| Abstract | Ovaj rad bavi se temom Američkog rata za neovisnost i Američkom deklaracijom o neovisnosti. U prvo vrijeme centralna vlast u Engleskoj nije vidjela golem potencijal kolonija na području sjeverne Amerike, pa su kolonije dobile određene slobode koje su im omogućile gotovo neometan razvoj. Međutim, kako je 13 kolonija na atlantskoj obali u 18. stoljeću doživjelo golem gospodarski i društveni razvoj moralo je doći do sukoba s maticom zemljom koja je otkrila koje sve mogućnosti skrivaju kolonije. Uplašena za vlastitu dobrobit Engleska je nastojala spriječiti nastanak svake industrije koja bi mogla konkurirati onoj u Londonu. Međutim, sve dok su se na sjeveru nalazili francuski kolonisti britanske kolonije su imale tržište za svoje proizvode jer su pribjegle krijumčarenju. Prilike je radikalno promijenio Sedmogodišnji rat koji je doveo do engleskog zauzimanja područja koja su do tada bila pod vlašću Francuske. Kolonisti su iz brojnih razloga osjećali nezadovoljstvo – osjećali su samo terete, a ne i prednosti zaštite matične zemlje, nametnute su brojne mjere kojima ih je trebalo čvršće podvrgnuti kontroli središnje vlasti, a nije im bilo niti dopušteno naseljavanje na novoosvojena područja. Sve su to bili uzroci nezadovoljstva koji će u konačnici dovesti do pokreta na neovisnost. Nezadovoljstvo se počelo manifestirati nedugo nakon mira u Parizu. Već 1764. godine na snagu je stupio tzv. Sugar Act po kojemu je uvoz šećera bio opterećen velikim porezima, a dodatno ulje na vatru bio je opisni Stamp Act prema kojemu se na sve službene dokumente u kolonijama trebalo lijepiti taksene marke. Iako je zakon kasnije povučen bila je to slaba pobjeda za kolonije jer su uskoro nakon njega doneseni brojni drugi zakoni koji su išli na štetu kolonista. Od posebnog je značenja bio Zakon o Quebecku koji je sve zemlje sjeverno od rijeke Ohio proglasio dijelom Kanade i proglasio oblik stare francuske uprave Quebecka bez ikakvih samoupravnih prava. Zato je skupština Virginije donijela zaključak kojim je pozvala sve kolonije da izaberu izaslanike za kongres koji će se sastati u Philadelphiji. Na tom se kongresu posljednji puta pokušalo pronaći mirno rješenje za nastale nesuglasice između kolonija i Parlamenta odnosno kralja. |
| Abstract (english) | This paper deals with the theme of the American War of Independence and the American Declaration of Independence. At first, the central government in England did not see the enormous potential of the colony in the area of North America, so the colonies were given certain freedoms that allowed them almost unhindered development. However, as the 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast experienced immense economic and social development in the 18th century, there had to be a conflict with the mother country which revealed all the possibilities hiding the colony. Frightened for England's own good, she sought to prevent the emergence of any industry that could compete with that of London. However, as long as the French colonists of the British colony were in the north, they had a market for their products because they resorted to smuggling. The circumstances were radically changed by the Seven Years' War, which led to the English occupation of the territories that had been under French rule until then. The colonists felt dissatisfied for a number of reasons - they felt only the burden and not the benefits of protecting their home country, they imposed a number of measures that needed to be more firmly controlled by the central government, and they were not allowed to settle in the newly conquered areas. These are all causes of dissatisfaction that will ultimately lead to the independence movement. Dissatisfaction began to manifest shortly after the peace in Paris. Already in 1764, the so-called The Sugar Act, according to which the import of sugar was burdened with great defeats, and additional oil on the fire, was the descriptive Stamp Act, according to which tax stamps were to be affixed to all official documents in the colonies. Although the law was later withdrawn, it was a weak victory for the colony because soon after it, many other laws were passed that were to the detriment of the colonists. Of particular significance was the Quebec Act, which declared all countries north of the Ohio River part of Canada and declared a form of old French administration of Quebec without any self-governing rights. That is why the Virginia Assembly passed a conclusion inviting all the colonies to elect envoys for the congress to meet in Philadelphia. At that congress, the last attempt was made to find a peaceful solution to the disagreements between the colony and the Parliament, ie the king. |
