American History

1775 - 1783 was possibly the most important period in Americas history as it was the beginning of its struggle to become a nation, the United States of America.  The country gained independence, established a federal government, drafted and ratified its constitution and saw a political revolution that resulted in revolt against the British, namely the War of Independence which upon victory saw the US becoming a sovereign state on 2nd July 1776.

Then the Declaration of Independence on 4th July 1776.  The Declaration was drafted by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingstone and Roger Sherman and was adopted by the Second Continental Congress.  The Declaration listed grievances against King George III of Great Britain and affirmed rights including the right off revolution.  The second line of the Declaration is a line that has set a standard that generations of Americans would uphold and refer to throughout the US history.

On July 8th the Liberty bell rang for the first ever reading of the Declaration, and July 9th saw the statue of George III being toppled over by an angry crowd in New York.  All of this was going on amidst a country that was in the middle of a war.

August of this year saw the return of the British to the shores of America landing in New York and the Battle of Long Island began.  New York was eventually captured and General Washington marginally escaped capture.  The city was held until 1783 upon the signing of the Treaty of Paris.   The battle of Long island was the first battle the independent army of the US had fought and was the longest in the war of independence.
On the 22nd August British troops left Staten Island and landed on Long Island there were some 4000 British troops and my midday there were 15000.  General George Washington had been told it was 8000 to 9000 and only sent 1500 extra troops which totaled 6000.  On the 24th August British troops totaled 20000.

On the 27th August Washington arrived and realized they were outnumbered and ordered more troops.  British ships had tried to sail up the East River but the wind prevented them from doing however Washington and his men were surrounded on Brooklyn Heights.  It was the bloodiest battle fought on American land with America suffering the greatest loss, 300 dead and 1000 plus held as prisoners.  The British also advanced upon and took New Jersey but to their surprise Washington crossed the Delaware and won battles at Princeton and Trenton and retook New Jersey.

It is estimated that 40 to 45 of the population supported the rellion against the to gain independence and 15  25 reamined Royalists with the remainder of the population being neutral (Calhoon, 2000).

African Americans those that were free and enslaved also fought the war on both sides.  African Americans prior to 1776 had been banished from enlisting in the Continental Army but due to a lack of fighters lifted the ban enabling them to enlist.  All Black units were formed and some were promised freedom from slavery at the end of the war as an incentive to enlist and fight for independence.  The numbers in difference on whose side they fought are staggering some 5000 fought with the Continental Army as apposed to 20000 Loyalists who fought alongside the British.  Approximately 13000 native Americans also fought for the British army.  

April 1782 saw the British Commons vote to end the war and a peace treaty was signed in Paris in November of the same year.  The war however was not officially over until the formal signing of the Treaty of Paris on the 3rd September 1783 and British troops left had left New York by November 25th of the same year.   The United States Congress finally ratified the treaty on the 14th of January 1784.

The United States of America were finally free and independent.  An important part of its history was over and a new nation was set to begin with freedom being their priority.