The American Revolution
What we call the United States of America didn’t come about all on its own; it took many sacrifices, hard work and planning, not to mention a fight against all odds, in order to create this great nation. The majority of the war that resulted in the creation of this nation began from the 19th of April 1775 and went up till 1781. The British, at the time, considered the thirteen colonies to be nothing more than just another ‘outer area’ of the British Empire, which spread globally all over. King George wanted the major portion of all the wealth that was generated from the Colonies. However, the Founding Fathers of America did not agree with this opinion, and when 8 Minutemen were killed on the Lexington Green, the war well and truly began.
In one of the many Continental Congress meetings that were held in the subsequent year, Benjamin Franklin, having signed the Declaration of Independence, said ‘Now, gentlemen, if we don’t all hang together in this, we’ll all hang separately’. His words were true, and the people to whom he spoke these words were all aware that they were regarded as traitors to the Crown. Had the events of the war taken place in a different manner, they would all be strung up and hung with their broken necks for the world to see. America has to thank George Washington for such an event not happening. With his shrewd understanding of the war, as well as a great deal of help from the French (thank Napoleon for that!), George Washington was able to win the war.
George Washington lost a total of 6 major battles, and only managed to win 3. He proved that numbers don’t really matter however; the 3 victories that he won were defining enough to ensure that they were the ones that mattered at the end of the day. Washington’s arch nemesis was Charles Lord Cornwallis, who was often a bigger match than Washington could handle. However, with his tactical understanding of the war as well as friendships with the French, such as Gilbert Du Motier and the Marquis De Lafayette, was able to overpower Cornwallis. As Cornwallis signed the official surrender, The United States of America first became a nation all on its own.
The Articles of Confederation were removed, and in its place the Constitution of the United States was set up as the supreme law of the land. A decree was also established, which regarded all men as being equal. Many different states began to join the United States of America, and the American Revolution showed to the world that the might of the British could be unbroken through sheer resolve, dedication and devotion. The American Revolution was a result of the years of hard work, secret meetings and plan drafting that took place all across the different colonies, but it ensured that the people of these colonies were able to live a life of their own, in a free country.