1. What is the definition of independence?
2. What percentage of colonists were actually Loyalists?
3. What were some of the reasons for the colonists to want liberty and independence?
4. What is ironic about the author of the Declaration of Independence?
2. What percentage of colonists were actually Loyalists?
3. What were some of the reasons for the colonists to want liberty and independence?
4. What is ironic about the author of the Declaration of Independence?
Independence was a radical, crazy idea that popped out of the minds of frustrated Americans. The thought of independence was totally new. Most mother countries held a complete stronghold over their colonies; much like Britain did the thirteen colonies. To try and break away from the country that supported them, gave them funds, protection, and regulated the government for them, all for political and economic freedom? Not to mention, Britain at the time had the largest navy and one of the strongest armies in the western world.
There were some reasons colonists began to have such strong opinions on British rule. First, the British limited the land that settlers could settle on, even after the land was won during the French and Indian War with the Proclamation of 1763. This was to control disputes between the Native Americans and the colonists, and to make sure that the soon-to-be activated taxes were easy to collect. This angered many settlers who believed that this land was rightly theirs and even made advances to ignore the king’s words. Because of this, British troops were stationed along the Proclamation Line. Even from this little movement, the colonists felt frustration. Next were the taxes, each one following the other without end. The Stamp Act, Navigation Act, Sugar Act, and Townshend Acts were created to pay off the war debts. The Stamp Act required every single document to be taxed. The Navigation Acts forced colonists to trade only with the British. The Sugar Act allowed no foreign trade of sugar or molasses, and the Townshend Acts added taxes on paper, glass, paints, and more tea.
These taxes were the main cause of the Patriot revolt. Patriots were supporters of independence, ready to break politically and economically from Britain. The colonists had no say in their taxation, which led to their famous war cry, “No taxation without representation!” Colonists began to suffer economically from the taxes, and were angry. The Sons of Liberty were a group of mostly men that led protests throughout the colonies. One of their biggest riots was the Boston Tea Party, where they dumped crate after crate of tea into the Boston Harbor.
Against the Patriots were mostly first generation colonists, who liked the security of the world’s largest defense and their economic security. These people were not interested in splitting from Britain. They were called Tories, Loyalists, British Royalists, and the King’s Friends. The Loyalists believed that staying with Britain was the most logical idea. Under the crown, most colonies prospered population-wise and economically. This third of the colonist population spoke against the Patriots and sometimes even returned to Britain.
There was a trend that was very noticeable in pre-revolutionary colonies. The older, more mature colonies that had long been holding their own assemblies and making government decisions on their own were ready to separate. They believed they had the needed resources and smarts to support themselves, totally without help from Britain. You could say that colonies like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania were the leaders in the idea. Georgia was the most reluctant to join the cause. Georgia was the youngest colony out of the thirteen and still held a dependency on trade with Britain.
A series of assemblies followed the agreement between colonies. All the colonies knew, whether their population was majority Loyalist, which was one third of most colonists, or majority radical Patriots, something about the taxes had to be done. The first was called the Continental Congress, which was held on September 5, 1774. This first congress urged colonies to enforce boycotts against British goods, which would in turn hurt the British economy. But there was a fault in the colonies- Georgia, who did not attend the congress at all. Eventually however, Georgia would join the cause in the fight for independence. In Georgia a Provincial Congress was held in January 1775 in Savannah. It was created to discuss discontentment from ties with Britain. Although it was a noble cause, little was accomplished when less than half of the parish leaders didn't even bother to show up!
Finally, it was in the 1776 Second Continental Congress where decisions were made. On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson’s famous Declaration of Independence was approved and signed by colonial representatives. The Declaration stated the end of all political and economic ties from Britain. It said that all men were created equal and had the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, the notion that all men were created equal did not apply to women or slaves. Slaves got nothing out of the Declaration of Independence. They were still considered property although it was obvious they were not just property but also living lives. There is some misunderstanding regarding Jefferson’s take on slavery, but it is believed that Jefferson actually was supporting the abolition of slavery in the early drafts of the Declaration. However, the other members of the team that drafted the Declaration did not want to create a divide between the colonies with controversial ideas. The South still had a major dependency on its slaves to produce goods. But it seems once the idea was tossed out, it was never brought up again. It is ironic though, that Jefferson would write about all men being equal but still own slaves himself, ones that would build his home Monticello.
Independence was such an extreme idea in the early days that very little supported it. But, as it gained more support, it became one of the driving reasons we have so many countries and independent governments. The idea was incredibly foreign, as no territory or colony had even come up with that idea before. The Americans were the true forefathers of independence.
bibliography
London, Bonnie Bullard. "The Call for Independence." Georgia and the American Experience. Atlanta, GA: Clairmont, 2005. N. pag. Print.
"The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson." History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. Smithsonian Magazine, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/>.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Declaration of Independence (United States History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
"The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson." History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. Smithsonian Magazine, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/>.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Declaration of Independence (United States History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.