after the costly Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War), Britain sought to consolidate control and recoup expenses by enforcing existing trade laws and implementing new revenue measures, fundamentally challenging the autonomy the colonists had come to expect and cherish.
The Cry of ‘No Taxation’ The central grievance that united the diverse colonial populations was the issue of taxation without representation. Acts like the Stamp Act (1765) and the Townshend Acts (1767) were viewed not merely as financial burdens, but as an infringement upon the fundamental rights of Englishmen. The colonists argued that because they elected no representatives to the British Parliament, Parliament had no constitutional authority to levy direct taxes upon them. This principled resistance, demonstrated through boycotts and political protests like the Boston Tea Party, transformed a dispute over finance into a profound struggle over political sovereignty.
From Protest to Open Conflict The British response to the escalating colonial resistance was to impose further punitive measures, notably the Intolerable Acts of 1774, which effectively closed the port of Boston and curtailed Massachusetts’ self-governance. This final provocation galvanized colonial unity. The skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775—the “shots heard round the world”—marked the violent transition from political protest to organized warfare. Militias quickly formed into the Continental Army, led by George Washington, committing the colonies to an uncertain, long-term military struggle against the world’s preeminent naval and land power.
A New Vision of Liberty While fighting began in 1775, the formal commitment to independence came on July 4, 1776, with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson, this document transcended a list of grievances against King George III. It articulated a radical, philosophical basis for government, asserting that all men are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. This declaration transformed the conflict from a civil war within the British Empire into a revolutionary effort to establish a new republican nation.
Triumph and the Birth of a Republic The war itself was a grueling campaign marked by severe privation and brilliant strategic maneuvers. Key victories, particularly at Saratoga (which secured the crucial alliance with France) and Yorktown (where the combined American and French forces cornered the main British army), ultimately proved decisive. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally recognized the United States as a sovereign and independent nation. The American Revolution’s enduring legacy is the establishment of the first modern constitutional republic, proving that Enlightenment ideals could be translated into a functional system of self-government.
Tags: America, Freedom, history, revolution