The Main Tenet of the American Revolution
The colonists' demands, which were spelled out in the declaration of freedom, served as the main tenet of the American Revolution. The bill of rights and proclamation of independence in depth described the conflicts that existed between the colonists and the British. While the Native Americans and the colonists joined forces to battle the British, African Americans sided with the British because of the injustices and atrocities colonists committed against black people, giving the impression that independence would be difficult. Because they felt excluded from decision-making and frequently treated as second-class citizens in comparison to people of British ancestry, the majority of colonists opposed the monarchy. The colonists believed that all citizens are born equal regardless of whether they are British or not. Additionally, the colonists had the desire to form a government of their own that would be responsive to the plight of its people and not seek allegiance to the royal throne of Britain. The colonists also argued that the king resided in Britain, and hence he had no knowledge of the plight afflicting his people in America (Paine 119-123).
The Fear of Reverting to British Colonial System
Even though the colonists were fighting for independence and freedom, they were skeptic about having former officials who served in the colonial parliament. The fear was that after gaining independence they would later revert to the British colonial system of oppressing and exploiting fellow Americans, and hence the Confederation conference was against having a government that would wield powers similar to those of the British monarch (Butterfield 124-128). However, before a government could be formed, there was an uphill task of defeating the British royal forces sent by the monarchy to stop the revolution. The colonist army lacked trained soldiers, but got assistance from organized militia groups. During the American Revolution, the colonists were fighting for complete autonomy from the British crown and the right to forge external alliances with associates that shared a similar vision.
Anxiety and Tension During the American Revolution
The period during the American Revolution was the one filled with anxiety and tension as neighbors often turned on each other. People who were regarded to be sympathetic to the British colonial regime and political rivals were often singled out for persecution, intimidation, as well as violence remitted against them. However, British citizens and those who sympathized with the colonial rule found themselves caught in a precarious position. They ended up in situations where they had to balance their need to protect their investments and the will to sympathize with the colonial administration. During the revolution, they were caught between the colonists and British royal army, each side seeking their allegiance or risk aggression. In this regard, most British settlers were forced to flee back to Britain abandoning their investments and farms. The situation was also grim for American colonists who sympathized with the British colonial regime. Most of them were political leaders, individuals employed in government offices, as well as wealth business individuals who favored the status quo because of the privileges accorded to them (De Crevecoeur 131-134). In the long run, most of these sympathizers were forced to consider the best interest of their families, and hence most of them fled or sided with the revolution of the colonists.
The Fight for Freedom: African Americans' Perspective
During the American Revolution, African Americans fought for a different kind of freedom. Most of the slaves who escaped from their colonist masters, sought refuge in British military camps where they received protection and assistance to travel back to Africa. As the colonists sought for self-governance and the right to choose their leaders and government, African Americans were fighting to free themselves from slavery. Most slaves ran to the British because of the oppression and mistreatment they got from their colonist masters. In most cases, they were denied adequate food, clothing, as well as sometimes forced to live in the same quarters with domestic animals. When they were sick, they rarely received any form of medication. However, by escaping their masters, they were able to flee to states that outlawed slavery and seek assistance from British military camps. While away from their masters, they had the freedom to engage in paid labor and own property, which were rights denied to them before. According to King, freedom to the slave population meant having the same rights and opportunities as their fellow citizens (King 135-137).
Betrayal and Withdrawal: Native Americans' Experience
Despite offering their allegiance to the monarchy, most American Indian tribes felt betrayed when the British finally conceded defeat to the colonist army. The British had promised protection for Indian tribes that joined their alliance to fight the colonist army. However, when the British finally accepted defeat, they ceded lands east of the Mississippi without consulting the native Indian tribes. The failures of the British to keep their promises and treaty agreement led to discouragement among most Indian tribes which conversely led to a withdrawal of their militia, which left the British vulnerable to attacks from the colonists. This culminated in victory for the colonists over the British army (O'Callaghan 140-141).
Works Cited
Butterfield, Henry Lyman. Adams Family Correspondence. In Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
De Crevecoeur, Hector St. John. Distresses of a Frontier Man. In Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
King, Boston. Memoirs of the Life of Boston King, a Black Preacher, The Methodist Magazine. In Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
O’Callaghan, Edmund. B. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York. In Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. In Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
