Our celebration of the fourth of July is a remembrance of our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. But how did that come to be?
The thirteen colonies in the New World and Great Britain’s relationship had been deteriorating slowly since 1763. the enactment of the Stamp Act of 1754 and the Townshend Acts of 1767 increased the agitation. The acts eventually led to the Boston Massacre of 1770 and the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
Americans such as Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson were arguing. Urging the colonies not represented in Britain’s parliament and stressing for a congress to be established in the Colonies.
The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in September 1774.
Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense in early 1776 and also argued for colonial independence.
In February 1776, Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act, blocking all American ports and declaring American ships as enemy vessels.
John Adams believed Parliament had declared American independence through this act.
The thirteen colonies began to drill their militia unites and the tensions continued to escalate. Congress called for a boycott of British goods on December 1, 1774.
Massachusetts was declared in a state of rebellion in February 1775 and on April 19, the Battles of Lexington and Concord were fought. The Battle of Bunker Hill followed in June.
The second continental congress attempted to reach an accord with King George III, who called all the members of Congress traitors.
In March 1776, George Washington was named commander of the new army.
Although the Declaration of Independence was ratified on July 4, 1776, the American Revolution continued to wage on until the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.