The independence of the United States, also called the American Revolution , was the process by which the Thirteen Colonies gained independence from England.
The United States Declaration of Independence took place on July 4, 1776 , but it was only in 1783 that England recognized the country’s independence.
During the 5 years following the declaration, the War of Independence was fought between English troops and the colonists. The Americans also had the help of French and Spanish troops.
The United States was the first nation in the Americas to become independent and was a source of inspiration for struggles for independence in other countries on the continent.
The independence of the United States and other countries that followed was strongly inspired by Enlightenment ideals of defending individual freedoms.
Causes of the Independence of the United States
The Thirteen Colonies always enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and suffered little interference from England. This was due to England’s little interest in these colonies.
However, in the second half of the 18th century, the metropolis’ treatment of the colonies changed considerably and England began to exercise greater control over the Thirteen Colonies.
This change in the relationship was mainly motivated by the context of the Industrial Revolution and the conflicts in which England was involved in Europe, especially the Seven Years’ War.
Industrial Revolution
With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, England began to see its American colonies as important sources of raw materials for its industry and also as a consumer market for its products.
That is, the colonies that until then were considered of little relevance to England became a potential source of economic gain for the metropolis.
Understand what the Industrial Revolution was .
Seven Years’ War
During the 18th century, England was involved in several conflicts with European nations, one of the most important being the Seven Years’ War. This war was a dispute between France and England over possession of the Thirteen Colonies.
England was the winner of the conflict, but due to the high costs of winning the war, it was in debt at the end of the period.
To recover its economy, it needed to increase its revenue and to do so it created new taxes for the American colonies. Some of these taxes were:
- Sugar Act (1764): increased taxes on sugar and other products;
- Stamp Act (1765): all documents and publications circulating in the colony had to bear a postage paid to England;
- Lodging Law: determined that English soldiers should be housed in the homes of colonists;
- Townshed Acts (1767) : raised taxes on tea, dyes and glass.
The increase in taxes increased the dissatisfaction of the colonists with the metropolis and several protests began against these new measures.
Ignoring the demands, in 1773, the English government enacted the Tea Act , which determined that only English teas could be purchased by the colonies.
This law was considered the trigger and that same year, as a form of protest, several colonists dressed as Indians, boarded a ship loaded with tea that was coming from England and threw the entire cargo of tea into the sea. This event became known as the Boston Tea Party .
As a reaction to the protest movements that were taking place in the colony, England further hardened its treatment and enacted the Intolerable Acts .
Among the measures adopted by the Intolerable Acts was the closure of the port of Boston until the damages from the teas were compensated and the prohibition of meetings.
At that time, the differences of interest between the colonists and the metropolis became clear and the First Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia in 1774.
During this congress, the colonists drafted a document to the King of England declaring loyalty, but expressing their dissatisfaction with the measures adopted by the crown and requesting the repeal of the Intolerable Acts.
The king, however, sent a larger number of troops to the colonies, increasing dissatisfaction and thus, armed conflicts began.
The following year, in 1775, the Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia . On that occasion, the colonists decided to break with colonial rule and wrote the United States Declaration of Independence .
This declaration, written by Thomas Jefferson , was published on July 4, 1776. The colony, however, did not accept independence and so a war began.
War of Independence
This conflict lasted 5 years and involved, in addition to the colonists and American troops, French and Spanish troops. The French and Spanish sided with the colonies in the conflict because they wanted to weaken England’s power in the American continent.
The final victory of the Thirteen Colonies took place during the Battle of Yorktown , on October 19, 1781. But it was only in 1783 that the English recognized the independence of the United States, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Consequences of the independence of the United States
The Independence of the United States, or American Revolution, consolidated the country as a Federalist Republic and among its consequences:
- It served as a source of inspiration for other American colonies to fight for their independence;
- The republican state model served as an example for other countries, such as Brazil;
- France and Spain recovered American territories they had lost;
- It allowed the internal division of the American territory, which would lead years later to the Civil War.