The War of Independence of England's North American Colonies. Education USA

Years of the War for American Independence and the American Revolution 1775-1783

Causes

In the second half of the 18th century, an acute contradiction arose between the rapid growth of capitalist relations in the English colonies of North America and the nature of their management from London: the financial resources of England were depleted, which decided to improve the situation by taxing the colonies, while at the same time the powerful economic development of the colonies awakened their population's desire for independence
1763 - To combat the smuggling of goods from the French and Dutch colonies in the West Indies, the English fleet began patrolling the North American coast

“Control over maritime trade has always existed, but previously they turned a blind eye to violations. Moreover, the previous attempts of the English authorities were considered as an attack on “the complete freedom of illegal trade,” causing righteous indignation of both the colonists and the English customs officers, who lived in peace and harmony with the smugglers, of which there were a great many. The parties treated each other cordially. The Boston Newsletter, in its obituary of His Majesty's worthy toll collector, noted his "great humanism" in his "courteous instructing ship captains how to avoid violating the laws of commerce." Now the idyll has come to an end. The officers of the Royal Navy zealously detained contraband goods, because half their value went to them. Another threat loomed - the British authorities introduced “assistance orders” - search warrants for any premises in order to detect and seize prohibited goods. The freeborn English, and wealthy people in the colonies considered themselves as such, howled - the principle “my home is my fortress” collapsed. (N. Yakovlev “Washington”)

• 1763 - The English Parliament banned the issuance of paper money in the colonies, requiring the payment of all and all fees and duties in silver.
• 1764 - The Sugar Law doubled taxes on sugar, wine, coffee, textiles and other imported goods
• 1765 - Housing Act, allowing soldiers and officers of the English army to be billeted among the population
• 1765 – Stamp Duty: duty on all legal documents
• 1766 - Abolition of Stamp Duty
• 1767 - New duties on the import of goods from England, the so-called. Townshed tolls

At the same time, taxes and fees imposed on the colonists, even collected in full, were lower than those paid by the king’s subjects in the British Isles

“Nevertheless, the public of the colonies was outraged by the arbitrariness, a wave of protests and demonstrations against Parliament arose, various opposition organizations began to emerge: the Sons of Liberty, Vox Populi, and the Sons of Neptune... The Virginia Assembly adopted a resolution stating that it alone rather than legislators overseas, can tax Virginians. In October 1765, representatives of the nine colonies adopted a petition in New York to the king and parliament, demanding the repeal of the stamp act. The text of the Stamp Act was printed with the image of a skull instead of a crown, funeral bells were heard in churches, flags were half-mast, effigies of the king's ministers dangled from the gallows, and the governor's house was destroyed in Massachusetts. All tax collectors abandoned their positions, partly out of solidarity with the protest movement, partly out of fear of physical harm. Merchants agreed not to buy English goods, liaison committees that arose in various cities agreed on unity of action.” Tension between the colonies and the metropolis grew

On the eve of the American Revolutionary War

• 1768 - North Carolina farmers, calling themselves equalizers, demanded the repeal of inconvenient land laws
• 1769, April - the colonies refused English goods until the Townshed taxes were abolished
• 1769, May - the Virginia Assembly adopted a petition to King George III asking him to intervene in favor of the violated rights of the colonists
• 1770, March 5 - “Boston Bloodshed.” In Boston, British soldiers opened fire on the crowd, which showered them with ridicule. Several people were killed. The army was quickly withdrawn outside the city
• 1770 - Townshed Acts repealed
• 1771 - troops scattered the "levellers" of North Carolina, several dozen people were killed
• 1774 - Parliament passed a law transferring lands between Mississippi and Ohio to the Canadian province of Quebec, which made it impossible for New England planters to occupy new lands

