“Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” ~Captain John Parker
Captain Parker was a farmer and an American soldier and was the one who said these famous words. This was on April 19th, 1775, when several hundred British troops went on a mission to seize a Patriot armory. They marched into Lexington and found 77 armed minutemen, who were warned by the famous patriot Paul Revere. Captain Parker made it clear for no one to make a move but to wait to see if the British intended for there to be a war. When both sides were waiting, a single shot was fired, but no one knows who fired it. This shot started the War for Independence. Because this one shot changed the course of history, it has come to be called the “shot heard around the world.”
The American Revolution was an important event for all American history. Before the Battle of Lexington, in 1774, a group of American representatives met in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. They all agreed that the British throne was unfair to the colonies for many reasons, but the biggest issue was they were being taxed without representation. With this, they issued a declaration of rights and sent it to the King himself in hope that they would see some positive changes and that it would go peacefully. However, but this is not what happened. God had a different plan, and these events set the course for the Revolution, which would change history forever.
The fighting went on until 1781; but it wouldn’t be until 2 years later on September 4th, 1783, that it would all be over. On this day in history, the Treaty of Paris was signed, and King George III gave up the thirteen original American colonies, officially ending the War.
“His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States . . . to be free sovereign and Independent States.” ~The Treaty of Paris (1st Article, 1783)
This War did much for America. It gave us the freedoms we love and cherish. It also encouraged the events for the making of the Liberty Bell in 1753 and the creation of our first American Flag in 1777. But the biggest event that occurred because of the war was the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. This document paved the way for the making of our country and is a symbol of our democracy and freedom. The words stated in the Declaration united our nation:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
And this is why we celebrate Independence Day, for it was the birth of the United States of America.
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