Overview
In 1776, the 13 American colonies - refusing to pay unjust taxes - declared their independence from Britain. The resulting years of war are called the American Revolution; but many founding fathers believed the real American Revolution was not war with Britain, but the revolution in ideas which preceded and caused the war. From 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years, many Americans were transformed from loyal subjects into rebels against Britain. Together, the thirteen colonies set out to create something new under the sun: a government which derived its just authority from the consent of the governed.
To understand this unparalleled event, it is necessary to explore the character and ideas of 18th Century Americans. What vision caused them to rebel? How faithfully did they follow it?
In 1773, the Seven Years War with France had made Britain the greatest power on earth. But the war had doubled her national debt; interest payments alone consumed 5/8ths of Britain's annual budget. To ease this burden, Britain made a fateful blunder - she decided to impose and enforce taxes upon the American Colonies.
In 1764, Britain imposed the Sugar Act. This was followed by the Stamp Act and the Townshend Revenue Act, and Americans openly rebelled. On April 17,1775, British and American Forces first clashed at the Battle of Lexington. The war continued for years, complicated by the fact that some Americans wished to remain British subjects. To those colonists, the American Revolution was a bloody civil war.
On October 19, 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. The 13 Colonies had won the war. Theywould now become the United States of America; but their conflicts with Britain were not over.