Tropy

*I had a major struggle with .ttp documents and not being able to open them. As well as using Tropy, seeing metadata templates, understanding the concept of metadata. So all that is posted is the detailed description and relevance.

1. The Stamp Act, March 22nd, 1765
   • A document issued by the British parliament deeming it a necessity for paper document, excluding financial records or monetary bills, to have a stamp. Declares who has the authority to issue the stamp and outlines the ramifications of neglecting to obtain this stamp including an additional tax of varying amounts dependent on the situation. Fines of up to 50 pounds, $1500 in today’s American dollar, and punishments such as indentured servitude are mentioned. This act acted as a catalyst for the American Revolution, increasing anti-tax sentiments in America. Considering this war began as a violent opposition to taxation without representation, a copy of this 1765 act is directly relevant to my conflict.
2. Virginia Declaration of Rights, May, 1776
   • The Virginia Declaration of Rights was written by our very own George Mason. It was the first model of what would later lead to the national declaration of rights. This document is aptly named as it states the rights of an American in the new republic. It also gives Virginia three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judiciary. Freedom of press and equality of man are two rights that are now widely known and cited even in our modern era. As this document helped form the fledgling government of the United States, it is widely regarded as a notable document of the American Revolution.
3. Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776
   • The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding documents of the United States. This is the first official document issued by the revolutionary government in America. Included are the now famous inalienable rights for Americans and a list of grievances against Britain, therefore justifying the break from the Mother Country and ascertaining why freedom was essential. This document also unified the fragmented colonies who were struggling to establish a central government as they had never united as a force independent of Britain. It gave the colonies a commonality and a reason to fight this war.
4. Articles of Confederation, July 9th, 1778
   • The “rough draft” of the constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation was the first document that seriously addressed how the new United States government would operate. It declared the colonies to be a “firm league of friendship” and established an extremely weak national government. Includes an outline of the branches of national government and state rights. Since this document was so weak, it became relatively useless and was replaced by the constitution. However, this was the first document that dictated the future of government in the United States.
5. Treaty of Alliance – US & France against Great Britain
   • The alliance between the US and France was not only wildly influential for the future of France and their subsequent revolution, but also for the outcome of the American Revolution. France agreed to provide the United States with war supplies, both monetary and equipment. It also disallowed the US or France to barter a treaty with Britain and adopted a mutual defense agreement meaning if one signee was attacked, then the other nation would come to their defense. This was a great boon to the US war resources and later led to an American victory. It was also the first document that was signed by a foreign government recognizing the US as an independent nation, a huge step in their fight for independence as it meant that the global political stage was beginning to legitimize the US as a nation.