Introduction
There were quite a few factors that affected the American Revolution and the development of the Constitution of the United States. With ambition, politics, and rivalry directing the course of the nationwide changes, it was fundamental to consider British stubbornness and American concerns (Gienapp, 2018). When the Declaration of Independence was issued and adopted by the Continental Congress, it symbolized the end of the alliance with Great Britain and helped spark the Revolutionary War. The conflict between the two sides became an important contributor to the development of the Constitution of the United States because areas of tension became larger and could not be delimited anymore. This paper will dive into the second half of the 18th century and analyze the key historical facts in relation to fundamental changes that happened in Britain and the US. This time period is chosen because it heavily predetermined what would happen in both countries afterward. It is important to look at the Revolutionary War as an event that shaped both the United Kingdom and the United States due to the advent of the US Constitution and updated relationships between the two governments.
The Impact of the Revolutionary War on Britain
In the mid-18th century, Anglo-French colonial rivalry and the ensuing Seven Years’ War placed the British Empire in serious economic debt. It is estimated that Britain’s national debt doubled from 1756 to 1763 (Land, 2010). The solution that was found was the increase of taxes in the Thirteen Colonies, in which there were already negative attitudes toward British rule. Historians in these respects often mention the 1764 Sugar Act, 1765 Stamp Act, and 1967 Townshend Acts (Land, 2010). Such a straightforward monetary strategy for seeking new revenues turned out to be the cornerstone for the start of the American War for Independence.
The Revolutionary War became one of the biggest reasons for Britain spending extensive amounts of money on fighting colony inhabitants. The British had to raise taxes and look for other strategies to stop the revolution from happening (Israel, 2019). Nevertheless, their reliance on a constant monetary flow was interrupted severely because all the taxation policies were extremely unpopular on the American continent and unintentionally caused the great mobilization of the American people against British rule. It also turned the Revolutionary War into an issue that could not be resolved quickly due to reduced import and export efforts. The recession that the American Revolution imposed on the British Empire also activated Colonial Privateers to combat British ships as guerrilla-style disruptors (Crafts & Woltjer, 2021). In addition, the mobilization of the male population for military purposes significantly reduced the number of able-bodied population in British cities, which caused a shortage of labor. Thus, the economic catastrophe because of war greatly shaped the overall public opinion in Britain about the feasibility of conflict and strikingly influenced the withdrawal of colonial troops.
The biggest area where the British Empire suffered the most damage was the political environment. It has shaped the understanding of politics, especially the population’s attitudes to parliament and monarchy. The inability to live up to ordinary citizens’ expectations left the government stalled due to the increasingly high amount of pressure. Thus, the failure in the war caused more discussions on constitutional reform, which would add more accountability to parliamentarians and provide more transparency to governmental decisions (Israel, 2019). “The Association Movement”, an oppositional movement to royal rule, demanded redrawing electoral maps and voting expansion in the early 1780s. Thus, the American Revolution paradoxically “revolutionized” British rule as well, increasing dissatisfaction with monarchical and oligopic rule.
Summing up the arguments above, one of the important conclusions is that the Revolutionary War that took place on the American continent had a detrimental effect on Britain’s political and economic affairs. It showed the inefficiencies of the existing system of government and pushed for changes in understanding the role of the population. However, the pocket of reforms ended with no radical shifts and only minor changes in political life. Foreign policies did not also change: Britain continued to be the colonial power, building the so-called Second British Empire. However, after the conflict, relations between the US and UK had normalized, although someone could imagine how difficult it was for King George III to accept the failure. For example, in 1791, Britain sent its first diplomatic envoy to the US, which showed the establishment of economic and political cooperation between states.
