USA after the War of Independence

School No 2086

Menshikova A.

Natalia Evgenievna Borodina

2016 year

USA after the War of Independence

I have chosen this topic because I don’t know much about this question and I want to look into it deeper. In this particular area I am really interested in role that plays war in the development of countries. I expect to discover the way in which war influenced on the USA, is it positive or negative. This project is a an opportunity for me to extend my outlook and knowledge.

First of all, let’s consider the causes of the war, as it will help us to understand the issue more fully. The reasons were as follows:

Oppression of farmers and indigenous inhabitants of America from the British Government by:

High and unjust taxes and duties;
Strict restrictions on trade and industry;
Prohibition on relocation;
Absence of representation in parliament.

America before the War

Before the War America was an agrarian country with the elements of feudalism, while in other countries such as France, England capitalism has flourished already.
The development of capitalism in the country was hampered by the fact that farmers were suffering from the greed of the British merchants who bought their products for a song and sell them British goods at high monopoly prices, as well as taxes.
At that time Americans were actually deprived of civil rights in their own country, as there was no representation in the parliament. So, the laws were adopted without US officials.
All these factors contributed to the degradation of situation in the social sphere, such conditions caused extreme indignation, which found expression in protests and meetings.

America after the War

Economic Sphere

The War in the American colonies had a value of a bourgeois revolution, that help the country to reach a new, more productive level of development.
Another no less important meaning of the War was an industrial revolution, which the removal of restrictions on trade and industry let.
The industrial revolution began in the cotton and wool weaving industries. In 1790, the first spinning mill was opened in the United States.
The US share of world cotton production increased from 0,4% in 1791 to 66%(!) in 1860.
In the 1828- 1830 the first railroad was built.
In 1807 Robert Fulton created a steamship, that produced a revolution in the shipbuilding.
The Farm road was also appeared after the War. Farm road is an American way of the development of capitalism in agriculture. This path was less severe for the majority of farmers than the Prussian path, in which the development of agriculture went in many other countries. Farmers weren’t subjected to the feudal exploitation. They could sell and buy more goods, than peasants depended on the landlords. American Way contributed to the rapid development of the US capitalistic economy.
The total cost of the produced production of American farmers increased from 343 million dollars in 1800 to 1.218 billion(!) dollars in 1860.
The formation of the united and independent state was contributing to creation integrated transport and monetary system, appearance a single internal market of the USA.

Legal Sphere

The post-war changes in law sphere had a very important meaning. One of the reasons of the War was resolved and the United States of America finally became a legal country.

July 4, 1776 Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence composed by Thomas Jefferson. New State - United States of America - has begun its own existence. The Declaration became a milestone document, not only in the American, but also in the world history. It was the first transferred on a practical basis Declaration of Human Rights, based on the advanced theory of English philosophers of the XVII century., Especially John Locke, the French Enlighteners of the XVIII century, as well as the tradition of the fight for the freedom of the American colonists.
Also the first Constitution of the USA was adopted by the Congress` in 1787 and within 3 years ratified by all the States. It is considered to be the first Constitution in the world in the modern sense.
Bill of rights, adopted in 1789 (entered into force in 1791), was no less important and was the result of the big achievements in democracy.

All these documents have authorized the rights of citizens and people and due to them there was a breakthrough in this issue.

Social Sphere

The most important social result of the industrial revolution in the United States, as in other countries, was the emergence of the industrial bourgeoisie and the industrial proletariat.
The separation of church and state was also an important bourgeois-democratic achievement.
All in all the War facilitated situation of citizens. However, after the War there were several meetings and demonstrations, which took place, because the real power of the Congress hasn’t been established yet. Farmers, artisans and workers, which had stood the war’s severity, were requiring the resolute democratization of social orders and the improvement of life, but the government quickly took steps and made concessions, so the riots stopped.

As you can see, if to replay on the above facts, we can say, that in general war influenced on the USA in positive way. The progressive value of the Revolutionary War 1775-1783 consisted in:

The release of the American people from the colonial oppression;
The formation of independent national State;
The removal of obstacles for the free development of the industrial forces and the culture of the North American nation.

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