The Signing of the
Declaration of Independence.

My group was given the task of studying the period of revolutions between 1776 and 1848. My part of the project was to study the American Revolution. This revolution was important in many ways. It was obviously important because it created a new country. Yet the war goes beyond that. It served as an inspiration to the rest of the world. It was the first revolution of this time period and in many ways served as a role model for the rest of the world.

In order to understand why the American fight for independence was so important, one must first understand the causes of this period's first revolution. Although the actual war started in 1776, the roots of this revolution were planted years before that.

The citizens of the new colonies were trying to create a better world for themselves and their families yet they felt constrained by the English government. They had left England searching for religious freedom but more importantly they wanted personal freedom. Even across the ocean the new "Americans" were being oppressed by the British royal family. The Americans knew that they had to take a stand in order to have the freedom to live their own lives.

The protests began in the early 1760's. The citizens of the new colonies felt controlled by the revenue legislature that was being passed by parliament. From 1764 to 1768 the British passed a series of taxes that the Americans thought were unfair and oppressive to their way of life. The first major revenue measure was the Sugar Act in 1764. This law, also known as the American Duties Act, employed duties on many trade items coming from foreign lands. The British thought that the Americans would like this because it essentially lowered the price of molasses. Yet the Americans saw through the guise and realized that the new act meant higher tax revenues. Britain was shocked to learn that the Americans were protesting the act due to "taxation without representation". Americans understood the power of parliament but they refused to be controlled by a government all the way across the ocean. As James Otis said in his essay, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, "the people have natural rights that cannot be infringed on by the government. No tax could be levied except by the people themselves or their representatives. Parliament had the power but not the right to tax the colonies"(Ward,33). Americans felt that they were getting taxed on new items yet they had no say in what went on in the government. The citizens were not willing to accept this. Americans started to form the revolutionary mindset.

Throughout the next ten years there would be a constant battle between the British parliament and the new world colonists. The Stamp Act crisis of 1765 and the Townsend Acts in 1767 were some of the major constitutional battles. Those years were key to the American war effort because with each new year and new tax revenue the Americans became more and more frustrated by the oppression that they were facing. They had resisted for long enough and the revolution was inevitable.

No one knows for sure what was the main cause of the revolution. The new tax revenues obviously played a major role yet it went beyond that. There was a morality involved. Americans took on a sense of pride in themselves and their country that would not allow them to be controlled by another government. The colonists worked too hard and sacrificed too much to let another country control them. Americans developed a strong sense of national pride. As John Adams said so precisely, "the Revolution took place in the Minds and Hearts of the People." If it had just been about taxes, America might not have had a revolution and if they did, Americans probably would not have won. Americans fought for reasons that go much deeper than taxation. Although they did not know it at the time, Americans were fighting for the creation and future of democracy.

The national pride that the Americans possessed inspired them to believe in their cause and helped them to believe that they could win the war. Americans were fighting for a new way of life. They wanted the government to be run by the people and to serve the people. Out of these ideals came the Declaration of Independence in 1776. This document is one of the most important in the history of the world. It still serves as the framework of our government. The American Revolution invited the use of democracy as a way to construct a government. It put the government in the hands of the individual instead of the state. Individualistic concepts of government by public vote would be the key element of American politics from 1776 until the present day.

The people involved with this revolution understood the importance of the ideals that they were fighting for. Amazingly, these men and women knew that the revolution went beyond America. Their efforts would serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world. As Thomas Jefferson said at the time, "the flames kindled on the 4th of July, 1776 have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by despotism" (Rev. Character). Jefferson knew that other countries were being suppressed and needed to revolt in order to gain their freedom.  The American Revolution showed them that the opportunity is there for liberty. Jefferson and the other American leaders knew that their war effort would have an impact on the rest of the world

That is the most important aspect of the American Revolution, it served as an inspiration. The revolutionary time period of 1776-1848 is made up of many wars but the American Revolution was the first. It served as a beacon to the rest of the world and their revolutionary efforts. As one historian boldly states, "Most of what has happened in the world since 1780 may be seen to be in consequence of the American Revolution"(Rev. Character).

The French revolution was definitely impacted by the American fight for equality. French philosophers studied the American Revolution in its later stages during the 1780's. Many of the theories used by America in their struggle for freedom were the same theories that were being used in the French enlightenment at the time. Although the French would not revolt for another fifty years, the roots of their revolution were created at this time. The American Revolution influenced their ideology and more importantly showed France that a revolution could work.

France was not the only country affected. The whole world understood the importance of what the Americans accomplished. They not only defeated their parent country. They also changed the face of government forever. The Constitution of the United States made democracy a reality. Americans proved with their war effort that democratic freedom could be attained. The whole world was influenced by this. To this day we still hear countries asking, "America is free could we not be?".

The importance of the American Revolution goes beyond the notion of colonies breaking from their parent country.  The major importance of the war is that it created a whole new form of government.  America became the world's model of democracy. America proved that revolutions can work and also showed the world that a government can be run "by the people and for the people."  Since America was one of the first to be successful in their revolt, it makes sense that the rest of the world studied their success and as a result revolutions became a major part of world politics.