The Impact of the Revolutionary War on the United States
In presenting the key historical events of the Revolutionary War that shaped the United States, it is important to understand when the national movement reached its peak. Many scholars admit that it was the 1770 Boston Massacre that showed the brutal violence of British colonizers toward Americans (Lepore, 2019). It was followed by the First Continental Congress, which, for the first time, officially debated the perspectives of colonial rule. Delegates of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted to form a Continental Army led by Washington. After that, historians describe tens of battles between Revolutionary forces and the British army, but this paper will focus on the subsequent influences of this war on the state as a whole.
The primary effect of the Revolutionary War on the United States was the separation from the British Empire and the possibility of securing independent status. It might have been expected to see the thirteen colonies forming an independent state during the 19th or 20th century. Nevertheless, it could be a significantly different country, with less independence on its hands and a history similar to other British colonies (Gienapp, 2018). The Revolutionary War became a source of total liberation for the future United States of America, and the Declaration of Independence became a significant argument in reckoning with the former British colonies. The Declaration says that “the History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States” (Jefferson, 1776, para 2). It radically changed the perception of American inhabitants about the way future governments should be organized.
Another reason to look at the Revolutionary War as something extensively impactful is the fact that it allowed the former colonies to establish a republic-based government. It eventually considered the interests of ordinary people instead of appealing to aristocrats and other high-ranking individuals (Dickinson, 2020). Eventually, the United States became the first significant republic established since ancient times. It influenced perceptions of politics in Britain and then in the whole world because the founding fathers established the rightfully universal principles. The newly established republican government endured over time due to the resilience displayed by the power of those who contributed to the deployment of the US Federal Constitution (Lepore, 2019). A lengthy debate on what kind of principles should be used to direct the government eventually led to an even sturdier republican government. Sequential successes achieved by the American republic can be seen reflected in other nations across the globe.
Another reason to consider the Revolutionary War when discussing the United States is the strong sense of national identity that was included in the Declaration of Independence. Common cultures and histories were put together to contribute to completely new experiences that could be seen as an opportunity to grow and popularize unified beliefs (Crafts & Woltjer, 2021). The Revolutionaries created the myth-like narrative in order to separate the United States from the British Empire and capitalize on the new national aspirations and ideals. The notion of common destiny is important because it shows how the thirteen colonies were drawn together by identical ideals and the readiness to change history. Resistance and sheer power of will affected the contents of the Declaration of Independence and contributed to the sturdiness of the Constitution of the United States. According to Dickinson (2020), it allowed Americans to overcome violent experiences in the future by reducing complexity and removing chaos from the government. Sacrifices made by people intending to make the world a better place contributed to the development of a completely new state where no myths and mythical figures existed.
The ultimate reason to consider the Revolutionary War is the fact that it eventually contributed to the development of new ideals and rights that could not have been achieved with the British Empire. The notions of equality and citizenship became entrenched in the lives of ordinary Americans (Gienapp, 2018). Even though these ideals were not originally developed by Americans, the latter adapted them to local realities. Contemporary political thinkers took a creative approach to the post-War government and debated reasonably. Despite numerous sources of disagreement, it was evident that the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution broadened horizons for the United States and brought significantly more discipline into government-based affairs (Israel, 2019). The Revolutionary War created a completely new state where civil rights and equality became the core values pursued by political figures and ordinary people. Thus, the War became the foundation of a judiciously unrestricted society where individual freedoms and aspirations could be respected and rewarded.
Conclusion
Based on the information reviewed within the framework of the current paper, it can be considered that the Revolutionary War became the moving force that eventually contributed to the advent of the Constitution of the United States. In order to grasp the inherent meaning of the War to the American nation, it should be crucial to assess the motivational factors that allowed Americans to revolutionize their existence. The primary area of focus was the need to deploy inalienable rights that would be attached to every American citizen. Owing to the Revolutionary War, the magnitude of sovereign power increased drastically, reducing the burden that was placed on ordinary citizens. The impact of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution cannot be denied either, especially when noting the criteria that allowed for establishing a society where freedom became one of the core values. It was an abstract value at the beginning, but revolutionary assertions made it clear that people needed a better outlook on human rights and government representation.
References
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