How Revolutionary Was The American Revolution

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rightfully theirs. In 1774 the Sons of Liberty and individual colonials met to persuade the British Government to recognize the colonialists rights. It was agreed that the colonies would refuse to import British goods unless the grievances were righted. A petition was sent to the King. However before the Congress could meet again, on the morning of April 19th, 1775 shots were exchanged between colonials and the British soldiers. The revolution had begun.
It is important to note that at this time the idea of Independence from Britain was not a common one and there were strong feelings in America between British Loyalists and the Colonial revolutionists. Probably the best known of these divisions was between Benjamin Franklin and his loyalist son, William. However in January of 1776, Thomas Payne wrote a pamphlet (Common Sense) that strongly urged the colonial cause. By July 1776 Congress decided to finally declare the Independence of the Thirteen Colonies (The Declaration of Independence), however it did not have an immediate effect.
Despite the Declaration there was still a lot of division among the American people, bought on by lack of funds and foods, the strain of the long war and complaints about the inefficiency of the Congress. The British capitalized on this throughout 1780 and 1781. But the darkness over America was slowly lifting. In October 1780 a crowd of frontiersmen defeated a British force at Kings Mt and this set the stage for the Yorktown Campaign. The combination of the French recognition of the United States (1778) and its allegiance with the same which bought much need supplies and money to the colonists, and in a small way Spain’s declaration of War against the British in 1779, and the continued persistence of the colonists, all attributed to the British Surrender on October 19th 1781.
The Treaty of Paris in 1783,...