Revolutionary War Exam

Revolutionary War Exam
By: Anna Payne
Mr. Viles
Honors History 10

In some ways the Revolutionary War resembles the Iraq War. The wars are not identical but some key points of both wars can be related. The current events of today can be seen in the events of the past. Lifestyles, cultures, beliefs and societies may be different today but learning of past mistakes help in the current issues. The Revolutionary Wars and the Iraq war are similar.

During the Revolutionary War Britain had begun to lose money and were growing poor fast. Britain had spent too much money on previous wars. The King saw an easy way of making money by making excess taxes on America such as the sugar, stamp, quartering and currency acts.

During the Iraq war the government invaded Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction but soon found none. During the buildup to the war the Bush Administration explained that the war wouldn’t cost very much because Iraq oil would be paying the expenses. Over four years the Iraq war has cost American tax payers billions of dollars. Unfortunately America has not been able to have the oil as promised by the Bush Administration. The pipe lines and refineries had been neglected by Saddam Hussein and the refineries are constantly under attack by Iraqi citizens.

Britain taxed the American Colonies looking for a quick fix to their dept. In the best case America invaded Iraq looking to get rid of weapons of mass destruction to be paid for by the large amount of oil stored in Iraq. In the worst case America invaded Iraq for its oil and using weapons of mass destruction as an excuse looking for a quick fix to the oil crisis. Both wars are related by having two powerful nations invading less powerful nations looking for an economic benefit.

During the Revolutionary War Britain sent a small army over to the American Colonies by sea. Britain had the largest naval fleet but had limited amount of soldiers available to go to the American Colonies due to other commitments in other colonies. The British army was so small that they were forced to hire mercenaries to fight with them against the rebellious citizens. British went to the American colonies trying to control the revolt and keep the taxes flowing. The British armies were well trained in the European technique of war and were unaware of the Colonial war techniques.

During the Iraq War the Bush Administration decided to send a small amount of troops over to Iraq to help save money. This plan worked because American troops defeated all of the Iraqi forces. The American armies are so small that different troops end up going to Iraq 3 to 4 times. This happens due to the length of the war and the war in Afghanistan. The troops are running low. Iraq is so big that it is difficult for America to clear all of it because as soon as one section is cleared and the troops leave, the Iraqi rebels invade it again.

Both American and British Colonial troops were sent to fight with limited numbers. Both nations had other problems going on making it difficult to provide a large number of troops. British Colonial troops had long supply lines. Britain was separated from the American colonies by the Atlantic Ocean. The way to transfer supplies was by ship, taking long periods of time. During the Iraq war American troops are also separated from America by a large distance. Even with the modern technology that we have today, it still takes time to get supplies. Because of the limited amount of soldiers during both wars the amount of work required began to wear on the soldiers.

In conclusion, the issues involved with both the Revolutionary and Iraqi War are similar. Financing the government and having enough troops are major parts of all wars. Both armies fought against forces that they were not fully prepared for. The British Colonial army was well trained in the European fighting style while the American colonies were trained in the Colonial fighting style. The American soldiers use high technology as a large part of their combat while the Iraqi rebels fight with low technology warfare. Britain used taxes hoping to gain money from the colonies which started the Revolutionary War and America is still hoping to gain Iraqi oil from the Iraq War. In some ways the Revolutionary War resembles the Iraq War.

Essay Question

For our fourth quarter exam my question will focus on the effect of the taxes. How did each of the four taxes lead to the rebellious acts of the citizens which eventually lead to the Revolutionary War. Who were the major people involved in the start of the rebellion and how did they start it?