The Glorious Cause
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain. But how did it get to that point?
Social and Political Climate
Effective comparison of the social and political climate in England in the 1760s with the American colonies requires consideration of multiple factors. The political climate differentiated slightly between the northern and southern colonies and the eastern populace, versus the western individualists. Some tended to be loyal to the crown, while others embraced a vision of self-regulation. Social tendencies also varied, with some maintaining the historical values and practices of their English predecessors, yet many colonists embraced new social norms, highly influenced by the enlightenment, the diversity of immigrant origins based on culture, and varying socio-economic factors related to geographic location. England’s state of political and social climate was much different (J. Miller, personal communication, Fall, 2016).
American Colonists were a diverse group of individuals. Many came from countries across Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands, who ran great farming communities. African slaves, though not personally influential at the time, resourced large Southern agricultural plantations for the Southern aristocracy. Coastal cities were comprised mostly of merchants involved in trade and shipping. Colonists who lived inland were typically more independent and in the beginning were not affected much by the English and their provocative acts. In the end, each was affected in their own way, and though it may have been slightly different than other groups, the contention united most of them against the English (History Unshelved, 2014).
The political state of England at this time was one of an absolute monarchy supported by a somewhat non-influential Parliament. Neither of these entities were very sympathetic to the colonial mindset. Instead, they wanted to control this land in America that yielded such great natural resources. These resources were seen by the English as a critical asset to create revenue to pay off its large debt, and fund the empire. The political ideas of England towards the American Colonies, specifically that colonists should be subjected to English rule, and the failure on England’s behalf to understand the complex situation unfolding in the colonies, led to a significant increase in political, social, religious, and economic strife in America (Middlekauff, 2005).
The American Colonies had survived for a hundred years with little governmental influence from England, to the extent that they were governing themselves effectively, at least at the local level. Combine this with second and third generation Americans who progressively gained their own identity as hard working individualist that felt less and less dependent on England, and the divide continues to widen. Misunderstandings, including that of colonial representation (or the lack thereof) in Parliament, predicated the differences between the two entities. All aspects of the differences between England and the colonies were severely underestimated by the Crown (J. Miller, personal communication, Fall, 2016).
The failure of England to understand these differences along with their belief they could change the mindset and behavior of the colonists with strict measures of economic punity, military enforcement of laws, and proclamations of colonial subordination to Imperial rule, did nothing but fuel the fire of political and social backlash towards the Crown. England would continue to fail in this important aspect of understanding, even as the colonists morphed from rebellious subjects to military enemies. Poor leadership, both governmental and military, and lack of understanding would eventually lead to cries of independence.
Actions Leading to the Declaration of Independence
Many American Colonists conducted themselves, their business, and their lives in a manner that drew angst from England’s government. They had not paid taxes to the British Crown in 50-60 years and after the previous war, England wanted in on some of that American money that came from its rich resources and agriculture. The English felt like it was owed to them, after all, the Crown had protected the Americans during the French and Indian War and without England, the American Colonies wouldn’t even exist. A series of misunderstandings from two very different ways of thinking significantly contributed to events that would lead to America declaring independence from England (History Unshelved, 2014).
When England began to enforce their Mercantile policy in the colonies, the ideological differences caused a fair amount of friction. The colonists saw this policy as oppressive and to be taxed again (after half a century of none) by a monarchy that failed to allow them representation in Parliament (by actual Americans) was unacceptable. Dissention and tax avoidance by the colonists led to a crucial and poor decision by the English to levy additional regulation, by means of the Stamp Act. This minor financial burden resulted in huge pushback that led to the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and later the Intolerable Acts and trade restrictions, which instigated boycotts and the assembly of the First Continental Congress (Middlekauff, 2005, Chapter 4).