Boston Tea Party

The East India Company paid a high tax on the value of tea that was imported into Great Britain. Tea imported into Holland was not taxed, so smuggled Dutch tea was much cheaper. The East India Company was on the verge of bankruptcy. She could improve matters by selling the huge reserves of tea accumulated in warehouses to the Americans. After all, even with the payment of an insignificant duty - three pence per pound of weight - tea imported from England will be the cheapest on the American market. However, for the Americans, who thrived on the smuggling trade in tea, such an offer promised losses. Widespread propaganda was launched against “this poison presented to America, this unhealthy tea” imported from India.
- 1773, May 10 - Parliament passed the tea law, beneficial to the East India Company and not beneficial to the colonists
- 1773, July - North American ports were selected where the East India Company would deliver a cargo of tea - Boston, New York, Philadelphia
- 1773, September, October - seven ships loaded with tea set sail for the shores of North America
- 1773, end of November - the ship Dartmouth delivered a shipment of tea to the port of Boston
- 1773, November 29 - Boston residents demanded that the ship be sent back to England
- 1773, December 16 - Several people, dressed as Indians, boarded a ship and threw bales of tea into the sea
- 1774 - The English government closed the port of Boston, imposed an embargo on trade with Massachusetts, banned local residents from fishing, removed the local administration and established martial law.

The Boston Tea Party marks the beginning of the American War of Independence

• 1774 - Virginia Assembly dissolved
• 1774, September 5 - the first Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia
• 1774, September 9 - Congress approved the "Suffolk Resolutions", drawn up by the leaders of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, where the main city was Boston. Written by S. Adams and D. Warren, they called for disobeying “intolerable laws.” Referring to the ideas of the 18th century - natural law and theory, the authors insisted that a monarch who tramples them is a tyrant.
• 1774, October 14 - Congress adopted an appeal to the English king, the so-called “Declaration of Rights and Grievances,” which contained a statement of the rights of the American colonies to “life, liberty and property” and protested against the customs and tax policies of England

At that moment, the delegates to Congress were not yet Republicans and did not think about independence. The crown was recognized as the main connecting element of the empire. The colonists “for now have decided to act only by peaceful means.” From December 1, 1774, the import of goods from the metropolis was prohibited, and if London did not come to their senses before the fall, then from October 1, 1775, it was planned to introduce an embargo on exports to England. In order to give greater weight to the threat, a commitment was included in the text of the “Declaration” - not to buy East Indian tea, indigo and slaves, and also to boycott almost all products of the British West Indies

American War of Independence. Briefly

“Security committees have emerged to monitor the implementation of the embargo locally. Alarming reports flew from the royal governors of the colonies to London. They reported that the region was losing control. The British authorities were afraid of strengthening the forces of the revolution. They took action"

• 1775, April 18 - the first battle of the Revolutionary War - at Lexington and Concord. The first serious casualties in the British army
• 1775, May 10 - The Second Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia.
• 1775, end of May - the size of the Boston garrison was increased by 6.5 thousand people
• 1775, June 16 - John Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army
• 1775, June 17 - battle near Boston on the heights of Breed Hill and Balker Hill. Heavy losses on both sides

The strategy and tactics of European wars of the 18th century were subject to certain rules, and military operations were limited. The pursuit of the defeated enemy was not completed, since the winner, having divided his army into small detachments, risked that the soldiers would scatter outside the framework of iron discipline. The monarchs did not strive for the wholesale extermination of each other's armies. Hence the widespread custom of exchanging prisoners. Combat operations were carried out only in warm weather; by December the armies were in winter quarters. The armies, in addition to fighting in the open field, tried to intercept each other's communications and besieged key fortresses. As a rule, populated areas were not destroyed, because what was the point of a monarch acquiring a devastated province? The supply of troops was ensured by the preparation of fortresses and stores at the theater of war; requisitions from the population were strictly controlled, because approval of such actions would lead to the disintegration of the troops and the undermining of discipline

