The United States of America as an independent nation was proclaimed in 1776. It took the American people another seven years of hard war with England to defend their independence. Only in 1783 under the Peace of Versailles did England recognize the sovereignty of the overseas republic.
The conflict between the colonies and the metropolises developed gradually. As you know, the colonization of North America began in the early eleventh century. The vast majority of white settlers came from Europe, mostly from England. By the beginning of the War of Independence, there were about 2.5 million people in the 13 colonies, of which 500 thousand were negro slaves from Africa. Attempts to turn Indians into slaves were unsuccessful.
The colonial administration found common ground with the legislative assemblies of the colonies. The situation was different with the mass gatherings of settlers. They sometimes passed very radical resolutions, such as: “No taxes without representation! “. Attempts by the English government to restrain, to suspend the rapid economic growth of the American colonies, their desire for full independence, to eliminate the domination of the metropolis met with the resolute resistance of the American people.
The introduction in 1765 of stamp duty on almost all business papers, the imposition of duties on a number of goods, the ban on the issue of banknotes, caused widespread dissatisfaction. Resistance was met by the “tea law”, which did not allow English colonists to engage in the transportation of tea.
The government of England strongly opposed the unification of the colonies and hindered the development of self-government in them in every way. Although the colonies had legislative assemblies, an English-appointed governor could veto the assembly’s decisions.
Attempts by representatives of the colonies to persuade the king to make concessions failed. Moreover, England’s conservative government itself went on the offensive. In 1763 the king’s decree once again and categorically forbade colonists to settle and develop land beyond the Alleghanies. The following year duties were imposed on goods imported from America into Europe. Taxes and duties were to be paid in paper money, but in silver. Soon settlers were forced to build barracks for English soldiers and put them up for lodging. The number of troops grew, and English patrol boats fiercely pursued American smugglers.
The “Boston Tea Party” of 1773 was the beginning of open clashes between the colonists and the metropolis. The people were arming themselves. Armed troops were being formed to fight for independence. The nation was still forming; religious and ethnic divisions hindered the unity of the people. The country split into two camps: opponents and supporters of the king.
On April 19, 1775, open hostilities began between colonists and English troops. On May 10, the Second Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia and met intermittently until 1779. Due to extraordinary circumstances, it was transformed from an – 4 advisory body into a plenipotentiary assembly of representatives of all the colonies. It began to function as a federal representation. Colonel J. Washington was appointed commander in chief. In June the establishment of a regular army was announced. In response, the king declared the colonies in rebellion.
The most important part of the Second Continental Congress is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776. This day is considered a national holiday.
The Declaration expressed in accessible form the fundamental aspirations of the American people for liberty and democracy, and was read to the sound of cannon salutes and the ringing of bells. It inspired the soldiers better than any sermon.
The reasons for the complete severance of political and governmental ties with England were justified in the Declaration as follows: “We hold the following truths to be self-evident: All men are created equal, and all are endowed by the Creator with unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights governments have been established among men, invested with equitable power by the consent of the governed…. ” An important constitutional act issued during the War of Independence are the Articles of Confederation, effective March 1, 1781. It is essentially a treaty of union and cooperation between 13 independent states. It referred to the former colonies as states, each retaining its own sovereignty. To manage the general affairs of the union, a unicameral congress was to be convened annually. In it each state had one vote, but the number of delegates ranged from two to seven.
The final step in the democratic development of the United States was the adoption of the Constitution of 1787. On September 17, 1787, the Congress approved the draft Constitution, and after its ratification by three-fourths of the states, it entered into force.