Danya Itani
September 24 2015
Section 3A
AP U.S. History – England’s Loss of Colonies How is it that England lost control over the colonies considering they held the world's greatest power at the time? After all, the British army was the best-trained, best equipped, and most professional army in the world. Though economically strained by debt from the Seven Years War the empire was stable enough. In addition to that, the British Empire still had the loyalty of at least a third, of the colonists living in the thirteen North American colonies that revolted. The American colonists were in economic and political chaos; the states were not even effectively unified and the national government was largely powerless and ineffective. Almost all the advantages went to the British, and yet the American colonies won their independence, how? There are a number of factors that resulted in the loss of the English colonies in North America, for example taxation, and no representation. Not only that however if the English had represented them in Parliament and if they gave the colonies a chance to agree on taxations, they could have successfully reestablished their control and avoided losing.
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How did the strongest empire in the world lose thirteen colonies in North America? In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act, an attempt to raise income in the colonies through a tax on molasses. This got many people furious and colonists implemented several protests where they boycotted British goods. Then in 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which placed taxes on any paper, and every legal document created in the colonies. Since this tax affected almost everyone, it was strongly loathed and this reaction grew incredibly fast. The Stamp Act crisis was the first of many that would occur over the next decade and a
The British military was considered the strongest in the world at the outreach of fighting between England and the American colonies in 1775. Britain had just defeated France and the Indians in the Seven Years War and had attained its prominence as a world’s superpower. Yet despite Britain’s overpowering military dominance, the British found themselves unable to subdue General Washington and the American colonies. The American’s success in achieving independence during the American Revolution was not due to General Washington’s strategic skill but by numerous British blunders. The British mistakes during
The British colonies in America from the time they were established up until around 1763 had a policy of Salutary Neglect. Salutary Neglect meant that the British would not interfere with the colonies national or even international affairs. This benefitted the colonies, they got to experience some forms of democracy, and they also were able to experience independence in a way though they took it for granted. The British after the Seven Years War, which was fought on American soil, for the
A single colony cannot depart from its mother country and lead a revolution; only a whole united nation, such as that of the American colonies, could successfully detach themselves from Mother England. One must take into consideration that up until the eve of revolution, much had happened in the time era of 1607-1776, where the British were still very involved in the American lifestyle and there was no unity within the nation, nevertheless the colonies. However, after the numerous acts imposed by the so called mother that should've taken care of the colonist, more Americans saw the light and realized their
How did the colonists manage to triumph in their battle for independence despite Great Britain’s military might? If any of these factors had been different, how might it have affected the outcome of the war?
During the American Revolution, The British and the American colonists had many difficulties and challenges to overcome. Both sides had great disadvantages and advantages, but the in the end the colonists had the most advantages and won their independence from the British. Some of the most important reasons the colonists won was that they were fighting on their own continent and knew the land better than the British, they received help from other European countries such as France and they had a well-experienced General; George Washington.
The American Revolution: the war for our independence. This revolution opened the door to our liberty, freedom, and basically what America is now. Most Americans have heard the stories of famous battles, important people (George Washington for instance), and everything in between. However, this was only for our side of the American Revolution and a small fraction of people have been told of Britain’s campaign of the revolution. The only thing people have been told was the Britain lost the war. What of Britain’s triumphs, strategies, and everything that happened in the span of a few years? Not many people know it, but the British struck a major blow against the Patriots in the last few years of the war. Even though the United States won the
While there are numerous contributing factors to America’s success in achieving independence, the most critical factor can be attributed to the series of British mistakes throughout the conflict. Prior to the onset of the Revolutionary War, the British government faced serious challenges, both politically and fiscally. The conclusion of the French and Indian War coupled with the fighting in Europe, India and the West Indies, left Britain with considerable debt and with few to little allies. The British government saw America as a way
war, it is a sign of radical action. Britains' army was four times as big
The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American
I believe Britain could have kept the colonies in the empire if they didn’t tax so extensively or if they would have taxed less. The people didn’t agree with the sugar act which put tax on sugar, molasses, and wine. It wasn’t the tax or the little bit of money they had to pay that made the colonists upset; it was because it was enforced and imposed on them and they had no say in it. The sugar act also made things difficult for the Americans to trade because the American shippers had to fill out forms that were complicated so their shipments were legalized and approved. The sugar act also led to a lack of justice. The smuggling cases of the colonists could be trailed in a juryless court if the officers wished for it to. If the verdict was guilty,
Many factors contributed to the British losing the American Revolutionary War. By the 1770’s the American colonists were not socially, religiously, or culturally connected to Britain. The colonists has their own ways of life and thus were not British by culture. The majority of the colonists had immigrated to America to escape the rigid class structures of Britain and Europe.
The decision that the English took over the colonies only help to make them realize that they had become a potential country and they virtual representation from the England will not change the social and political idea that they had of themselves, creating groups such as teh Sons of Liberty gave to the Americans the justification to be against the oppressive
The British were responsible for causing the American Revolution because they put unfair limitations on the colonies. One of Great Britain’s limits on the colonies was the Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation of 1763 states that the colonies can not expand their reign west of the Appalachian Mountain and the Indians could not move east towards the East Cost (Hakim 36). Britain was scared that as the colonies grew in population and in power, along with the Indians and French that were in the New World, that they would not be able to contain all of them (Hakim 36). Britain was scared that the Colonies would continue to grow in power and the risk of overthrowing Britain was an immanent threat (Class notes). Britain thought it was best to put these limitations on the colonies to prevent that from happening. The people in the colonies were forced to stay east of the Appalachians without a say from their Colonial Assemblies. This upset the colonies and they sent letter after letter to Great Britain to try to break this law but Britain would not give the colonies any say. Britain was not the only person to blame. The colonies acted immaturely to this proclamation. The colonists thought that land was perfectly fine and did not care much about the British demand. When the colonies did not follow Britain rules, Britain was upset and created taxes on the colonies. This downward spiral continued until the colonies and Great Britain were at each others throats. They kept going back and
The irregular and disorganized British rule of the American colonies in the previous years led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Most Americans did not originally want to separate from mother England. They wanted to stay loyal to the crown. England’s unwillingness to compromise, mismanagement of the colonies, heavy taxation of the colonists that violated their rights, the distractions of foreign affairs and politics in England and the strict trading policies that England tried to enforce together made the revolution inevitable. The British were definitely expected to win the dispute because they significantly over powered the Colonists in most areas. They had more money, weapons, people, etc. However the American’s prevailed with
It was easy for the colonists to work around the law, but England did nothing to stop it because trade deals were still happening, and everyone was still making money. This caused Americans to think of their government as equally as powerful as the British bureaucracy. England lost major control over the colonies during the Tradition of Neglect, but they didn’t do anything to stop it. Even though the colonies still considered themselves a part of the British Empire, people understood that they could lead themselves.