• 1775, October 2 - 6 equipped American ships began privateering: the birth of the US Navy
• 1775, autumn - 1776 summer - unsuccessful American campaign in Canada, Montreal was occupied, but Quebec did not surrender
• 1775, September - King George III turned to Catherine II with a request to sell him 20 thousand Cossacks to fight the colonies. Catherine refused. Instead of the Russians, Georg hired the Germans
• 1775, October - bombardment of Falmouth by the English fleet
• 1775, December - the English Parliament announced that the colonies were no longer under English protection
• 1775, end of December - most of Washington's army went home. He has about 8 thousand people left
• 1776, January 9 - Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" was published, promoting the idea of ​​​​independence and playing a significant role in the radicalization of the mentality of American society
• 1776, January - bombardment of Norfolk by the English fleet
• 1776, early spring - the American army was enriched with 59 guns from Fort Tikanderoga
• 1776, March 3 - Silas Deane is sent to Paris to explain to King Louis XVI's Foreign Minister Vergennes: "There is a strong probability that the colonies will become independent."
• 1776, March 3-4 - all American artillery was concentrated towards Boston
• 1776, March 17 - the British left Boston

A little over ten years before the events described, during the Seven Years' War, England fielded an army of 300 thousand people. To suppress the “rebellion” of the American colonies, they could not muster an army of 55 thousand people, the best British military commanders and naval commanders rejected the king’s proposals to fight with the Americans, the people looked at the campaign launched by the king as a fratricidal war

• 1776, May - the second continental congress opened
• July 4, 1776 - Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence

“We proceed from these self-evident truths, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights, governments are instituted by the people, deriving their legal powers from the consent of the governed. If any form of government becomes destructive of these very ends, the people have the right to alter or abolish it, and to establish a new government, based on such principles and forms of government as they shall think will best secure the safety and happiness of the people. »

• 1776, June 28 - English troops were repulsed by the Americans near Charleston
• 1776, August 22 - an unsuccessful battle for the Americans near Long Island
• 1776, September 15 - the British occupied New York

• 1776, October 28 - the battle of Pell's Point was unsuccessful for the Americans.
• 1776, November 16 - an unsuccessful battle for the Americans at Fort Lee
• 1776, December 26 - American victory at Trenton
• 1777, January 3 - American victory at the Battle of Princeton
• 1777, September - B. Franklin was appointed US representative in France
• 1777, September 11 - American defeat near Philadelphia
• 1777, September 26 - the British entered the US capital Philadelphia
• 1777, October 17 - American victory in the battle of Saratoga, which convinced the French authorities to enter the war against England on the side of the United States
• 1777 November - States negotiate the first American constitution, the Articles of Confederation, with a weak central government.
• winter of 1777-1778 - the terrible wintering of Washington's army at Valley Forge

There was not enough everything - clothes, shoes, food. No sooner had they arrived at Valley Forge than Washington was informed that 2,898 soldiers were “barefoot or naked.” A few weeks later, the figure jumped to 4,000. About two and a half thousand people died in Valley Forge from disease and exhaustion. Washington's Letter to Congress December 26, 1777: "...unless fundamental changes are immediately made, our army will face one of the following three outcomes - starve, disintegrate, or flee to obtain food for itself as best it can."

• 1778, April - France entered the war on the side of the United States
• 1778, February 6 - The United States and France signed a treaty of alliance
• 1778, June 18 - the British left Philadelphia
• 1778, June 27 - the battle of Monmouth Court House was successful for the Americans.
• 1778, July 4 - Indian tribes, incited by the British, staged a brutal pogrom against the farmers of the Wyoming Valley

The entry into the war of France, and from June 16, 1779 of Spain, significantly worsened England's position at sea. Attacks by the French and Spanish on England's numerous colonies forced London to take defensive actions, diverting the army from the war with the United States. Since 1781, the position of England has become even more complicated - the war against France, Spain, Holland and the USA

• 1779, summer - American revenge on the Iroquois: about 40 of their villages were destroyed
• 1780, May 12, the British captured Charleston
• 1780, August 16 - an unsuccessful battle for the Americans at Camden in South Carolina
• 1781, January 1, January 21 - riots of hungry, naked, unpaid soldiers of Washington's army
• 1781, October 19 - defeat of British troops at the Battle of Yorktown, after which the war practically ended

A series of defeats in the West Indies, the capture of Minorca by Spain, and French successes in theaters other than the American one led to the fall of North's cabinet. In March 1782, Rockingham's cabinet was formed in England, which 17 years earlier had carried out the repeal of the Stamp Act. Parliament passed a resolution declaring anyone and everyone who wanted to continue the war in America an enemy of Britain, and the government began secret negotiations with American plenipotentiaries in Europe to conclude peace in the United States. They were led to Paris by D. Jay, D. Adams and B. Franklin

What happened next?

