WARS FOR INDEPENDENCE (1764 - 1783)

WARS FOR INDEPENDENCE (1764 - 1783)

Introduction

The year 1764 saw the thirteen colonies moving from peaceful resistance to outright war against the British government's reform programs of new taxes and regulations. The period saw protests from the colonies and saw them to revolt, eventually leading to American Revolution and the formation of a new nation, the United States of America. The paper will explain the reasons that led to the revolt, the role played by African Americans in the American Revolution, the impact the American Revolution had on the Native Americans and the ways in which the patriots achieved the much required unity for the War of Independence.

Discussion

The passing of the Sugar Act followed by a series of subsequent acts such as the Currency Act and the Stamp Act led the Americans to the American Revolutionary War. Before the Sugar Act, the Molasses Act was in place that required the colonists to pay a tax of six pence per gallon on molasses imported from any country outside the British Empire. The Act was never truly enforced while smuggling was a means they employed to get around the law and evade any efforts to enforce the act. The Sugar Act on the other hand, even though required from them to pay three pence instead of six, was strongly opposed since it sought to enforce the collection of the taxes. In this regard the British Navy was given strict orders to ensure the collection of the taxes and capture anyone trying to evade. This ultimately led to difficulties to smuggle and therefore, the colonial economy suffered. This was accompanied by the Currency Act that regulated paper money issued by the colonies and Stamp Act that required colonists to pay the duty and get official documents to be printed ...