American Revolution Dbq Essay

On April 19, 1775, the American colonists and the British fought the battles of Lexington and Concord. General Gage of the British army ordered around seven or eight hundred men to march to the city of Concord, New Hampshire to seize gunpowder and weapons from the colonists. He also was hoping to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock who he had heard were in Lexington. Paul Revere heard of the British plan and rode to Lexington by night to alert the minutemen in Lexington. The militia formed under Captain John Parker, and numbered about 120 men. They used mostly old muskets or rifles and bayonets for those who had them. The British all were well armed with muskets and bayonets in this battle. While the minutemen mostly wore their normal farmer’s

clothing, the British war their full red coats and uniforms. Both pistol muskets and normal full-length muskets were used. Smoothbore and sniper-like muskets were both used, but few Americans used the smoothbore rifles due to their inaccuracy. Cannons were used by the British and maybe occasionally by the patriots when they could get their hands on them. Cannons either shot cannonballs or grape shot, which was a group of small led balls that was fired at the enemy. The ranks were formed on the Lexington Green and the battle began when a shot was heard. When it was over only one Redcoat was wounded, while eight colonists died in battle. The British then marched to Concord to seize the weapons. In doing so, the courthouse was accidentally set ablaze and the colonists assumed that the Redcoats were burning the town. They formed up and attacked the British at the North Bridge, killing two high ranking Redcoats and many soldiers. The British were forced to retreat, and the colonists continued to bother them with long distance shots all the way to Boston. John Parker also led one more ambush, known as John Parker’s Revenge.
 The Second Continental Congress
The second continental congress began on May 10, 1775, and was preceded over by John Hancock. Even though Congress lacked the authority to govern they made great contributions to military matters, statements of position, financing the war, independence, legislation, and the opening of diplomatic channels. Encouraged strongly by John Adams, the congress appointed the southerner George Washington to lead the continental army, and he left to join the army in Boston on June 23. Four majors were also elected to serve in the army under Washington. Congress also authorized the invasion of Canada, which turned out to be a poor decision. The congress passed several petitions which stated their loyalty to the king, but also upheld their right to take up arms if their freedoms weren’t restored. In these petitions they always pinned parliament as the culprit instead of the king. The congress attempted to fund soldiers by giving paper certificates out and borrowing funds from other countries. They struggled to pay their expenses for the entire war. Congress also eventually declared independence and sent Silas Deane to France, where he received weapons and the help of some French officials. The congress also established legislation for the colonies, but they could not make binding legislation acts as they didn’t have the authority to do so. Congress achieved much, but much of their time was spent in fighting between colonists from different regions. Political parties were beginning to form. For the majority of them, independence was beginning to be seen as the only way to fix the colonies issues with Britain.

 Circle of Viewpoints
First, from the viewpoint of a patriot, there were many reasons to be displeased with Britain and want to declare independence.

Britain taxed them on everyday items they thought they needed such as sugar, molasses, and tea. They felt these taxes were not legal because they were not put to the use of the colonies, but rather all the money went back overseas to Britain. They also felt this was absolutely unfair because they as the colonies had no representation in the British Parliament. They felt all people had basic rights, such as life, liberty, and property, and taxes took from them and violated their rights. They felt they had done their part because they had fought for the British in the French and Indian war. They felt they needed independence because interactions with the British were leading to violence, such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, and because there was no way they could be represented well with a representative so far away. Independence looked like the only logical way out.

Being a wealthy business owner, however, there were multiple reasons to remain a Loyalist. They felt that s strong, united British Empire would be the best for all of them. They profited in trade from England and felt that the American colonies would be much weaker without the British. They also didn’t mind the taxes because they were to pay for the French and Indian war, and because they were

wealthy.
Three pros of independence would be the right to tax themselves instead of the British taxing them, getting good representation close to home, and not being ordered where to live by the British as well as avoiding violence and death such as occurred in the Boston massacre. Three cons would be a most likely decreased or stopped trade with Britain, a new and weak government with no support from outside the colonies, and no military help from the British should the colonies need it for Indians or attacks from other countries.
After looking at both sides of the debate of independence, I believe that both sides had good reasons for their belief of what action the colonies had to take. Looking at this does make me wonder if there were a large group of colonists who were determined to get reforms from the British, but were also determined not to do so by violent conflict. I feel like this may have been the group I would have been in had I been alive during this time.
 The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a formal, legal, and practical document written by Thomas Jefferson under the direction of the colonist’s representatives.

The Declaration of Independence stated to the outside world that the thirteen colonies were separating from English power and becoming their own independent country. The congress chose Thomas Jefferson to do the main writing of the document. It was approved on July 4, 1776, a day we continue to celebrate as the national holiday of Independence Day. As the President of Congress, John Hancock signed the Declaration first with his famous large signature. Even though the declaration was written with a smaller group considered as people at the time, it declared that all people had the basic right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and they were separating from Britain because they were taking away their rights as

people.

 Causes for the Declaration and Christian Conclusion
As I stated earlier, there were many reasons for the colonists to be angry and want to separate from Britain. However, not all of these were good reasons from a Christian perspective. While the colonists were taxed without representation and on many everyday items, their main reaction was in pride and anger that anyone would do something like this to them. Throwing rocks at British soldiers and throwing British tea into the harbor would have not been something we should have approved of as Christians. I Samuel 15:23 – “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Petitioning the king and more peaceful protest would have been okay, but acting in rebellion and anger against authority God put over us would have been sin on our part.
However, God had His purpose in this. This was part of His eternal plan just as everything else in history was. God used this “oppression” by the British and the forming of the thirteen colonies and eventually the United States of America to give us a place where even today we can worship freely without oppression. We should always bear in mind, however, that in the past we did not always have this freedom. Also, this freedom will be taken away in the future when the antichrist returns. We do not know whether or not this will be in our lifetime, however, we should never take for granted the freedom that we have in this country, and always remember it is God that has given it to us. Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”