The Point of No Return

Had the American Revolution become, in some sense, inevitable? Explore the events and issues that led to the discontent between the colonies and Britain, and how they contributed to the imperial crisis, to include an analysis of what event or issue determined "the point of no return" and why? "In 1775, war broke out between the British and the American colonists. By 1776, the colonists declared themselves independent and in 1783, following a prolonged and bloody war, Britain was forced to recognize the independence of the United States." Was the American Revolution and thus American independence inevitable? John Adams, one of the American Revolution 's central figures, recalled in his later writings that Americans were committed to independence in their hearts long before war broke out in America in 1775. This suggests that American independence was inevitable; however, this was not the case. Just twelve year earlier in 1763, Americans cheerfully celebrated the British victory in the Seven Years ' War, taking great pleasure in their identity as Britons and jealously guarding their much-celebrated rights which they believed they possessed by virtue of membership in what they saw as the world 's greatest empire. Seeing this, few would have predicted that by 1776, a revolution would be developing in British America. On the surface, the recipe for discontent seemed lacking. There was no economic crisis among the colonies; in fact, they were relatively prosperous. Yet, how did everything change in just a few short years? What occurred to make the American colonists set aside their differences, and unanimously declare their independence? Actually a lot happened between 1763 and 1776. The events that occurred during these important years created sharp divisions among the English, among the colonists, and between the English and the Colonists. On the surface, the colonists believed they were unfairly taxed, watched over like children, and ignored

References: Brinkley, Alan. (2012). American History: Connecting With the Past. New York. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. USHistory.org. (2013). The Events Leading to Independence. U.S. History Online Textbook. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/9.asp.