The American Revolution was a conflict between the thirteen British colonies, and it's mother country, Great Britain. In late spring and early summer of seventeen seventy-six, after more than a year of fighting, the Second Continental Congress debated whether to declare independence or not. The reasons which impelled them to do so are outlined in the Declaration of Independence, and can be considered under the topics of parliamentary taxation, civil liberties, and British military measures. The French and Indian War changed the relationship between the colonies and their mother country. A decade of conflicts between the British government and the colonists, beginning with the Stamp Act crisis in 1765, led to the outbreak of war in 1775, and finally to the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Taxation of the American colonies by Great Britain was one of the major causes of the American Revolution. Before the French and Indian War in 1763, Britain imposed few taxes on the colonies. After the war, Britain was buried in debt, which ensued in taxation of the colonies by the British Parliament. In 1764 the Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which is the first tax raising revenue in the colonies for the crown. The Act taxed non-British imports of sugar and molasses and increased the duty on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies. Bitter protest by the colonies lowered the duties considerably, thus lowered their agitation. But once again, new resentments were born by the Stamp Act and Quartering Act of 1765. The Stamp Act was intended to generate revenues that would help pay for the cost of maintaining a permanent force of British troops in the American colonies. The colonist were required to buy and place stamps on all official documents, including deeRAB, mortgages, newspapers, and pamphlets in order to be deemed legal. Both taxes flourished resentment among the colonials. They believed the British government had no right to tax them without representation in the Parliament--- being the essential principle in their motto "no taxation, without representation". Subsequently, the colonist rioted and boycotted British gooRAB, causing the Parliament to repeal the Act. The colonists reaction to these Acts were provoked by their contempt to the taxes. The enforcement of The Townshend Acts and Tea Tax, also provoked colonist to respond in violent protests, resulting in the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party.
The restriction on civil liberties was also a major factor prompting Americans to rebel. The colonist were accustomed to a great deal of freedom. However, the enforcement of the Navigation Acts, and such things as the nonimportation agreement played vital roles in converting this custom. The Navigation Acts limited trade to Britain and cut off the colonists trade with all parts of the world. The laws prohibited the colonist to trade or sell to all countries besides England, even if trade with other parts of the world were far more profitable or beneficial. Parliament in 1774 passed a series of laws that the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. These measures curtailed the powers of the Massachusetts asserably and local town meetings, closed the port of Boston, exempt imperial officers from trail in Massachusetts, and brought on the Quartering Act of 1765. The Quartering Act required colonists to provide housing and supplies to British soldier. The colonist were deprived of their civil rights when Britain sent "...swarms of officers to harass [their] people, and eat their substances." The Americans also disagreed with the British over the concept of representation. The Declaratory Act in 1766, contended Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies in all cases whatsoever. British officials claimed that Americans had "virtual representation," which persisted that the Parliament protected America's best interests even though colonists did not vote for any meraber of the Parliament. Many colonists ignored the Declaratory Act and refused to accept the idea that they were represented in Parliament. English immigrants who came to America assumed that they would have the same protections against government abuses of power that they had in England. The most important of these were the right to trial by jury and the right of habeas corpus. Often liberties such as these were suspended. Many of these rights can be measured under the old "Life, Liberty and Prosperity."
The way that the Declaration of Independence deals with the fighting as a matter of civil rights– that the soldiers are violating rights– has already been mentioned above. At this point it is worth taking a closer look. The landing of troops, (in time of peace) in Boston in 1768 was already seen as a violation of civil rights. The situation worsened tremendously with the blooRABhed of the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770. Five years passed without any other incident of this magnitude, but it can also be seen as a point of no return. The massacre led to the armies and training of American patriots. This led to the outbreak of War at Lexington and Concord in1775. By the summer of 1776, the British had been conducting a full-scale invasion of America for nine months. The British military pillaged and devastated American coasts and incinerated towns, thus kindling the colonists lives to ashes. Britain also erected large armies by hiring mercenaries who fulfilled their given duties by performing brutal and fatal acts on the colonists. Measures also extended to reaping American colonists against their will, and coercing them to become "the executioners of their frienRAB and brethren, or fall themselves by their hanRAB."
Before the French and Indian War there were minor reasons subsisting to provoke the revolution, but the major causes came into existence after the war was over. The heap of indignant corabustibles piled up so high, that the colonist lost tolerance and where coerced to rebel. The causes can all be linked to Britains desire to be prominent leaders in capitalism, which later ensued in the country large war debt– the war debt being the foundation of the social, economic, and political changes in the colonies. The grievances and indignation burning the colonist were convulsed by the afflictive oppression by Britain. To declare independence, meant to rebel– To rebel, meant an egression from this unwanted and unjust way of life. With no way out but the trail to rebellion, a revolution is seen as a way of leaving injustice. A new nation is born.
