The Significance of the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening

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Assess the significance of the American Revolution to the following groups: colonists, slaves, native populations, and women.

COLONISTS
The differences of opinion that began stirring between the American colonists and the British grew into a crisis over authority. The colonists initially weren't fighting for independence but believed that they were defending their rights as Englishmen. The acted out by rioting and burning effigies of English officials, resisting those who were thought to be misguided and corrupt government officials.

Whenever the British asserted their authority, the resistance became stronger and stronger. When King George III rejected their appeals and condemned their protests, the colonists lost all faith in the monarchy and not only sought to fight for independence but sought to establish a new society to replace the society repute with crisis being ruled under English common law.

This was the beginning of the United States of America as a unified and independent country despite colonists from different classes, regions, and backgrounds holding differing views of what independence should look like. The principles that were established from this war led to the nation's founding and continue to influence American society.

SLAVES
African Americans did serve as soldiers in the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, however, in 1775, due to the opinions of southern slaveholders, Congress excluded them from future enlistment. This decision was overturned when the British offered freedom for slaves who fought for the "redcoats."

Apart from the battles, they fought at Fort Ticonderoga and it was a slave who helped to row George Washington across the Delaware. By 1778, many ...