| The American Revolution was a civil war
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| | carried out half-heartedly and
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| between Loyalists to the British crown
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| | lackadaisically. On the other hand,
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| (aka Tories, about one fifth of the
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| | British die-hards, such as Samuel
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| population), supported by British
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| | Johnson, demanded blood ("I am willing to
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| expeditionary forces, and Patriots (or
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| | love all Mankind, except an American").
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| Whigs) in the 13 colonies that
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| | The denizens of the colonies tried, till
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| constituted British North America.
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| | the last moment, to avert a
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| About 20-25% of the populace in the
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| | constitutional (and, consequently,
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| colonies - c. 600,000 - were blacks.
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| | military) crisis. They suggested a model
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| About one third of the white denizens
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| | of two semi-autonomous nations (the
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| were non-British. Local patriotism ran
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| | United Kingdom and the colonies), united
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| high. All adult, white, property-owning,
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| | by the figurehead of the King. But it was
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| men (about two thirds of the male
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| | too little and way too late. Violent
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| numbers) were eligible to vote in
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| | clashes between the citizenry and British
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| elections to the lower house of the
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| | units started as early as October 1765
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| legislative assembly of the colony they
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| | with the First Nonimportation Movement,
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| resided in. Each colony also had its
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| | directed against the Stamp Act. They
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| governor.
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| | continued with the Boston Massacre (five
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| Some colonies (e.g., Rhode Island and
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| | dead) in 1770; the attack on the British
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| Connecticut) were, in effect,
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| | customs ship, the Gaspée, in Rhode
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| incorporated under royal charter as
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| | Island, in 1772; and the Boston Tea Party
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| semi-commercial ventures. Others belonged
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| | in 1773.
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| to the descendants of their founders
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| | In April 1775, General Gage, governor and
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| (proprietary colonies such as Maryland,
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| | military commander of Massachusetts,
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| Pennsylvania, and Delaware). Georgia,
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| | suffered a humiliating defeat in a
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| North and South Carolina, Virginia, New
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| | skirmish in Concord and Lexington. The
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| Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and New
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| | Patriots were alerted to his movements by
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| Hampshire were royal provinces, under
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| | Paul Revere who rode all night to inform
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| direct British rule.
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| | them that the "regulars (not the British,
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| Some of the colonists - for instance, the
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| | as the legend has it) are coming." He was
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| New Englanders - were among the
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| | one of many such scouts.
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| wealthiest and best educated people in
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| | The Loyalists fielded 50-55,000 armed men
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| the world, better off than the British
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| | and the Patriots countered by organizing
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| themselves. But, per capita, they paid
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| | "militias" - irregular units of
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| only 3% of the taxes levied on a typical
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| | ill-trained and undisciplined volunteers.
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| Briton. The colonies supplied the West
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| | The Continental Army was established only
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| Indies with most of their foodstuffs and
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| | in June 1775, under the command of George
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| consumed British finished products - but
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| | Washington, a veteran of the French and
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| they were not economically crucial to the
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| | Indian War. At their peak, the rebels
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| British Empire.
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| | mastered less than 100,000 men in arms -
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| In the years leading to the War of
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| | only 25-30,000 of which were on active
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| Independence (1765-1776), the British
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| | duty at any given time.
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| actually repealed all the taxes on
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| | The Continental Army was, in the words of
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| products imported into the colonies -
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| | General Philip Schuyler of New York "weak
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| with the single exception of tea (and
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| | in numbers, dispirited, naked, destitute
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| even this tax was drastically reduced).
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| | of provisions, without camp equipage,
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| The colonists' slogan "no taxation
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| | with little ammunition, and not a single
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| without representation" was, therefore,
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| | piece of cannon." Late pay caused
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| more about local representation than
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| | frequent mutinies and desertions. In
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| about foreign taxation. And even this bit
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| | 1783, Washington had to personally
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| ringed hollow. The Encyclopedia
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| | intervene to prevent a military coup.
