The Declaration of Independence in History

New England in the 18th century was, even though they didn't know at the beginning, on its way to independence. Wars at home and taxation from the mother country were undoubtedly exhausting. Breakout of Revolutionary War was an act of response to Great Britain for their oppression on the colonizers. A year later, 442 days to be exact, colonies declared independence and became the United States of America on July 4, 1776. Few of the reasons leading to this occasion were Proclamation Law, Tea Act and Thomas Paine's Common Sense. In October, 1763, the proclamation law was issued by King George the third to prevent New England colonists from moving pass the Appalachian Mountains to keep control of the border so the British Army wouldn't have to come in and protect them from Native Americans while they're still in debt and trying to recover after the Seven Years' War. It was quite an understandable move which the British authorities took as a result from their economic situation but it frustrated colonists. Such powerful men who later signed what is now known as the declaration of independence like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Benjamin Franklin were angered that they could not claim the land they seized during the Seven Years' War so they brought this topic on a treaty conference at Fort Stanwix, New York, in 1768 to push the boundary line farther west and south but couldn't achieve what they wanted. In May, 1773, British authorities passed the Tea Act to save East India Company from going bankrupt. The East India Company was important to the British economy so they made people living in New England trade only from this company. That enabled them to avoid intermediaries and to price its tea competitively with that of smugglers. After the first of three ships, the Dartmouth, one day before the cargo would have been confiscated, about 60 men disguised as Native Americans dumped the tea into the docks. This event became the last straw that happened to colonies, leading them to their independence. Even though the last straw was the Tea Act, they still needed encouragement to bring this idea to reality. That's when Thomas Paine's Common Sense, written in January,1776, came to life right before the declaration of independence. Only 7 months before the biggest event of the US History, this pamphlet advocated the independence from Great Britain and aimed to make colonists think about what they could have without British's oppression. ?Why is it that we hesitate? From Britain we can expect nothing but ruin. If she is admitted to the government of America again, this continent will not be worth living in.' says Thomas Paine, trying to indicate how Britain is their worst enemy who brings war to their home. After everything they had been through, still many more difficulties waiting for them, 12 colonies formally adopted the independence on July 4,1776 and also dropped their English citizenship. Before this event, in 1775, Revolutionary War started because of the same reasons -such as Proclamation Law, Tea Act and Thomas Paine's Common Sense- why Americans wanted to free themselves from the British crown. In 1783, American and English negotiators finally signed peace terms in Paris, and, thus, English had to recognize the independence of the United States of America.

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