The American Revolution History Essay Research Paper (Essay Sample)

The American Revolution: Patriots
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Institution
During the mid-18th century, English colonists appealed to the metropole for redress of various grievances. In this essay, I want you to consider the ethics and civics of those seeking change (later known as patriots). Who were these patriots? What methods did they use to further their goals through civic engagement? What ethical consideration did they take into account in seeking redress for their grievances?
In the mid-18th century the colonists had started to figure out where they fit in the British kingdom. They felt as though they were British subjects who were entitled to all the natural, essential, and inherent rights of the fellow subjects in Great Britain. This feeling of being special was because if the British hands off policy approach towards their colonies. The colonies had started to develop their own local representation. The colony settlements had developed their colonial assembly which grew in power even with the efforts of the royal governors to suppress their power. Assemblies were viewed to have the same jurisdiction over the colonists as the British parliament had over those in England by the colonists. However, the parliament and the crown did not agree to this assumption. After the French and Indian war, the British wanted to re-establish control over their colonies through oppressive policies such as the proclamation of 1763, the intolerable acts and the stamp act. The British parliament was determined to collect money to repay the debts that they had accumulated during the years of war. They tried to enforce British trade laws such as Navigation laws to do so. This determination was proving difficult as the British government had been removed from its colonies and had no understanding of how the colonies had developed individualism and self-sufficiency. The move to continue its control over the colonies was met with a series of responses by colonials. Over time the British had a policy of salutary neglect which allowed colonists to governing themselves by restraining enforcement of the parliamentary laws in the colonies in order to keep American colonies loyal to the British government and this was another factor that fueled resistance against the reestablishment of control over the colonies. Resistance against this policy was led by patriots, who rejected lack of representation of the colonists in the British parliament and imposition of tax by the British. Patriots were members of the British colonies who rebelled control of America by the British during the American Revolution and supported the United States continental congress while the individuals who supported the British monarchy were the known as the loyalists. Famous early patriots include Samuel Adams, Patrick henry, alexander Hamilton, Benjamin franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and john jay. As they had confidence that the country would get independence sooner, the patriots alienated other fellow colonists as they resorted to violence, declarations and resistance strategies against tax collectors and pressured the rest to choose their stand in the conflict as they believed on the philosophy of republicanism which rejected aristocracy and monarchy and supported civic virtue which resulted in declaration of independence.[Woodworth, Steven. This Great Struggle] [American yawp] [American yawp] [Woodworth, Steven. This Great Struggle] [Greene, Jack P., and J. R. Pole. 2008. A Companion]