Adam Cooper's desire to become a man and America's struggle for independence are closely related in April Morning. Adam desperately wants to be considered a man. America wants to have independence. Through the course of the novel there encounters change the way they think. They discover certain responsibilities, obligations, and consequences that come along with their desires. Their ideas may change by the end of the story but there is no turning back.
More than anything else Adam Cooper wants his father to consider him a man and respect him. He feels his father treats him like a child and he can't understand why. He seems to be in a hurry to be on his own because of this. He talks a few times about how he " would go to sea and learn the trade, since there was no better way to end up with a fine house and wife in silks and laces-(13) Adam only thinks about the advantages of being considered a man, of being free. To prove that he isn't a child he signs the muster and joins in battle at Lexington. .
America has a similar desire to Adam's. Many people in the colonies want to be given independence from England. This is why the battles occur, starting at Lexington. The colonists didn't think the British should take their weapons so they tried to stop them. They planned to not " cock guns or handle triggers [they"d] show [themselves there], plain, firm, and quiet."(89) Moses Cooper, Adam's father wanted to talk to the British rather than fight them. A few men like Simon Chandler feared that the British wouldn't listen. But it was decided that it was a much better idea to talk things through rather than fight things out, especially since there were thousands of redcoats, a few colonists.
Both Adam and America expect things will be much better when their dreams come true. They don't realize what consequences come along with them or what they need to do obtain their wishes. When the colonists finally confront the British at Lexington, one thing goes wrong, a shot is fired (which they don't know which side fired it) and the British and Americans end up in battle.
