America: An Independent Nation America is commonly referred to as “The land of the free and home of the brave!” It has been an independent nation for 238 years and a leading world power since World War II (Esler and Ellis 195- 201). It is easy for our country to be taken for granted, as many Americans have a limited understanding of the history of our nation. In order to appreciate America’s freedom and success today, it is crucial to first understand why people immigrated to this land, the difficulties people encountered when they traveled here, and what led to the immigrants achieving the goal of becoming an independent country. The New World was settled as a colony of the British Empire (Cooper 1). The “thirteen original colonies” are
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While this early colony struggled to survive, it planted a seed that would eventually become a blossoming migration of European immigrants in search of opportunities and better lives. Since the British controlled many of the first colonies, the British established the rules and laws that governed the people. During this period of time, the British were engaged in various wars that carried large financial requirements. Due to these high expenses, the British thought it fair for the colonists to help pay for the supplies and weapons. As a result, Parliament put large taxes on goods imported to the colonies, which the colonists grew to dislike. The colonists voiced their complaints on these import taxes claiming, “No taxation without representation.” (Esler and Ellis 197). In simpler terms, the colonists were angry that they had no say in how they were taxed and were tired of being bullied and blindly controlled by an Empire on the other side of the world. This protest, and others, eventually developed into a war that would cost not only money, but also …show more content…
There was not much choice. The women stayed home to cook, clean, and take care of the children, while the men, who were not at battle, went to work. The children were busy as well. The boys went to school and helped their fathers; while girls would also help their mothers cook and clean around the house. Only a small number of girls went to school (Colonial Life). Many families during this time had slaves. They worked in the fields planting and picking crops such as cotton, wheat, and tobacco. They usually lived in small shacks a distance away from their “masters’’” houses (To Live Like a Slave). Rich, upper class colonists had luxurious houses or plantations. The middle-class lived in quaint houses of one to two rooms. Families of about six to eight lived here! The houses typically consisted of a fireplace, a sleeping space, a loft in the attic, a chimney, and either wood or dirt floors (Colonial Life). With such poor living conditions, many people got sick. As war waged on, it began to take a toll on colonists. Some even had to go as far as to leave their homes. Many people and soldiers got sick. They did not have advanced medicine in those days. Instead, they went to the apothecary, the doctor of their time. Of course, they could not do much, and many people died. Death occurred from illness ranging from a common cold to small
While this early colony struggled to survive, it planted a seed that would eventually become a blossoming migration of European immigrants in search of opportunities and better lives. Since the British controlled many of the first colonies, the British established the rules and laws that governed the people. During this period of time, the British were engaged in various wars that carried large financial requirements. Due to these high expenses, the British thought it fair for the colonists to help pay for the supplies and weapons. As a result, Parliament put large taxes on goods imported to the colonies, which the colonists grew to dislike. The colonists voiced their complaints on these import taxes claiming, “No taxation without representation.” (Esler and Ellis 197). In simpler terms, the colonists were angry that they had no say in how they were taxed and were tired of being bullied and blindly controlled by an Empire on the other side of the world. This protest, and others, eventually developed into a war that would cost not only money, but also …show more content…
There was not much choice. The women stayed home to cook, clean, and take care of the children, while the men, who were not at battle, went to work. The children were busy as well. The boys went to school and helped their fathers; while girls would also help their mothers cook and clean around the house. Only a small number of girls went to school (Colonial Life). Many families during this time had slaves. They worked in the fields planting and picking crops such as cotton, wheat, and tobacco. They usually lived in small shacks a distance away from their “masters’’” houses (To Live Like a Slave). Rich, upper class colonists had luxurious houses or plantations. The middle-class lived in quaint houses of one to two rooms. Families of about six to eight lived here! The houses typically consisted of a fireplace, a sleeping space, a loft in the attic, a chimney, and either wood or dirt floors (Colonial Life). With such poor living conditions, many people got sick. As war waged on, it began to take a toll on colonists. Some even had to go as far as to leave their homes. Many people and soldiers got sick. They did not have advanced medicine in those days. Instead, they went to the apothecary, the doctor of their time. Of course, they could not do much, and many people died. Death occurred from illness ranging from a common cold to small