The United State's Fight for Independence

The United State's Fight for Independence

The Declaration of Independence, and the later Constitution of the United States, were results of years of fighting for freedom. After the French and Indian war, the British began to pass coercive acts that took away the freedom of the colonies, and demanded taxes. The colonists decided not to tolerate this and began a series of small rebellions. These rebellions continued for a few years and in March 1773, the Virginia House of Burgesses appointed an eleven member committee (which included Thomas Jefferson) to communicate with the other colonies about complaints against the British.

Tensions between the British and the colonists continued to increase, and the colonist's rebellions began to grow larger. On September 5th 1774, the first continental congress met in Philadelphia. Men who attended include George Washington, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams. The Congress asserted its opposition to the coercive acts and decided to boycott all British exports. Later, on February 1st 1775, Massachusetts held a provincial congress where John Hancock and Joseph Warren began making preparations for war.

In April of 1775, the governor of Massachusetts was told to do whatever it took to suppress open rebellion. On April 18th, he proceeded to order 700 British troops to Concord to destroy the colonist's weapons. However colonists discovered his plan and Paul Revere was sent to Lexington where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were hiding. At dawn the next day, 70 armed colonists fought the British advance guard and officially began the Revolutionary War.

The first major battle of the war was the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17th 1775, which the colonists lost, although the British lost half of their troops. The war continued and on June 11th 1776, Congress appointed a committee (which included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams) to write a declaration