A World Event that Created a World of Liberty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years'_War





As we near the date of the 4th of July, a day in which we celebrate our Declaration of Independence, I have started to reflect on what precipitated this bold declaration. For it's time it was indeed extremely bold. There were indeed World powers at that time. Global powers. The sphere of influence economically and political were so powerful that to challenge any of these powers I would surmise would be suicidal. Yet the colonies of North America did indeed do that. Why ?
                                                          The short version I suppose is taxation without representation. But what did that mean to those who lived on these shores in say 1765 ? The Seven Years War was known in these parts as the French and Indian Wars. It was a theatre of a larger campaign in a global conflict. There was a desire of the Native people to rid the Continent of the English Settlers. The French had allied themselves with many Native tribes, and in there desire to keep the English from gaining a strong foothold of Colonies in this part of the globe were more than happy to oblige the Native tribes of ridding this Continent of a strong English presence. What does that have to do with 1776 ?
                                                Plenty. Wars need to be paid for. And pay the English did. It cost huge sums of money in ships, guns, powder, men, material. So much so that it became the attitude of many in the English Parliament that it was time that those receiving such benefit of such a benevolent Crown that perhaps it was time to share in the burden of cost. That is an argument espoused by some Americans today with our Military being used abroad. What the colonists begin to feel however is that if they were to share in the burden of the cost thru taxation, then they deserved representation in Parliament, this however was not an option Parliament was willing to give. Can you imagine someone from Afghanistan or Iraq demanding an equal seat in Congress today ? There would be a parallel. I believe the modern reaction would be much the same.
                                                       North America was a theatre of the entire campaign much as North Africa was to World War II. We were not the cause of, or the reason the conflict started. But the events that occurred during and after the war were the seeds that started the American revolution. Because of that war, and the events unforeseen during and afterwards was created " A World of Liberty "


For further reading on this please check out the following links:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Indian_War


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Plains_of_Abraham