The Birth of Democratic Republics
A lot of the time in American history discourse, we know the very basics of the Day of Independence. July 4th, 1776 was the date we put down when the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress (Although this is not fully true. The paper was signed over many days). I'm not sure if you readers would like this post but I'm still gonna go with it so either enjoy reading or read another post if you don't feel like getting into American History.
Specifically, I wanna focus alot of my post here on New England and Boston. We look at history and even with events we think "Okay but how did THIS start!?" and go back again. So before July 4th, there was SO MUCH background and context that explains why this even started at all. I'll research and write down evidence I found online but most of all I'll interpret and give my impression on this period of time in America. Starting with Boston and the climbing effects of British dominance on the region, which was already quietly resistant due to its Puritan roots (again, see? You wonder why and go back further). I'll make this post as accurate as possible with citations... if I can figure out the markdown that is.
The Birth of Revolution - MA style
Why Massachusetts?
It won't be a surprise to learn that I love Massachusetts as my home and most of all I personally find it to be quite literally the focal point of the revolutionary spirit, atleast over here in the States. I mean we literally started this war on our own soil. I didn't see the southern states rushing to help the northerners until the southern elites began to fight alongside with their northern brothers. North Vs. South aside, the point is that not only is it a personal preference, its also kinda ignorant to skip over the causes on why Massachusetts was such a hotbed of angry colonizing settlers. As opposed to the south who did indeed want autonomy but at the same time they were more than happy to comply under the British Crown. But again, there was lots of fierce southern patriots and their stories is no joke. However, this is not about the South so enough of them. Instead, what fascinates me about this state is that it's still the home of one of the most insane, crazy people we dearly know: Puritans.
Puritan Era
You know them, you love them. You'll probably be hanged, drawn and quartered by them. The most fanatical, the most religiously zealous, the one and only group to literally sail an entire fucking ocean to leave their homeland (Plus the Dutch when they stayed there for a bit) in a rickety, suspicious ship to find a new hearth for themselves. The Puritans! This group of Native-killing, Bible-loving weirdos are genuinely the most fascinating group to study as a history nerd because their contradictions and survival is somewhat admirable if it wasn't so fucking batshit crazy too. Often what I love about the Puritans though is resilience. They truly wanted to make Plymouth, Boston, and the other New England settlements something closer to a decentralized state of being.
Despite being an English Colony, they truly did have more autonomy in their councils more than any other. The problem though is how freakishly authoritarian they were. They were no fun at all. Matter of fact, to this day, we Bostonians don't suffer but technically we have so called "Blue Laws", such as holidays and Sunday stuff. The big moral laws the Puritans made though was turned into just relic papers, not real enforcing legal papers nowadays. If anything the discussion about Massachusetts's supreme court, the SJC, is underrated when we talk about laws. Puritan law was crazy but this revolution was far far from where we're talking which is late 17th century. I mean at some point, New England was ruled under a English "Dominion", whatever the fuck that was. It was short lived and the dickhead who governed it got arrested anyways so at that point, Puritans were left with a society that used to be a Company, but that changed after the "dominion" part.
They turned from the MA Bay Colony (Company-style Colony), to a Dominion (short lived), and then into Province of MA Bay (A royal Province), 3 distinct styles of governance. There is a lot of similarities but they're actually really different. Regardless, the Puritans were softening to their harsh ways. Or maybe just got weaker in the strict order of society in New England. (Not sure how they treated Quakers still though at this point), but we have to leave the 1600s and get into the 1700s where it really does show how big Boston and MA as a whole became.
So from this point to 1763, the end of the French and Indian War, Boston and the region itself were basically just focused on less religious supremacy (Still pretty religious though) and focused on becoming a port society that thrived. Politically and financially (Rum and slaves anyone?). As a matter of fact, A BIG emphasis of the press and pamphlets and the culture behind it was strongly booming here. Just like how Philly was, but those fuckers were way too big than we were back then. Anyways, the revolution really starts after the war, when the British Government started to ask...
After the French and Indian War
The war wasn't easy, it cost the British Government at the time about 60 million pounds (estimated). This caused them to basically ask the colonies to give them money for protecting the 13 colonies. Ofcourse they'd refuse so the British government just started to tax the living hell out of them. This is where you often hear "Taxation without representation" because the colonialists didn't have members in parliament to defend themselves against the taxes and later on military occupations.
