Official End Of The Independence War example essay topic

The Revolutionary War of 1775-1783 is one of the greatest events in the American history. In fact it is the first one of it, for it was the war that won independence for 13 North American colonies of Great Britain, which later formed the United States of America. It all began after the end of costly French and Indian war of 1763. Britain imposed on the colonies new taxes and trade restrictions, which fueled growing resentment and added to the colonists' objection to their lack of representation in the British Parliament. Determined to achieve independence, the colonies formed the Continental Army, composed chiefly of minutemen, to challenge Britain's large, organized militia. The war began when Britain sent a force to destroy rebel military stores at Concord, Mass.

After such a course of actions, rebel forces decided to siege the city of Boston, which was considered one of the strongholds of British troops and administration. On March 17, 1776 they successfully forced Britains out of the city. Later the Continental Army refused to surrender in exchange for British pardon, and on July 4, 1776 the Colonies declared their independence. Though the official declaration was 2 days late from actual event when the Congress voted in favor of Richard Henry Lees proposal to declare independence, the documented Declaration of Independence was designed with the purpose of influencing the public opinion and gaining the support of both internal and external (mostly French) forces. That was the beginning of a new epoch. British troops retaliated with several won battles of which the most significant were the battles of Trenton and Princeton.

In turn the United forces in October of 1777 won the battle of Saratoga. In the same year another important document was ratified by the same Congress, which passed the Declaration of Independence. It was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. The Articles was a sort of prototype for the future Constitution. It established a firm league of friendship between the 13 states. An important part of the Article was the declaration that all states will remain sovereign and free in their decision-making.

Under the Articles the Congress was enforced to adopt only the decision of foreign affairs, and never of the affairs, which would regulate the trade among states or internal tax collections. Though the Articles were adopted in November of 1777, they became operative only on March 1, 1781 when the last of the 13 states signed it, and remained effective till the end of the War. The winter of 1777-1778 was spent by the united troops at Valley Forge, where 11,000 soldiers received necessary military training, which gave them the victory in Monmouth, NJ on June 28, 1778. Earlier this year, on the 6th of February the US and France signed the Treaty of Alliance, under which the parties agreed on mutual aid in the case of war with England, regardless of whom it will attack. The Treaty also included the agreement that neither makes peace with Britain until it recognizes the Independence of the States. Consequently, in July of 1778, France, which was anonymously supporting Americans since 1776, declared the war on Britain.

The French troops assisted Americans mainly from the South, culminating with the siege of Yorktown, where British troops surrendered. Now on, the war continued only at the sea. Americans did not take an active part in this struggle, the allies of US (mostly Spain and Netherlands) kept the British fleet close to the European continent. Nevertheless, the last battle was won by American navy in the Straits of Florida in March of 1783.

On the 3rd of September 1873 Britain recognizes the independence of the United States by signing the Peace Treaty of Paris. Besides the official end of the Independence War this treaty regulated the establishment of the U.S. boundaries, specified certain fishing rights, allowed creditors of each country to be paid by citizens of the other, restored the rights and property of Loyalists, opened up the Mississippi River to citizens of both nations and provided for evacuation of all British forces. These were the main events of the Revolutionary War that gave the birth to our nation, and shaped the idea of freedom, as we understand it today.