• 1782, April 18 - truce in the War of Independence
• 1782, November 30 - peace treaty between the USA and England
• 1783, January 20 - peace treaty between England and France
• 1783, January 20 - Washington's army entered New York
• 1783, September 3 - Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War
• 1787, May 14-September 17 - Meetings of the constitutional convention to develop the US Constitution
• 1787, December-1788, June - ratification of the new constitution by the states
• 1789, April 30 - the first US Washington took office

Thirteen states of America

• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Georgia
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• New Jersey
• New Hampshire
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• Delaware
• NY
• Maryland

Results of the American War of Independence and the American Revolution

The struggle of the North American colonies for independence became an outstanding event in the history of the confrontation between capitalism and feudalism. Victory in it had a significant impact on the preparation of bourgeois revolutions in Europe, in particular

Results and significance of the War of Independence

The War of Independence of the North American Colonies was the first armed conflict to end in the formation of a viable sovereign state. The results of the national liberation war for the former colony were:

• elimination of colonial dependence on England;
• the creation of an independent bourgeois state with a republican form of government;
• destruction of feudal tendencies (majority, primogeniture) in agriculture;
• nationalization of the lands of the English crown and English lords;
• formation of private ownership of land;
• creating conditions for the development of domestic industry and trade.

The American War of Independence played the role of a bourgeois revolution. In the course of it, obstacles to the formation of capitalist relations were destroyed. But it remained unfinished. Slavery and the slave trade continued in the country. In the northern states, measures were taken to gradually destroy them; in the southern states, it survived until the middle of the 19th century. The incompleteness of the transformations led to a new revolutionary shock - civil war.

Adoption of the constitution

After the signing of a peace treaty with Great Britain and its recognition of the independence of the United States, the conflict between the states began to grow in the confederation. To prevent war, the Constituent Convention met in 1787. The deputies developed a common US Constitution for all states and approved it on September 17, 1787. It consisted of a preamble and seven articles. It was supposed to be valid after ratification by nine of the thirteen states. Thus, the provisions of the constitution came into force on March 4, 1789.

The fundamental principles of the US Constitution are three provisions:

• separation of powers;
• republican form of government;
• federal structure.

Structure of government

Note 1

According to the Constitution, the highest legislative body of the state is the US Congress. It consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Each state elected two representatives to the Senate for a six-year term. The composition of the Senate was renewed every two years by about a third of its composition. Every citizen for whom the majority of votes were cast could become members of the lower house of representatives. One deputy was elected from 30 thousand voters. The term of office of the elected candidate is two years.

Basic powers of Congress:

• adoption of laws;
• introduction of new taxes;
• ensuring the well-being of the people and the defense capability of the country;
• issuing state currency and supporting its value;
• formation and maintenance of the army;
• regulating interstate and foreign commerce;
• introduction of a unified system of weights and measures;
• declaration of war.

Note 2

The executive branch was headed by an elected president. They could become a citizen of the country by birth who has reached the age of 35 years. He could serve as president for four years, and after being re-elected for another four years. A citizen had no right to participate in presidential elections for the third time.

The powers of the head of state were great. The president was the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, controlled the activities of executive departments, concluded international treaties, signed an act of pardon, and much more.

The judicial branch was headed by the Supreme Court. Its composition was limited to nine (six before 1869) members. The Senate elected candidates on the proposal of the President. The Supreme Court served as the highest court and interpreter of the Constitution. The state had a system of federal and state courts. The jury tried cases of crimes, except in cases of impeachment.

