| Sažetak | Od Rata za španjolsku baštinu koji je bio popraćen mirovnim ugovorima u Utrechtu (1713. – 1715.), u desetljećima koja su slijedila, kolonije Velike Britanije na atlantskoj obali Amerike doživjele su drastičan rast u svakom smislu, posebno demografskom. Taj rast uskoro ih je pretvorio ključni dio britanske ekonomije. Takav razvoj situacije kroz duži period vremena, u idejama britanskih političara, manifestirao se u strah od skrivenih nastojanja koje bi te kolonije mogle imati, nastojanja koja bi rezultirala njihovom neovisnošću.
Mjere koje je Britanija postavila s ciljem da kontrolira kolonije ipak se nisu pokazale tegobnima. Takvoj situaciji svakako nije pomogla ni britanska kolonijalna politika pod vodstvom premijera Sir Roberta Walpole, tzv. politika ''zdravog nemara'', koja je prema kolonistima bila popustljiva sve dok su oni bili odani kruni i utjecali na bogaćenje države. U 1940-ima to dovodi da raspada britanskog autoriteta u kolonijama.
U boljoj situaciji, oslobođeni unutarnjih nemira, s Georgeom Montagu-Dunkom na mjestu predsjednika Odbora za trgovinu, Britanija je krenula u implementaciju novih mjera koje su za cilj imale rješenje problema vezanih uz kolonije. To se razdoblje, koje je trajalo do Sedmogodišnjeg rata 1756. godine, pokazuje neuspješnim. Unatoč uspješnom odolijevanju britanskim mjerama, promjena britanskog pristupa bila je očita te je utjecala na stare strahove kolonista koji su se bojali gubljenja slobode. Još važnija od svega toga bila je činjenica da je Britanija bila potpuno neuspješna u implementaciji zamišljenih ideja u kolonijama. Kroz Sedmogodišnji rat, na površinu izlaze problemi koji će biti okidač onih britanskih mjera koji će kolonistima smetati najviše te ne kraju eskalirati do oružanog sukoba. Nasuprot tome, u kolonijama je rat donio osjećaj ponosa i pojačanog Engleskog identiteta.
Od 1763. do 1775. godine je bio aktualan niz mjera koje je Britanija pokušala provesti: zakoni vlade Georgea Grenvillea, Townshendovi zakoni i ''Nesnošljivi zakoni''. Posljedice svih tih zakona polako su urušile vjeru većine kolonista u krunu i njene namjere. Ponos biva zamijenjen mržnjom prema ''tiraniji'' krune. Popustljivost Engleske i izražena nemogućnost da ostvari svoje ciljeve u kolonijama dugo vremena rezultirali su neminovnošću oružanog sukoba.
Radikali su u kolonijama ovakvu situaciju koristili vrlo dobro. Čak i kada osjećaj želje za neovisnošću nije bio u većini, oni su svaku britansku grešku koristili u propagandi protiv krune. Kada je nakon osnivanja Prvog kontinentalnog kongresa 5. rujna 1774. koji je planom nastavio jaki otpor kruni Britanija reagirala vojno, radikali su to iskoristili za poticanje gnjeva protiv krune širom kolonija. Na Drugom kontinentalnom kongresu 10. svibnja 1775. godine George Washington je postavljen na poziciju zapovjednika Kontinentalne armije, a radikali su vodili glavnu riječ.
Čak je i tada revolucija u Americi imala usredotočene i jasne ciljeve. Mnogi nisu bili privrženi ideji potpune neovisnosti. Velik dio otpora kolonista i dalje je bio borba za očuvanje noga što ih čini Englezima. Nastavak britanskog djelovanja išao je na ruku radikalima koji su ga uvijek spremno koristili za svoj cilj. Finalni korak za mnoge neodlučne bilo je izdavanje pamfleta Thomasa Painea - Zdravi razum (Common Sense), koji je prvi javno argumentirao za neovisnost kolonista. Kada je jednom prevladala ideja neovisnosti, uslijedilo je usvajanje Deklaracije o neovisnosti 4. srpnja 1776. godine. To je bila kulminacija nastojanja kolonista, koji su proglasili svoju neovisnost od krune na temelju teorije prirodnih prava. Bio je to prvi zajednički korak prema onome što danas poznajemo kao Sjedinjene Američke Države. Deklaracije ja bila popraćena donošenjem ustava za nove države, te akta ''Članci o Konfederaciji'' (ratificirani 1781.), što je bilo prvo stalno tijelo koje je predstavljalo svih 13 država.
Po pitanju samog rata, Britanija je kao i prije njega više puta pokazala nesigurnost i nespremnost koja će je koštati poraza. Ono što će taj poraz potvrditi bilo je savezništvo Amerike s Francuskom, starom neprijateljicom Engleske, koja je dala toliko potrebnu pomoć Amerikancima koji bili slabo opskrbljeni, kako opremom tako i ljudstvom. Iako Britanija nije doživjela potpuni vojni poraz, odlučila se da rat više nema smisla te su obje strane potpisale Pariški mirovni sporazum 3. rujna 1783., u kojem je Britanija priznala neovisnost svojim bivšim kolonijama. Pa ipak, ona će nastaviti gdje je i stala, kao najjača svjetska sila koja nastavlja izgradnju svog kolonijalnog carstva. Amerikance, pune optimizma za budućnost u kojoj grade samostalnu državu, najveći izazovi čekaju u unutarnjoj borbi.