Taxation of the American colonies by Great Britain was one of the major causes of the American Revolution. Before the French and Indian War in 1763, Britain imposed few taxes on the colonies. After the war, Britain was buried in debt, which ensued in taxation of the colonies by the British Parliament. In 1764 the Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which is the first tax raising revenue in the colonies for the crown. The Act taxed non-British imports of sugar and molasses and increased the duty on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies. Bitter protest by the colonies lowered the duties considerably, thus lowered their agitation. But once again, new resentments were born by the Stamp Act and Quartering Act of 1765. The Stamp Act was intended to generate revenues that would help pay for the cost of maintaining a permanent force of British troops in the American colonies. The colonist were required to buy and place stamps on all official documents, including deeRAB, mortgages, newspapers, and pamphlets in order to be deemed legal. Both taxes flourished resentment among the colonials. They believed the British government had no right to tax them without representation in the Parliament--- being the essential principle in their motto "no taxation, without representation". Subsequently, the colonist rioted and boycotted British gooRAB, causing the Parliament to repeal the Act. The colonists reaction to these Acts were provoked by their contempt to the taxes. The enforcement of The Townshend Acts and Tea Tax, also provoked colonist to respond in violent protests, resulting in the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party.
The restriction on civil liberties was also a major factor prompting Americans to rebel. The colonist were accustomed to a great deal of freedom. However, the enforcement of the Navigation Acts, and such things as the nonimportation agreement played vital roles in converting this custom. The Navigation Acts limited trade to Britain and cut off the colonists trade with all parts of the world. The laws prohibited the colonist to trade or sell to all countries besides England, even if trade with other parts of the world were far more profitable or beneficial. Parliament in 1774 passed a series of laws that the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. These measures curtailed the powers of the Massachusetts asserably and local town meetings, closed the port of Boston, exempt imperial officers from trail in Massachusetts, and brought on the Quartering Act of 1765. The Quartering Act required colonists to provide housing and supplies to British soldier. The colonist were deprived of their civil rights when Britain sent "...swarms of officers to harass [their] people, and eat their substances." The Americans also disagreed with the British over the concept of representation. The Declaratory Act in 1766, contended Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies in all cases whatsoever. British officials claimed that Americans had "virtual representation," which persisted that the Parliament protected America's best interests even though colonists did not vote for any meraber of the Parliament. Many colonists ignored the Declaratory Act and refused to accept the idea that they were represented in Parliament. English immigrants who came to America assumed that they would have the same protections against government abuses of power that they had in England. The most important of these were the right to trial by jury and the right of habeas corpus. Often liberties such as these were suspended. Many of these rights can be measured under the old "Life, Liberty and Prosperity."
The way that the Declaration of Independence deals with the fighting as a matter of civil rights– that the soldiers are violating rights– has already been mentioned above. At this point it is worth taking a closer look. The landing of troops, (in time of peace) in Boston in 1768 was already seen as a violation of civil rights. The situation worsened tremendously with the blooRABhed of the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770. Five years passed without any other incident of this magnitude, but it can also be seen as a point of no return. The massacre led to the armies and training of American patriots. This led to the outbreak of War at Lexington and Concord in1775. By the summer of 1776, the British had been conducting a full-scale invasion of America for nine months. The British military pillaged and devastated American coasts and incinerated towns, thus kindling the colonists lives to ashes. Britain also erected large armies by hiring mercenaries who fulfilled their given duties by performing brutal and fatal acts on the colonists. Measures also extended to reaping American colonists against their will, and coercing them to become "the executioners of their frienRAB and brethren, or fall themselves by their hanRAB."
Before the French and Indian War there were minor reasons subsisting to provoke the revolution, but the major causes came into existence after the war was over. The heap of indignant corabustibles piled up so high, that the colonist lost tolerance and where coerced to rebel. The causes can all be linked to Britains desire to be prominent leaders in capitalism, which later ensued in the country large war debt– the war debt being the foundation of the social, economic, and political changes in the colonies. The grievances and indignation burning the colonist were convulsed by the afflictive oppression by Britain. To declare independence, meant to rebel– To rebel, meant an egression from this unwanted and unjust way of life. With no way out but the trail to rebellion, a revolution is seen as a way of leaving injustice. A new nation is born.