The American Revolutionary War was the largest turning point in the history of the United States. Without winning the war, the United States would have never existed as an independent nation.
The American Colonists dealt with so much pain and nonsense from King George in Great Britain. By 1774, the American colonists were fed up with the King and all of his unconstitutional actions. Many events contributed to the departure or separation from Britain, but after the Boston Tea Party, the major and most influential reason of separation from Great Britain began with the Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts. This Act not only violated the rights of the American people, but they limited all daily living in the colonies. When this violation occurred, the American Colonists knew their final destination was to separate from Great Britain. The Intolerable Acts were passed in 1774 to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.
There were three major acts involved that angered the colonists. These three parts violated the rights of the American colonists and people and set the stage for separation. The first part of the Intolerable Acts was the Boston Port Bill. Going in to effect on June 1, 1774, it closed the Boston Harbor until the people of Boston paid for the tea that they threw into the harbor.
The Administration of Justice Act became effective May 20th and it did not allow British soldiers to be tried in the colonies for any crimes they might commit. This meant the soldiers could do anything they wanted since they would probably not be punished for their crimes (Meltzer 32). Not only was this unfair to the residents of the colonies because many crimes could be committed without just action to punish the soldiers, it was unfair for the American colonists. They would not be allowed to take action against these soldiers to protect the American Colonies.
A large part of the Intolerable Acts was the Massachusetts Government Act, which also took effect on May 20, 1774. It restricted town meetings to one a year unless the governor approved any more. Also, according to the History Channel, the Massachusetts Assembly could no longer pick judges or assemblymen. The governor was to do everything and he was even appointed by the Parliament.
The last two Acts were the Quebec and Quartering Acts. These Acts appealed to the freedom of the Colonists. Their freedom was limited and ignored. They had no say and had to get out of the relationship with Great Britain.
The Quebec Act extended the Canadian borders and cut out some lands in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia. The Quartering Act allowed British troops to reside in an American family’s house and use their supplies. Many believe and mistake this Act as happening constantly. Force quartering of troops rarely occurred, but when enforced it was harsh. A typical family right of privacy was invaded and taken over. The insane laws that Great Britain had enforced made the people in Massachusetts and all the colonists very angry.
The Colonists realized that there was nothing more that they can do to save themselves from the tight bonds and choking strings of Great Britain and King George. Though these last punishments that the American Colonists encountered hurt them a great deal, they also helped them. They made the colonists realize the true situation and actually brought them together and united them to set up a plan of separation. The colonists had their first continental congress in 1774. They condemned the Intolerable Acts and passed a resolution demanding the lift of British laws.
They denounced Britain’s practice of keeping troops in their colonies in peacetime and sent a “loyal address” to the king asking for his help to fight in their struggle. Of course, as always, the King never answered and ignored the petition. That was the last attempt the American colonies took in rekindling the relationship with their mother country. From then on, the American colonies would fight for their independence.
The events leading up to the Revolutionary War were all very significant in the efforts of independence. The final event that really embarked the American Colonies on the Road to Freedom was.