By the middle of the 18th century, 13 English colonies arose in the New World on the Atlantic coast. The population of these lands, excluding Indians, was approximately three million people. For various reasons, the population of the Old World moved to the New: this is agrarian overpopulation, this is the aggravation of religious and social problems, and others. The American nation was formed as a mixture of Europeans, mainly British residents, Indians and Africans. The new culture arose on the basis of the English one and absorbed the features of the indigenous people of North America.

The industrial revolution in England was a big impetus for development. Trade, manufacturing, agriculture based on farms - all this developed by leaps and bounds. In the South, the basis of the economy was the plantation economy, where the owners received huge profits from the free slave labor of blacks imported from Africa. The indigenous population (Indians) was exterminated or forced into less populated areas.

The head of the colony was a governor appointed by the English government, and they did not have the right to vote in parliament.

Cities such as or became major cultural centers. The education system developed through the opening of new universities, printed publications, schools, and libraries.

Causes of the war

England paid very little attention to overseas affairs. Her government was more concerned about internal problems and European politics. During their existence, the colonies gained sufficient experience of independent governance and did not comply with trade restrictions in force in the metropolis. After the end of the Seven Years' War in Europe, the tax burden on settlers increased. The introduction of the stamp duty law in 1765 only increased the number of opponents of the current government. This tax was imposed on all printed materials, all mail, all documents. A little earlier, in 1762, the English king issued a decree banning the colonists from going further to the west of the Allegheny Mountains. And in 1767, goods imported from England were imposed with new, even higher duties.

The Frenchman de Lafayette fought against the British

All these measures taken by the metropolis in relation to the colonies significantly strengthened the separatist sentiments of the population. A boycott of goods from England was announced. A congress was convened in New York, whose participants declared that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies, since there were no representatives from the colonies in Parliament. Thus, under public pressure, the stamp duty law was repealed in 1766. But this only delayed the start of the war.

The bourgeoisie and intelligentsia were at the head of the resistance, since it was their interests that were infringed upon by the metropolis in the first place. The royalists (those who supported the current government) included the clergy, rich merchants and planters, and large landowners.

Waiting for war

By 1773-1774, indignation against the authorities reached its highest point. Despite the reduction in duties on tea, which was imported into the colonies, in the hope that its sales would increase, the proceeds would be able to compensate for the losses from the tax reduction and tension in the colonies would slightly decrease. But everything did not go as the British expected. In Boston, townspeople boarded ships loaded with tea and dumped it into the sea. This moment was called the “Boston Tea Party.”

As a response, the colonial authorities began to tighten the screws even more: closing ports, abolishing self-government in some colonies, and banning fisheries.

In 1774, the first continental congress began. Representatives from 13 colonies took part in it. They had not yet decided to interrupt relations with the metropolis, but a boycott of British goods was declared. An appeal was also drawn up to the English monarch George III, which asked for broader rights to be granted to the colonies.

Start of the war

The formal reason for the start of the war was the following event. In April 1775, General Gage, serving as commander-in-chief of the British forces, ordered the seizure of an armory near Boston, which was arranged by the patriots. It was also ordered to arrest the alleged separatist leaders. Government troops clashed with armed residents. The British suffered heavy losses due to the guerrilla tactics used and failed to complete their assigned mission. The colonists established a “freedom camp” in the suburbs of Boston. In May of that year, the Second Continental Congress met. He took upon himself full power. A severance of relations with England was announced. First of all, Congress ordered the creation of a regular army, which arose from partisan detachments, and the appointment of George Washington as its commander-in-chief. This Virginia planter was considered a worthy soldier, having experience of battles against the French and Indians. Literally a month later, the army of colonists put up worthy resistance to the British at Bunker Hill. Despite the victory, the British army suffered significant losses. The colonists used scattered formation tactics, and the royalist army used linear formations of troops that were traditional for that time, which were no longer as effective as before.

Declaration of Independence

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. The author was the famous opponent of slavery, Thomas Jefferson. It stated that the 13 North American colonies were separating from England and forming a new independent state - the United States of America. The reason for this decision in the “Declaration of Independence” was considered to be that the mother country was oppressing the colonies in the New World. It was also proclaimed that the idea that the source of power is the people themselves. This also indicated that the new state would not have the traditional monarchical form of government of that time, but a republican system. The equality of people and nations was proclaimed.

