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Causes Of The Great Awakening

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One of the initial fuses for revolution was the religious revival known as The Great Awakening from 1730-1740 which swept through the colonies. This revival taught of inner religious emotion being more important than church authority. The congregations which filled the colonies broke apart as beliefs differed, leading to several new denominations. Christianity also began to influence colonial culture like never before and Christian beliefs formed the nucleus of colonial thought. The church was made more tolerant through The Great Awakening and it caused the formation of key institutions. These members were composed of a large amount of Natives and Africans, their conversion introduced them to literacy via Scripture as well. New universities …show more content…

As a result of the widespread protests against the Townshend Acts, one thousand redcoats were dispatched to Boston so that they could ease the unrest. These soldiers were underpaid, as such they searched for part-time jobs from the populace often requesting lower wages. These actions caused the populace of Boston to hate the redcoats, the redcoats likewise began to hate the colonials. Insults and tensions raised steadily for two years and the city seemed ripe for revolt. Eventually on March 5, 1770, a mob of protesters surrounded a lone British sentry on King street, who promptly cried for assistance. His barracks sent six privates and the captain of the watch to relieve him. The crowd then began spitting, throwing snowballs, and one man hit two of the soldiers with a cudgel. This caused distress among the soldiers, and though no order was given, they fired into the crowd killing three instantly, causing wounds which gradually killed to two more, and injuring six others. This shooting quickly became a potent weapon in the hands of separatist groups such as the Sons of Liberty, outrage ensued and the redcoats were tried for murder. This shooting was one of the defining events which led to the revolution, as the redcoats were seen no longer as just another nuisance but as …show more content…

The Battle of Bunker Hill caused the colonials to send delegates to the Second Continental Congress to discuss further action against Great Britain. This convention elected to declare independence from Great Britain after hearing it proposed by Richard Henry Lee. The delegates sentiment for independence grew steadily from 1776 following Thomas Paine 's publication Common Sense. Enlightenment thought also has a prominent influence in the declaration, particularly in the thought of a government only having the right to protect its citizens. The drafting of this document was another step forward in representative government, and the document itself provides a strong basis for Conservative and Libertarian thought. It also greatly influenced the Bill of Rights and the later Constitution. The document itself is eloquently written and splits into two main sections. The first part of The Declaration of Independence listed a view of what a government should do for its people, it advocates a weaker form of Minarchism, and the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The latter part of the Declaration lists complaints against King George and intellectually justifies the new nation. In short, the colonists finally came together as one nation due to the battles which were endured together, they formed a new nation and resisted the tyranny of King

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