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By Lemuel Kemp, Staff Writer
This July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the onset of the American Revolution. In honor of this, Moraine’s library is hosting events about the American Revolution for the next two academic years.
Looking at the current White House and the erosion of history by this administration, the topic seemed more than appropriate in order to revisit our country’s early beginnings. The first event of this series was titled “Prelude to a Revolution: The French & Indian War Leading up to the American Revolution.” It was held at the library on Sept. 16, 2025, and was presented by Professor Jim McIntyre. McIntyre is an esteemed historian who specializes in the French and Indian war.
During this event, Professor McIntyre discussed how the French and Indian war ‘set the stage’ for colonial unrest, economic destabilization, and political unrest that led to the American Revolution.
The main components that contributed to the American Revolution
- The French wanted revenge on Britain so they supported the American revolution
- Britain’s territory had expanded because they took a lot of French territories during the war
- No one in Europe liked Britain because they were too strong and felt empoweredd to do whatever they wanted to do
- Colonies taxes increased without proper representations and the colonists were unhappy because of it
After the French and Indian War, Britain was more powerful than other European powers. However, Britain’s national debt had doubled, and they needed a way to raise revenue to pay it off. Britain being the bully they were, used the American colonies to pay off their debt. The Americans were fed up with them being unjustly exploited for the greed and welfare of the British who were actively taking their resources, while the American colonies received nothing in return. The American colonies became the primary means of Britain paying off their debts, contrary to one of the reasons that many people came to America. The colonies wanted religious freedom and economic opportunity. The American colonies did not stand for Britain’s exploitation. They revolted in multiple ways such as the Boston Tea Party, and eventually the Battle of Lexington and Concord, leading to the start of the American Revolution.
The next event was “The American Revolution at 250: A Faculty Panel” which was held on Oct. 21 at 12:30pm.
Even if you were unable to attend these events, they are available for viewing on the Moraine Valley Community College YouTube channel.
