Lars Schelles 6 GRL

INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES

The United States of America is a fairly young nation if you look

at the history of the world.
So, how did it become one? What is its (violent) history? What
did the British Empire have to do with it? And who else was
involved in creating one of the most powerful countries in the
world?

A) BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. Tax Acts & Boston Tea Party
After Christopher Columbus had “discovered” what is now known as the United States in 1492,
(especially) European settlers started to colonize The Americas.

As the southern part of the continent was mainly occupied by Spain (and Portugal), the northern part
was being inhabited by French, Dutch and most importantly British settlers. Especially the eastern
part of North-America was in the hands of the British.

As time went by, it became clear that something was stirring and an ever-growing number of these
settlers were starting to become more and more agitated about their (lack of) freedom and rights.
Throughout first half of the 1700s, the North American colonists found themselves increasingly at
odds with British imperial policies regarding taxation and frontier policy.

Things escalated when the British implemented the subsequent Sugar, Stamp and Townshend Acts.
In short, these acts were imposed by the British Empire to ensure that all American settlers would
have to pay a rather large amount of taxes on things like sugar, glass, paper, paint and… tea.

As the settlers were poorly represented in the British parliament and were forced to pay these huge
tax fees, they started to adopt the slogan “No Taxation Without Representation”.
In May of 1773, the Tea Act was passed by the British government. This act enabled the East India
Company to directly ship its tea to North America. It also gave them the right to the duty-free export
of tea from Britain, although the tax imposed by the Townshend Acts and collected in the colonies
remained in force. As was to be expected, this was about the final drop for the settlers.

In the meantime, several revolutionary groups amongst the settlers had begun to form and they
decided the time had come to do something about the situation.

One of said groups had named themselves

“The Sons Of Liberty”. They eventually turned
out to be the instigators of the revolution by
their involvement in the Boston Tea Party.

While the patriotic settlers had closed almost all

ports to the import of goods by the British,
Boston Harbor remained welcoming to the
English cargo ships, as the governor of Boston
was still on good terms with the British.

The Sons Of Liberty decided to dress up as

Mohawk Indians, boarded three ships that were docked in the port and threw the chests of tea the
ships carried on board into the Boston Harbor. Although, the protest seemed to have gone by
quietly and smoothly, the British government responded harshly and the episode escalated into the
American Revolution(ary War), a.k.a. The American War For Independence.
Lars Schelles 6 GRL

2. The Revolutionary War

The American War For Independence or American Revolutionary War was an insurrection by which
13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the
United States of America.

As said before, the war followed more than a decade of growing estrangement between the British
crown and a large and influential segment of its North American colonies.

Until early in 1778 the conflict was a civil war within the British Empire, but afterward it became an
international war as France (in 1778) and Spain (in 1779) joined the colonies against Britain.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands, which provided both official recognition of the United States and
financial support for it, was engaged in its own war against Britain.

From the beginning, sea power was vital in determining the

course of the war, lending to British strategy a flexibility
that helped compensate for the comparatively small
numbers of troops sent to America and ultimately enabling
the French to help bring about the final British surrender
at Yorktown.

3. The Founding Fathers & Declaration of Independence

On July 4th 1776, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, the 13 colonies1 were officially separated
from Great Britain. (It was not until later on more and more states were added to the independent
country.)

On that day, the 13 were baptized “The United Colonies” with the signing of the Declaration Of
Independence. Even today, July 4th continues to be the US’ national holiday, in celebration of its
independence from Britain. In was only a few months later the new nation was renamed into “The
United States of America”.

1
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia
Lars Schelles 6 GRL
But who was involved in this process?
The individuals known as the Founding Fathers occupy an unparalleled place in American history.
They were responsible for shaping the colonies into a new nation by drafting the Declaration of
Independence and the United States Constitution (grondwet), a landmark document that remains
the law of the land today.

Some names are often repeated in discussions of this select group. Among them are George
Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, all of whom became early
presidents of the United States.

The Declaration of Independence was essentially written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the
Second Continental Congress. It states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought
independence in July of 1776.
The declaration opens describing the document's necessity in explaining why the colonies have
overthrown their ruler and chosen to take their place as a separate nation in the world.

All men are created equal and there are certain unalienable2 rights that governments should never
violate. These rights include the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
When a government fails to protect those rights, it is not only the right, but also the duty of the
people to overthrow that government. In its place, the people should establish a government that is
designed to protect those rights.

4. Aftermath & First President

Independence amounted to a new status of interdependence: the United States was now a
sovereign nation entitled to the privileges and responsibilities that came with that status. America
thus became a member of the international community, which meant becoming a maker of treaties
and alliances, a military ally in diplomacy, and a partner in foreign trade on a more equal basis.

George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary War, which actually lasted until no less than 7 years after the signing of the
Declaration of Independence (1775-83), and served two terms as the first U.S. president, from 1789
to 1797.

During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became a
national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution.
Two years later, Washington became America’s first president. Realizing that the way he handled the
job would impact how future presidents approached the position, he handed down a legacy of
strength, integrity and national purpose. Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his
Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, at age 67.

2
= not transferable to another or not capable of being taken away or denied
Lars Schelles 6 GRL
B) WORKSHEETS
Now that you have read all about the American Revolution, you should be able to answer some
questions about it. Have a go at it below! :-)

1. Content questions
1.1 True or false (--> highlight)? Explain or correct in your own words!

Statement 1:
“The Sugar, Stamp and Townshend Acts were welcomed by the American Patriots, as they made sure
trade with British Empire went smoothly and efficiently.”

TRUE / FALSE
Explanation/correction:

It’s the British stealing money from the colonies via taxes, the taxes are really big and for no apparent
reason other than the British wanting more riches. Of course the colonies hated it.

Statement 2:
“In 1773, the Tea Act (and its consequences) was what actually sparked the revolution.”

TRUE / FALSE
Explanation/correction:

It was a cause and afterwards the Boston Tea Party escalated into the revolutionary war.

Statement 3:
“The American Revolutionary War ended with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.”

TRUE / FALSE
Explanation/correction: The Declaration of Independence was signed in the middle of the conflict.

Statement 4:
“The Founding Fathers was a group of patriots who, after the US had been formed, all became
presidents at one point.”

TRUE / FALSE
Explanation/correction:

Everything is true except they didn’t all become presidents, only some did.

Statement 5:
“The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th 1776. Its main purpose was to explain why
The 13 Colonies needed their independence and to stipulate which were the basic rights all citizens of
the new nation would and should have.”
Lars Schelles 6 GRL
TRUE / FALSE
Explanation/correction: The Declaration was the prove of their independence but also had a
rulebook
Lars Schelles 6 GRL
1.2 Try to draw a timeline of the most important events mentioned in the background info sheet,
so you get a clear overview of how the United States came to be.

Example of a timeline:

1988: 2000: 2006: 2010: 2011:

Miss TW Miss TW graduates Miss TW graduates Miss TW graduates Miss TW
is born from primary school from St. Dimpna from university teaches at
St.Dimpna

1492, Christopher 1773 the tea 4th of July 1776 1789

discovers the act and Boston signing the the first U.S.

Americas Tea Party Declaration Of president: George

Independence Washington

Crossword puzzle

Hidden word: Washington 1: Mohawk Indians 2: Boston Tea Party 3: pursuit of happiness 4: British
Empire 5:Sons of Liberty 6: Townshend Acts 7: Founding Fathers 8: United Colonies 9: without
representation 10: Constitution