Introduction
Americans fought some battles before its independence. One of the early American wars was the American Revolution, which is also known as the Revolutionary War. The war began in 1775, and it ended in 1783, which means that the war took about eight years. The war is mainly attributed to the tension that emerged between residents of Great Britain in its 13 North American colonies and the colonial government. The discord finally led to armed conflict in April 1775, which led to full-scale war (Kelly, 2017). The American Revolution is one of the early wars that define the history of the country, and it led to significant impacts.
The Causes of the War
The American revolutionary war was never caused by one event, as it finally broke up after series of activities and conflicts. The cause can be traced back when disagreement emerged when Americans began feeling that they were being mistreated by Great Britain. Americans felt that they were entitled to the equal treatment and rights as Englishmen (Kelly, 2017). On the contrary, Great Britain had the feeling that colonies should be treated in a way that meets the interest and objectives of the crown and the parliament. Consequently, there was the tension between Englishmen and American, which acted as the primary cause of the war.
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Economic trouble was another major cause of the American Revolution. The British strongly believed in mercantilism, and it adopted the policy to control and managed economic activities in America and other colonies ( Bailyn, 2017) . Consequently, Great Britain was exporting valuable raw materials from America to Britain, which led to economic troubles that caused the war. To benefit from the trade at the expense of the colony, the British introduced unfair trade laws and new taxes that angered the locals. For instance, the British introduced Sugar Act and the Currency Act in 1764, which ensured that some valuable goods could only be exported to Great Britain (Kelly, 2017). This enhanced tension, leading to the American Revolution in 1775. Other factors that caused the war included the strict colonial government control and rules, high level of corruption, and unfair laws and policies.
The Course of the War
Before the outbreak of the American Revolution, tension had been emerging between colonists and British authorizes for nearly a decade. The British government had been trying to raise more taxes by introducing laws and policies such as the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Tea Act of 1773 that led to heated protests among the locals. At the same time, many colonists protested the fact that they had no representation in parliament and they wanted to enjoy the same rights and freedom as Englishmen ( Bailyn, 2017) . The resistance led to Boston Massacre in 1770 when British Soldiers mercilessly killed five colonists in cold blood. In response to the killings and harsh laws, the Americans started voicing their grievances openly, and they started to organize some mass protests. A group of colonial delegates organized the first Continental Congress in 1774 to openly air their grievances against the colonial government. The British resisted such moves, leading to the outbreak of the armed conflict.
According to Bailyn (2017), t he turning point of the war was experienced between 1777 and 1778 when the colonial government launched strategic attacks on colonists who were protesting. It separated New England where colonists were enjoying support from the rest of colonies. The strategy made the colonial government to retake Fort Ticonderoga. However, the American troops were reenergized after they received training from Prussia military. The situation started falling apart for American troops when General Benedict Arnold defected to the British side, which made the colonial government conquer many states. Nevertheless, the American forces out powered the British soldiers in 178 when they go reinforcement from French Army. Consequently, the British decided to withdraw its troops from Charleston and Savannah in 1782 that signaled the end of the war. The war finally ended on 3 rd September 1783 when the British government recognized the independence of USA.
The Outcomes of the War
One of the major outcomes of the war was the gaining of independence. Britain had ruled America for years, and the war led to the colonial rule that was characterized by many brutalities and harsh laws. However, the war also led to many social, economic, and political outcomes. Political participation of Americans grew after the ended, as they gained the rights to vote and to participate in political activities and processes actively. Americans started playing important roles in state and national politics. One of the major economic outcomes of the war was the end of mercantilism ( Hallwood & Ponivas, 2009) . The revolution led to new markets and economic relationship with many countries. Socially, it led to the increased slavery of minority racial groups such as African Americans and women did not enjoy their civil equality. Therefore, the war led to many outcomes.
How the War Created American Identity
The American Revolution significantly helped in shaping the American Identity. Prior and during the early stages of the war, Americans national identity, as they were defined by their ethnicity and colors, including socio-economic status in the society. However, the nationalist identity started emerging during the eve of the war because the colonists saw the need for national unity and identity (Spannaus et al ., 2015) . Consequently, Americans started becoming patriotic to their country, and they embraced unity to gain their independence. Therefore, the war led to the nationalist identity and appeal that still exists today in the country. Many Americans are patriotic to their country.
Conclusion
The American Revolution was the armed conflict that made the USA gain its independence. The tension that emerged between colonists and Englishmen led to the war, as Americans strived to regain their rights and independence. The American Revolution led to substantial political, social, and economic changes in the country. Importantly, it led to the emergence of national identity that is still being embraced by many Americans.
References
Bailyn, B. (2017). The ideological origins of the American Revolution . Harvard University Press.
Hallwood, P., & Ponivas, A. (2009). A New Economic Analysis of the American Revolution . Retrieved from https://opencommons.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/& httpsredir=1&article=1252&context=econ_wpapers
Kelly, M. (2017, August 3). The Root Causes of the American Revolution. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/causes-of-the-american-revolution-104860
Spannaus, N., White, C., Hamilton, A., More, T., Henry, V. I. I. I., Gresham, T. ... & Washington, G. (2015). The Political Economy of the American Revolution . Executive Intelligence Review.
