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Laura Fris

Mr. Branning

American Studies

September 10, 2007

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

The American Revolutionary War was the largest and most significant turning

point in the history of the United States. Without winning the war, the United States

would have never existed as an independent nation. The American Colonists dealt with so

much pain and nonsense from King George in Great Britain. By 1774, the American

colonists were fed up with the King and all of his unconstitutional actions.

Many events contributed to the departure or separation from Britain, but after the

Boston Tea Party, the major and most influential reason of separation from Great Britain

began with the Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts. These Acts not only

violated the rights of the American people, but they limited all daily living in the

colonies. When this violation occurred, the American Colonists knew their final decision

was to separate from Great Britain. The Intolerable Acts were passed in 1774 to punish

the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.

There were three major acts involved that angered the colonists. These three parts

violated the rights of the American colonists and people and set the stage for separation.

The first part of the Intolerable Acts was the Boston Port Bill. Going into effect on June

1, 1774, it closed the Boston Harbor until the people of Boston paid for the tea that they

threw into the harbor. The Administration of Justice Act became effective May 20th and

it did not allow British soldiers to be tried in the colonies for any crimes they might
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commit. This meant the soldiers could do anything they wanted since they would not be

punished for their crimes. Not only was this unfair to the residents of the colonies

because many crimes could be committed without just action to punish the soldiers, it

was unfair for the American colonists. They would not be allowed to take action against

these soldiers to protect themselves and the colonies. A large part of the Intolerable Acts

was the Massachusetts Government Act, which also took effect on May 20, 1774. It

restricted town meetings to one a year unless the governor approved any more. Also, the

Massachusetts Assembly could no longer pick judges or assemblymen. The governor was

appointed and watched by the Parliament, and was responsible for everything that

happened. The last two Acts were the Quebec and Quartering Acts. These Acts appealed

to the freedom of the Colonists. Their freedom was limited and ignored. They had no say

and had to get out of the relationship with Great Britain. The Quebec Act extended the

Canadian borders and cut out some land in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia.

The Quartering Act allowed British troops to reside in an American family’s house and

use their supplies. Many believe and mistake this Act as happening constantly. Force

quartering of troops rarely occurred, but when enforced it was harsh. A typical family’s

right of privacy was invaded and taken over.

The insane laws that Great Britain had enforced made the people in Massachusetts

and all the colonists very angry. The Colonists realized that there was nothing more that

they could do to save themselves from the tight bonds and choking strings of Great

Britain and King George. Though these last punishments that the American Colonists

encountered hurt them a great deal, they also helped them. They made the colonists

realize the true situation and actually brought them together and united them to set up a
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plan of separation. The colonists had their first Continental Congress in 1774. They

condemned the Intolerable Acts and passed a resolution demanding the lift of British

laws. They denounced Britain's practice of keeping troops in their colonies in peacetime

and sent a loyal address to the king asking for his help to fight in their struggle. Of

course, as always, the King never answered and ignored the petition. That was the last

attempt the American colonies took in rekindling the relationship with their mother

country. From then on, the American colonies would fight for their independence.

The events leading up to the Revolutionary War were all very significant in the

efforts of independence. Never again would the simple life of an American be simple.

Everything would change when fighting for independence, but the American colonies

were ready to take on these challenges. A long, difficult war would follow the

announcement of separation from Great Britain. The turn out and winner of the war all

depended on how much the situation and freedom meant to each person in the war. If it

hadn’t been for the colonists and their fight towards independence, I believe the United

States would still be controlled under British rule. Our rights could be severely restricted,

we would be ordered to do whatever the Parliament wanted us to do, and we would be

spied upon by Parliament officials. Thankfully the American Colonists strived for their

goals and made our country what it is today.