To What Extent Had The American Colonists Gain Their Sense Of UnityEssay Preview: To What Extent Had The American Colonists Gain Their Sense Of UnityReport this essayJames SlevinBy the eve of the revolution, 1750 to 1776, the colonists struggled to develop a sense of identity and unity. Parliament began making laws and restrictions on the colonies that in their belief was unfair. All of these events led the colonists develop a sense of identity which was freedom.
The American Revolution was a product of years of mounting grievances that culminated in an uncontrollable situation. From the outset, the Colonists system of beliefs was contrary to the English. Living an ocean apart allowed for these grievances to be put aside temporarily. However, as the situation grew to be insulting, the Colonists realized that they needed to organize their efforts in order to introduce any real change. In an attempt to unify the colonies, as seen in the illustration, there were propagandist illustrations that predicted the ultimate outcome some 20 years before the actual revolution: “Join or die.” Seeing as how this form of unification wasnt successful, Colonists soon realized that they needed to form an identity behind which each colony could relate to and rally around.(A)It was this progress, and the failure of the British to diplomatically quell the situation that resulted in the ongoing problem that became the American Revolution.
Creating an identity proved to be quite a dilemma for the Americans. As Crevocuer mentions, he recognizes the clear European descent, but also acknowledges the “metamorphosis” of a new type of people.(H) Upon realizing the change, it became clear that the problem of having the English govern people who have transformed from their ideals would not be easily solved. The situation was made worse with the continued negative outlook of the British and the superior mentality they held regarding the Colonists. Burke poses the relevant dilemma of governing the colonists in the same manner as the English, but fails to recognize the problem accurately. He believes the vastly superior people that make up the British Empire are too good for the colonies. (B)
Utilizing the growing resentment of the British and the creation of a uniform identity, the Colonists were now in a position to unify against the British. The calling of the First Continental Congress in 1775 provided the first gathering of multiple colonies in an effort to make changes. The Declaration for the Causes of Taking up Arms exhibits the initial calling to arms that still proposed an idea of a forgiving conclusion.(E) However, this step of legal action is significant in that it was a unified step toward the eventual calling of arms during the Revolution. There were also other events that aided directly in the mounting hostilities of the revolution. The establishment of certain taxes
to help pay them, and also an initial demand for the use of the money in government, created a large revenue source for the Colonials. The Colonists also attempted to negotiate a more favorable trade deal for Ireland with the English. The initial colonial demand for war was made in the early years of the century by King Lamine in France and in 1775 by King Charles II of France in order to pay his creditors. During this time, as the Colonists were trying to balance the costs of their war effort at war, the Colonists were increasingly making payments to their creditors and were paying them more. The demands created by the First Continental Congress are especially important when one begins to look at this process in terms of a specific cause of a revolutionary change. This was part of the reason why the First Continental Congress decided to use all its power to resist the British after their return from Europe to provide for the colonies.
When the French had secured a peace with the United States, it was up to the European colonists to try to make peace with the British, only to be defeated in an army of loyal troops, which was capable of fighting any army at hand. The first serious attempt to negotiate a peace with the United States came in 1793 when a French force led by François-Dardot occupied Philadelphia while the English captured King Louis XIII of France. At the same time as the First Continental Congress fought the Spanish, it sent representatives to New Orleans who were sent there for negotiation and agreement and gave a treaty to the Continental Congress of 1789 to resolve disputes with both side. As we often note in previous installments of this series on the origin of the Revolutionary War, though this did not come to pass, the First Continental Congress also did not come to terms with the French and soon had their first talks for the war. The Continental Congress did not want to force French and British to agree on a settlement before it got the war under way.(F)
The first major event in the War of Independence in America was the defeat of the Spanish on the coast of Maine. From September 7, 1789 until 1794, the First Continental Congress took part in a peace negotiations with the First Continental Congress, but it still wanted the First to make a peace treaty with the British while the United States was in existence. As we shall soon see, the First Continental Congress didn’t want an agreement with the Kingdom of Great Britain to end their naval blockade of the Spanish ports of New York and Philadelphia. The First Continental Congress agreed to take ship at the request of the Spanish sailors to send to England a shipment of food which was to be sold for $4.50 (Merrill, The War of Independence, pg. 36) but the King refused. This trade, the first of many, only intensified the discontent within the First Continental Congress in