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| Britannica: "The assemblies had the right
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| | Only repeated promises of cash bonuses
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| to tax; to appropriate money for public
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| | and land grants kept this mob of
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| works and public officials, and to
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| | youngsters, foreigners, and indentured
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| regulate internal trade, religion, and
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| | servants intermittently cohesive.
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| social behavior". The role of British
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| | Still, they outnumbered the British and
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| government was confined to foreign
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| | the "Hessians" - the 30,000 German
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| affairs and trade.
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| | mercenaries who participated in the 8
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| But both parties to the conflict breached
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| | years of fighting. In all of North
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| this modus vivendi. During the Seven
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| | America, the British had 60,000 soldiers
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| Years (French and Indian) War
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| | as late as 1779. They had to face a
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| (1754-1763), the colonies refused to
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| | growing presence of hostile French,
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| relinquish control over their militias to
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| | Spanish, and Dutch armies, supplies, and
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| the British command and smuggled French
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| | navies. The Native-Americans (Indians)
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| goods into British North America (France
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| | supported mostly the British, especially
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| being Britain's enemy). The British, on
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| | west of the Appalachians. This provoked
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| the other hand, began interfering in the
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| | numerous massacres by the Patriots.
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| colonies' internal affairs, notably (but
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| | The War spread to other parts of the
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| not only) by imposing taxes and customs
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| | world: the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean,
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| duties in order to ameliorate Britain's
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| | India, the Netherlands, the
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| growing national debt and by rendering
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| | Mediterranean. The US Navy even invaded
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| tax officials financially independent of
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| | the British port of Whitehaven in 1778.
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| the local colonial assemblies.
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| | The conflict affected the civilian
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| Add to this a severe recession in the
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| | population as well with both sides
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| colonies brought on by unbridled spending
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| | committing war crimes and atrocities
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| financed with unsustainable personal
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| | aplenty. With many men gone, women took
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| indebtedness and, not surprisingly, acts
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| | over traditionally male roles and
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| of resistance to British taxation - such
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| | vocations, such as farming.
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| as the Boston Tea Party - were organized
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| | Hyperinflation - brought on by $500
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| mainly by smugglers, artisans, and
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| | million in newly minted and printed money
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| shopkeepers. Secret groupings, such as
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| | - led to mob scenes as storekeepers were
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| the Sons of Liberty resorted to violence
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| | attacked and warehouses looted.
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| and intimidation to achieve their (mostly
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| | The blacks largely sided with the British
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| economic but disguised as "patriotic")
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| | - but many joined the Patriots and, thus,
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| goals. Even women got involved in a "buy
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| | won their freedom after the war. Virginia
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| American" campaign of boycotting British
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| | planters alone manumitted 10,000 slaves.
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| goods.
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| | By 1800, slavery was abolished in all the
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| Many British merchants, bankers,
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| | states north of Delaware.
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| politicians, intellectuals, and
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| | All told, less than 7000 Patriots died in
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| journalists supported the colonies
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| | battle (and 8500 wounded). About 1200
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| against the crown - each group for its
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| | Germans perished, too. No one knows how
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| own reasons. The merchants and bankers,
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| | many British troops, Indians, and other
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| for instance, were terrified of a mooted
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| | combatants paid with their lives in this
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| unilateral debt moratorium to be declared
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| | protracted conflict. About 100,000
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| by the colonies if and when militarily
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| | Loyalists emigrated to Canada and
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| attacked. Others found it distasteful to
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| | thousands others (mainly of African
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| kill and maim white British subjects (as
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| | ancestry) went to Sierra Leone and the
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| the insurgents were). Yet others resisted
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| | Bahamas. They were all fully compensated
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| imperialism, the monarchy, taxes, or all
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| | for the property they left behind in what
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| three. Even within the British Army there
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| | came to be known as the United States of
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| was strong dissent and the campaign
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| | America (USA).
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| against the rebellious colonies was
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