Why and How America Declared Independence

The Revolutionary War or American War represents America’s independence.  This war started in June 1775 and ended in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.  The starting of the war happened 10 years before the violence of the war actually started.  What lead up to the war started when members of the thirteen original colonies wanted to be represented as part of the British parliament.  The British parliament which was their government by force, raised taxes (this was also known as the Stamp Act).  The Tea Act also took place during this time as well.  The resistance to the British parliament brought up violence to a band of colonists.  This was known as the Boston Massacre of 1770.  Five colonial men had died during the Boston Massacre.  After this happened in 1773 colonial men dressed up as Mohawk  Indians and dumped 342 tea chests into the Boston Harbor (this act is known as the Boston Tea Party).  The parliament was angry and brought British authority into Massachusetts known as the Coercive Acts.

After this a group of colonial men (George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Jay, John and Samuel Adams) joined together against the parliament to give their speeches in 1774.  This was the First Continental Congress, but the First Congress didn’t go to well.  They managed to lower taxation among the parliament and make speeches but that’s all they did.  When they decided to meet again, war and violence had already started.  The date in which they met again was in May 1775.  The first of the violence had started when shots were fired in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.  Younger men that were fifteen or maybe even twelve had fought.  Women, Indians, and African Americans fought in the war also.  They helped out the thirteen colonies that wanted to declare their independence as the United States of America.

Image and information retrieved from www.history.com.