The American Colonies and the Fight for Freedom essays

The American Colonies and the Fight for Freedom essays The American Revolution was a fight between the American colonies and the British Empire that had been brewing for years. Before I begin to discuss certain key elements that jump-started this war, I must discuss what took place beforehand in the New World that set the stage for the Revolution. A war had already been fault on the North American Continent, in which British blood was already spilled. The French and Indian War, which lasted from 1650 to 1763. During this time the British crown was occupied to say the least and the newly formed colonies were neglected and free to rule over themselves, relatively speaking. The colonies began to practice their own forms of law, and government for that matter, in which gave them their own unique sense of identity. The early Americans established representative legislatures and democratic town hall meetings. They also utilized local judiciaries and trials where defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty. They began independently shipping their goods apart from the British Empire, also giving them a sense of worth and uniqueness. The promise of expansion to settlers and land ownership gave them a true sense of freedom. This would all come to an abrupt halt after the French and Indian war, in which the British Empire's influence would directly affect the colonies in more ways than one. The French and Indian War drained a significant amount of finances from the British Empire, so in turn, the Crown began creating new ways to generate revenue. They burdened the American colonies with hefty taxes and imposed strict regulations. The British Empire imposed that their currency would be used, and forbade the use of any local printed currency known as the Currency Act. The Currency Act was introduced in the French and Indian War, mainly to dry up French currency, and Indian trade. The Stamp Act was also imposed to enforce a tax on all printed material, to include currency. This way the...