Mayflower

The first emigrants from Europe to America came over on a boat called the Mayflower in 1620. They hoped for a better life in America., particularly because they wanted to be able to practice their religion. These first emigrants are called the pilgrims.

The first winter

The Mayflower reached the American east coast in November 1620. It was cold and the pilgrims chose to stay on the boat. Almost half of the passengers died during the winter. The Native Americans helped the passengers on the boat, and later the people who stayed there, with food.

The thirteen colonies

The colonies belonged to Great Britain and the British king. In the Southern colonies, tobacco and cotton were grown. This called for a great amount of labour, which led to slaves being brought over from Africa. In the original New England in the North, most people were independent farmers and fishermen, skilled craftsmen and business people. The colonies grew in size and in wealth.

The Colonial Wars

France also took areas in America. British and French colonies fought over the resource-rich areas, especially in the Ohio Valley. The British and French allied themselves with various Native American tribes. The battle over territories, also called the Colonial War, was eventually won by the British. They took over the French areas. Many tribes were wiped out during these conflicts.

The king needs money

The British king was in need of money. For that reason he made the taxes for citizens of the British colonies higher. The first colonists identified as British and had loyalties to the King. But the second generation grew up in America and had little or no connection to the mother country. Why should they be paying taxes to the British king? They were not allowed to participate in the governance of the United Kingdom.

⬅  King George III ruled the United Kingdom and the colonies during the American Revolution.

The Boston Tea Party

Tea was a popular drink in both the United Kingdom and America. When the British king raised taxes on tea, the colonial citizens protested. On 16 December 1773, three ships loaded with tea came to the Boston Harbor. A large group of men dressed themselves as Mohawks and threw all the tea into the water. Relations between the colonies and the UK worsened.

The American Revolutionary War

In April 1775, war broke out between the colonists and British soldiers. The colonial army didn’t do very well as they didn’t have good equipment and they were poorly trained. After several losses, George Washington took over as the leader of the colonial army. The 13 colonies had gained a common enemy in the British soldiers.

⬅  Illustration of George Washington and his men crossing the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War.

The Declaration of Independence

The 13 colonies decided to form a union. Time had come for them to be independent from Great Britain. A declaration of independence was drawn up. From this point forward, Great Britain would no longer be able to govern and decide on laws and regulations for the colonies, and the colonies themselves would keep the money raised through taxes. On the 4th of July 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress. On July 4th the US celebrates the birth of its independence.

The war continues

The British king did not accept the colonists’ declaration and as a result the War of Independence continued. From 1778, the people of the British colonies got some unexpected support. The French colonists fought alongside the British. However, in October 1781 the British had to admit defeat.

The surrender of Yorktown in 1781 marked the end of the War of Independence.  ⮕

A declaration for all?

The American Declaration of Independence begins like this: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

But women had no rights. Slaves had no rights. The native peoples had no rights.

 

The indigenous peoples suffer

The Indigenous (Native) Americans had lived on the continent long before the Europeans came. Slowly, they were pushed to the West because of the settlers’ need for land. Finally, they were forced onto reservations. Old Native tribes were wiped out. The fact that it had been the Native American population who cared for and helped the Pilgrims when they first came on a cold November day in 1620 had been forgotten.

The Declaration of Independence becomes important outside of the United States

The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence from 1776 influenced changes that were about to take place in Europe. Both the French Revolution and the Norwegian constitution have taken ideas from the US Declaration of Independence.

Tea Party

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