American Revolution: Causes and Key Events
The Road to American Independence
By July 1776, enough Americans were “patriots” that members of the Second Continental Congress formed a five-man committee to draft a Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was the principal author. The Declaration stated that all men are born with “natural rights” of life, liberty, and property. It was based on the ideas of John Locke, who believed that the state of nature for man is freedom, and explained why the colonists were rebelling.
Turning Points in the American Revolution
The turning point of the revolution was the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 because France joined the Americans as an ally. When French troops arrived in 1778, the war shifted in favor of the Americans. From 1778 to 1781, both sides traded victories, but the war finally came to a conclusion at the Battle of Yorktown. General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in 1781, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783 ended the American Revolution.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) met Benjamin Franklin in London in 1774. Franklin helped Paine move to Philadelphia. In 1775, Paine started writing for the Pennsylvania Magazine. In 1776, he published Common Sense and continued to publish works supporting the revolution.
Impact of Common Sense
Common Sense was the first pamphlet to advocate for American independence. Written during the American Revolution, it includes the main reasons which led to the Declaration of Independence. It became a bestseller in America because it was written in simple language that everyone could understand.
Five Key Arguments in Common Sense
- Government is necessary, but the British model based on monarchy is corrupt.
- There is no longer any reason for America to remain a British possession.
- The British government is a source of oppression to America, and Americans should oppose it.
- There would be negative consequences for America should it seek reconciliation with the British.
- An explanation of how the new government should be structured.