Prelude to the American Revolution
By Camille Delany (Agent Colwyn)
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was one of the most important events in kicking off the American Revolution. In reality, it would not actually count as a massacre. The definition of a real massacre is the killing of numerous defenseless civilians. Yes, the British troop involved fired on and killed 5 young men. But the true story is that rebel colonists started throwing hunks of ice and rocks at British soldiers, forcing the British to fire at them in self-defense. Of course, they probably could have found a more peaceful solution to the issue, but it wasn't their fault, really.
The Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was a proclamation by the king that stated colonists had to stay east of the Appalachian Mountain Range. This, in theory, was to keep the settlers and the native americans from killing each other for land. But this new rule made colonists angry because many had already settled West, and patriots saw this as another attempt to cage them under British rule. Colonists protested this and said that most of the known land beyond the Appalachian Mountains was already settled. Indeed, it was. Population in the colonies had been growing, and the land they covered was, of course, not. The British, as usual, ignored their protests, and then increased there army in the colonies to 7,500 men.
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a series of acts passed by Parliament in 1774. They were passed mainly to "punish" the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. The king was very angry about his slipping grasp of power over the colonies, so he decided to make it a strangle hold. The acts were as follows:
1 No goods were allowed in or out of Boston Harbor.
2 Massachusetts was now completely under British reign, with all the people in the entire state basically put under house arrest.
3 Any British soldiers that were on trial for murder were tried in Britain.
And even more troops of British soldiers were sent to the colonies to enforce these new harsh laws. Apparently, the king thought that this would restore his grip on the colonies, but in fact, it made it slip farther. Colonists outside of Boston sent support and food, and the colonies began to unite as one.
The Boston Massacre
The Proclamation of 1763
the Intolerable acts
My Opinion On the Start of the American Revolution
Personally, I believe that the Patriots were in the right on this. I mean, it's kind of common sense now, the whole democracy thing. But back then the idea that all men were created equal was totally alien. We had slaves, and so did most of the rest of the known world. Then, some common farmers that lived in an extension of England got this idea into their heads that they were equal with royalty, with the right to govern themselves! I mean really, who could take them seriously? Eventually, they got themselves together, and started a revolution that not only created a major country but also gradually changed the entire world's view on equality. That was a major and wonderful achievement that obviously wouldn't have happened without the original ideas of the Patriots.