One year made a difference. One month and a day, July 4th. This is the day that we declared full and unconditional independence from Great Britain with no questions asked and no acceptance of negotiation whatsoever. We knew what we wanted and how to get it but there were many ways of going about it besides just fighting on the field and having constant debates with the opposition without any results. I will not go into the full historical timeline of the fight for American independence but instead I will address the psychological and differential viewpoints between the Colonists and the British crown. There are two questions that I ask the readers: How did we as Americans PSYCHOLOGICALLY feel after we declared full independence from the British and how did the British feel after our declaration from colonial rule and losing not only the debate but the war as well? It makes better sense to know that one view will surely go against the other for the simple fact that the main reason for the fighting was for one country wanted to escape from the colonial yoke while the mother country wanted to have full domination over her colonies.
The history of the fight for American independence goes way beyond the understanding of WHY it occurred and to get a better understanding of what started it all. There are 5 points that I begin with: The Proclamation of 1763, The Quartering Act, The French and Indian War, The Boston Massacre and The Intolerable Acts. Psychologically America’s way of thinking about independence was not really a huge number. In fact according to Robert M. Calhoon only about 40 to 50% of the free population supported revolution while another 15 to 20% stayed loyal. Those who stayed loyal felt that allegiance to the crown had its benefits such as an aristocratic status, exported goods that did not have a high price, full protection from enemy countries of the mother country and so for. The conflicting personalities between the two groups created a psychological battle that was seen as the catalyst for future generations as a battle between rich and poor, free and slave and the intelligence and ill-educated.
The Political and Psychological Differences: The Colonists were more liberal and free-minded feeling abused and mistreated by the British. The Colonists wanted to be more culturally inclusive and felt a more mental hands on approach to freedom of speech, religion, opinion. The mindset of these people were more idealistic and wanting to be their own person without outside physical or mental domination. The British point of view was more rigid and conservative, keeping the status quo and not wanting to change anything in any form or fashion. Also having the mental thought that raising revenue on items that were purchased by the Colonists was within their right and power, knowing that any authority that is challenged will be met with serious consequences. As the reader can see I mixed the political, personal and psychological views in this blog. Taking it from this point of view by two different sides, it was very clear that the opposing mindset between wanting freedom and keeping the status quo collides mentally along the lines of class and status, while America was finding psychological ways to win independence, the mother country was creating ways to make sure that this did not happen. But in the end we all know what happened and as they say the rest is history.
Leave a Reply