The Independence of the Thirteen Colonies

English colonization in North America begins in the early years of the seventeenth century. The inhabitants of the colonies are practically European emigrants, mainly English, Scottish and German. They founded thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast, which were the following:
To the north: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island; to the Center: New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania; Y to the south: Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
In the northern and central colonies, economic development was based on industry and commerce, while in the southern colonies, agriculture with huge plantations of tobacco, rice, sugar and cotton, for which they needed many arms, with the importation of black slaves from Africa.
At the end of the Seven Years' War (1756 to 1763), between England and France. The English conquer Canada and the Mississippi Valley. The enormous expenses that England made in the war against France, tried to recover them by passing the debt to the North American colonists, in addition to imposing new taxes, among them; The Stamp Act, which imposes a tax on legal documents, on commercial effects and on newspapers, also a law prohibiting the transport of merchandise from the colonies to a place other than England.

The North American colonists protest, alleging that only a parliament where they are represented has the right to decree new taxes. The protest of the colonists is generalized throughout the territory of the thirteen colonies with the idea of ​​separating themselves from England.
In 1774, the colonists met in Philadelphia to convene the First Continental Congress, in order to demand respect for the rights of the colonies; still recognizing the authority of the King of England. Congress participants include: Jorge Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.
As there is no possible conciliation with the king, they meet for the second time in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress, it proclaims the independence of the colonies on July 4, 1776; the resolution was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, where they established the principles of political equality, human rights and national sovereignty.
Jorge Washington, was appointed head of the American army to fight the English. France intervenes supporting the American army in order to subtract from England much of the power and colonial influence of her. The war lasts seven years, until 1783, when the Peace of Versailles is signed. England officially recognizes the independence of the United States of America.
When the United States was formed, they only had thirteen English colonies. Its territorial expansion towards the west was step by step until it reached the Pacific Ocean, as well as towards the south and southwest.
- In 1819, the United States of America bought Louisiana from France and Florida from Spain.
- The United States' war against Mexico (1846-1848) that allowed it to seize Alta California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico.
- Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1835 and its subsequent annexation to the American Union in 1845.
- In 1853, he bought from Mexico the territory of ((La Mesilla), a small strip that constitutes the southern part of Arizona and New Mexico.
- In 1867, he bought Alaska from Russia.
- In 1898, the United States took possession of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and the island of Guam.
- In 1959, the last two states of the American Union were formally integrated: Alaska and Hawaii.
The civil war in the United States was caused by economic differences between the northern and southern states. Also because of the abolitionist tendency of the federal government, which the Southerners opposed. The northern states are characterized by a larger population and more developed industry, while the southern states were almost exclusively agricultural.
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), was elected president of the American Union, where he established that the states were no longer slaveholders. Faced with such an election, the southern states proclaim the secession (separation) of the Union, but Lincoln declares that the United States is indivisible; which makes war inevitable.
In the development of the war, on one side is the Union Army (north) led by General Ulises Grant and on the other side the Confederate Army (south) under General Robert E. Read. The war became bloody and cruel, with great destruction of property.
Among the most important battles is that of Gettysburg in July 1863; in which the Army of the Union stops an advance of the Confederates and that it signified the beginning of the fall of the Southerners. On April 9, 1865, the armistice was signed and the Confederate states were once again submitted to the government of Washington, capital of the Union.
Abraham Lincoln, was a Democrat and reelected as president of the United States in 1865, but is assassinated a few days later by a fanatic from the south. Lincoln's famous definition of democracy is: 'government of the people, by the people and for the people.