But all these progressive things for the 18th century, proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, concerned only whites. They turned out to be especially beneficial for the bourgeoisie, which became the new aristocracy of the republic. This did not concern the Indians and blacks working as slaves on southern plantations; no one recognized their rights. The further displacement of the Indians and their destruction by the colonists was not canceled; slavery remained. Each colony was now declared a state, and their totality formed the United States of America.

And, despite all its advantages and disadvantages, the “Declaration of Independence” was accepted with a bang by the common people. Its text was read out to the sound of bells and cannon salutes.

Continuation of hostilities

In March 1776, the colonists achieved their first major success under the leadership of George Washington. One of the most important cities, Boston, capitulated. Some time later, having regained strength, the army of the republic invaded Canada, and by mid-November Montreal, the capital of Quebec, was captured. But by the end of that year, the British army was able to push back the rebels, regaining control of Canada.

The British command decided to attack the colonists from another location. In September 1776, the British regained control of New York. This city was quite important in that war.

At the end and beginning of 1776-1777, the American army suffered several painful defeats, but Washington's victories managed to raise the morale of the troops. At the same time, problems with training soldiers, uniforms, supplies, and manning were acute.

The tactics of surprise attacks, the use of which was mentioned above, were successfully used at sea. Sometimes patriot ships even reached the coast of England, where they attacked British ships.

In 1777, the British command was going to launch an active offensive in New England. The British were able to take Fort Tikainderoga and also defeated the Americans at the Battle of Habboroton.

The colonist army struck back in mid-August at Benington. But the colonists failed to develop this success, and the British decided to change their plan of action. Now the blow was struck in the south. The defeats at Bradwine Creek and the loss of Philadelphia hit the new republic hard.

To cap the entire unsuccessful campaign of 1777 in the south, Washington's army suffered another painful defeat at Germtown.

In New England the situation was clearly not in favor of the British. The royalist troops surrendered at Saratoga, being completely surrounded. The British controlled only Philadelphia, New York and a couple of other small cities. The rest of the central lands were in the hands of the new government. In February of the following year, an agreement was signed between the Americans and the French directed against England.

Russia, Denmark, and Sweden supported the rebels, proclaiming a position of armed neutrality. Its purpose was to prevent England from blockading the North American colonies. The situation within the states was difficult, inflation was high, and the new government kept afloat thanks to external loans.

In 1778-1780, the battles were equal, the number of defeats on one side was approximately equal to those on the opposite side. After abandoning Philadelphia, the British prioritized the defense of New York. In the south, the Americans lost several battles and lost Georgia and the Carolinas. In 1781, the British were driven into Virginia, left without proper supplies.

The remaining states were practically liberated by 1782. At the Battle of Yorktown in mid-November 1781, the British troops lost and capitulated. After this, the war can be considered over.

In September 1783, a final peace agreement was signed, called the Treaty of Paris. Great Britain recognized the formation of the United States.

Results of the war

This event had a great influence on the era. The colonial rule of England was overthrown, and a state was formed that received a non-monarchical form of government. Further advances into western lands were permitted on the condition that payment be made for them. The liberation movement in Latin America and the French Revolution took their inspiration from this example.

American Revolutionary WarXVIIIV. 1775 – 1783

Causes:

Royal decree of 1763 prohibiting American colonists from settling lands west of the Appalachian Mountains.

"Sugar Law" of 1764

Stamp Act 1765

Townshend Laws: taxes on the maintenance of British governors, British troops, high duties on tea, glass and other goods from local producers.

The British crown prohibited the import of goods from other countries into the 13 North American colonies.

Occasion:"Boston Tea Party" The British Crown's attempt to force Americans to pay the tea tax (3 pence per pound) failed. The Bostonians, disguised as Indians, captured the ships of the East India Company and threw all the boxes of tea overboard. Reaction of the British authorities: closing the port, banning rallies, depriving the Massachusetts colony of self-government (“Intolerable Laws”).

