Between 1750-1789, the American colonies grew increasingly unhappy with British rule as Britain imposed new taxes without colonial consent to pay off debts from the Seven Years' War. This led to unrest and demonstrations like the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In 1776, the colonies declared independence from Britain and fought the Revolutionary War until 1783 when Britain recognized American independence in the Treaty of Paris. After the war, the new nation worked to establish a stable government, debating between the Federalists who favored a strong central government and the Antifederalists who opposed centralized power. This debate was resolved with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.

1. Matthew Hill
Dr. Robin L. Bowden
History 1031.54
16 July 2015
1750-1789 and the American Revolution
The time between 1750 and 1789 was an action packed, surprising saga that changed the
face of North America and, by extension, the world. It was an era marked with unrest and
discontent that culminated in the American colonies renouncing Britain and declaring their own
status as a sovereign nation in 1776 (AH, 256). Obviously, then it is an essential chapter in
American history and worth examining. These years can be divided into three main chapters: the
pre-war unrest from 1750-1775, the American War for Independence from 1776 to 1783, and the
first tentative steps of the new United States from 1783-1789. By examining each chapter in turn,
an understanding of the whole story can be surmised.
Between 1750 and 1775, the Colonies were marked by turmoil and dissent. As he
colonies’ population grew (AH, 176) and their collective economy became larger and larger
(AH, 193), the British sought more control over their North American land and it’s lucrative
trade. Motivated by the debts Britain had amassed during the expensive Seven Years’ War,
Prime Minister George Grenville “sought to lower the domestic tax burden in England by raising
revenues from the colonies.” He sought to expand revenue through new taxes and by
empowering customs officials. Grenville’s brainchild, the Sugar Act, instituted higher taxes on
sugar, “. . .coffee, coconuts, wail fins, silk, and animal hides” (AH, 224). Needless to say, these
new taxes did not go over well with the American public. Grenville also restricted the use of
colonial currency. Colonists were outraged that they could be forced to pay taxes they had had
no say in implementing (AH, 226). Although some Brits such as William Pitt sided with the

2. colonists that this sort of taxation was unfair (RAH, 64), colonists began to feel hostile toward
the British. This hostility is evidenced in the “resistance movement” that formed in response to
the passage of the Stamp Act, another British policy that enflamed the Americans, in 1765 (AH,
239). Despite the Stamp Act’s repeal (AH, 232), the colonists continued to become more and
more uncomfortable with British rule resulting in demonstrations like The Boston Tea Party in
1773 (AH, 239). By 1775, war had begun (AH, 241-242).
Seventeen seventy-six marks the turning point in Americans struggle with the British. It
was then that the Continental Congress, the group that had sprung up to speak for the colonies,
began to field “petitions from colonial committees and assemblies calling for independence.” On
July 2, 1776, congress agreed to pursue independence. They “issued [the Declaration of
Independence] on July 4. . .” (AH, 243). From then on, American troops fought with the stated
goal independence. Initially, the war went poorly for the Americans. General George
Washington was defeated and driven out of New York and New Jersey in September of 1776.
Although, Washington struck back with some success, he was again defeated decidedly in 1777
allowing the British to occupy Philadelphia. Washington and colonial troops were forced to
spend a dreadful winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (AH, 243). This time was one of the
darkest of the war for the Americans. Colonial soldiers suffered greatly at the hands of cold,
hunger, and sickness while at Valley Forge. “. . .I can’t Endure it. . .” declared Albigence Waldo,
one of the colonists encamped at Valley Forge (RAH, 72). At the time, things looked bleak for
the revolutionaries. However, when Horatio Gates’ American troops defeated the British at the
Battle of Saratoga in 1777, the tides of the war changed. It encouraged the French to ally
themselves with the Americans, and ultimately led to more colonial military successes (AH,
260). The Revolutionary War finally ended in 1781 when George Washington and Nathaniel

3. Greene forced the British army to surrender at Yorktown. The Treaty of Paris 1783 marked the
official end of the war (AH, 273).
Even though the Americans had obtained their independence, their troubles were far from
over. After 1783, they were tasked with designing and implementing a new, self-sufficient
government. Not everyone was on the same page concerning what this new government ought to
look like. James Madison called for a stronger central government balanced by the separation of
powers (RAH, 74). Others, fearing a repeat of the same unfair taxation they had experienced
under the British, opposed such a plan. Madison’s group, which included George Washington,
Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin were dubbed “Federalists.” Those who opposed
them such as Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry were “much more wary of centralized power”
and called antifederalists (AH, 281). At the landmark Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
in 1787, the delegates proposed a new constitution which reflected many of the Federalists ideals
(AH, 280). The constitution then had to be ratified by the states. Although the votes were often
close, all of the states ratified the constitution by 1790 (AH, 281-282). The constitution helped to
stabilize the new nation and provide them with a new vision as they moved forward.
Obviously a great deal occurred between 1750 and 1789. This period was characterized
by political unrest and the founding of a new nation. Why did the colonies feel the need to shirk
British rule? Due to the numerous taxes and laws mentioned above, the colonists became
alienated from Great Britain. They felt that Britain was using them to make a profit but had little
interest in giving them a share in the government. These feelings and the convictions they
resulted in were so strong that they motivated Americans to wage a long war in which the
chances of success often looked bleak. These same convictions ultimately influenced the debate
over how the new United States ought to be governed. The constitution that arose and the ideals

4. that it contains are a direct result of the events leading up to and during the Revolutionary War. It
is worth considering whether the problems colonists had with the British could have been
resolved in a less violent manner. It is possible that Great Britain could have conceded to some
of the colonists demands and at least temporarily mollified them. However, it is unlikely that the
colonists would have remained happy forever while being controlled from across the Atlantic.
Besides, King George showed no interest in consenting to any of the colonists’ demands. “In
May 1776, the city of London petitioned George III to approach his colonies peacefully, but the
king responded that the colonists had ‘brought upon themselves’ the trouble ‘by an unjustifiable
resistance to the constitutional authority of this Kingdom’” (AH, 243). This strong attitude on the
part of the king and the equally strong attitude of the American colonists ensured that war was
unavoidable. Clearly, the years between 1750 and 1789 changed the world.