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→The War: edit
Relations were strained further, when in March of 1770, there was an altercation between British soldiers and a colonial mob that resulted in the death of five colonists. This became known as the [[Boston Massacre]].
Relations were strained further, when in March of 1770, there was an altercation between British soldiers and a colonial mob that resulted in the death of five colonists. This became known as the [[Boston Massacre]].
== The War ==
== The Revolution ==
The war began in April 1775, when [[Paul Revere]]'s midnight ride alerted the [[Massachusetts]] militia that [[British]] troops under the command of General [[Thomas Gage]] were moving to seize an arms depot in [[Concord, Massachusetts]]. The militia held a bridge at nearby [[Battle of Lexington|Lexington]], and the "Shot heard 'round the world" was fired, although it is unknown which side fired first. After this short skirmish, and the subsequent [[Battle of Lexington]], delegates from the [[Thirteen Colonies]] met in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] and convened the [[Second Continental Congress]] to draft a [[Declaration of Independence]]. The Declaration was officially signed on July 4, 1776, officially severing American ties with England.
The war began in April 1775, when [[Paul Revere]]'s midnight ride alerted the [[Massachusetts]] militia that [[British]] troops under the command of General [[Thomas Gage]] were moving to seize an arms depot in [[Concord, Massachusetts]]. The militia held a bridge at nearby [[Battle of Lexington|Lexington]], and the "Shot heard 'round the world" was fired, although it is unknown which side fired first. After this short skirmish, and the subsequent [[Battle of Lexington]], delegates from the [[Thirteen Colonies]] met in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] and convened the [[Second Continental Congress]] to draft a [[Declaration of Independence]]. The Declaration was officially signed on July 4, 1776, officially severing American ties with England.
The culmination of the war was the [[Battle of Yorktown]], which pitted the American army, under the command of General [[George Washington]], along with the French, under the command of General [[Comte de Rochambeau]], against the British, under the command of General [[Charles Cornwallis]]. Due to a French Naval blockade, Cornwallis was unable to receive the reinforcements and supplies he needed, surrendered along with 7,000 troops on October 19, 1971.
The ideas in the [[Declaration of Independence]], drafted by 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson with help by other Founders, were very powerful. Invoking the authority of God frequently throughout the document, the Declaration contains the most striking legal statement of all time: “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.” The phrase “that all men are created equal” was original to the Declaration of Independence and was quoted frequently by [[Abraham Lincoln]] (e.g., in the Gettysburg Address) and by other future Americans.
The Declaration of Independence drew upon Christianity and the Enlightenment English philosopher [[John Locke]]. In his famous work “Two Treatises on Government” (1690), Locke declared that all men have the natural (inalienable) rights of “life, liberty and estate (property).” [[Adam Smith]], the great economist, modified this to be “life, liberty and the pursuit of property.” Notably the Declaration of Independence does not emphasize a right to pursue property, however, speaking instead in favor of pursuit of “happiness”.
Locke also wrote that government exists to defend our natural rights, and when government fails to do so then it may rightfully be overthrown. Locke built on the concept of a “social contract” first proposed by [[Thomas Hobbes]] (1588-1679), who felt that government was a contract by which people gave up some rights to government to obtain protection and order in return. When this social contract is violated by government, as when it fails to defend our natural rights, then Locke felt that rejecting the authority of government was justified. This logic was embraced by the Declaration of Independence by declaring that the colonies were right to break away from the King of England because he failed to uphold the social contract. The Declaration said: “That to secure these [inalienable] rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government ….” And the Patriots did “abolish” English rule here.
The culmination of the Revolution was the [[Battle of Yorktown]], which pitted the American army, under the command of General [[George Washington]], along with the French, under the command of General [[Comte de Rochambeau]], against the British, under the command of General [[Charles Cornwallis]]. Due to a French Naval blockade, Cornwallis was unable to receive the reinforcements and supplies he needed, surrendered along with 7,000 troops on October 19, 1971.
The war concluded with the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris]] in 1783, granting independence to the colonies.
The war concluded with the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris]] in 1783, granting independence to the colonies.
[[image:Betsy_Ross_flag.jpg|300px|right]]
[[image:Betsy_Ross_flag.jpg|300px|right]]
== Chronology of the American Revolution ==
== Chronology of the American Revolution ==