It goes along with the Sugar Act in 1764, then the Stamp Act in 1765, basically giving them power to tax literally anything that was paper with a stamp on it. Outrageous. People protested and the British had to repeal the Stamp Act. Unfortunately they repealed it in the 1766 Declaratory Act but also said "...the said colonies and plantations in America have been, are, and of right ought to be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the imperial crown and parliament of Great Britain" And later created a bunch of taxes for almost anything. Glass, lead, paper, tea, oil for lamps, everything. The Colonists boycotted them again and then Parliament began to really force this situation into his rule. At this point, the British Grenadiers and the rest of the Royal Army was coming to Boston. And they're going to occupy it in 1768 after the Townshend Crisis.
Boston Under Pressure
It would be more understandable now after all the context. Boston, a city founded by authoritarian, decentralized religious fanatics. Strived to be a place of intellect, comprehension and advancement in human society. It's supposed to be this beacon amidst all this and that's probably one of the reasons alongside resisting customs, tax and authority is why the British sent their soldiers here in such a large amount rather than anywhere else. Boston Massacre is a well known event here in Boston and thus it's a turning point in the Colony-British bond.
One night, at the Custom House in King Street, A single soldier was being harassed by a colonist crowd, protesting and insulting him, throwing snowballs at him and oyster shells, sticks too. Eventually more British soldiers came in to quell the British colonists which mind you were still civilians and citizens to the Crown. Captain Preston did not order them to fire but some soldier fell and fired his gun, making the other soldiers fire on the crowd in a panic. 5 Civilians died, and more people were injured. This fired a revolutionary fire in Massachusetts that began a deterioration of relations. Because after this, a band of patriots known as Sons of Liberty in 1773 disguised themselves as Native Americans, board 3 British merchant ships in Boston Harbor and threw the tea down in the water. Calling it the Tea Party.
This had the British retaliate by sending more soldiers under General Gage, closed Boston Harbor (a very important economic source), gutting their general assembly and changed (honestly more like revoked) their charter. Remember, Puritan-based society here in Massachusetts take major pride in their local government and autonomy. So with a big push on the British to take over Boston militarily and tear down their autonomy? Revolution was coming, a matter of when not if, the Minutemen were ready within the minutes to be called when the regulars were coming.
Lexington and Concord
General Gage sent an expedition to capture the weapons at Concord, controlled by the rebels. As they were sent, a bunch of riders like Samuel Prescott (who actually made it to Concord instead of Revere) began to warn the others. One famously known rider is Paul Revere, yell "The regulars are coming!" to give the minutemen the notice to get ready and fight. These minutemen were not an organized, proficient army. They were a militia that was organized and trained but they weren't a nation-backed one. They were literally just farmers and rural town folk called to protect their villages against the world's greatest army at the time.
When they met the regulars at Lexington, they began to face off at sunrise, and someone shot. "The shot heard 'round the world" marks the beginning of the Revolution. But mind you, I wanna keep it accurate and the truth is that it was more like the North Bridge at Concord that really started that kind of sentence and this revolution but anyways. At Lexington the militia scattered so the British continued to Concord. There they gained more soldiers and began to really wallop the expedition. So much so that for the first time, the British troops actually fell back. They began to retreat all the way back to Boston with multiple ambushes along their route. It was a humiliating result of just "Go get their weapons".
From then on, a whole spew of history in this wonderful state has to offer on how we kept fighting, The huge losses at Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. One of the bloodiest confrontation between the regulars and rebels. How Washington used Dorchester Heights to place his cannons and threaten to fire on the British-held city. All of this and more had the Continental Congress finally debate fiercely if they should just finally declare independence. Knowing they will absolutely be executed if failed to secure this new birthed nation.
Funny enough, the man who did that is a beloved (somewhat unliked for few reasons though) historical founding father. John Adams. He was pushing for independence more than anyone. With him, a committee of five started with our wonderful Benjamin Franklin, the god-awful contradictory Thomas Jefferson, and the 2 other guys often overlooked, Roger Sherman (Connecticut) and Robert R. Livingston (New York). Then it was voted on July 2nd, officially adopted on July 4th, and eventually actually signed in a formal parchment on August 2nd. Without them (and I guess Richard Henry Lee...), the dream of Independence would've been dead by now.
250 Years Later
John Adams has dreamed of this moment. Often in his letters to his wife, he named how July 2nd,
It will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.
— John Adams, July 3, 1776 source.
Even though we actually celebrate it on July 4th, it's regardless, the dates are close enough that in between, you can tell that America had more or less started its nationhood around this time.
And that's about it, I am too fucking tired, I need to enjoy my fucking 250 years of American Independence by jacking off and eating hotdogs playing games. Oh and by the way, Expect a Concord post, for real this time. I'm not joking, I'm seriously gonna go because July 4th is on the weekends, and I'm gonna take a train over there. See you readers later! Love you all~!