The revolutionary war took place from 1773-1783; It came to be because of the British adding rules and taxation causing great distress among the colonists.
By sophiafust
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John Locke
"All people are born free and equal, with three natural rights...The purpose of government is to protect these rights. If a government fails to do so, citizens have a right to overthrow it." (Black and Beck 551). Locke believes that people should have a say in government affairs,if the government does things they do not agree with they can choose to rebel. This connects back to the start of the war because the citizens did not want the extra taxes and rules so they fought back. -
Jean Jacques Rousseau
"Rousseau believed that the only good government was one that was freely formed by the people and guided by the "general will" of society... It was an agreement among free individuals to create a society and a government" (Black and Beck 554). Rousseau believed people should be free and have the right to create a government they all found fair. The declaration of Independence was an agreement from the newly freed people that had created a new fair government. -
Immanuel Kant
Kant believed that in order for a revolution to be successful there had to be effort put into it. Otherwise, everything would go back to its old ways and all progress would be lost. This connects back to the Intolerable Acts of 1774 because the Americans had finally had enough of Britain's rule and they decided to push their progress to the next level. -
Cesare Bonesana Beccaria
Beccaria believed in fair punishment, if you stole a piece of bread you wouldn't get your head chopped off. This connects back to the Boston Massacre because, the soldiers got off easy because of their position in society. Just because the Americans were harassing the soldiers it does not mean they should have been murdered. -
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft believed in the equal treatment of both man and woman. She spread her ideas to women all over and gave them hope and reason to fight. Everything Mary believed in was brought into the revolution by other strong women interested in her ideas and philosophy. -
Boston Massacre
A group of British soldiers were being harassed by a gaggle of Americans when suddenly they fired at them with their muskets. At least eight were injured and three died. The Royal Governor withdrew the British troops and captain Thomas Presstin was arrested. This relates back to Beccaria's philosophy. -
Intolerable Acts of 1774
Four punitive measures put into place in reaction to the Boston Tea Party, together with the Quebec Act established a new administration for territories given to Britain after the French Indian war. These acts made Britain have more power and rule over the colonists. -
The Start of the War
The beginning of the American revolution began because of the tensions between the thirteen British colonies and the colonial government of Britain. The British government began to add lots of unnecessary rules and taxes to the thirteen colonies, and the colonists began to grow angry. John Locke's philosophy connects back to this event. -
The Declaration of Independence
The declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The Second Continental congress voted to adopt the declaration of independence drafted by a five man committee, this document was a series of guidelines for the colonists to live by. This summarized the colonists motivations for seeking independence. This also relates back to the philosopher Rousseau's ideas and beliefs. -
Women's suffrage
As the long war starts to die down everyone, including women, wants to help create the new government. The women of this time began fighting for equal rights because they wanted to be a part of creating a new and improved nation. The revolution increased peoples attention towards political affairs and helped people realize that they could stand up for themselves. This is everything Mary Wollstonecraft stood for, she believed in treating the sexes equally. -
Works Cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Intolerable Acts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 Oct. 2017, www.britannica.com/event/Intolerable-Acts.
Beck, Roger B. World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Littell, 2005.
history.state.gov/milestone/1776-1783/declaration.