Eleven years prior to the First Continental Congress, King George issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763 that forbid colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains. From this proclamation to the issuance of the Intolerable Acts, and later the Quebec Acts, American Colonists began to feel more and more infringed upon their rights. The Great Awakening, on the heels of the Reformation had resulted in a different way of thinking amongst many Christian colonists. Religious freedom led to ideas of God-given liberty and individual rights (except for women and slaves), from The Enlightenment, that would significantly shape how Americans saw themselves. They gained their own identity and did not like being told what to do by some power hungry king who lived thousands of miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean (J. Miller, personal communication, Fall, 2016).
The Continental Congress repeatedly wrote to Parliament with a list of grievances. They did this at first to attempt to give a better understanding of colonial perspective of the increasingly tense situation between the two entities and to try and hold them accountable to their own Constitution. England’s provocative response proved again that they failed to understand these important differences between the two. Congress would again write Parliament, but this time its purpose was likely to buy time. This was done simultaneously with the widespread issuance of powerful writings such as Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine (The American Revolution website, 2001).
The shot heard around the world, at Lexington and Concord, a “foreign” Army of occupation, and continued laws and regulations that snubbed colonial rights, drove a deeper wedge between the two parties. Paine’s powerful anti-England propaganda resonated with the average colonist and ignited a movement of the people to stand behind those in the Continental Congress. The same year that Common Sense was published, the Second Continental Congress convened early, in Philadelphia as a result of Lexington and Concord (J. Miller, personal communication, Fall, 2016).
In July they approved the Olive Branch Petition. The king refused to review the petition and in response sent Hessian mercenaries to quell the problem (a cheaper solution than more Redcoats). This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Congressional moderates were dealt quite a blow and as hostilities increased, and those of the Continental Congress were labeled traitors to the Crown, the summer of 1776 would yield a new list of grievances towards King George III. However this time they were part of the official Declaration of Independence, issued by the fledgling United States of America (Middlekauff, 2005, Chapter 14).
American Tactics in the Revolutionary War
American military tactics during the Revolutionary War, though rudimentary at first, played a significant role in the outcome of the war. Ultimately, the Americans won on a strategic level; however, they employed tactics that enabled victory. The Americans eventually waged a total war against the largest and most powerful Army, Navy and arguably Nation in the world.
From a tactical standpoint, America began the war at an extreme disadvantage. They were outgunned, outmanned, underequipped, and severely lacked training. There was, however, one thing in their favor early on. A free man fighting in defense of life, liberty and all he holds dear, is worth 20 conscripts. Also, a campaign of deception, lies and intelligence gathering gave Washington some tactical advantages, but so did British leadership failures. The Americans would leverage unconventional tactics that would take the British Army by surprise, give them advantage in the use of cover and concealment, and even target British officers rendering entire units leaderless. Americans gained some technological advantage later, using guns with rifled barrels that doubled both the range and accuracy of the riflemen. General Washington’s employment of Baron Von Steuben at Valley Forge would bring discipline and professional military tactics to his Army. Finally, the tactical victory at Saratoga enabled a key strategic victory for the Americans, the enlistment of aid from France (History Unshelved, 2014).
The strategic battle is where the real victory was won. England and its leaders failed to understand the colonial problem set from the beginning. They underestimated the situation and the resolve of the colonists. The English were not prepared to fight a lengthy insurgency, that would wear them down economically, politically, militarily, and socially. Washington's greatness as the Commander of the Continental Army was less about his tactical prowess and more about his ability to hold everything together over the long haul. These things ultimately led to England's loss in the Revolutionary War (J. Miller, personal communication, Fall, 2016).
References
Brown, R. D., & Carp, B. L. (Eds.). (2014). Imperial reform and colonial resistance. Major problems in the era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791 (3rd ed., pp. 79-116). Boston, MA: Wadsworth. CENGAGE Learning.
History Unshelved. (2014, January 18). The revolution: Forging an army [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBUFm0lxhZ8&index=6&list=PL75qRofjmCMsqPu92bgs3SxE51zAxZgZo
Middlekauff, R. (2005). Resolution. In The glorious cause: The American revolution, 1763-1789 (Rev. ed., p. 237). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
The American Revolution website. (2001). https://www
.theamericanrevolution.org/default.aspx