The United States of America declared independence in 1776.

The United States of America declared independence in 1776.

The United States of America declared independence in 1776.

United States of America declared their independence in 1776.

The Kingdom of Great Britain and the original thirteen British colonies in North America engaged in combat during the American Revolutionary War. It took place from 1775 to 1783, when the British were defeated at Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris was signed.

During the war, France assisted the American revolutionaries with land troops commanded by Rochambeau and the Marquis de La Fayette and by fleets under the command of sailors such as Guichen, de Grasse and d’Estaing.

Spain, for its part, did so initially thanks to Bernardo de Gálvez and in an open manner starting with the Battle of Saratoga, using weapons, supplies and opening a front on the southern flank.

Establishment:

With the establishment of the first liberal and democratic political system, the British colonies that gained independence from Great Britain gave rise to the United States of America, a new country that embraced radical new concepts that promoted freedom and equality.

This colonial society was not characterized by the inflexible European estate system because it was built upon waves of immigrant settlers.

A slave system with roughly 500,000 black slaves that were exploited by tobacco, cotton, and sugar plantations had been established in the southern colonies (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia).

In this sense, slaves and owners of all sizes comprised the population.

The Seven Years’ War ended in 1763. Regarding France, the territorial loss was not felt as something catastrophic. On the other hand, in the Caribbean the losses can be compensated, since the main French colony in the Caribbean, Port-au-Prince (the Spanish one), produces half of the sugar consumed in the entire world, and its trade with Africa and the Antilles is in full swing. apogee.

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THE WAR :

Great Britain was victorious over France in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) receiving great economic and military help from the colonies, although this collaboration was not rewarded.

The repressive measures of the English government (produced after uprisings such as the Boston Tea Party and the sanctions of the Intolerable Acts) caused the start of the War of Independence.

Discontent spread throughout the Thirteen Colonies and a demonstration was organized in Boston against the taxes they had to pay on essential items such as paper, glass or paint.

Demonstration:

In this demonstration there was no altercation and the English government turned a deaf ear to the colonists’ requests. But they were not going to allow the situation to continue like this, so they met with several members of other populations to plan a more propaganda action than the demonstration.

United States of America declared independence.

In 1773 the colonists gathered in Boston. Three ships arrived from Great Britain loaded with boxes containing tea. Several members of the secret society disguised themselves as Indians and swam until they reached the three boats. Once there, they captured the crew and threw the merchandise overboard.

In 1774 the Congress of the colonists met for the first time against servitude to the British and in favor of an independent homeland. Some hypothetical laws are already being discussed.

Despite the climate of enmity against the English in the colonies, there were still some colonists who supported the English king George III, being called kings friends.

THE TREATY OF PARIS IN 1783:

  • The independence of the United States of America was recognized and granted to the new nation all the territory north of Florida, south of Canada and east of the Mississippi River.
  • The 32nd parallel was set as the northern border. Great Britain also renounced the Ohio Valley and gave the United States full power over Newfoundland fisheries.
  • Spain maintained the recovered territories of Menorca and eastern and western Florida. On the other hand, it recovered the coasts of Nicaragua, Honduras (Costa de los Mosquitos) and Campeche.
  • Spanish sovereignty over the colony of Providencia and English sovereignty over the Bahamas were recognized.
  • France recovered most of its islands in the Antilles, in addition to the places on the Senegal River in Africa.

The prisoner exchange was finally decided upon.

On the other hand, the triumph of the American rebels over England was not going to fail to influence the Spanish colonies in the near future.

This influence came through different paths: the emulation of what was done by communities in similar circumstances, the solidarity of the former colonists with those who were still colonists. These aspects were clearly manifested during the Napoleonic Wars.

THE NEW CONSTITUTION:

Once independence was achieved, it was very difficult to bring all the former colonies to an agreement. In 1787, 55 representatives of the former colonies met in Philadelphia to draft a constitution.

A single federal government was thus created, with a president of the republic and two legislative chambers (House of Representatives and Senate).

This constitution was inspired by the principles of equality and freedom defended by the French Enlightenment and was established as the first Magna Carta that included the principles of political liberalism, establishing a republican and democratic regime.

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