Happy Birthday USA
As a Brit, I probably should not be celebrating Independence Day this weekend. However as Scot, I can sympathise with the desire for Independence, and as a visitor to the country, I continue to try to adapt to fit local customs and pastimes. I will be posting later to fill you in on what we actually did over the 4th July, including some great pictures.
Through the later half of the 18th century, the relations between the Brits and the Americans became increasingly strained, and the phrase "No Taxation Without Representation" was born. A network of groups called the Sons Of Liberty formed to resist the various taxes that the British were placing on the colonies, starting with the Stamp Act. Although through subsequent years the Quartering Act, the Declaratory Act and the Townshend Act all increased the sense of frustration at laws being passed by a remote legislature for the benefit of a remote country (sound familiar my Scottish friends?).
Following the Boston Tea Party, in 1773, more laws came both as punishment, with the Coercive Act in 1774 and also in an attempt to bring the unruly Americans to order generally, by extending the Quartering Act. Later they tried to strengthen their hold on New England with the New England Restraining Act in 1775. Through 1775 the Americans drew up their plans for war, including appointing George Washington as CIC, making peace treaties with the Indians, commissioning ships and raising money. Never one to miss a trick, the French were happy to assist the Americans in their fund raising efforts.
Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration Of Independence. On 2nd July Congress voted in favour of independence and on 4th July it was approved. Copies of the declaration were distributed to be read publicly in all colonies. Never being one to give up too easily, the Brits were having none of it and having retreated from Boston formed up in New York and actually drove Washington back for a while through New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Congress themselves retreated to Baltimore.
December 26th Washington surprised the Brits in New Jersey and with only 5 American deaths won the Battle of Trenton. Reacting to the defeat General Howe sent a load of troops to Trenton and Washington caught him on the hop in the Battle Of Princeton, winning again and clearing most of the Brits out of New Jersey, greatly raising US morale. The Brits rallied and attacked Philadelphia driving the Americans back again into Valley Forge for a tough winter.
On October 7th in Saratoga a battle with General Horatio Gates ended in British surrender, and started a movement to have General Washington replaced as CIC by Gates, which ultimately was thrown out. In the background the Americans continued to work with the French, eventually forming an alliance in 1778 which would result in the British trying, and failing) to make peace by repealing the earlier Tea and coercive Acts.
War continued on many fronts 79/80 with Spain joining the battles against Britain as we would not give up Gibraltar. Surviving a mutiny in Conneticut and the treasonous acts of Benedict Arnold Congress continued down the independence road, forming a Department Of Finance to sort out the ailing coffers and finally ratified the Articles of Confederation, 4 years after the discussion started!
French and American forces joined together in Yorktown, ultimately signaling the end of the war with their defeat on General Cornwallis and the surrender of almost 8000 soldiers. Peace talks started in 1782 and ratified in 1783, the Brits started to evacuate New York. There is a bunch of other stuff that happened in the succeeding years to settle everything down, but ultimately the British involvement was done when the Articles of Peace were ratified on April 15th.
The full story is available here and there is a bunch more interesting documents here on this site. I found it fascinating to understand so much more about this part of our joint histories.
Through the later half of the 18th century, the relations between the Brits and the Americans became increasingly strained, and the phrase "No Taxation Without Representation" was born. A network of groups called the Sons Of Liberty formed to resist the various taxes that the British were placing on the colonies, starting with the Stamp Act. Although through subsequent years the Quartering Act, the Declaratory Act and the Townshend Act all increased the sense of frustration at laws being passed by a remote legislature for the benefit of a remote country (sound familiar my Scottish friends?).
Following the Boston Tea Party, in 1773, more laws came both as punishment, with the Coercive Act in 1774 and also in an attempt to bring the unruly Americans to order generally, by extending the Quartering Act. Later they tried to strengthen their hold on New England with the New England Restraining Act in 1775. Through 1775 the Americans drew up their plans for war, including appointing George Washington as CIC, making peace treaties with the Indians, commissioning ships and raising money. Never one to miss a trick, the French were happy to assist the Americans in their fund raising efforts.
Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration Of Independence. On 2nd July Congress voted in favour of independence and on 4th July it was approved. Copies of the declaration were distributed to be read publicly in all colonies. Never being one to give up too easily, the Brits were having none of it and having retreated from Boston formed up in New York and actually drove Washington back for a while through New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Congress themselves retreated to Baltimore.
December 26th Washington surprised the Brits in New Jersey and with only 5 American deaths won the Battle of Trenton. Reacting to the defeat General Howe sent a load of troops to Trenton and Washington caught him on the hop in the Battle Of Princeton, winning again and clearing most of the Brits out of New Jersey, greatly raising US morale. The Brits rallied and attacked Philadelphia driving the Americans back again into Valley Forge for a tough winter.
On October 7th in Saratoga a battle with General Horatio Gates ended in British surrender, and started a movement to have General Washington replaced as CIC by Gates, which ultimately was thrown out. In the background the Americans continued to work with the French, eventually forming an alliance in 1778 which would result in the British trying, and failing) to make peace by repealing the earlier Tea and coercive Acts.
War continued on many fronts 79/80 with Spain joining the battles against Britain as we would not give up Gibraltar. Surviving a mutiny in Conneticut and the treasonous acts of Benedict Arnold Congress continued down the independence road, forming a Department Of Finance to sort out the ailing coffers and finally ratified the Articles of Confederation, 4 years after the discussion started!
French and American forces joined together in Yorktown, ultimately signaling the end of the war with their defeat on General Cornwallis and the surrender of almost 8000 soldiers. Peace talks started in 1782 and ratified in 1783, the Brits started to evacuate New York. There is a bunch of other stuff that happened in the succeeding years to settle everything down, but ultimately the British involvement was done when the Articles of Peace were ratified on April 15th.
The full story is available here and there is a bunch more interesting documents here on this site. I found it fascinating to understand so much more about this part of our joint histories.
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