In response to these taxes, American colonists organized protests, demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience. Groups such as the Sons of Liberty led efforts to oppose British policies, such as the Boston Tea Party in 1773, in which colonists poured tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act. Tensions rose between British authorities and colonial rebels, leading to conflict. The first shots of the American Revolution were fired at the Battle of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, when British forces attempted to capture colonial munitions stored in Concord, Massachusetts. As the conflict increased in intensity, calls for independence also increased. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared the independence of the colonies from British rule and named King George III. He adopted the Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson, which addressed George's concerns. The American War of Independence started with the signing of the Declaration of …show more content…
The adoption of the Articles of Confederation and later the Constitution consecrated the principles of republican government, representative democracy, and the rule of law, providing a plan for governance that would endure for centuries to come. Moreover, the American Revolution ushered in a new era of political thought and philosophical research, challenging the established notions of monarchy and aristocracy and championing the ideals of popular sovereignty and individual rights. The revolutionaries' triumph over the world's preeminent military power sent shockwaves throughout Europe and the wider world, inspiring oppressed peoples to rise up against despotism and oppression in pursuit of their own emancipation. The benefits of the American Revolution were multiple, including not only political independence but also social and economic advancement for millions of Americans. The revolution impeled the expansion of democratic principles and the extension of civil liberties to previously marginalized groups, laying the groundwork for movements for abolition, women's suffrage, and civil rights in the centuries that