Oppression Leads to the American Spirit

Betsy Ross' original American flag is an original symbol of American pride. SOURCE: www.nationalfcf.com

Throughout the late 1760s and early 1770s, the British strengthened their position against the Colonists and through this, the well-known (and sometimes overzealous) American spirit and morale was born.

After the unfair acts put on the Colonists by the British, the separation between the the groups grew to a point of no return.. The Boston Massacre, which led to many Colonists being killed by British soldiers, was a turning point where the Colonists’ anger became larger than their allegiance to their former King. This event signaled that a war between these two rivals was coming. Colonists began blatantly ignoring the laws and orders of the British. The Gaspee Affair, where the Sons of Liberty attacked and captured all aboard the British trade ship,without even trying to hide who they were. The Boston Tea Party, a well-known event in America’s history was a reaction to the Tea Acts, which put a tax on tea and other items used on a daily basis. The British reacted to this with a series of unfair laws on Bostonians, including the Quartering Acts, and Intolerable Acts.

Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech summed up what the American spirit was becoming. Through the hardship that the colonists dealt with and the unfair actions put against them, an American spirit based on strength, resiliency, and fairness was cultivated. The oppression of the British not only led to the breaking up of one of the greatest empires in history, it led to the creation of the attitude for Americans that anything can be achieved and reached if an individual or group fights smart and hard enough. The British imposing taxes, punishments, and pushing Colonists to act in secrecy had a large part in making America one of the most important and strongest countries in the world. Had the British not made the Colonists unhappy and uncomfortable, the American spirit would not be what it is today and freedom would not be the greatest right that Americans value and have. The oppression that Colonists faced led the Framers to emphasize freedom and the freedoms that citizens of the United States had. America is one of the most powerful countries because it is the “Leader of the Free World,” all thanks to Great Britain’s strict rule against these colonies.  

FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

1. What are the results of Great Britain's oppression that we see today?
2. How did the losing of the Thirteen Colonies lead to Great Britain's demise as the most powerful country in the world?
3. What are components of Britain that we see in economics and the U.S. government today?