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The United States of America grew from a group of English colonies established along the east coast of North America in the 17th and early 18th centuries.
The distance separating England and America and the inevitable inefficiency of any large bureaucracy served to weaken royal power and to strengthen the hold of provincial leaders on the affairs of their respective colonies. By the mid-18th century, most political power in America was concentrated in the hands of provincial rather than royal officials. The increasing political autonomy was also a reflection of their population growth. In 1650, the population of the Colonies had been 52,000. By 1750 it was close to 1,700,000.
During the Seven Years War (1756-63) the Colonies and England fought together to gain control of North America (the opponents were France, Spain and the Indians). By the end of the war Britain controlled all of Canada, East and West Florida, all territory east of the Mississippi in North America, and St. Vincent, Tobago and Dominica in the Caribbean. There was still problems with the Indians who were taught by the French to hate the English. England at first refused to appease the Indians with lavish gifts like the French had done. In 1763 the Indians arose in a series of "guerrilla" attacks. By destroying their villages and killing their woman and children, the British Army got the Indians to admit defeat by 1765. However, the Colonies were increasingly dissatisfied with England and the English constitution. When England decided to levy taxes against the Colonies with the Stamp Tax in 1765 and the Tea Act (The Boston Tea Party where tea was destroyed) to help pay for the war, the American Colonies, now economically powerful, culturally distinct, and steadily becoming more independent politically, decided they would rebel before submitting to an imposed tax.
In April 1775 British troops and Colonial militiamen fought for the first time in Lexington and Concord Massachusetts. Cries for independence became stronger and more conflicts ensued. On July 2, 1776, Congress voted for independence. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, it published the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson. The American Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1783, the Colonies fought well, and at the end of that time the United States of America was a nation. |
