AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
1. Context
The United States is celebrating its 249th Independence Day on Friday, July 4. This was the day in which the country’s founding fathers formally signed the Declaration of Independence, officially ending British rule over the colonies. Here’s a brief history.
2. Origins and disappointments of Crown
- Over a century and a half after Britain established its first lasting settlements in North America, tensions had begun to rise between the colonists and the British Crown.
- By the 1760s and early 1770s, the original 13 colonies, which lacked any voice in the British Parliament, faced a series of legislative measures that imposed steep taxes and restricted their freedoms.
- Acts such as the Sugar Act of 1764, the Tea Act of 1773, and the Intolerable Acts of 1774 were widely viewed by the colonists as unwarranted interference by Britain in their affairs.
- At the same time, Enlightenment ideals emphasizing liberty and equality were gaining ground, setting the stage for a revolutionary movement
3. Boston Tea Party and decisions
- On December 16, 1773, a protest group known as the Sons of Liberty took a bold stand against British rule by destroying a shipment of tea belonging to the British East India Company in Boston.
- This event, later known as the Boston Tea Party, sparked widespread opposition across the colonies to the tea tax and symbolized growing resistance to British authority. The colonists argued that it was unjust for Britain to impose taxes on them without granting them any representation in Parliament.
- In response to the escalating tensions, the 13 colonies united to form the Continental Congress. Initially, this body sought a peaceful resolution by organizing a boycott of British products and appealing to King George III for fairer treatment. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, and by April 1775, the colonies found themselves engaged in a full-scale war for independence from British rule.
- The conflict lasted until 1783, when Britain officially acknowledged the independence of the United States following its military defeat. This outcome was significantly influenced by the intervention and support of Britain's European adversaries, particularly France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic
4. Declaration of Independence
- Even before the Revolutionary War had ended, the Continental Congress took a decisive step by proclaiming independence from British rule.
- On July 2, 1776, representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies agreed unanimously that the American colonies were, by right, free and sovereign states.
- John Adams, who would later serve as the second President of the United States, predicted that July 2 would be remembered as a landmark moment in American history and celebrated by future generations as a national holiday.
- However, it was actually July 4 that became iconic. That was the day when the Declaration of Independence — the official document affirming the colonies' break from Britain — was adopted. This date has since been celebrated annually in the United States as Independence Day.
- The Declaration famously proclaimed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
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For Prelims: Tea Act of 1773, Sugar Act of 1764
For Mains: GS I - World History
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Source: Indianexpress