Driving forces of the revolution:“Whigs” (patriots) - farmers, factory workers, the bourgeoisie of New England (four colonies) and the Central Colonies (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware), slave-owning planters in the southern colonies (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia). Puritan communities supported the revolution.

Opponents of the revolution:“Tories” (loyalists) - part of the bourgeoisie focused on trade with Europe (monopolistic merchants), landlords, royal officials, Anglican clergy. Negro slaves and most Indians were against the revolution (the former hated their planters, the latter - white farmers). The people of Canada also opposed the revolution.

The most important battles and sieges of the war:

Siege of Yorktown (Virginia)

Victory of George Washington's Continental Army and Rochambeau's French Army over the British.

Surrender of the English garrison.

Peace of Paris 1783

Great Britain recognized the Thirteen Colonies as sovereign and independent states (states).

France receives Senegal in West Africa.

Holland receives nothing and even cedes its possessions in India to Great Britain.

Key figures of the war:

American War of Independence: Events on the Eve

By the middle of the 18th century, the English colonies in North America had ceased to be small, sparsely populated forts. Their population increased to 1 million people, cities grew, and trade flourished. Education and culture developed: their own newspapers began to be published, schools and colleges were opened, outstanding thinkers of the American Enlightenment appeared - Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams. All this testified not only to the material, but also to the spiritual capabilities of American society. Common interests and a common future helped strengthen the bond between the colonies. The latter had fertile reserves of land and forests, had their own fleet and smelted 1/7 of the world's iron production. They were able to provide themselves with food and made clothes, furniture, and dishes. "Mother Britain" received fur, wheat, timber, tobacco, fish from the colonies and assigned them the role of "farm, forest and mine of the empire." The English crown even prohibited Americans from freely trading with other countries and developing manufacturing industries. Of course, this law was constantly violated, but still the colonies were dependent on the metropolis: 95% of their population was engaged in agriculture and were consumers of English industrial goods. After defeating France in the Seven Years' War, England annexed former French lands in Canada west of the Allegheny Mountains and became the sole ruler of North America. During the war, the colonists actively assisted the British in their struggle against the French and hoped to be rewarded with self-government and the right to independently determine taxes. However, it turned out completely differently. King George III forbade Americans from moving beyond the Alleghenies without permission, fearing that after settling in the vastness of the West, it would be impossible to collect taxes from them. An additional burden on the shoulders of the colonists was the maintenance of British troops, who, after the end of hostilities, did not return home, but remained in America. The last straw in the cup of patience was the decision of the English Parliament to introduce stamp duty in the colonies in 1765. From now on, for every trade transaction, paperwork, publication of printed publications and postal items, the colonists were required to pay a new tax to the British state treasury.

The Revolutionary War and American Education: Colonial Protests

In response, a wave of rallies swept through American cities under the slogan: “No taxes without representation!” The colonists were outraged not by the size of the tax (quite small), but by the very fact of its approval by Parliament, where representatives of the North American colonies were not allowed. The Americans quite rightly demanded: either they would have deputies in the House of Commons, or Parliament would refuse to tax the colonies. For the first time in American history, huge masses of people came out to street rallies. Boston became the main center of resistance. Here the Sons of Liberty arose, calling on Americans to “no longer be slaves of the English.” Everywhere, Americans destroyed stamp paper brought from the metropolis to register the tax. The protest was so powerful that England had to take the unheard of step - abandon the stamp duty. However, this concession was temporary. Two years later, the English Parliament passed a law on new taxes. The colonists were particularly irritated by the introduction of a duty on the import of goods from England. The Americans refused to buy them and started smuggling trade with other European countries. In December 1773, residents of Boston did not allow a ship with tea arriving from England to be unloaded. At night, several people disguised themselves as Indians, boarded the ship and sank the bales of tea into the sea. The event was called the "Boston Tea Party". The British Parliament considered it a serious crime. A state of emergency was declared in Boston and the Royal Navy blockaded the port. The situation was heating up.

