what led the 13 colonies to seek independence from great britain
Inorthward the United States, the 4th of July is fourth dimension to launch some fireworks and eat some hot dogs in commemoration of American independence. Just in 1776, when news reached United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland of the adoption of the Proclamation of Independence, the atmosphere was anything simply celebratory.
A await through letters from the period, at present held in the athenaeum of the U.One thousand.'s Nottingham University, shows that British people were divided about the outbreak of war with what was then their colony—over how bad it was, whose fault information technology was and what to do most it.
Before the Americans officially declared independence, the British were worried about what King George's response to the unrest there would be. After all, the Annunciation of Independence was not the showtime of the American Revolution; the riot-provoking Postage Act was passed in 1765, the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773 and the famous "shot heard 'round the earth" that is seen as the start of the war was fired in 1775.
One 1775 letter from a group of merchants and traders in the southwestern port metropolis of Bristol sheds calorie-free on the economic concerns provoked by the burgeoning revolution. They wrote to the king to express their concern about the "unhappily distracted empires" and urged him to give the American colonists the freedoms they wanted rather than risk a precious trading relationship.
"It is with an affliction not to be expressed and with the most anxious apprehensions for ourselves and our Posterity that we behold the growing distractions in America threaten, unless prevented by the timely interposition of your Majesty's Wisdom and Goodness, nothing less than a lasting and ruinous Civil War," they wrote. "We are apprehensive that if the present measures are adhered to, a total alienation of the angel of our fellow subjects in the colonies volition ensue, to which affection much more to a dread of any power, we have been hitherto indebted for the inestimable benefits which nosotros accept derived from those establishments. We can foresee no good effects to the commerce or revenues of this kingdom at a future period from whatever victories which may be obtained by your majesty's army over desolated provinces and […] people."
The traders warned the Male monarch that "the subsistence of a keen function of your kingdom has depended very much on the Honourable and in this instance amicable behaviour of your American subjects. We have in this single city received no less than one million bushels of wheat […]."
A petition from the Merchants, Traders, Manufacturers and other citizens of Bristol to George 3; c.1775
Nottingham Academy Archives
While they were confident that "none tin can profit by the continuance of this war," the traders remained optimistic that the Americans would stay friendly if the British adopt a more conciliatory arroyo, despite things having been "carried to unfortunate lengths of hostility on both sides."
"[Our] swain subjects in that function of the world are very far from having lost their amore and regard to their mother land or departed from the principles of commercial accolade," they wrote.
Though their optimism might seem misplaced today, at the fourth dimension it wasn't completely ridiculous. Later on all, this was the same year that Americans' Second Continental Congress sent the crown the Olive Co-operative Petition, a last-ditch endeavor to convince the King to back off and so that the British subjects in the colonies could continue to live happily nether his rule aslope their counterparts in England.
Other letters, still, give indications that some people had given upwardly hope that the Rex would give in to the colonists' requests.
For instance, in March of 1775, Chevalier Renaud Boccolari—whose own homeland of France would come across a massive anti-monarchical insurgence merely over a decade afterwards—wrote to peers from Modena, Italy, alert of the "awful despotism [of the English language king]" and the "crowd of bullheaded and ugly [people] with whom he has shared his unjust power for some time.
"We still find amid us souls who are sensitive to freedom, souls that have not been swallowed by the insulting dominion of priests, the barbarous constriction of the inquisition and the blind, despotic monarchy," he wrote. Only, he felt "every gratuitous country should be alarmed" that "in this century everything is tending towards the almost illegitimate despotism."
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When news finally broke that the Americans had, in fact, declared their independence—that they planned on beingness their ain country, no longer office of the British empire—many in the English aristocracy were horrified.
A series of letters received past the third Duke of Portland reveal how opinions differed on the subject field.
On July 22, 1776, his wife Dorothy wrote to him from Nottinghamshire that she had "received letters filled with unpleasant news, that from America I trust in God is not truthful, it really is besides shocking." On Aug. xvi of that year, Baron Rudolph Bentick also wrote from the Netherlands, bemoaning the news and sharing what people in Europe thought.
"Every bit to people's opinion here of Dandy United kingdom's disputes with America," he wrote, "the well meaning all concord no doubt that it is a most unhappy business for both countries and probably will prove a mortal accident to the liberties of the people of England."
He warned that the influence of sure ambassadors might atomic number 82 the Dutch to take advantage of U.k.'south loss, and "prevent this state from acting a part most consistent and honourable to themselves, as well every bit beneficial to the liberties of Europe. Prudence prevents me from saying any more than as this letter of the alphabet is to go by the post."
Some, though, blamed the British regime for what was happening, and willed their leaders to surrender and carelessness the war with the Americans. On Sept. vii, 1776, Stephen Sayre of Harley Street, London, wrote to the Knuckles of Portland urging him and others to come to a meeting to figure out how to cutting Britain's losses. "And tho nosotros call back America is lost: however we wish to preserve this state," he wrote.
Letter from Stephen Sayre, Harley Street, London, to the 3rd Knuckles of Portland; 7 Sep. 1776.
Nottingham University Archives
And on Oct. 18 1776, the Rt. Honourable Thomas Townshend wrote to the Knuckles of Portland lament that "the Government and Majority have drawn united states into a war, that in our opinions is unjust in its Principle and ruinous in its consequences."
As he prepared for a meeting of Parliament, of which he was a longstanding member, Townshend told the Duke the British regime "by their violence […] have driven the Americans to extremitys."
"I cannot for ane, on whatsoever status, give my assent to whatsoever of their measures in the prosecution of it," he wrote, worrying that many such measures would be proposed at Parliament's side by side session. He worried that, despite his betoken of view "we shall have a hard task to support the Americans declaring for separation" among the British political establishment.
Townshend dismissed concerns almost his alphabetic character being read by censors, writing "I accept no objection to whatever 1 knowing my opinion on this subject."
Unsurprisingly, others were less sympathetic to the American rebels.
On Dec. 30 1776, one G.B. Brudenell wrote from London, to H.F.C. Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle under Lyne, giving news of the capture of Fort Washington past Gen. Howe, who drove the insubordinate forces from Manhattan, though at great toll.
"Information technology is very melancholy to call up," Brudenell wrote, "that we must sacrifice and so many dauntless lives, in order to put an end, to such an unnatural Rebellion."
Source: https://time.com/5326345/british-american-revolution-1776/
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