Američki rat za neovisnost ili Američka revolucija, kulminacija je dugog razdoblja u kojoj dvije strane grade potpuno drugačije perspektive koje ne mogu egzistirati zajedno. Britanija je godinama omogućavala kolonistima nesmetano, praktički samostalno djelovanje koje su sami kolonisti shvaćali kao zdravorazumsko, samim time što su i oni Britanci. Iako je Britanija s obzirom na situaciju često povlačila i razumne poteze, s druge strane oceana razvijala se relativno nesmetano drugačija svijest koja je imala dovoljno vremena kako bi, u postojećim uvjetima, postala dovoljno snažna da rezultira neovisnom državom. |
| Sažetak (engleski) | From The War of the Spanish Sucession which was followed by Peace of Utrecht (1713. – 1715.), in the decades which followed, colonies of Great Britain on the atlantic coast of America experienced drastic growth in every sense, especially demographic one. That growth soon turned them into key part of British economy. Such developments through a longer period of time, in ideas of British politicians, manifested itself into a fear of hidden efforts which those colonies could have, efforts which would result in their independence.
But, measures which Britain implemented with goal to control the colonies didn't prove to be rigorous. That situation certainly wasn't helped by the British politics under Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole, so called politics of ''salutary neglect'', which was lenient towards colonists as long as they were loyal to the crown and influenced the financial growth of the country. In 1940s that will lead to a breakdown of British authority in colonies.
Now in a better situation, free od domestic disorder, with George Montagu-Dunk as a president of The Board of trade, Britain is starting with an implementation of new measures whose goal is to resolve the problems related to colonies. That period, which lasts to the Seven Years' War (1756. – 1763.), proved to be unsuccessful. In spite of successful resistance to the British measures, the change in British approach was obvious and it influenced the old fears of colonists who were scared of losing their freedom. Even more important than that, was the fact that the Britan was completely unsuccessful in implementation of imagined ideas in colonies. Through the Seven Years' War, problems which would trigger the British measures that would bother colonist the most and in the end escalate to the armed conflict, started to surface. Opposite of that, in the colonies war brought a sense of pride and stronger English identity.
From 1763. to 1775., that series of measures which Britain tried to carry out: laws of Grenville ministry, Townshend Acts, ''Intolerable Acts'' and the consequences of all those laws, started to slowly collapse the faith which most colonists had in the crown and her intentions. Pride will be replaced with hate for ''the tyranny'' of the crown. English compliance and strong inability to accomplish its goals in colonies for so long, resulted in a situation where the armed conflict was unavoidable.
Radicals in colonies used this situation very well. Even when the desire for the independence in the country didn't prevail, they used every British mistake for the benefit of their propaganda against the crown. Of course,when British reacted with military, after formation of the First Continental Congress on the 5th of September 1774., which continued strong opposition to the crown, radicals used it to fuel the anger against the crown throughout the colonies. On the Second Continental Congress on 10th of May 1775., George Washington was appointed as the commander of the Continental army, and radicals were leading the way.
Even then, in the beginning of the war, revolution in America had focused goals. Many people were not attracted to the idea of complete independence. Big part of the resistance was the fight to preserve that which makes them English. But, continuation of British activity helped radicals who always used it for their goal. Final step for many of those who were indecisive was publishing of pamphlet by Thomas Paine – Common sense, which was the first time someone publicly argumented for the independence of colonists. Now when the idea of independence prevailed, what followed was adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4th of July 1776. That was culmination of colonists endeavor, which pronounced their independence from the crown on the basis of natural rights theory. That was first mutual step towards what is today known as United States of America. Declaration was followed by writing constitutions for new states and ''Articles of Confederation'' (ratified 1781.), which was first permanent body to represent all 13 states.
As far as war itself was concerned, like before it, Britain showed insecurity and unpreparedness more than once, which cost her defeat in the war. What soldified that defeat, was American alliance with France, old enemy of England, which gave much need help to Americans who were poorly supplied, in equipment and in people. Even if Britain didn't experience total military defeat, it decided that the continuation of war made no sense which resulted in both sides signing Treaty of Paris on 3rd of September1783., in which Britain recognized independence to its former colonies. Even with that, England will continue where it last stopped, as storngest world power which will continue to build its colonial empire. Americans, now full of optimism for the future in which they build independent country, biggest challenges await in domestic realm.
American war of Independence or American Revolution, is culmination of a long period of time in which two sides were building completely different perspectives which cant exist together. For years, Britain was enabling undisturbed, practically independent activity which colonists themselves understood as common sense, for the reason that they too, were British. Even if Britain, considering the situation, was making sensible moves most of the time, on the other side of the ocean started to develop, relatively undisturbed, different conciousness which had enough time to, in existing conditions, become strong enough to result in an independent country. |
