Paper Example on English Colonization and the American Revolution

A. Reasons for English colonization

The British colonization was motivated by the leaders who by their actions gave courage for the colonizer to go forward with their work. This paper tries to look at some of the political and social motivation that led to the colonization British colonization.

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The greatest motivation for the English imperialism was the quench for a country's pride. The British thought that by having many colonies, they will gain national security, navy power, and togetherness which will make the British a vast empire (Shi and Tindall 2016). The army leaders argued that a powerful military was crucial in gaining the power they wanted. Therefore, they acquired islands and harbors from different colonies which guaranteed safety during the time of war. Also, these colonies had natural resources which were crucial to the security of the British Empire. For example, the empire had to occupy Egypt to protect the Suez Canal which reduced the route to South Africa and India. Lastly, a lot of people believed that gaining colonies was a symbol of greatness and power.

It is believed that peace is not the mere absence of war but involve the whole well-being of social, economic and political aspect of people's lives. The social issue has to do with people's organization. Most of the colonist came to America to escape the unfortunate situation of hunger, political persecution diseases, and poverty that was massive in Germany, Scotland, and Ireland (Shi and Tindall 2016). For example, the protestant people like the Pilgrim Fathers and puritans escaped to America for them to have the freedom of worship. These people believed that the colonialization offered them with the desired life.

B. Characteristics of Various Colonies

There were 13 colonies established in North America. Each territory had unique characteristics that distinguished them from the other provinces because different people were coming to form colonies for various reasons (Roper, 2015).

Massachusetts was established as the second colony in 1620 after Virginia by the Pilgrim Fathers. The called was majorly called the Separatists or Puritans. These people were Christians who moved from Britain to escape religious persecution (Roper, 2015). Due to their bad experience of tyranny rule in British, they formed a democratic government where the people made the decision. To them, they firmly believed that people should have the right to decide who to rule them and how they are ruled. The United States of America is a democratic government and this is borrowed from the pilgrims.

Virginia, also called Jamestown was formed in 1607 as the first colony by the London Company. The primary purpose of this colony was for money making. It was the center for trading and a port. There are those who believed that Virginia was a place to make a fortune. Lastly, the colony was established to preach and convert locals to Christianity.

Carolina was established in 1653 as the eighth colony. According to Roper (2015), it was formed by people from Virginia who were fed up with the many religious regulations in the place. Therefore they closed south of Virginia and created their group. After that, they were given the land by the king courtesy some of the noblemen. These men sent colonizers who joined hand with the locals in the area. There arose some conflict that occurred between the noblemen and the colony which resulted in them selling the land to the crown. The province was therefore divided into south and North Carolina.

C. Events that led to the American Revolution

The American Revolution was not a one-day event, and it took longer for accomplished. Different factors led to this revolution. The French and Indian war among the American colonies and France that transpired from 1754 to 1763 was a significant contributor. During this war, each side wanted to ally with the local Americans for help. The British sent troops to help their colonies fight the war and afterward, they placed their forces in these colonies for protection (Bailyn, 2017). The British did not have enough money to pay the army, and therefore, the British government came up with the policy of taxing the American colonies.

Boston blockade fueled the revolution further. The British enacted the Boston port act which banned the trading at Boston port and later closed it. The obstruction of the port by the British ships brought suffering to all who lived in Boston who depended on the port (Bailyn, 2017). Other colonies were also annoyed by this act, and they feared that it was just a matter of time and the British government will do the same to them to their colonies.

From the time of the formation of the colonies up to 1764, the British had given these colonies the freedom to rule themselves. However, in 1764, the government started enacting laws and taxes policies which angered the colonies. Some of these acts include the sugar act, currency act and stamp act (Bailyn, 2017). The provinces argued that it was unfair for them to pay taxes to the British government and they did not participate in the making of laws and passing of bills in its parliament.

The protest in Boston was also a contributing factor to the revolution. As the government continued to enact laws and taxes, people started protesting against them in different ways. In 1765, a group known as the sons of liberty was formed in Boston and later gained popularity in other colonies. The group led a protest in Boston and during the fight, many people died which led to the event being called the Boston Massacre. The tax on tea that was enacted in 1773 led to the Boston tea party. The protest is named so because chauvinist in Boston boarded ships and threw their tea into the water.

D. Effects of the Revolution

The American Revolution had enormous effects on the subjects. To some extent, it brought great positive effect and enlightened the people. Before this revolution, women were inferior, and their rights were overlooked. They did not have the right to vote, and to contribute I development. They were mainly seen as property owned by the parent and the husband. After the war, women were given the right to vote and participate in political affairs. After the war, the government gave virtuous women the responsibility of educating the future generation. However, they played their role at the periphery because they were seen as republican mothers and not participants in the development.

The revolution had a massive impact on African American people. During the war, the British government promised to free all slaves who would revolt from their masters and join the British army in the battle (Bazzaz 2018). Many slaves including Peter Salem agreed to this proposal and joined the military. Many loyal slaves run with the British with the hope that the government will give them a place in Europe to establish their homes and start a new life. After the war, the Paris treaty required the British to leave the slaves behind. However, the British decided to keep their promise and evacuated thousands of slaves relocating them to Canada and the Caribbean. However, not all benefited from the revolution. Some slaves were left in bondage and freedom was not granted to them. The northern colonies passed liberation laws, but most of the slave masters did not keep their promise to free the slaves. The slaves started claiming their rights to be released from slavery, and this fight continued for long.

Native Americans were not left behind by the effects of this revolution. Most of the natives like Shawnee Creek Cherokee and Iroquois had allied with the British, and they were sure for victory. They hoped that the British would restrain the colonizers from displacing them from their land and pushing them further to the end (Bazzaz, 2018). They also wished that they would stop them from moving west beyond the mountain. However, even after the war, the colonizers continued to expand their territories. Throughout the 29th century, the Native Americans continued to be pushed to the end.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the colonization and liberation of America is a journey that left many impacts on those involved in its struggle. By looking at the history of America, great lessons are to be learned by the historian. The nation is founded on the principle of the separation of the church and the state after the Pilgrim Fathers experienced the dangers involved in the unification of the two entities. Unless this principle stands, our nation will soon be the oppressor of the human right of worship.

References

Shi, D. E., & Tindall, G. B. (2016). America: A narrative history. WW Norton & Company.

Bailyn, B. (2017). The ideological origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press.

Buckingham, J. S. (2011). Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Other British Provinces in North America: With a Plan of National Colonization. Cambridge University Press.

Roper, L. H. (2015). The English Empire in America, 1602-1658: Beyond Jamestown. Routledge.

Bazzaz, F. A. (2018, June 15). US History I (AY Collection). Retrieve from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory1ay/chapter/the-consequences-of-the-american-revolution/