American Revolutionary War: Beginning

In the fall of 1774, representatives of the colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. They declared that they remained loyal subjects of the English king, but opposed the encroachments of the mother country on self-government, “life, liberty and property” of the Americans. In an effort to protect these rights, Congress introduced a ban on trade with the mother country. An explosion was brewing in the colonies. The Americans secretly collected weapons and created volunteer units. This caused alarm among the British, who tried to disarm several detachments and arrest their commanders. On April 19, 1775, the first skirmishes took place near Boston.

At first the advantage was with the British, but their return turned into a terrible flight under constant fire from the rebels who ambushed the roads. The Americans were easy to hit their targets because the British soldiers wore red uniforms with yellow trim that were visible from afar. The colonists successfully used the scattered formation tactics borrowed from the Indians. They attacked the British from hiding, and then instantly disappeared to launch a surprise attack in another place. In May 1775, the Second Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia. He decided to create a regular army and appointed the experienced officer George Washington as commander-in-chief. From a motley crowd of colonists, Washington managed to create a disciplined, combat-ready army, which liberated Boston in the spring of 1776. The morale of American soldiers was boosted by Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense." It defended the right of Americans to armed struggle against the mother country. And Paine’s words that only independence and a republican system would give America a great future turned out to be prophetic.

American Revolutionary War: Adoption of the Declaration of Independence

An important step on the path to independence was the Declaration of Independence.

The bulk of its text was written by the youngest deputy, 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson, an ardent admirer of the European Enlightenment. The declaration accused the English king and parliament of tyranny, proclaimed the unification of the colonies, their separation from England and their transformation into “free and independent states.” July 4, 1776, when it was approved by Congress, became the birthday of the United States of America, the main holiday of the American people - Independence Day. The Declaration of Independence is the first practical attempt to implement human rights in the spirit of the ideas of John Locke and the French Enlightenment. However, at the request of some deputies, Congress excluded from the text of the Declaration the words condemning slavery.

American War of Independence: turning point and completion

The adoption of the Declaration did not mean the end of the war. The British government sent significant troops to America, which were to pacify the rebellious colonies with “fire and sword.” The British captured New York in heavy fighting. American soldiers began to leave the army en masse, explaining this with the intention of returning home and defending “their” states. Washington barely managed to save his army from complete collapse. It became clear that it was necessary to raise the morale of the soldiers. And then the congress made a decision: after the end of the war, each of its participants would receive a land plot. Volunteers began to gather again under the banner of Washington, and his army grew rapidly. Soon the Americans surrounded Fort Saratoga, occupied by the British, and forced it to capitulate. 6 thousand English soldiers were captured. The success revived the Americans' hope for final victory. Meanwhile, the enemy continued to hold New York and the first capital of the United States, Philadelphia. On the approaches to it, Washington's soldiers had to endure an unusually harsh winter in the Valley Forge valley. The army was poorly supplied with food and clothing; they had to live in light tents. There were no fewer deaths from disease and frost than those killed in battle. For final victory, the Americans needed the help of strong allies. France was best suited for this, as it sought to strengthen its own positions by weakening its long-time enemy, Britain. She signed an agreement on trade and military assistance with the United States, after which the French fleet opened military operations against the British. Soon Spain and Holland sided with the Americans against the hated “mistress of the seas.” The American troops received soldiers and volunteers from almost all European countries. The entry of the Allies into the war radically changed its course. In the fall of 1781, the combined French-American army surrounded Yorktown and forced 8 thousand soldiers and sailors to surrender.

England's forces were exhausted; it did not have the means to equip a new army. Hostilities ceased. The British themselves invited the Americans to start negotiations. They lasted quite a long time and ended on September 3, 1783 with the signing of a peace treaty. Britain recognized the United States of America as an independent state and announced the complete withdrawal of all its troops from its territory. The western border of the United States was established along the Mississippi River, i.e. The territory of the young republic almost tripled. Thus ended the American War of Independence.