America seems to contemporaries an integral and united state with a developed economy and equal rights for all segments of the population. It is hard to imagine that this independent country was once just a colony of the vast British Empire, and the year the United States was formed as a state is not a date that is far from today's for many centuries. After all, the United States is considered one of the youngest states in the world, which can be associated with a teenager who is just starting his life's journey.
America is the greatest discovery in human history
Although America was discovered by the Vikings long before the Spaniards landed on these shores, the entire educated world considers the date of America's discovery to be 1492. Christopher Columbus, who landed in the Bahamas, marked the beginning of the colonization of the continent by the Spaniards. Fifty years later, several very fortified Spanish settlements existed on the American shores, which were firmly established on these lands.
The British came to America only in 1607, founding Jamestown. It is worth noting that the settlement grew very quickly, new colonists constantly arrived from Britain, who successfully settled in a new place. America attracted immigrants with vast expanses, natural wealth and great prospects. Many moved with their families, independently paying for their trip on a ship. But there were other categories of immigrants who went on a journey with the blessing of the British crown. England did its best to gain a foothold on the American shores, the government of the country saw in these free lands the basis for the rapid economic growth of Britain.
Birth of the Mayflower Agreement
If we consider the education of the United States briefly, we can say with confidence that the year 1620 became a landmark in the history of the country. It was at this time that the Mayflower ship arrived on the shores of America, bringing with it puritan families fleeing persecution by the British authorities. Here they founded their Plymouth colony, hoping to build a free society. Paradoxically, the Puritans, who themselves miraculously escaped flight, brutally suppressed any dissent in their ranks. They strictly adhered to their religious dogmas and expelled anyone from the community who could express their opinion. Nevertheless, the Puritans managed to establish contact with almost all the English colonies, concluding a Mayfleur agreement with them. In it, the colonists included clauses on freedoms, democracy, and the separation of the church from the state. It is believed that many points of this agreement later became the basis for the US Constitution.
The development of the English colonies on American soil
To understand when the United States was formed as a state, it is necessary to trace the development of colonies, which grew rapidly on the American coast. In the seventy-five years since the first British landing in America, thirteen colonies appeared, numbering tens of thousands of people.
People moved to the New World in thousands, each new ship brought immigrants hoping to find their happiness in America. Some succeeded, word of mouth went about stories about ordinary people who earned a fortune by hard and honest work. This idea has become the basis of American culture, so far every American considers himself lucky who can achieve the highest social status in this country.
American industry developed rapidly, which did not suit the British authorities very much. By the end of the eighteenth century, the colonies could fully provide themselves with raw materials and consumer goods, shipyards allowed the colonists to trade with India. All this strengthened the position of the settlers, but at the same time caused discontent of the English parliament. Britain with all its might limited the independence of its colonies:
- constantly increasing taxes;
- bans on trade with other countries were introduced;
- export of goods was allowed only on English ships;
- all goods and raw materials were to be imported from Britain;
- to maintain order in the territory of the colonies, English soldiers constantly lodged.
Every year, the discontent of the colonies by the British government increased.
Beginning of the War of Independence
If you look at the education of the United States briefly about the main thing, you should definitely mention the project of Benjamin Franklin. In 1754, he proposed to the attention of the British Parliament a project for the creation of colonies with partial independence from Britain. According to this document, the president appointed by the government of England should become the head of the North American colonies. This document provided for a lot of freedoms and privileges for the settlers, but did not declare the colonies absolutely independent. This project was very innovative and could relieve tension in American society, but was immediately rejected by the English Parliament.
The intentions of the British authorities in the unrest in Boston and the refusal to consider the resolution of the First Continental Congress, which was a joint work of fifty-five delegates from almost all states, were finally shown. In response, England sent her warships to the shores of America, which forced the colonies to unite in the face of a common enemy.
The year the United States was formed as a state: the stages of the military campaign of 1775-1783
Having learned about the approach of the British military, the Americans decided to enter the war and resolutely uphold their rights and freedoms. The war for the independence of the American colonies and the formation of the United States became the most heroic stages in the history of the country, which showed everyone around the world that the unity of the people can overcome any situation.
It is worth noting that even before the war, the colonies were competently managed by local organizations. They served as the basis for the creation of the army and other branches of government. In 1776, at the Second Continental Congress, delegates announced the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which stipulated the basic principles of the young state. In the same period, General Washington was appointed to the post of commander in chief of the Continental Army. Now the date of July 4, 1776 is celebrated as Independence Day of the United States, that is, the year the United States was formed - a new state on the world map.
Until 1777, American troops were defeated by the British along the entire front line. This was due to poor army support and terribly trained soldiers, because ordinary people who had never before held arms in the army were joining the army. Secretly, the French supported the colonists, who also had their own colonies on the American coast. Only after the first major victory of the Continental Army near Saratoga did France conclude a support agreement with the Americans. As a result, French ships and soldiers began to fall into the army. The war has passed its tipping point.
In 1781, British troops suffered a crushing defeat from the colonial army, and Britain had to start negotiations with the rebels. Two more years in many colonies, battles continued, but the war was already at its logical conclusion. In 1783, the independence of America from the English crown was officially recognized.
United States Year: History of the Constitution
Americans are very sensitive to all the historical stages of the formation of their state. They honor all the documents without which the formation of the United States would be impossible. The Constitution of 1787 is considered the first and most significant document of the young state.
The very history of the adoption of the Constitution is surrounded by a mass of rumors and interesting facts. For example, many Americans still doubt what date to count for the year the United States was founded. According to one source, this is the 1776th year of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, when the creation of a new state on the basis of independence and equality was first announced. According to other sources, the US year of formation is identical with the adoption of the Constitution.
Interestingly, this landmark document was created without the use of special knowledge. The delegates wrote the Constitution, taking as a basis the various legislative acts adopted in individual colonial settlements. The result was the shortest constitution in the history of mankind, and to this day it has practically not undergone any significant changes.
Ratification of the US Constitution
Surprisingly, initially only two states adopted the Constitution, which meant that it could not be considered a legal document to which the country's leadership could refer. Benjamin Franklin, who is actively working on the creation of this document, enshrined the scheme for adopting the Constitution by signing nine states out of thirteen. This provided the young state with unprecedented opportunities at that time, because democracy became not just empty words, but the basis of the country's most important document.
US Constitution
The creators of the US Constitution brought into it all their most revolutionary ideas, for the first time the states had such vast rights, not limited by the pressure of centralized power. Thanks to the joint work of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, the states gained some independence in resolving their internal issues. All power was divided into three branches:
- legislative;
- executive;
- judicial.
Such an approach made it possible to preserve individual freedom and respect the rights of each individual citizen of the country.
Amendments to the US Constitution
In the year the United States was founded , the Constitution seemed to be a perfectly verified document, but after three years it became clear that it needed some additions. Since then, the Constitution began to be amended, but so far their number is the smallest in the history of such documents.
Currently, only twenty-seven amendments out of eleven thousand proposed since 1791 have been adopted. This indicates that once the document was far ahead of its time and is still relevant.
The history of the United States is replete with heroic events, but nevertheless its most striking page is the creation of an independent state and the formation of branches of power that are successfully operating to this day.